pfitz1079

why the refusal to address the hypothetical? trust me, the situation is real, any nurse with kids has gotten that one for real. the rules exist because that's how you make nurses. it's supposed to be hard. i didn't get that when i was sitting in c...

If annoying people understood that they were annoying, they probably would choose not to do be so. Here's a hypothetical: Two years from now you're out of school and working as an honest-to-god RN. Your unit is understaffed (the norm), it's three AM...

Whatever. I'll put that in my Newspeak phrase book. How about this for a rule: Stop expecting special treatment / accomodation / scheduling / rule changes (like cell phones) or assignment based on whatever personal/marital/parental/economic baggage ...

I generally try to steer people away from the EC-type programs. Some states are refusing to license folks from them. Really a nursing program without clinicals is pointless. I've heard all the justifications about prior experience and just don't b...

If you fail a test, or even a whole class, please own it. When I went through school there was a group of retreads from the class in front of us that failed a course because of a "bad teacher". Of the ten or twelve of them, only one would ever admi...

Short answer: yes Most defibrillators that do syncronized cardioversion are designed so that the device will drop out of "sync" mode after delivering a syncronized countershock. The idea being that if a patient converts to v-tach or v-fib an unsyncr...

- There's no line for the bathroom during breaks from training classes. - You're kid asks for you, not his mother, when he's sick. - You always sign up to work Valentine's day, but never Super Bowl Sunday. - You always have to tell your wife you're g...

Have you tried staples? Pete Fitzpatrick RN, CFRN, EMT-P Writing from the Ninth Circle

Fetal death could well precede maternal death, particularly if the maternal death was not sudden. Hence the reason almost all perimortem c-sections are not successful. Pete Fitzpatrick RN, CFRN, EMT-P Writing from the Ninth Circle

You're not really a Colts fan if you, - Have ever watched a home game indoors - Can't quote at least one line from the movie Diner - Pronounce "water" without a "d" sound - Refer to this year's AFC Championship as "The greatest game ever played". - D...

I'm kinda fond of the paychecks. I also get to help people. And work with a lot of hot chicks. But, mostly, it's the paychecks. Pete Fitzpatrick RN, CFRN, EMT-P Writing from the Ninth Circle

I, for one, would need to know the patient's weight. How else would I know if I'd have enough paralytics left after intubating the patient to pry the home health nurse off the back door of the ambo? This patient was failing to improve with treatmen...

I think I'll side with the Nobel-Prize-Winning economist, thanks. Did you use red for emphasis by coincidence? Pete Fitzpatrick RN, CFRN, EMT-P Writing from the Ninth Circle

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand" Milton Friedman Pete Fitzpatrick RN, CFRN, EMT-P Writing from the Ninth Circle

There has been some interesting discussion on this topic from a regulatory standpoint. The interpretation I've seen most is that, once the patient is on the grounds of the hospital, the hospital is responsible for the patient (EMTALA). The root of ...

SA, Why did you expend so much energy demanding numbers only to ignore them? This study has some unsettling conclusions, but it has survived peer review and has been published. Sorry, unless you're a Republican running for president, you can't igno...

"The risk helicopter EMS poses to flight crews, including pilots, paramedics, flight nurses, and physicians, is palpable. During the same 22-year study period, there were 144 crew deaths. Still, the 22-year average annual odds of a helicopter EMS cre...

Didn't see it. About half the helicopters that have appeared on that show in its history have crashed or had some other misadventure. The other half have been staffed by physicians who hop on and save the day. Whatever. I get enough reality at wo...

There are many ways to evaluate a nursing program. That having been said, it doesn't bode well that Coppin State has failed to meet the Maryland BON's NCLEX first-time passing standards three of the last six years. If waht you need are pre-req clas...

You could try the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association at http://www.astna.org. Or The Foundation for Air-medical Research and Education at http://www.fareonline.org. Are you looking for a topic on which to do research?

I'll second what most have posted. RN instructors (still) do not cope well with stong-willed students of either gender. [You didn't specifiy yours.] If you're a guy, you'll have a bigger problem sitting in the back and being anonymous. The instruc...

I think you guys are making too big a deal out of this. I got out of teaching ACLS because I felt that the AHA, focusing on making the course accessible to a broader range of providers (thus boosting enrollment and bringing in more dough), watered ...

I'm pretty sure you're wrong about who can take ACLS. I believe the only requirement is a current CPR card. (I've been in classes with dentists, pharmacists, and basic-level EMT's) ACLS does not certify one to do anything. AHA is very clear. Thos...

Try http://www.flightweb.com, it has pretty good classifieds and a lively forum. Sometimes it helps to scan the websites of individual companies. Good Luck, Pete Fitzpatrick RN, CFRN, EMT-P Writing from the Ninth Circle

I have long maintained that Peds should be a calling. If you have a talent for it then by all means go for it. That instructor was clearly over stepping. It was a private conversation, so there's not much to be done here. I would ask her to meet...