cassilee30

I like my job and i am not going to quit if we go to all white. Yet, I feel compelled to state my opinion because of how I feel about this matter, but I want to get other opinions on this matter before I precede. Maybe I am the one behind the times? I would not be able to handle an all white uniform. I wouldn't even be able to work somewhere where they mandated a scrub color. I have already decided that if my place of employment mandates a certain color (other than just pants color....I could handle it if they stated a pants color, but we were able to wear whatever top we wanted), that I would have to find a new job. I worked hard to be a nurse and I find it oppressive to be forced to wear what management states is proper....but that's just me.... a rebel at heart. Cassi

Who should I believe? I am believing my motherly instinct and not letting him have oranges until he can tell me that he does not feel well after eating an orange. If I ingest any type of orange, I break out in severe hives, get an excruciating migraine, vomit, pass out, the works. So of course I am going to be protective of my son. Sorry, I had to vent about that, I am just frustrated because nobody seems to believe me about the allergy to oranges. I think you should believe your instinct and not give him oranges until he is old enough to clearly state how he feels when he eats one. I would also have liquid benedryl near by when I gave it to him :). I can empathize with you because I am soooooo allergic to dairy...all forms, and not lactose, I'm allergic to casein (the protein). And, no one really understands. I get such severe diarrhea and pain....and then doctors, and others, say that diarrhea is not a real allergy....however, I believe differently because of how severe I get sick, and always within 1 hour of eating it (usually 15-20 minutes) later. For instance, I have eaten the same wheat bread for years because it was completely dairy free, then about a month ago, I had a sandwich and I got sooooooooo sick and I was trying to figure out what I ate....I could not figure it out....next day, the same thing. Then I went through everything I ate that day, checked the ingredients in everything, and the bread recipe was different and now had milk in it. Argh. There is no way someone can tell me I do not have an allergy lol I'm also severely allergic to shell fish (stop breathing from that one) and I get sick (like I do with dairy) from pork, eggplant, and pecans. All that to say, I'm sorry, I would believe you, and I think people can be very narrow minded that if something doesn't happen to them, then it can not possibly happen to someone else ttfn~cassi

Generally, how long would you have to work in one specialty before being able to transfer to something a little better? Thanks to anyone who can give any input. Have a good weekend! Hi, I graduate in 11 days and I was hired directly into the ICU. I get a 6 month training period where I work one on one with another nurse, along with some further computer/classroom training. I'm very excited. :balloons: Good luck in nursing school. Cassi

I live in san luis obispo....great place, but very expensive to buy a house in. The average price of a house here is over 650,000. I love Sierra Vista...I just went to a recruiting thing with them today. They are not currently hiring into ICU or Peds...but do have openings in Med/Surg, SDU, CVICU. I am not sure about ER. The starting pay for a new nurse is aroun 24.00 with a 3 dollar shift differential. I work for a Tenet hospital in Templeton...and will probably try for a job at Sierra Vista when they have openings in either peds or ICU. I like Tenet...they have ups and downs just like any other hospital. There's also French Hospital in San Luis and Arroyo Grande hospital in Arroyo Grande. Also, a little further south, there's Marian hospital in Santa Maria and a little north there's Mee Memorial in King City. All have good reputations. Hope that helps. Cassi

I have never heard the term brittle diabetes for DI...it has always, in my tons of visits to endocrinologists and doctors and camps and seminars, been used to describe a type 1 diabetic who has blood sugars that swing easily and without apparent reason...or who is hard to control. Interesting. Cassi

And how's the pump? I have not used it yet but they are recommending it since I have been a brittle diabetic for so long. My son is also very brittle. He can go from 40-400 in one day, easily...however, overall, the pump has kept him stable over all. He's less brittle since the pump and it's easier to correct, I think. Plus, he has the freedom to eat what he wants when he wants it. Ever since the pump his highest A1C has been 6.7. He's 16 now, been on the pump since he was 8. Cassi

I agree. Making $90K with a ton of overtime (i.e. in Texas) and making $90K as your base salary (in Cali) is not the same thing. It's obvious that California RN's do make more than Texas RN's because of unions. :typing However, 90 thousand in California probably doesn't mean as much as making 90 thousand in Texas. The average price of a house in the town I live in is over 600,000. It's hard to find anything under 500,000. Cassi

I agree. And at the hospital I will be working at, I will have no choice. What bothers me the most is that our unions donate money--paritally MY money-- to political causes that I completely disagree with. Our last election had a ballat that failed, but it would have required people to either give permission or not give permission to have their union dollars go to political causes. I can not believe that ballat did not pass as all it did was allow people to decide how they wanted their own money spent....still scratching my head over that one. Anyway, I'm not sure what I really think about unions, but I do know that I do not want my money being spent supporting people that go against everything I believe. Cassi

i graduate from cuesta in may. i took phys with ann malicheski (sp?), who is probably the best teacher i have ever had in my life. i took micro from evy and anatomy from pete peterson. the program itself is well...i can't really say a lot till i graduate. it's hard, but i do think they prepare you well for a nursing career. they recently changed the application guideline. you can only have one c in your pre reqs and you can only repeat one of the four prereqs one time. of course, the pre reqs are anatomy, phys, micro and english 1a. hope that helps, cassi

