kastas

I chose it solely for the hours. I've done 12 hour shifts for 10 years. All of my children are in school now and I work 830 to 4, m-f. I do have to take call, but it's rare to get called in. I love it! I never dreamt that I would like Endo, but it is very interesting.

We try to use no gel or minimal gel. I sometimes use a little NS on the pill itself to help the break down process. I've never thought to use it as lubricant.

Wow! I'm moving to the Mason Dixon Line!!!!!!!

I don't think that is called for! I've lived in Topeka and Lawrence and I love Topeka! We have a bad reputation only b/c we have a very low cost of living and it is a very old city. Our crime rate is much lower than Kansas City's! There are parts that are more worn down than others, but we have one of the highest rates of growth in NE Kansas! There are beautiful parts of this city and many newer/nicer areas. One of my best friends just moved here from Johnson County (a ritzy area of KC) and she was told the same thing about Topeka. She will tell you that what she has found it completely the opposite of what she was told to expect. Good luck in your decision making! I think you will like Kansas no matter where you choose. We are a long way from the ocean though!

Hello and welcome! I know both schools have excellent programs. The big difference will be in the setting. Baker uses Stormont Vail hospital in Topeka and KU uses KU Med in KC. 2 very different hospitals, but I believe the nurses that each produces are excellent. Good luck with your move!

Exactly what this poster said! ICU charge, RT charge and ED MD if available. We just started our team and it has already been a God-send for us!

If I understand correctly you are asking if the atmosphere is different. Are the relationships different between staff and MD's on L&D? ... Well, if I'm correct I'd say YES, very different. You work with a few specific doctors and rarely do you have consults to doctors outside of OB/GYN's or Perinatologists (rare consults for surgery/pain/diabetes/etc). You get to know them better and they know you. I work in a good sized hospital and each of the OB's know me by name and seem to respect me. I like that familiarity. As far as the staff goes I think it is somewhat different. I don't know if the difference is a group of females together for 12 hours or that we all seem to be friends or at least friendly. Does that answer your question at all?

My thought is that it doesn't necessarily have to be r/t swelling. It could be slightly more dilated b/c pt was up walking and pp was lower and pressing on cervix. I've also seen where the bbow was making cervix seem more dilated. Once water broke or pt layed down and it was less bulgy, cervix did "shrink". By how much? ... I've never noticed more than a cm or so.

Thank you Ginger! I hope the comment was directed to both of us. I will be in touch!

Holy cow! I can't imagine 3:1 !! We (almost) always get 1:1, 2:1 if overnight induction or slow moving prime. We do have separate areas for antenatals, but staff that also. The ante side we have anywhere from 4 to 8 patients (rarely any pp mom's/babies over there). We staff with 5 minimum RN's. One has to be with the antes if any are PTL or "time bombs" and one has to be in triage (separate area also). That leaves us 3 for L&D on most nights and we do 200+ deliveries/mo.

And if the above post doesn't work just call the unit you are interested in. I did that and asked what the DONs name was and then called her myself. I told her of my experience and interest in the unit. She set up an interview with me while we were on that call. She then tracked down my application and went from there. I agree, call HR 1st, but this is another good option!

Ok, somehow my last post to you didn't go through. I've been doing some internet research and don't see many L&D jobs advertised in or around the Springs. There are several PP jobs. I guess if we found a hospital that we liked it would be a place to start. I hate to settle just b/c it's one of the few advertising the job. I really hope for some insider information. Maybe if I just keep bumping it the right person will see it! Good luck. BTW, their newspaper is gazette.com if you haven't found that yet.

Did you ever get any private responses to this question? I am curious also. I do high risk L&D and am wanting some opinions.

The 1st day of my son's preschool. I didn't have the TV or radio on that morning. As soon as we got to school I saw everyone gathered around the TV, most were crying and all were in a state of shock. I just remember how quiet that building was. The children weren't making a sound and nobody spoke as we watched the 2nd plane hit! It was, and still is, so hard to explain to them what happened that day and why there is such evil in this world.

