4quanyin

I graduated in late June and began working the end of July. I work on a med-surg unit with mostly ortho, post-surgical and 23 hour observation patients. We usually have 5 patients during day shift or 6-7 at night. There is usually one CNA every 8 patients. I really enjoy working med-surg, although I would like to work with more medical patients. I plan to eventually work home health/ hospice, where I worked as an aide. There is so much to learn in med-surg, I really recommend it because you will learn so much.Best of luck with your new career!

I have been planning to get a celebratory tattoo. I passed my NCLEX in July but I'm waiting to find the appropriate tattoist. I am planning a Kuan Yin tattoo on my back. From Wikipedia, "Kuan Yin (觀音; Pinyin: Guān Yīn) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. She is also known as the Chinese Goddess of Compassion by many." Just the energy that I want watching my back and assisting me with my nursing.

I am taking the test on July 8th. I have been using the ncsbn website and Saunder's Comprehensive review. The website is very good. It is helping me with finding the stem of the question, better than the Saunders. Saunders is good for content questions. I think that using both is giving me a good balance of questions. Good luck with your test!

Yes, I do the same thing. I did it all the way through nursing school, although my area needing to be cleaned did shrink. At first I had to have the whole house clean. Eventually it became just my desk. I take the test on July 8th. Good luck- we'll do great!

All I can say is, bless each and every one of you ER nurses. As I nursing student I've been able to observe many different areas of the hospital. The ER nurses are a special breed!

I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I bought my first pair of Birkenstocks (suggested by my osteopathic physician) and it helped greatly. He also suggested getting an old coke can and filling it with water (not too full) and freezing it, then rolling my foot across it when there was pain in my foot. Another, very helpful suggestion, was to stretch my plantar fascia and calf muscles when I woke up. I would put a towel across the ball of my foot and hold each end with my hands, then gently pull up the ball of my foot. He told me that it also helps to sleep with a pillow under your feet in such a way that you leg to foot angle is at 90 degrees. It seems that I point my toes down in my sleep, which shortens the fascia and calf muscles, then when I get up I'm pulling on the fascia and that was a major cause of the pain.

At our school some clinical instructors allow them, and others tell you not to use them. The reasoning is that if you are carrying a clipboard from one patient's room to another you can also carry microbes from one room to another, especially if the clipboard is set on the bedside table without a barrier. I keep everything in my pockets (gotta love them cargo pants) and never set anything on a bedside table, bed, etc.

The associates degree in nursing (ADN) is considered a two year degree. Since there is so much competition to get into the ADN programs, it often takes more than two years. Most of the schools give selection points for admittance into the program based on the prerequisite classes that you have taken (anatomy and physiology, microbiology, writing, speech, math,,etc) so many of the ADN students have taken these prior to beginning the two year program. The BSN (Bachelors degree in Nursing) is a four year program, but many four year programs consider the first two years of pre-requisites as pre-nursing prior to admission to the two year nursing program. If you're not accepted the first time you apply it may take more than four years. Does this help?