Nurse_

Here's my bare minimum: My own nursing brain Multiple pens (do not be that nurse that comes in clueless they need a pen and uses the surgical marker instead) Marker/Highlighter Trauma shears (2) hemostats Master cardiology stet hard candies/quick snacks

What's the LOL about that? It's the doctoral study of nurse anesthesia. The difference is that DOctoral study in nursing practice can also be applied to FNP. Hopefully, you are aware of the difference.

Just applied. Really excited about their DNAP program. December can't come soon enough.

EKG tech Phlebotomist Transport Nursing Assistant Unit secretary Most require additional training, some longer than others.

If it's a tiny bubble or two, there's really nothing to be concern about. However, I've seen a patient code due to air in the cordis. The patient is one of our sickest patient in the unit. A swan ganz was placed in the cordis. The nurse was giving boluses on the side-arm port through a pressure bag. When we saw the line, the side-arm port of the cordis was filled with air. We tried to aspirate and placed the patient on trendelenburg but we were unsuccessful.

NCLEX ensures you are safe. To be safe while taking care of the weak and vulnerable. That's why it is there. You mentioned CGFNS, I assume you are a foreign graduate. Maybe the problem is not the knowledge base but the way you interpret the question. Try answering more question. Try to get to at least 250 questions a day.

I have to disagree. There are nurses with some attitude, we have to as nurses. Don't we? We have to be able to stand up for our patients. But nursing is far from being catty and horrible. I'm biased, I guess, because I do like my coworkers. Even a person I dislike, I respect as a professional. If there is a problem with how others perceive you, maybe you can open the conversation about the misconceptions they may have. If the problem persists, maybe go to your supervisor.

TNCC is mostly helpful for ER nurses. I recommend taking trauma care after resus (TCAR). TNCC and ATCN can also he helpful.

Working in trauma/surgical ICU, I've seen people recover. Just the past weekend, the patient came in with a stab wound to the neck that severed the carotid artery. The doctors told the family not to expect him to survive and that they should say their goodbyes. Twelve hours past, then 24-hours, then he was started in CRRT... Now, he is extubated and talking to family. He is one of many that I've seen survive. We lose many battles. But we fight it anyway. Because there are people who wants to fight back, who has that determination to live if we only give them a helping hand.

Since I am a trauma/surgical ICU nurse, I am biased to my unit. The best part about working in trauma is that I'm able to see my patients survive and live. I had one patient, a female in her twentys who had a very bad car accident. We transfused her with 45 units of PRBC in my shift alone. She was started on CRRT and ecmo. The doctors already spoke to the family and even told the family to be prepared to say goodbye. Her SBP was on the 70s despite constant resuscitation and multiple pressors. When I gave report, I was even surprised that she lasted through my shift. To make my story short, she surprised everyone and walked out of the hospital after two weeks. She was one of many success stories we had. It reminds me that we are fighting because there are people like her, people who depend on us to survive, people who we can actually make a difference with.

Do you have prior experience? Are you a straight RN-MSN person? Nursing isn't like medicine or law or any other profession where the value of the school you came from is as valuable as the person. It may open doors in terms of interviews but that doesn't translate to job offers. Experience and emotional intelligence and how well you play with others does. Now being a new RN, I'll be more concern on getting in and having a job. Getting your feet wet, acquiring skills will make you a more valuable candidate.

I say go apply. Many new grad programs will recruit you pending a nursing license. So I suggest go start with new grad programs.

You can sign it as late entry. Just be prepared to answer any questions. When I was a LVN, I was taking care of a peds patient witha metabolic disorder. I have given a PRN medication and did not have time to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. This was all witness by the state representative. My manager and I sat down with the state official and she mentioned the error. My manager tried to argue that I always re-eval (which I really do) and that the state official may have missed the time I rechecked. The state official looked at me and I knew I did not and admitted it. The state official thank me for my honesty and instead of having a fine, she did not site that incident on her report. She remembered me through the years and was instrumental when I transitioned from LVN to RN. So moral of the story is... be honest. We are not perfect and they do not expect us to.

I don't care whether the patient has 30 seconds or 30 years to live, we always ensure that we do things the right way. Flushing a port takes very little effort to ensure that we have it when the patient needs it.

I know my shift will be a hot mess when... - trauma patient with clamshell thoracotomy, open abdomen, multiple drips, level 1 rapid infuser and crrt at the bedside - alcohol/substance withdrawal patient - getting a patient from certain hot mess nurses - getting a patient who's being rotated because they are agitated/verbally abusive or demanding family

Someone who may be a very good clinical nurse does not always equate to being a good preceptor. You have to tell this to your manager. Be objective and do not make this about the criticisms she told you. Let your manager know that maybe your learning and her teaching method isn't compatible and that you'd like to try another preceptor.

I think it'll be worth to fight it. I personally know someone who had two theft charges that applied to the boards and fought to sit for the NCLEX and succeeded. She was honest. She didn't get a lawyer, she represented herself and after two meetings/hearings, they granted her request (with stipulations). It's a case by case basis. You will meet resistance in every state, I don't necessarily think one state is easier than the other. You should fight for what you want.

I don't think it is. I usually say at that to my patient/patient's family in the beginning. I'll tell them that I'll be outside their room, and if they need something and I'm not there, I could be in my other patient's room and there's always someone in the nurse's station to help them. And if there really isn't anyone in the floor, that I'll be back in 45 to an hour to check on them. Its important to tell them that there's also someone else you are responsible for. I believe that by knowing that they'll be more cognizant with their care and demands.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24500[/ATTACH] Not mine but if you really want a tracker on your stethoscope then a tile tracker might be the best option.

In accordance to California nursing staffing ratio, step down unit ratio is 1:3 California RN Staffing Ratio Law

" Ok to use ET tube"

New practice states not to inflate the balloon. It depends on your facility's protocol.

Most PACU nurses have ICU background. But it depends on the hospital you're applying.

In California, ICU RNs are 2:1 or 1:1. If you the other person you are working with have critical care background/training, regardless of where they working right now then it should be okay. Like you said, it is a small ICU. If the biggest concern you have at the moment is that they do not have access to the pyxis to get insulin, that's not really something you should focus on. http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/DPOPP/regs/Documents/R-37-01_Regulation_Text.pdf 70217.1 - Talks about staffing ratio for ICU http://www.nurseallianceca.org/files/2012/06/Title-22-Chapter-5.pdf 70491 - Intensive Care Unit definition

Is it a rule? I certainly hope not. In my first year, I cried and was stressed out but it was because I wasn't where I wanted to be. The moment I moved to ICU, I felt my worth and my part in the whole team. So maybe it's not that it's your first year but where you are and who you are with. We give little importance to who we work with but to be honest, a hard job will most of the time be fine if you like who you work with. If you want to further your career in nursing, I believe it'll help you greatly if you have bedside experience. That said, it's not necessary for every nursing job to have bedside experience. As for your other questions, I can't really answer those as I stayed in nursing. There are still days when I want to pull my hair and cry my eyes out but that's part of nursing. It's part of wanting to do a good job for our patients. So don't give up just yet!