Bedside_Life RN

You need to ask to shadow in both positions to see how the units are run and if one is a better fit than the other. Maybe take the time to walk the unit if open to see how it runs on a daily basis. Pay attention to behaviors and attitudes of staff, clutter, organization, and communication. With that being said, taking your dream job would be ideal if you can financially support the decision. However, if that means that you will be falling into a position where new grads are teaching new grads or an overworked understaffed unit with high turn over exists then you may be putting yourself and your license at risk. DO NOT do this. Take your time, you have so many options when you become a nurse. If you choose the wrong unit with bad habits then losing your license will strip all of that from you. Also, Hospitals that are magnet receive that recognition for a reason. This does not mean that you will not meet obstacles anywhere your career takes you. You will be the nurse you are going to be no matter what. Just as folks will be the people they are no matter what. Good Luck and I hope to welcome you into my profession when you pass boards!

I want to first say good luck and congratulations on your acceptance into your program. However, this is only the beginning. Quite possibly the beginning of the the most rewarding decision you have ever made. If you want to get ahead, remember that it takes heart, help, dedication, and critical thinking. Learn what works best for you in studying. record lectures if possible. read BEFORE class. find a person or group that is doing well and cling to them. Make time and adjustments for studying. some stuff will have to be put on the back burner but make time for fun and family. Nursing is NOT easy but you will get back exactly what you put into it. Hit it and hit it hard because now is the time to do so. Remember, you deserve to be where you are but you also are not entitled to anything from this point forward. Look at this opportunity with your heart in an effort to help when people need you the most. the people you encounter need someone who knows how to make them feel as if they are being cared for and know how to care for them because at this point and time they may not be able to do so for themselves. it is a very vulnerable and humbling time. know how to keep them safe, know how to care for them, include the patient and their family, and educate/advocate for them. You will find out very quickly the people who are in it for the wrong reasons. Everyone has to make money, don't get me wrong. But if you are not willing to care from the heart and critically think, then the profession is not for you. that doesn't mean that other great jobs aren't out there. I had a professor who bluntly stated if you aren't willing to care and pay attention then we don't need you in nursing; fast food is always hiring. And even though the statement was very abrupt and abrasive it is sort of true. -p.s. I have worked fast food before and there is nothing wrong with serving the public or making a living in that way.

So this was an email that someone had printed out and laid down at the nurse' station and in some way it made my day a little bit better. It was only shared to bring joy to anyone who found it when read.

So I wanted to post this because I know how easy it is, with all of the chaos we experience on a daily basis, to forget OUR pledge as nurses..... How easy it is to sometimes lose that memory of what it was like first coming out of school when no leaf was left unturned and every patient was innocent until proven guilty haha. For the time when we were all "present" and were not there just to collect a paycheck, to put in the time, waiting on 1830 or 0630 so you could run to the elevator to get the heck out of there. With this post I hope to bring back some of the morality and substance that we all once held so close and placed on the highest pedestal.... The void within us, filled by Nursing. .....So, About Nurses: Somebody asked: "So you're a nurse!? That's cool, I wanted to do that when I was a kid. How much do you make?" The nurse' reply: "How much do I make?" I can make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you are scared. I can make your child breathe when they stop...I can help your father survive a heart attack. I can make myself get up at 5am to make sure your mother has the medicine she needs to live. I work all day to save the lives of strangers. I make my family wait for dinner until I know that your family member is taken care of. I make myself skip lunch so that I can make sure that everything I did for your wife today is charted. I make myself work weekends and holidays because people don't just get sick Monday thru Friday. Today, I might save your life... "How much do I make? All I know is, that I make a difference. God Bless and thank you to all of the nurses out there MAKING a difference.

