Backblast

Marine Corps veteran here.

Great trauma center/ED? Look no further than Duke in Durham, NC or WakeMed in Raleigh, NC. Of course, there's always the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Go for it! Part of the beauty of nursing is being able to find your niche and roll with it. Years ago, my son was a patient at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The entire nursing staff was amazing, but the nurses who stood out above the others were guys.

I was offered a job at the hospital I worked at as a PCT before I even graduated. I worked cardiac medical telemetry there for 4 years before transferring to OR.

I'm in the process of phasing out of nursing now. Currently, I'm in EMT basic school and start paramedic school in May. Why? I've completely burned out on the childish attitudes, back stabbing, nurses-eat-their-own, thin skinned, whiny personalities that seem to permeate our field, particularly amongst the women in our field. I've been a nurse for 13 years now and can't wait for the day that I either turn my nursing license in or don't renew it.

I've read both editions twice. Outstanding read! The big difference between the first and second edition are an extra chapter, some extra background info about how the book came to be in the first place. There is also a section in the back which reads like a "where are they now?".

Screw 'em. You should have gotten up and walked out.

Bought a Para-Ordnance .45 pistol.

Calm down, take a deep breath, and have a drink. I took boards hungover and without cracking the first book to study. If I can do it on the first try, anyone can.

It's a huge help to sleep in a dark room during the day. My trick: Cut a large piece of cardboard to the size of every window in your room. Cover it with aluminum foil, shiny side out, then place in your windows when you're sleeping. I keep mine up all the time, but that's just me. Good luck!

Don't believe everything you hear. When I was a new LPN 12 years ago (in Kentucky, I might add), there was a rumor going around that they were going to start phasing out LPNs altogether within 5 years, which, of course, hasn't come to fruition. My point is this: Don't believe rumor and innuendo. Stay informed through your BON and professional journals. Know the facts before jumping to conclusions.

That's not true. LPN stands for Little Pretend Nurse or Low Paid Nurse.

After reading all the responses along with the OP, I have to say, first, this is why in almost 13 years as an LPN, I've avoided LTC like the plague. Second, it's the reason I start my EMT Basic course next month and start working on my ADN in the fall.

With a Dobhoff, it may be a matter of facility policy-vs-scope of practice as defined by your state's board of nursing. For instance, in North Carolina where I live and work, a Dobhoff or other type of weighted feeding tube may be placed by an RN, but not an LPN, as it doesn't fall in their scope of practice. As far as tubes in general, my best advice to remember them is to think about 3 things: Where/how it's inserted, where it's tip/end is, and what it's used for. This will help out a great deal.

As an LPN of almost 13 years, I've done OR, med-surg, urgent care, and private duty home health, but I'm bored senseless! I feel trapped, like there's nowhere else to go. Anyone else bored and ready to move on and do something else in nursing? I'm using this as my primary motivation to return to school and begin work on my ADN, but just wondering if anyone else feels the same way.