dupuisea

Hi everyone, I just wanted to update that my status on the program portal changed from "In Final Review" to "Congratulations on being awarded." Hopefully everyone will start hearing more information soon and congratulations to all of the awardees!

Thank you, ejtrn! I am an MSN student.

Hello everyone. I did NOT have my credit checked. Received notification of award July 31st. GPA: 3.64 EFC 0 State MD First Letter of last name: D Congrats and good luck to everyone!

Didn't get it At least I have a lot of interviewing practice under my belt now!

Hi Jan! That was really sweet of you to check in on me. Unfortunately, the phone interview did not go as well as I had hoped. It was VERY technical and I got nervous and stumbled over my answers. You live and learn, right? Perhaps it did not go as bad as I am thinking, but I did not hang up the phone feeling very confident. Anyways, we will see what happens. Regardless, thank you for helping me prepare! You are the best!

Thanks Jan! Alright, here we go... - Patient #1, the 8yo with closed head injury. We are worried about the possibility of increasing ICP. To monitor that we'll want equipment for an EVD at the bedside. I have never assisted in this procedure so I honestly couldn't tell you what exactly you would need, but I DO know the warning signs of increasing ICP, which include: lethargy/irritability/change in level of consciousness, decreased response to painful stimuli, increased systolic blood pressure, tachycardia or bradycardia, dilated pupils, and changes in breathing pattern. Keeping regular neuro checks on this patient would be important as well as keeping an eye on the EVD since bleeding and infection are two main concerns. - Patient #2: the 15 mo with HR jumping to 200 is probably experiencing supraventricular tachycardia. If she's not on a heart monitor let's get her on one to confirm the heart rhythm. Additionally, let's do some perfusion checks. How are her O2 sats? Her BP? How is her color, breathing pattern, peripheral pulses? Once you can confirm the patient is stable, notify the physician. - Patient #3: 5yo on ventilation for bronchiolitis. In the first situation I would assume he needs to be suctioned. If the PIP is increasing then there is something "in the way." Another problem could be atelectasis. Second situation, yes, call for help! Possibly since the child was agitated the breathing tube was displaced. Start manually bagging the child. Thank you for checking these! I answered them like I would in an interview (just based off what I know already), so I am more than open to your feedback in how I can improve.

Wow! Thank you for putting so much time into this post!

Hi everyone. I had an interview last week with a PICU nurse manager. It went well and feel like I answered the questions in a confident manner. However, I do not have a PICU background. I come from an adult ED. The nurse manager sent me a follow up email asking if I was willing to have a second, "more clinically focused" interview with the PICU's clinical nurse specialist. Of course I said yes, but I do not know what to expect in this interview. Can any PICU nurses (or managers) please give me some advise on common PICU topics I should brush up on? The interview is on Tuesday, so I only have this weekend to study! Thank you in advance - I really want this job and want to be as prepared as possible! -Elisa

Hi! Has anyone applied/heard back from Johns Hopkins?

@hanoi98 Hello! I applied for the MSN/MPH program at JHU and I'm waiting to hear back. Have you heard anything yet? Good luck!

Yeah, I applied to Emory as well. But, their program starts in the Fall so I assume I won't hear anything back from them until March-ish. And don't worry about GPAs, every admissions committee I've spoken too has reassured their applicants that they look at applications with a holistic approach.

@staceynRPCV: Thanks for the update! Also, it's always nice to meet another RPCV!

@star2601 I agree, there aren't enough of us! Well, I always knew I wanted to go the NP route. I had a lot of clinical experiences with Family Nurse Practitioners in my undergrad, and the work they did was inspiring to say the least. The MPH came about after I graduated. I worked in a regional Emergency Department for a year and became quickly disillusioned with the expectation of quick patient turnover. I felt like I never had a chance to actually be with my patients and get to know them. So, in hopes of experiencing something different, I joined the Peace Corps. It became very clear how nursing and public health easily complemented each other. And so here I am, a MSN/MPH hopeful! Where else have you applied? Good luck with all your applications! The waiting is the worst part!

Hi, is there anyone out there who has been accepted to the direct-entry MSN/MPH program at Johns Hopkins for 2014? If so, how did they notify you - phone, email or snail mail? Good luck to everyone who has applied!