I did not receive the series, as I am very uncomfortable about the ingredients in vaccines. I personally feel that they are responsible for other illness in our society. However, I'm one of those "crazy-non-vaccine-lunatics" who, in my experience, is assumed to be uneducated and stupid and crazy for not following the general public and just vaccinating against everything. That's okay. I firmly believe people have to make their own decisions on vaccines and either way a person decides it should be researched and educated...not just done because the school system says you have to (which of course, is not true). good luck in your decision. Cassi

My son also can swing like this...he's always been very fragile. If 0.5 of a unit of insulin can make up to a 200 point difference in his blood sugar...you should see how indepth his pump is set to try to keep him normal. The other day, he ate 4 ritz crackers without bolusing with insulin and his blood sugar went up 100 points....crazy. Cassi

996...in my 7 year old son. He could walk and talk, but he wasn't looking too good. He could barely walk and kept falling asleep, but he was talking to me most of the time. I had decided that I was not going to leave the doctor till they told me what was wrong with my son (he'd been sick for most of his life, but for that year, he was sick all the time...he had had his sugar checked about fifteen times that year and each time it was normal). Anyway, they drew lab work and it was 996...and we were off to the hospital for a week. He's now 16, on a pump since he was 8 and doing great. A1C was last 5.9. Cassi

Hi, I'm a nursing student in the USA. I only have 1 1/2 more semesters to go. Anyway, my husband was born and raised in England and is also thinking of going back to school to be a nurse. Here in America, he'd have to take all of his pre req classes because he's done no schooling here in America, except he is a Psychiatric Technician (not even sure if you have those in England). Anyway, in the USA, he can pass meds, does basic care, V.S., etc. He works in a Government prison for the mentally insane. He also has an associates? (that's what we call two year degrees in USA) degree from a college in England. My question is, we've been tossing around the idea of maybe going to England after I graduate...me working there and my husband going to school. Can someone tell me how long school takes there? What kind of prerequests are required and if there are long waiting lists for nursing school there? Any information on nursing schools and nursing in general would be great. Thanks! Cassi

I go to Cuesta college...it's an Associates program. Not sure where you'd go for a BN. It is paradise here and that's why people pay the big prices. Good luck, cassi

I live in San Luis Obispo and I'll be graduating in June. The starting nurses salary here is about 23.75 an hour. It's okay, but you have to remember that the house of prices here are outragous. We own a 1400 square foot condo in SLO and it's worth 475,000. Grover Beach has a little bit cheaper housing (as long as your house isn't on the beach)....Pismo is very expensive, Arroyo Grande is slightly lower than SLO, but not much. There is a hospital in AG (called Arroyo Grande hospital, go figure ). In San Luis there is Sierra Vista and French hospital and in Santa Maria (south of AG), there is Marian hospital. I didn't like Arroyo Grande hospital very much, either as a patient or as a nursing student....but some people really like it. I believe all of the hospitals have shift differentials, and all of the local hospitals are 12 hours shifts. Hope that helps! cassi

I'm starting as a student nurse intern tomorrow (half way through nursing school) and they pay at the hospital I'll be at 1.00 more for pms and I think 2 more for noc shift...not sure about that one cause I'll be PMs. It's not a lot, but then our area doesn't pay nurses a lot. cassi

I'm sorry you're going through a hard time. If it were me, just going by MY gut when reading your post, I'd say you need to take care of yourself first. Nursing is such a giving career and you sound like you're at the end of your rope in the giving aspect of life and you need to take care of yourself. Maybe take phlebotomy or something a little less stressful and that might help you determine if you can handle touching people a lot. I'd hate for you to have wasted the whole first year or two in class time before you even get to experience the hands on part of nursing. I do know a lot of people who drop out, do so because they can't handle touching people all the time. I hope that you can find peace and healing in your therapy and you will find passion for something. If nursing is the thing for you, it'll be there when you're stronger....if it's not, then you'll find something. I truly believe all people have talents and strengths and passions....it took me a long time to find nursing and maybe it's just taking you time to find the right thing for you. Good luck! Cassi

Also to play devils advocate...every patient, including celebrities, have a right to privacy. If she were in the room across the hall from someone who recoginized her, he/she could sell that information to the press and she would have her rights violated. just another view. Cassi

I've had that and it's always cured by going to the chiropractor. It usually happens when my neck is out. After I go, my jaw doesn't click or hurt any more. It sure is a lot cheaper and an easier cure than the braces/retainer route and something you might want to check out. cassi

Is there a concern among medical professions who receive vaccinations? Do you know of a person who became ill witih an autoimmune disease after having a vaccination? My son got juvenline diabetes, I, and a few of his doctors, believe as a direct result of his vaccines. He also stopped breathing from his first DPT shot when he was two months old, but I continued to vaccinate cause I was young and just did what I was told. However, after he got diabetes, I stopped vaccinating all my kids...and they've never been healthier. I thought I would not be able to work in hospitals or my nursing school wouldn't let me do clinical without my hep shots, since they are required, however, I just had to sign a waiver....which is what I do for my kids also. I also have religious problems with a few of hte vaccines. Anyway, in working at the hospitals, I know several nurses who are against vaccines (much to my surprise, I had kept my opinions to myself, figuring that I'd be way in the minority, but I've heard several different nurses state 1. they don't get vaccines or 2. they don't give themto their children). I could go on forever with information on this, but, since I know my opinion on the subject is not probably well received in the medical world, I'll refrain :) :) Cassi