silkysteph

awesome, thanks for the great advice. buying those books right now:)

thank you so much. do you have a recommendation for a good website or book?

I just got an invitation to interview at ZSFGH, Level 1 Trauma Center. The interview includes case scenarios. What's your advice for me? How should I study and what should I study? Thanks

thanks for all the wonderful responses. you have no idea how much reading this helps :)

I'm a new grad RN four months into my first job at an Ambulatory Surgical Center. I feel I am an extra slow learner and that everybody hates me. I want to be excellent, so if I make even a tiny mistake, I feel stupid and useless, and I end up fearing for my job. Does anyone else ever feel like this?

I am an RN at an ambulatory center for plastic surgery. One of my roles is to provide overnight care for post-op patients in the recovery suite. One of my patients and I got along very well during her overnight stay. After her discharge, she got my email address from our secretary and emailed me asking to keep in touch outside of my professional role. I would like to stay in contact with her, but I am not sure if this appropriate. I looked up the NMC Code of Conduct and researched the guidelines regarding nurse and patient relationships. My relationship with this patient is platonic, but the guidelines are written for those in sexual relationships. They state that a sexual relationship with a current patient is never okay (that's a no-brainer). And in the case of former patients, sexual relationships are "often found to be unacceptable." I feel like staying in contact with this previous patient is not inappropriate because she is a former patient, the relationship is non-sexual, and the fact that she had plastic surgery means that she is not ill, or by any means, vulnerable. The most that would come of this is a regular friendship between two women who happened to meet as nurse and patient. What do you all think?

thank you very much!

thanks foe letting us know. Looks like I didn't get in then. haha. oh well

I got it too, and I'm also out of state. I don't think I'm going to go, but at the same time I'm wondering if showing up can help my chances? Maybe they consider the people showing up to be more serious.

Ugh, It seems to be the norm these days. Initially, I thought "no way" to anything over a year, but I've become so desperate that I would sign on for three.

Sedem, I applied for the Perioperative track. Which one did you apply for?

Funny, I checked my application status on the Emory website literally a second before you sent this. I'm still "under consideration." I'm applying all over the place. Trying to keep my options open.

thanks sedem. I saw that one earlier today. glad to know how they interview, so I prepare accordingly in case I get an invitation. Best of luck to you!

I just submitted my questionnaire for the September 2013 Operating Room Residency. For those of you who interviewed, what happens after? Do they request transcripts?

where do you live?

yeah, i ended up emphasizing that, and i really like how the essay turned out. thanks for the luck, i want to work in the OR sooo badly.

thanks, let's see if they get back to me :)

thanks, all great ideas. I got over the writer's block and wrote a pretty good essay. I do mention the stuff you suggested.

this is just one paragraph from my essay that I'm concerned about. I certainly talk about why I want to work in the OR.

i just wanted to paint a very general picture for the procedure, which I think i did a good job of. But the last part, where I say "The cross clamp was removed from the aorta and the heart spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm" may be inaccurate. Should I reverse it and say that the heart converted to sinus rhythm and then the aortic cross clamp was removed?

I am writing as essay for "why I want to work in the OR." there is a paragraph about the first surgery I saw, a CABG. I just want some feedback on it, please! Is it clear, well paced, correct, etc? "The event that made me want to work OR was the first CABG surgery that I saw in clinical, I realized the complexity and elegance of surgery and knew it was something I wished to be involved in. The patient was a 51-year-old male who required a triple bypass. The surgeon performed a medial sternotomy and opened the thoracic cavity with a sternal retractor. After the pericardium was incised, the beating heart was visualized. The surgeon proceeded to dissect the Left Inferior Thoracic Artery free from the retresternal bed, so it (along with the Great Saphenous Vein) could later serve as the new bypass. The Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) machine was circuited to the patient's inferior vena cavae and aorta to keep the heart still and also to induce mild hypothermia during the surgery. After, the surgeon anastmosed the damaged coronary arteries to the harvested conduits, using the parachute suturing technique. After it was confirmed that the new grafts were secured and patent, the body was re-warmed, and the CBP was weaned from the patient. The cross clamp was removed from the aorta and the heart spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm. No defibrillation or epicardial pacing wires were necessary. The surgery was a success."

