Brett SPN

I think this may be more of an issue than anything else. It's not beneath us as students to do ANYTHING that is asked of us. If the instructor wants you to do it, you do it. As for why you were dismissed, seems odd, details are missing. It seems harsh to dismiss you for staring. Any student could stare if they saw something that they were unfamiliar with. It happens. Part of the student process is gaining a poker face. I was very tired that day and I might have stared a little too long. I saw a patient with a sweaty forehead and realized maybe I should leave. Nothing too exciting. It was such a non event I left the room and completely forgot about it until I had a meeting with my director. I wasn't sure what the big ordeal was? The funny thing is if I am this horrible creeper then why am I allowed to retake the class? You sir, have the mark of the beast. I had administrators at my school tell me to my face that I have to "prove" myself because I'm male and that there are higher expectations because of my gender. If they want to find reasons to put you out, they will. Move on and be happy that you aren't stuck in a thankless, back breaking career. Go to medical school where you'll be treated with more respect. You don't owe anything to nursing and don't buy into the self righteous, hypocritical BS they try to shove down your throat.

Still in LPN school and using Littman classic 2 and an MDF ER premier. Both have been great.

My program requires all white, skid free shoes. I'm a 12w so that limits me to very few pairs. I've seen most staff wearing nikes or some other type of street sneaker. Some places are more strict than others. I'm getting away with crocs at the moment but they're against the rules at my school. Yes they're white, skid free and ugly as hell.

How do male nurses feel? With our fingers, mostly. If you're in a college atmosphere it's probably a great way to pick up chicks. It's not awkward unless you make it that way. You have to walk into the room and tell patients "I'm your nurse" with a gentle edge of finality. Most women actually treat me like I'm a doctor.

Breakdown what you know... SHE IS.... 32 years old (young) Type 1 diabetic Female ESRD- (little to no kidney function) Dialysis x3 days x3 years (presumably 3x days) Poor turgor Dry membranes PALE Thin Lethargic or obtunded BS 238 Generally speaking, her lab values aren't that bad for a dialysis patient Had no intake for x2 days Skin is warm and dry Temp 99.9 BP 140/88 P 116 RR 18 Base your diagnosis on what you know, not what you presume. I did not see anything about diarrhea or urinary retention but they are not unfounded assumptions. If I were you I would look harder at the implications and biological compensations of ESRD, hypovolemia, and acid/base balance.

I have to say I've gotten some very suspicious clinical points. I'm not sure if it's because I'm male but I have felt singled out and put under the microscope.

In Pennsylvania we have PCA's which are akin to CNA's but work mostly in acute care.

I'm in my first level but I'm very much looking forward to OB. I love babies and I won't let any grumpy nurses stop me. If the makes docs can do it then I can too!!!

I am one of two males in our class of roughly 40.

I think I would choose a different school if I could do it over. I would do much better in a traditional lecture environment. I'm maintaining a 90% in A&P but I constantly feel like that could come crashing down at any moment, like I'm one bad test grade away from disaster. I'm tired of teaching myself from a book and having no time for questions or class discussion. It's very difficult for me to learn information at face value. I need to know how, why, and where, along with the "what". I test very well and that's the only thing keeping my head above water. I can find the most logical answer using an educated guess and process of elimination. That will only get me so far and level 2 will stress my foundational knowledge, of which I feel I have very little. I've literally been told to just memorize information for tests. Memorization is not true learning, it's simply a regurgitation of facts. Knowing and understanding is what I desire and what every medical professional should want to achieve.

Check out the federal Nurse Corps scholarship. It's essentially a full ride scholarship and you may qualify for a $1200/month stipend too. You do have a contractual obligation after school is finished so it doesn't come without strings attached. http://www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/nursecorps/