janony

Ok, maybe someone here can help me with my poop problem. I am almost always totally fine with cleaning poop of off people, changing diapers, beds, whatnot. Just doesn't bother me that much. But when I have to take a bedpan/commode into the bathroom and clean it, i am gagging and even puking on a regular basis. It's something about the splashing, needing to scrub, etc, without the distraction of a patient who needs me, that just sets it off. I admit to sometimes just bagging the mess and throwing it in biohazard because I cannot deal with it. So... any suggestions for making it easier to clean poopy objects? (rather than poopy patients?) thanks! laura

I have a serious, chronic case of the Butterfingers. That, and I spill stuff allll the time (especially orange juice). It's not a problem at work. I just tend to take extras of stuff into rooms so I don't have to go back to the supply room when I drop and contaminate it. Don't worry about it. naja

would that stuff be acceptable in the US? not a chance!! guess that's one benefit to being over there. :uhoh21:

I feel for ya, too. I just finished my first semester of a direct-entry masters (FNP track, but I want to change to ACNP), and I'm also frustrated with the amount of "fluff", busy work, etc. I'm getting an MSN - the "S" stands for SCIENCE, doesn't it? Well where's the science?? I am so not-challenged it's almost funny. I probably would have left already, except that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my clinicals!! Do you like yours? I figure get through the classes, get through the bs, and eventually what will really matter is the clinical stuff anyhow, right?

Maybe the patient prefers it that way, or is fluid-restricted, or there is some other reason not to have mixed it. Lots of possibilities.

Howdy I was an applicant this time last year - applied to a bunch of direct entry-MSN and BSN-MSN programs, including Hopkins. I had my interview on the phone; they offered one to me in person but I don't live in the area and couldn't get down there. The interview was about 45 minutes long and not too bad at all - to tell you the truth, it was mostly the interviewer trying to sell me on JHU rather than actually interviewing me. THe only questions I remember were 1. why do you want to go into nursing? 2. why JHU? She kept asking me if I had questions, so be sure you have some prepared. All in all, no biggie. It took them maybe 2 weeks to get back to me after the interview. I actually had missed the deadline for the accelerated summer-start option (the fall start deadline is slightly later) but they offered me admission to both programs. I ended up picking another school, mostly because I didn't want to move! Good luck! janony

The medical floor i just finished clinicals on does primary nursing - no aides, no LPNs. Each RN gets (usually) 4 patients all to themselves... well, there are usually some of us nursing students around! The RNs I've talked to really like the format. Less stressful than having 8-10 patients to do meds etc on, and enough RNs around that there is always help for baths, etc. Seems to work well for them - I would LOVE to work there when I graduate!

no experience with Kindred from a nursing perspective, but my grandmother was a patient there for a while in FL. not a good situation at all - dirty, bad ventilation system (place just reeked of mildew), waaaaay understaffed, o2 was broken, bedside electrical outlets didn't work. my gram was inconinent of urine and stool but they couldn't get an order for a foley nor did they have the staff to change her regularly, so she'd sit in it for hours at a time. scary stuff really... she was there for only a weekend, and then went to hospice thank god!

well, i guess i'm one of those taking on "large" debt... and i thought i was doing pretty well. here's my story: $5k in subsidized stafford loans from undergrad (i have a BS and an MS in other fields) - not currently accruing interest right now, i'm in a direct-entry masters that is 3 years long and costs $30k (!!!) a year. I have a scolarship for $15k each of the first two years - so that's $30k for the first two years, and $30k for the thrid year (though i'll have my RN by then and hopefully be working, so maybe will need less in loans!) for $65k total counding undergrad. Now, about half of that is subsidized stafford, so no intrest while i'm in school, and half is unsubsized stafford, so 6.8% intrest right now. BSN2009, whaddya think? Am I getting myself into trouble? I'll have an MSN-FNP degree after i'm done, but plan on working as an RN for at LEAST a year after graduation before pursing FNP jobs. I do live in a $$$ city, not much I can do about that! :stone janony

Grrr.... more mis-info about DE MSNs not getting enough clinical hours. I live in a city with 4 DE masters' programs, and at least 6 ADN or BSN programs. And guess what - the pre-RN clinical hours for all 10 are the same!! My school also has an RN to MSN program. The clinical hours they get are again, the SAME as what we get in the the post-RN portion of the MSN. Yes, we don't have the real-world work experience prior to starting the MSN portion that the standard-entry folks do. That's what the majority of us (~80%) do end up working as RNs for at least a year or two prior to looking for advanced-practice jobs. That said, I identify myself as a "nursing student" just to avoid the whole DE-MSN explaination!!

Hi from another DE student. I'm just finishing up my first semester of a 6-semester program.

