Missa

Does anyone have any experience with Ryerson's Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program or Masters program (or the combined program)? Thanks!

If I can answer them, I will, but I work in a neuro ICU (adult), so my area of expertise is quite specific. If you think you're having a SAH, I can help you out, but I know very little about pediatrics, obstetrics, psychiatry, etc, etc. Nursing school was a long time ago and at best I got a very general education in most of areas of practice. I find that because I'm a nurse people expect me to know everything. Most recently, a friend suspects she has gout in her knee and has come to me for advice. It seems unlikely to me given her age, but really, I don't have a clue. Gout isn't really an issue in my area of practice...or if it is, it's the least of the patient's worries. Oh, and my mom's having this pain in her shoulder. What could that be? My sister's eyes water a lot...why is that? These are just examples. When I don't know the answers, they kind of look at me like "And YOU work in an ICU???". Does anyone else relate? How do you handle these endless questions? I don't understand why the general public expects nurses to know everything health related. They wouldn't expect a neurosurgeon to know how to deliver a baby, would they? Or, you wouldn't want a real estate lawyer to represent you in a murder trial, would you? Know what I mean?

I'm getting really tired of the lack of respect I receive as a nurse. I would like to tell you about a recent example of something that infuriated me. I attended a Fantasia party (a home party for "sensual" items) at a friend's house a couple of nights ago. At one point, I left the room to use the washroom. Upon my return, the salesperson was showing off a "naughty nurse" outfit. The other guests of the party all enthusiastically agreed that I needed to buy that one. I like to think that I'm a pretty fun, open minded, easy going person, but this ticked me off! :angryfire I replied that I had no interest in such an outfit and as a professional nurse, I found it to be offensive. The conversation ended abruptly and the salesperson moved on to the "sexy maid" outfit. :icon_roll I think part of the reason that this upset me so much was that all of the other guests (including my friend who was the host) were female lawyers (traditionally a male profession). I have always got the feeling that my lawyer friend does not respect what I do. I get the impression that to her a nurse is someone who couldn't cut it in med school. Honestly, I haven't got all of my feelings on this subject worked out in my mind yet, but I do know that I have dedicated years of my life to getting where I am today. I completed a 3 year diploma nursing program 8 years ago. I did a 4 month critical care certificate program 5 years ago and most recently, I completed my BScN (I graduate tomorrow!). I have worked in a neuro/trauma ICU for 5 years. It is challenging work and I love it. Not just anyone can do it....I'm quite certain that my lawyer friend could not. I just want to scream that nurses are intelligent and play a huge part in our health care system. We are not hand maidens of the doctors and most importantly we're not doctor wannabes! Nursing and medicine are different professions and should be equally respected. I chose to be a nurse not because I couldn't get into med school, but because it was the right profession for me!!! However, I'm getting so frustrated with being looked down upon by society that I'm considering leaving the profession for one that garners more respect. This makes me very sad. Does anyone else feel this way?

I work in a busy ICU. Every morning, just about all of our patients get a portable chest X-ray. Our unit is cramped and patients are very close to one another. Since it is a trauma ICU, there are also many portable X-rays done in a day on the limbs of various patients. Does anyone know how dangerous it is for patients to be exposed to such frequent X-rays? Also, how far should staff be away from the X-rays? No one has ever really given me a straight answer. I didn't think about it too much before, but now I'm pregnant. There must have been at least 15 X-rays done on the 3 patients in my area yesterday. I got as far away as possible for most of them, but a couple of times, I was busy with my patient and didn't get out of the way in time. Of course, I'm worried about hurting my baby. The X-ray techs wear devices that monitor their exposure, but the nurses don't.

When using the Train of Four, do you count the number of twitches you see or the number you feel? Sometimes you only see 1 twitch for example, but if you touch the patient, you can feel 2, 3, or even 4. Thanks!

Thanks for your responses! So, do you mean that as a CRNA, you are registered as an "advanced registered nurse practioner" as opposed to having general RN status? Hope I'm making sense.

Though I'm getting way ahead of myself, I was reading some job postings for CRNAs recently. I noticed that they said in addition to "ACLS certification; certification from accredited AANA program or Master's Degree; and national certification, as appropriate", the first requirement listed was "State Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner License". I am confused about the Advanced Registered Nurse Practioner License requirement. Is this in addition to becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist? Can anyone offer any clarification? Thanks!

Thanks for the info TraumaNurse! I love your signature line by the way. I quite often find myself reciting that quote. I'm a Dr. Seuss fanatic.

Thank you for your responses! Does anyone know if Canadian BScN programs are recognized as equivalent to American nursing degrees? My BScN program was not very scientific....at all. It had a very strong emphasis on psychosocial issues and a lot of other things that I felt were very irrelevant to my goals. Will this affect my chances of being admitted to a nurse anesthetist program which is obviously highly scientific (a big reason why I'm so interested in it)? I was originally a diploma nurse graduating from a 3 year community college program, worked for a few years, and went back to earn my BScN. Thanks!

I'm seriously interested in becoming a CRNA. From my research so far, it seems like it would be a perfect fit for me. There is one small problem. I'm Canadian and Canada does not use CRNAs. Thus, my husband and I would have to ultimately sell our house and move to the US if I want to realize my dream. Has anyone ever done this? Was it worth it? Any advice? Thanks!

That's great. Thanks for your response Brenna'sDad! :)

I should have known. :chuckle Even though I think you're right and that it wouldn't be easy to do, I think it would be very worthwhile and beneficial to everyone. The government and the health care system are doing a great disservice to themselves and the population by underestimating the potential of nurses.

I am very interested in becoming a CRNA, but am curious if there is a demand for CRNAs on the west coast. Also, is it difficult to obtain employment as an inexperienced new graduate? Thanks!

Hi there! I worked at a private clinic for about a year. I left the hospital for a change in scenery and went running back a few months ago. I hated the private for-profit clinic. The work was dead easy and the daytime weekday hours were nice, but I was constantly being told what to do ("Go take that person's blood, then go do his stress test, then go wipe the counters"). I couldn't think for myself at all. This was a very difficult adjustment coming from a busy ICU. Also, I found that my values clashed with the values of the organization. I went in to nursing because I genuinely care about people. This particular for profit organization cared about nothing but the bottom line. Finally, the pay was about 5$ less/hour than being unionized at the hospital. I am so, so happy to be out of there. Ugh!

Is there a reason? There is a shortage of anesthesiologists and the ones that we do have aren't happy with their 315K/year. So, why don't we recognize nurse anesthetists (CRNAs)? From my research, I have found that CRNAs provide very high qualitly, cost-effective care. They are compensated well for their work and responsibility, but still only cost about 1/3 of what it costs to pay an anesthesiologist. I would think this would be a very attractive prospect to our cash strapped health care system. I just don't understand why this hasn't already happened. Nurse anesthetists work in 106 countries including the USA. In fact, 65% of anesthesia administered in the US is done so by CRNAs. So, what am I missing? Why haven't we caught on to this in Canada yet?