azureblue

Your professor has spent too much time behind the walls of research, and very little time in the clinical world, my dear. He doesn't know what an NP is or does. Why would there be a job market for PAs and not NPs? Either he is ignorant or this ridiculous statement was just planted in this discussion board to stir everyone up. I certainly hope it's just his ignorance and not the latter. Ignorance can be dealt with. Use your critical thinking skills, and evaluate; he may very well be an excellent scientist, but he knows less about nursing than you do. His field is scientific research, not clinical medicine or nursing. Would you believe him if he said there's no future for (let's say) physical therapists? Exactly.

The only reason some folks get nasty when they're having a bad day is because people have usually tolerated it. As subservient nurses, we used to make good punching bags. Now, we know that we can stop this unprofessional behavior, with assertiveness, sarcasm and/or humor. Enough of this abuse!

To AAC.271, BSN, RN, EMT-B: Gee, back when I graduated in '74 we were "highly trained, well educated advanced professionals many of whom [were] in hospital leadership positions or running independent practices." And you think your generation is the first to be described that way? I would hope that the rest of your generation doesn't have the same immature, limited view of older nurses. Learn some history, and develop some appreciation for what has gone before you, man.

I just saw this news - and as an A/GNP student, I think this is excellent news for the profession, and it's about time!

Your poll leaves out adult/geriatric NP. There's a big need for those who will work with older folks.

Hi folks! I start in May for the summer semester, with Gonzaga U. in Washington. This is a second masters program, so I start right in with a bang, with Advanced Pathophysiology. I've got the textbook already, and it's really intimidating. A challenge, to look at it positively. I'm hoping I don't have to memorize every stage of the Krebs Cycle! Oh, and for Rocknurse, BSN, RN , don't feel too bad, I am over 60! I plan on working as an AG/NP until I die. :)

I'd want to know her temp first (is she septic from pneumonia or ??) as well as her BP (will I bottom her out with the Lasix if she's in cardiogenic shock?) and while we're at it, what's her cardiac rhythm? But out of these choices, I'd go with giving the Lasix and getting stat lab results. (This is a cool question - let's do more!)

Dear Newbie, you will "get it." You had a really rough shift, and you're new. You probably have a paper "brain" of your notes from report, right? Re-design it, at home, and for yourself. I had to re-design mine many times over 40 years of nursing. I usually listed my IV fluids right next to the patient's name or initials and room number. And during your shift, relax unless there's an "ABC" emergency (Airway, Breathing, Circulation). If someone is breathing, not bleeding, not seizing, not losing circulation to a body part, then they are not your priority. The patient who wants a coke can wait for the tech. You are secure in what's important for your patients. Go get 'em, nurse!

On TV or radio, I frequently hear that someone's heart was restarted by a de-fib-U-lator, not a de-fib-RILL-a-tor. This makes me so crazy I usually have to call the station to correct them!

To passionflower - An apology is due from me for being so slow in responding to your helpful and interesting post. I posted elsewhere about me being occupied for the past few months in being nurse to my older cat. Made me feel needed again. I've thought of opening a flower shop, or a musical instrument store, or ??? No experience in these fields, even though I have transferable soft skills. An online store isi probably my best option. However, I'm interested to learn more about the company you started - I like mentoring and don't know how to get started. Would you be willing to send me a private message about it - website address if you have one? I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

To Havin' A Party! My apologies for taking four months to respond to your kind suggestions. It has been a rough year. I'm still looking, but I think you are right to say "stay healthy." That's a priority now, since it hasn't been for the past 40 years. Also, I've been occupied being "nurse" to my 18 year old old kitty with renal failure. Sadly, we lost her this week, but it was good to be able to help her feel more comfortable using my nursing skills. Real teamwork with the vet. Veterinary nursing, anybody?