I would not disclose this to co-workers - there is just no need to. However, if you don't wear one already, I would get a medic-alert bracelet or necklace. That way if something should happen / you need help, folks could tell what was going on. Just my 2 cents! janony

Does anyone know if it's possible to visit MGH before the deposits are due? I know I can go and wander around on my own, but it would be awfully nice if there was an open-house type thing BEFORE i send them $300!

nk

janony here - waiting on financial aid to decide between BC and MGH for next year. leaving in 2.5 months for a summer working in the mountains of colorado. my boss is not happy about this - yikes!!!

Hey there Bostonians Just wanted to say that I also got a letter from MGH last week.... so now I have do decide between BC and MGH. Simmons and Northeastern have rejected me - hehe. Simmons due to lack of a transcript for 1 class, 7 years ago; Northeastern due to the fact that I missed my interview. I had to make a very short-notice trip to FL for my grandmother's funeral, so I couldn't make the interview. I tried to call and leave messages, but apparantly it didn't go through. Oh well! Anyone else facing the BC vs. MGH decision? janony

from one valentine's baby to another.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELIZABELLS! janony

I got into BC! :roll I emailed the office and explained the situation with Hopkins and the deposit, and I got a response telling me I'd been accepted and would recieve a letter by early March. Yay! So no stress over sending $500 to a school I don't really want to attend. I still may have to decide between BC and MGH, but at least I've got one in my pocket. I'm supposed to interview at Northeastern on Friday. I'm sooooo tempted to just cancel it. Is that really bad form? Jess - would love to hear how you are doing! Any chance I could chat with you (email or in person, whatever) sometime and pick you brain on BC? janony

ok, just recieved an email reply from hopkins re: phd confusion. seems it was just an error - they just need my last transcript, even though it will not show a degree granted. phew!!!

Thanks for the advice / good luck. I did email the folks at Hopkins about the conditional acceptance - hopefullly it's just a mistake. I do have a BS (kinda tough to get into a PhD program without one, yknow?). I don't see how they'd decide that I need to finish the PhD to be sucessfull in their program - it's not like 3 more years of tedium in my lab is going to teach me something cruical for nursing, is it? After I hear back from them, I'll call the other schools and exert some pressure. I really would like to be able to make a decision based on complete information! Thanks again, and hope yall are enjoying the weekend! :-) janony PS - a story for the morning. so, my gram's really sick (terminal cancer, among other things - perforated duodenal ulcer the latest disaster) and has been hospitalized for awhile. She's now on contact precautions for MRSA. My somewhat-senile grandpa loves this, because it means he has access to the isolation gowns. So he's been walking around the hospital with an isolation gown on backwards, and surgical mask over just his mouth (not nose). He says people think he's a doctor, and asked me if i can get him a stethoscope. what an image!

well, d*mn! I just got my letter from Hopkins... and yes, I'm admitted (to the accelerated program), like they told me on the phone. But there are 2 issues.. 1. The letter says my "application is provisional pending... (list a/p etc here)... and Official transcript awarding PhD from Harvard." Uh-oh. I will have those pre-reqs done by then, but my desire to go to nursing school has to do with NOT finishing the PhD. Arg. I emailed them for clarification... but what is up with this sort of conditional acceptance?!!! :uhoh21: 2. They want $500 by Feb 15. That's probably before I'll hear from the other schools (boston) that I would probably rather attend. And I don't have $500 to burn. Guess it's not looking like I'll be attending Hopkins. I feel like a loser now. janony

Hey, just noticed our ages are posted with our posts. Guess we're *exactly* the same age. Too funny!

Hey Elizabells - my birthday is 2/14 too! Another Valentine's baby! How old will you be? I'll be 25 - quarter century, egads. janony

Hiya I also just heard from Hopkins - although to be honest I am not compeltely sure which program I was accepted to! (I applied to both trad. and accel., and forgot to ask when I got the call). But I'm assuming since I heard this early, I'm probably accepted into the accelerated? Anyhow, I'm waiting till I heard from the Boston schools (I live in Boston now) before I make any decisions. Anyone had word yet from any of those? Are yall going to the admitted students day on March 3? I don't think I can, but I might visit another time. janony

Thanks for the info, Smile. I think I actually am accepted into the traditional program - I applied for the accelerated (checked off the boxes for both) but did not have all my reccomendations in on time for the accelerated deadline(grrrr). I guess i'll see exactly what my letter says - really either one would be okay with me. I was so distracted when they called me that I forgot to ask what exactly I'd be accepted for! I'm still waiting on the 4 boston schools I applied to - I live in Boston right now. I have an interview with Northeastern next week. Haven't heard from anywhere else yet. janony