rng2013

Ok thanks! This might be a dumb question but what does it typically look like under the tegaderm? I'm just having a hard time visualizing this.

I work in a cardiac med unit where we also have 8 post angioplasty recovery beds where I'm now being trained. My question is about perclose... I was told there's nothing we really do with them. They come back from the cath lab with a tegaderm on top and it sounds like they're sent home with that and told they can take off the dressing the next day. Anyone have any experience with this?

I know pretty much 99.9% of nurses feel the way I do right now when they first graduate... Overwhelmed, stressed, discouraged, surprised by the sudden change of roles from student to grad nurse. Wondering, did the university made a mistake in passing me. lol Maybe I should give my degree back? I'm asking too many questions while at work - I should know how all this works by now. Some staff are supportive, some not so much. I did my preceptorship on a cardiac unit (where I've always wanted to be) and have been lucky enough to get a job there. Full time pretty much right off the bat - which I was told could be overwhelming and it certainly is. Nothing I can't handle but some days I just go home very down on myself, wondering if I made the wrong choice to be a nurse. It does get better right? I hear the first year is the hardest. It's so hard to come home and not worry about "oh crap, I hope I mentioned this in report" or "should I have started that pre-op checklist already?" or "was that strip really such-and-such?"

I am in my 4th year of nursing but 2nd year at U of A Collab. program (I transferred from MB when I got married!). I can say with confidence that I LOATHE CBL. It is beyond me how they think students can learn this way. Tutorial classes are joke. Pretty much goes like this: you go, completely throw 3 hours of your life down the crapper, brainstorm a stupid scenario, break up research topics, come back and end up focusing on points that have little to no impact on nursing whatsoever, maybe the information is correct, maybe it's not, maybe you covered everything the course lead wants you to as a group, maybe you didn't, where is the "tutor" anyway?, what am I even paying for?, then the exam comes and it doesn't even matter how little or how much you studied. Then you go to a 3 hour "lab" for "practice" where 2.5 hours is spent in discussion and lecture and maaaaybe .5 hour actually practicing. You hear faculty members say how well this program "prepares you for the real nursing world" and "enhances critical thinking". Maybe those of you who have been nursing for a long time can correct me but I feel that critical thinking is something that you develop primarily in clinical practice. For example, in my last clinical in acute care I had a patient on an evening shift who became slightly agitated, confused, and began shivering. For the life of me, I could not think of why when he'd been "normal" all evening and now suddenly at 2130h things are going wonky. Keeping in mind he is diabetic, I rechecked his insulin orders and blood sugars and noticed he was hypoglycemic. He also did not eat very much at dinner. Brought him some orange juice and it brought his sugar back up. He was sleeping like a baby when I left! Something small (could've turned big) but would we have learned THAT in tutorial? I don't really think so. I believe we gain some critical thinking through textbook knowledge but that only goes so far. Clinical takes that knowledge the rest of the way. I don't say this to sound cocky or arrogant but since I have transferred, each clinical instructor I've had has stated, "We need more of our students to be like you". They meant this in terms of communication skills, professionalism, and of course, critical thinking. Each time I feel like shouting, THEN CHANGE YOUR PROGRAM! It's simple. I was at a program before where I got an excellent foundation. I honestly think that's the only reason I'm making it right now. ALSO - I feel this faculty is so disorganized and miscommunicate (or completely do not communicate) with students aaaaaaaaaall the time. I have 100 examples but my rant has gone on long enough!! I'm concerned that I will be not as "valued" as a new grad because my degree will say University of Alberta on it. It seems that GMU grads are preffered. When I was transferring, I wanted GMU since it was similar to my original program but it ended up being easier/faster for me to transfer to U of A. Anyway, I'm done this year so I can handle a little longer I guess!

I realize this thread is a little old but maybe you can still use some input - or someone else will see this who needs input! I definitely recommend asking around to get more information about the nursing schools in your area. Ask people who you or some friends/family may know that have gone to nursing schools in the area. That's what I did! I actually transferred to another province half way through my nursing education. I did 2 years, then got married. My husband lived in another province so I moved to be with him (to western Canada) and took my nursing with me to another university. Now, from this experience I can tell you that finding the right school for you is CRUCIAL. The first school I went to, I don't think it was necessarily considered "top notch" but the instructors, lay out of the program, clinical experience, lab component, and critical thinking enhancement was superb. I learned SO much. Then I transferred to a school that focuses more on the theoretical/research side of things more than the hands on and critical thinking that makes up nursing. I can tell you that by being in 2 different programs, it's really important to go to a school that will be geared towards your learning style. For some people, the theoretical/research aspect is excellent and they learn perfectly fine. However, I'd much rather learn HOW to incorporate that knowledge into patient care and I find this nursing program I'm currently in really lacks that component. Fortunately, since I came from a program that DID focus on that, I can still do well. Also consider how heavy the course load will be in a program you're looking into. For example, in my first program we had clinical 1-2 days per week and the other days were lab/lecture days. In my second program, half the semester is ALL clinical for 5 days per week for 6 weeks and the other half is theory classes for 6 weeks. I found the second way to be WAY more stressful. Clinical is exhausting - you're basically at school and at work at the same time, full time. You have to be on your game 100% of the time... plus, it's very stressfull. Especially when you're just starting. So I recommend taking that into consideration. Avoid getting so stressed, burnt out, and discouraged that you think nursing is not for you and you throw in the towel. I've seen it happen. So do some research on what type of learning style you'd prefer. Ask around. Then apply and get ready to work hard! It's stressful and alot of work but it just prepares you for the real world as a nurse. And it's so worth it. Good luck!