DixieBelle7

I work for an HCA facility. Our colors vary according to department. I work in postpartum/nursery. Our colors are Galaxy Blue and Shocking Pink. These colors are designated for us as well as L&D and NICU. You KNOW when you see our colors what area of the hospital we work in without having to ask...

I have really been looking into both online and on campus programs. I have been looking into the local on campus programs that are closest to me. I live in the north east Houston are and the closest program to me that I have found is going through the Lone Star College in The Woodlands. It has a distance RN to BSN program under the University of Houston which is offered on Tuesdays. I have been looking through numerous online programs as well... I am feeling a little overwhelmed with the decision making.... First I have to decide between the two.... I have already decided if I go the ON CAMPUS route that I will probably go with the program of U of H.... (unless I decide the RN to MSN route)... I have not as yet made the decision of which online program I would try to apply to because there are SO MANY options.. This is why I am asking for other nurses' opinions... An online program would be easier to work around my schedule....unless there is so much work that I might get discouraged. If that were to be the case then it would be wiser to take the on campus class and work around it... I believe I would enjoy the face to face program, but the lure of doing it around MY schedule is pretty strong... I want to get my BSN and MSN...and I sure don't want to take forever to do it.. So you see my dilemma? That is why I am trying to get other people's opinions and experiences to help me make my decision. I just want to make an educated decision. : )

I am an ADN RN. I am wanting to get my BSN and MSN (which was my plan from the beginning)... I am wondering what program my peers recommend ... a traditional on campus program or an online program. I am really struggling with this decision. I feel like I learned so much at my on campus program, and I really enjoyed the camaraderie of doing it with my peers. also feel like I thrived with the hands-on experience. I have also taken online classes before... it seemed like other students that were going to school pre-nursing school all had to do WAY more reading and writing than I was having to do in my on campus classes. When I took a few online classes, I found the experience was the same... This really concerns me with having to take classes that are (I assume from my nursing school experience) much more in depth than History 1301. The online classes make for ease in working around my work schedule, but I don't want to end up taking on a lot more work than I would be spending just going to class twice a week. I really would like to know what you think and why...what was/is your experience? Also... as a little more information about myself.. I am a non-traditional college student, as I am 47 years old and didn't even begin taking ANY college classes until January of 2003. I graduated from my ADN program in 2007. I still think of myself as a new nurse...lol I am asking to pick the brains of my peers that have already completed my dream or are in the process of completing it... Thank you for your help! I love my nursing family!

In regards to Enthused RN's statement that only MDs and Paramedics can pronounce.. In Texas an RN can pronounce. I am a Certified Hospice and Palliative care RN..... I pronounce patients all the time. I even have to go into LTC facilities to pronounce if the facility has no RN on duty (which is very common at night)....

I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, but it does make a difference to me. I have friends with tattoos and family with tattoos, but that doesn't change the way I feel when I see someone with one. If you are asking for 100% honesty... I may not SAY anything and I won't TREAT them differently or SAY anything to anyone else, but i do THINK it. I do get to know people and learn to ignore it, but my FIRST impression is that this person is not professional. (I don't care if it's a doctor, a nurse, the guy/girl working at McDonald's) I can never HONESTLY say it looks professional. I do get to know people and overlook them, but I don't like seeing the tattoos and piercings on the person working the drive thru handing me my food, so I'm sure not pleased to see it on someone that i'm putting my life in their hands... I may not be there long enough to actually get to KNOW that person, and they would never know how I feel by how I treat them. (I don't want to hear, "Well then let me stand over you and NOT do CPR if you were to need it... don't want "tattoos coming near you"... That would be just be being silly... I'm not saying that you AREN'T professional, but it does APPEAR unprofessional... I am NOT saying this to knock anyone) Please don't start a flame war for my honest comment. I'm not TRYING to judge anyone... but I know that i'm not alone in my feelings, so please don't be hateful for getting an answer that you didn't want to hear. You'll notice that nearly everyone that has ANSWERED this post has tattoos. I have 2 daughters-in-law that have tattoos that I asked how they felt about tattoos or piercings on healthcare workers (after seeing this, while i was trying to decide whether or not I should be honest or take the easy road and say nothing...) taking care of them or their babies while they were in the hospital... (they themselves have tattoos and at times have had nose or cartilage piercings, as i mentioned before...) They said that they would rather NOT have that person take care of them... They said they can't explain it, but it just doesn't seem professional and they don't feel as confident in the person's abilities... AGAIN.... I AM SORRY, IF I HAVE OFFENDED ANYONE OR HURT THEIR FEELINGS.... THAT IS NOT MY INTENTION! Today's world has it so that everyone has to be so politically correct that we have to worry so much about offending people that we don't give them an honest to goodness answer... All I am doing is giving you an HONEST opinion that too many are AFRAID to give because it is easier to say it behind someone's back than risk offending.

I don't know about anyone else's experiences, but here where I work in the Houston area.... to... \

Everywhere I have ever worked has had the same reaction. If you're in health care it seems like they expect you to be there...sick or not. RARELY have I called in sick, but only once have I not been made to feel like a dirty dog for "not sucking it up" and coming in anyway. No...your coworkers don't want to be around you and risk getting sick, but by golly the "powers that be" expect you to be there heck or high water because the mentality was "Illness doesn't take a break so neither should you!". It was the same if you asked for a day off (even if it was an allowed holiday way in advance). You were treated like you were a rat for daring to ask off. And even in home health it was a case of asking off only meant the same amount of work to do, just less time to get it done. (What kind of a day off is that?)

I cannot tell y'all how much I appreciate the help. Y'all have helped me greatly and I appreciate beyond words. I am just in my second semester here at TVCC and won't be graduating until May 2006, so I know I will get lots of help from this. (I may have a little over a year to go, but all I have to say is.... I AM STILL STANDING!!! We started out with 125 the first semester and only had 80 when we started this semester.) I am so GRATEFUL to have found this site! Everyone is so helpful. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I hope that I will be able to help others as much as y'all have helped me. (I will certainly be sharing your information with my friends that are in the same boat as me...lol) Thank you again to everyone. Sincerely, Sandy in east Texas

Hello... I am new here. I have been searching for user friendly nursing care plan templates? Is there such a thing for nursing students? My clinical instructor told our group of the TNA website (not a nurse yet, so the Resource Center of TNA isn't accessable to me). She told us that this site had a great care plan template among other things. The templates that we bought from our school are NOT user friendly at all. It would be much easier to just hand write them on a blank form (that should tell you how difficult this thing is to use!). The problem with that is that we were told that usually students receive better grades when they are typed rather than hand written. I want to get the best grade I possibly can (who doesn't...lol). Is there a place that can help me? ANY help would be GREATLY appreciated! Sandy in Texas