spend the time NOW.... Don't let all of the work you have put in thus far go by the way side because it is behind you. It took TIME and EFFORT just the same as this will. put in that same amount of effort for each semester. Respect the time needed to study. and how hard you worked to get here. Two statements come to mind: 1. "You deserve to be where you are... but you are entitled to nothing." Sacrifice now if possible. Doing this twice should not be an option. forget the house, forget the cars, forget the yard, forget the flowers....some days you may have to forget the shower haha. 2. "Are you going to be a working student?" or "a student who works?"..... I didn't realize the significance of this initially but it is soo true. Work will ALWAYS be there. and if they had it their way, you would be slave to their limitations. This opportunity exists NOW. it is worthy of your time... for your success..... for your life... and your family. For once it is okay to be selfish. I know you do not want to lose your job. But you also have to consider what you have invested at this point and the doors that will open if you stick with it. Your job opportunities will exponentially grow if you decide to back off of work and spend time studying. I really look forward to your success. The last mile is the hardest. as is the mile after. haha. keep your head down and focus. meet your goal. you can do this. and do not let anything get in the way. The patients deserve someone with drive and compassion and you would not be doing what you are now if you didn't possess the ability to succeed.

So I want to give you a very big hand for tackling a bridge program while working full time. I did the same and it is NOT easy. However, it is possible. Something beneficial is to consider the things that stay the same (meaning the same thought process applies to peds as to adults) like fluid and electrolytes, Cardiac, Urinary, endocrine, GI, etc. With that being said, if you do not have a grasp on how these systems work normally in an adult it will make the application to PEDS much more difficult. Also take into consideration that it is the most difficult for LPNs and EMTs/Paramedics to transition to RN as we have had experience in the field/real world. Apply this knowledge carefully when testing. Focus on what your syllabus and instructor focus on. Remember you just need to satisfy what the instructor thinks is important for now. Worry about what the NCLEX lady thinks is important when the time comes. So first things first, if you do not understand a word or disease process start from the very beginning and read it. then read it again. don't move on until you understand it. don't start in the middle of the subject material and assume that you know the content. START FROM THE BEGINNING. If you are not sure about intussusception and how this pt. may present or cannot identify risk factors/abnormalities and treatments then you need to review this material in its entirety. If you are not sure how to take care of a child with cerebral palsy and cannot identify the priorities of care, review it. Same with Cystic Fibrosis, Ewings sarcoma, etc. Try to focus on the "biggie" "odd" "one of a kind" s/s, tx, dx, meds, and POC specific to the diseases or circumstances presented to you. Choose the safe answer, not the fun answer. the goal is to take care of the problem not satisfy the child's "wants". and for mom and baby think the worst. think to yourself what is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed first and what would my instructor consider to be the best. don't add or take away from any question. sit down and answer one question, one patient scenario at a time with each question. remember maslow's and erickson's or freud's. DO NOT use your experience with your own kids as a guide to answering questions. remember easy things to get them out of the way like APGAR, nagele's (spelling?) rule, contraception, family planning, HIV, Hep C, Herpes, Vaccinations, stress tests, Glu tolerance, stages of labor and delivery, contractions, epidurals,Rhogam, Mag, Pit., betamethasone, BUBBLE, amniocentesis, variability, abx therapy, mcroberts, leopolds, GTPALM, etc. these things are usually pretty consistent. I could go on forever...... but you do not have to be an expert L&D or OB/GYN nurse to pass. This is a subject covering from conception to 18 and there are soon many milestones and developmental stages that are involved but the basics are the basics. don't forget I know how to take care of this pt. from the basic needs. I know how to protect an airway and I know how to prioritize pt. needs that will kill my patient the fastest. and as the RN you are responsible for every and all delegation to LPN, CNA, UAPs and are accountable for those delegated things being appropriately assigned (even to another RN) with follow up. I wish the best of luck with your journey..... it is worth every single second spent.

So 15 of the questions are "trial" questions. These questions are ALL alternate format. From my experience and others input on their test it seems that the more SATA questions you have the better (being that these are "high level" questions). cutting off at 75 questions means you did very well or not so much. I know the wait seems like the longest time of your life and if you are not successful this time consider contacting Hurst Review. This company is KING of passing NCLEX. Good luck to you.

More than likely you will have to provide your official transcripts, which will show the unsuccessful attempt for previous nursing courses. I am not an instructor but I had many ppl in my classes both LPN and RN that had previously been unsuccessful. Your school probably uses parameters for grades and credit hours to "place" you in their program. Unless your GPA was significantly impacted by your previous unsuccessful attempt(s) I don't think it will be a problem. Good luck to you.