I went with the 13th as well. It was only $4.00! looks like I made the right decision.

Dear Hiring Manager, As an applicant for the RN Case Manager Position at xxx, I am submitting a resume and outline of my qualifications. The HIV/AIDS patients I have been exposed to are immensely vulnerable, yet spirited and strong. I have learned more from them than from any other type of patient and have overwhelming compassion for them. I became nurse because of my need to help people and my desire to implement positive changes. Though, I enjoy bedside nursing, I know I will be able to make the greatest impact through the business side of nursing as a case manager because of my innate qualities. I understand the system of care delivery and would ensure the correct resources are used in the most efficient manner to improve patient outcomes while containing costs. I am aware that in such a complex health care system, it is easy for care to become scattered. My thoroughness, vigilance, and excellent communication will prevent unnecessary services or redundant care. I have frequently been commended by my clinical instructors for being both detailed oriented and able to see the whole picture in care needs for my patients. I have the ability to communicate effectively with both patients and healthcare providers while maintaining excellent interpersonal skills. I am always the patient advocate, as I ensure my patients' needs are met and their voices heard. I am highly sensitive to the cultural diversity and am naturally discrete, respectful, and kind. I have excellent organizational, documentation and assessment skills. And can handle many responsibilities simultaneously. I am a fast leaner and am focused on adhering to regulations, guidelines, and quality assurance on a unit. Please give me the opportunity to interview and show my professionalism, enthusiasm, and desire to make the most positive changes I can for these vulnerable HIV/AIDS patients. Sincerely, s

Dear Hiring Manager, As an applicant for the RN Case Manager Position at xxx, I am submitting a resume and outline of my qualifications. The HIV/AIDS patients I have been exposed to are immensely vulnerable, yet spirited and strong. I have learned more from them than from any other type of patient and have overwhelming compassion for them. I became nurse because of my need to help people and my desire to implement positive changes. Though, I enjoy bedside nursing, I know I will be able to make the greatest impact through the business side of nursing as a case manager because of my innate qualities. I understand the system of care delivery and would ensure the correct resources are used in the most efficient manner to improve patient outcomes while containing costs. I am aware that in such a complex health care system, it is easy for care to become scattered. My thoroughness, vigilance, and excellent communication will prevent unnecessary services or redundant care. I have frequently been commended by my clinical instructors for being both detailed oriented and able to see the whole picture in care needs for my patients. I have the ability to communicate effectively with both patients and healthcare providers while maintaining excellent interpersonal skills. I am always the patient advocate, as I ensure my patients' needs are met and their voices heard. I am highly sensitive to the cultural diversity and am naturally discrete, respectful, and kind. I have excellent organizational, documentation and assessment skills. And can handle many responsibilities simultaneously. I am a fast learner and am focused on adhering to regulations, guidelines, and quality assurance on a unit. Please give me the opportunity to interview and show my professionalism, enthusiasm, and desire to make the most positive changes I can for these vulnerable HIV/AIDS patients. Yours truly, s

The OR job I'm applying for requires a "Why I Want to be a Perioperative Nurse" essay. I mention that the first surgery I saw (CABG) made me want to work in the OR, and then I describe the surgery in about three paragraphs. Is this a good idea for this type of essay? I feel like showing my understanding of the procedure is a good thing, but I don't know... This essay is so difficult for me to write because I am very "to the point" and cannot write an entire essay on why I want to be an OR nurse. Honestly, I can sum it up in two sentence: I excel in work that is technically demanding and requires a precise knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. I prefer an environment that requires teamwork, stamina, quick-thinking, and interpersonal skills.