To mtngrl and all of you who have reached your limit: Count me as one of you, please. I am 64, with 40 years RN experience this month. For about the past 20 years, I have enjoyed nursing less and less, but it took me until now to admit it! It was a good profession in 1974 when I graduated, but now it has a totally different focus. Not to say it's bad, just different, and not my cup of tea anymore. I've done critical care, med surg, tele, PACU, nursing education, long term care - you name it. I have a Masters in Nursing. But I am done, for all the reasons mentioned in this thread. I'll renew my license this year, just for security, but I am unemployed and looking for options. And those outside health care probably think I am uncaring; that's something I can deal with. CareerBuilder, InDeed, Monster, and the others all have links to skilled resume writers who can make you shine on paper, and focus on your transferable skills. I found a great (free) test on transferable job skills by searching for "skills inventory" at the U. of Minnesota in Duluth. Entering these words will get you many resources for identifying skills you may not have known you were good at! Even so, I have still not decided what to do with the next half of my life. I'm getting a lot of emails from life insurance companies looking for "account executives" (sales people). I'm no good at "cold-calling" to sell things. My strongest idea so far is to have my own business, probably online. Being subservient to so many administrators, nurse managers, doctors, families, and yes, patients, has made me really want independence. And any business I start will NOT be health-related. The only health care I want to be involved in is my own, and my family's. :) Does anyone have any good ideas about enjoyable online businesses?

I empathize, Pookie. Yes, it happened to me as well. This profession is not the one I went to school for, over 30 years ago. Back then, the RN supervised the floor, prepared and gave all the IV's and IVPB's, and made rounds, checking the essentials like counting drops per minute on the IVs, checking dressings, circulation, mental status, etc., but did not do a complete assessment on his or her 30-35 patients. There were at least 2-3 LPNs to pass regular meds and/or do dressing changes, for a unit that size, and five or six CNA's. The RN charted a few sentences on each patient. But I went into critical care and learned EKGs, assessment skills, and ACLS; when I went back to med-surg units, I found that I was assessing up to 12 patients, with only one CNA or LPN to help. And now, the RN is on his or her own, providing total care to 5 patients, with no extra help at all. Being organized in a way that works with rapid changes in census and/or patient condition is essential. I'm not good at it. Also, I recently discovered that I have something called "chronic disorganization", which is not a diagnosis, but a characteristic of some folks with depression (that's me), ADD, ADHD, bipolar personality, and other problems. Some of us just organize differently, that's all. It's not that you're unintelligent or a bad nurse. But you'll want to study this and see if it fits. Rather than recommending a web site or a book, I suggest you do a web search for "chronic disorganization", and also search a well-known online bookstore for the topic. You will find support websites, literature and books on the topic, and it's fascinating. Some of us have to color code everything. Some of us organize by categories of time, tasks, locations - we're all different. And out in home health, or in school nursing, or in teaching, you may find that you excel in an area you didn't expect! Hats off to you, for being brave enough to go in the water again. Keep swimming!

"Get yourself a great, really great stethoscope. It will cost over a hundred dollars, and as a new grad, you might have to save up for it, but it will be an investment in your patients' quality of care. You will hear crackles and wheezes before things get worse, and heart sounds you've never heard before." - Advice I got over 30 years ago from an ICU pulmonologist, and, boy, was he right!

Oh, absolutely, it's all about money. Physicians bring in patients whose insurance pays the bills, including our wages. So the hospitals sing their praises and are at their beck and call. When the physicians want something, hospitals bend over backwards to provide it. We regard ourselves as professional clinicians and yes, we do that preventive care that no one ever recognizes. But hospitals consider us as FTE's, or some other type of number, or as a lesser class of employee than the "suits." And while physicians' attitudes have improved remarkably over the past 40 years, there are still those who regard us as ignorant, and as servants or housekeepers. I agree, our recognition has to come from within. Better yet, why not from each other? Instead of each shift criticizing the previous one, why don't we support each other by saying things like "you've worked hard all day (or night); don't worry, go on home and get some rest. I'll take care of that (lab work, MD order, mess to clean up, etc.). We should take compassionate care of each other, as we do our patients. Pass around the kudos, smiles and shoulder rubs. You work harder than any physician.