A rule of thumb is a score of 82 or better being considered as the "goal" for success on the first attempt for NCLEX. I scored very similar to you on the q reviews and passed the first time with the minimal amount of questions on both NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN. Just keep focusing on the core content. Learn it and learn it well. If you can remember that content in its entirety and let NOTHING change your mind about it, you will be successful. I wish you luck on your exam and hope to welcome you to the profession in which means so much to me and the public that we as nurses provide for.....SAFELY;) hint hint.

why is this pt. encephalopathic? are you concerned with any risks for injuries r/t this patient's current psychosocial status or behaviors? a good piece of advice is, if you have to "make it work" there is probably a reason. don't fill a space just because it is empty, think about this "individual patient's circumstances" and what really exists; what is ​best...?

You will most likely be providing "Total Care", which is completing the duties of the Nurse and Nurse Assistant. Review in your textbook or a reliable source the pathophysiology, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, complications, and medications for the patient population that you will be working with. You don't have to know everything down to the molecular level of course, but at least be familiar with what you are walking into. Right now you are a Novice (according to Benner's model) so you will not be expected to know everything, and that is okay. Just remember SAFETY FIRST, this will always lead you in a good direction; if you don't know, ask. It is the students who do not ask that are at the highest risk of creating an unsafe situation. Familiarize yourself with the protocols for those hip and knee patients. Think about the anatomy of those areas and how they normally function. Ask yourself, "What about my patient required them to have this surgical intervention?", "What potential risks exist now that this patient has had surgery, and how am I going to decrease these risks?, "How does my patient feel about their situation?", "where do I need to focus during my assessment that is related to this patient's main problem and what am I actually looking for?", "why does my patient need the prescribed orders (pharmacological, and non nonpharmacological), and how well are these working for my patient?". These are just a few things to think about, there are many more aspects to holistic total care, of course. Consider how a stroke can change the normal functions of one's normal bodily function, and what areas have been altered as a result of the stroke. Review your CNS and how to assess for Neuro patients. Try to cluster your care so that you are not coming and going every five minutes and remember that some of the medications you administer can greatly influence when you should perform your Nursing duties. There are multiple aspects of what you are asking, but don't worry, you will learn as you go. Ask as many questions as possible. Go in the room when the Physician makes rounds and just listen. Don't be afraid to go into the patient's room and don't get stressed out if it takes you longer to do things than you expected. You will acquire time management skills and confidence with every clinical experience. Take advantage of the opportunity to be a student and LEARN! Good luck!

Your drug book should give you a range specific to the drug in mg/kg/day. For example, 10-15mg/kg/day (note: this is not the therapeutic range, it is simply an example). Also recognize that you may see it as a total DAILY dose. According to the frequency of administration, the daily dosage may be divided into multiple doses throughout a 24 hour period. Don't get these confused as being one in the same. If you can find the therapeutic range, calculate the lowest therapeutic dosage for mg/kg/day and the highest therapeutic dosage for mg/kg/day. If your medication order (or ordered dosage) falls equal to, or between, these two numbers then the medication is safe to give and therapeutic. Good Luck!

I would contact your instructor for clarification on which resource you should use. Most of the time it will be a required textbook. It should be as simple as that. Good Luck

I like Hurst. It helped me the most. Remember that you will be taking a "safety" test. That is your goal, to be safe and ready for practice. I would assume that there is a rationale for why Nursing students study their brains out (to some extent) before boards. You will get back what you put into it. Study when you can and make sure that the time you spend studying is productive. Take your study material with you wherever you go and that will give you an advantage to capitalize on these "productive" opportunities. If there was ever a time to put 100% into your studying, that time is NOW. Good luck!

drop factor of 15 would reflect 15 drops (gtt) per mL. So if you are infusing 50mL, you would be infusing 750 drops Total. If 750 drops are to be infused over 2 hours, there would be 375 drops q1h...... you can further break it down by smaller time intervals in this same way. So the rate is up to you to figure out....? To do this, take the 375 gtt (or 25mL) per hour and divide by 60 minutes. So the drops per minute would be 6.25 and the mL per minute would be 0.42mL. this would answer gtt/min and mL/min. if you work it out for both gtt and mL it will give you additional resources to work the problem out.