OMG! I did the exact same thing! I threw the BIG envelope on the ground and ran to my room. My husband very calmly brought it to me and told me I was being silly and to just open it. Sure enough, I'd been lied to. All was well!

If that isn't the truth! I've recently lost with WW, then life hit. I started buying the junk again and guess who ate most of it! Yep, me! I went shopping last night and didn't buy any junk food. What a great feeling and the bill was significantly less. Of course, today I'm hearing about it...."Mom, there's nothing to eat. I don't like that stuff." I'm trying to get us all to like the fruit better than the chocolate. Hard stuff!

Hey Lori! Remeber me? I worked on L&D with Molly at LMH. Well, I don't work there any more, but just saw your post here. I can't think of his name right now (Eddy?) but there was a guy on here a lot that worked agency. He lived in Topeka and went through Cascade agency. I think he did a lot of nursing home in Topeka and KC, but I know Cascade staffs some nursing home in Lawrence also. When I was looking into finding extra hours I met him here and he highly recommended Cascade. Just thought I'd let you know. Good luck!

I am on our hospital's Peer Review Committee. It has taught me sooooo... much. The biggest thing we hear is, "it was so busy that day" and "I didn't feel safe with the staffing that day". Our leader ALWAYS says, "what would you have done differently?" Usually the nurse says I would have slowed down and double checked things or I would have made it clear to my supervisor that I wasn't feeling comfortable. . . You have to CYA. Check, double check and triple check your R's. AND, no one can help you later, when you say "I was too busy" if you didn't ask for help. If staffing isn't safe, make your position clear to your supervisor. If she/he doesn't do anything to help the situation go above their head. You will be much better able to defend yourself later if you can say, "I followed the chain of command." Don't compromise YOUR license for the floor. Normally, we hear the admin's say, "you should have let us know" , "we can't do anything if we are unaware". Short staffing happens everywhere and many times we have to suck it up and work our butts off, but we don't have to be so busy we kill someone. The charges can take patients, the DON can answer phones and call lights ( I doubt ours would ever do pt care again ), etc. . . There are always options.

That was probably my biggest lesson thus far. WEAR GLOVES! I often didn't wear gloves at delivery so that I could finish up charting or write on my strip. We always have a nursery nurse, MD, and charge nurse in there. Sometimes, you have the time to actually catch up while the pt is pushing. Anyway, I was holding a foot and no gloves on. SHOULDER DYSTOCIA!! We had tried everything and it had been 5 min. MD tells me to apply suprapubic pressure. Still no time to get gloves. I apply pressure for >3 minutes. It was horribly messy. We do get baby out at the 9 min mark. (bad situation, baby survived but seized for days, i wish i knew long term). I was covered to my elbows. NOW, I always keep a box of gloves at the bedside, within my reach. I always keep a pair or 2 in my pocket. They do get on, not always correctly, but they are always on!

I don't know the literature either. I do know that when women come in with ketones and an irritable looking pattern we will often have ordered to run fluids until small to no ketones. It almost always works.

or not drinking

Rae and Moondancer, you didn't say how many rooms you have. Jeez! I can't imagine doubling us I am beat as it is most nights. Do you do one on one for active labor or is that just impossible? We have 200+/- every month. We have 18 LDRP's and 2 other possible rooms (usually these are used for DIU's). We then have 12 other rooms that we only use for ante or overflow of pp patients. We have 5 triage rooms and 2 nst beds in one room. It has happened that we've had to deliver pt's in triage. Oh, and one OR suite.

I'm bumping this thread up b/c it has peaked my interest. Sorry, I guess I missed it when it was being discussed. Of those out there whom take it upon themselves to inform the pt of the pros/cons of pit/cytotec how exactly do you word it? I don't think saying, "hey this is not FDA approved and may cause uterine rupture" will get you far. How do you go about it?

Too Funny!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Suprapubic is acceptable. Fundal is INEXCUSABLE in a court of law!