NICUismylife

NICUismylife ADN, BSN, RN

NICU, RNC

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All Content by NICUismylife

  1. Is it me, or am I being given unrealistic assignments in the NICU?

    NICUismylife replied to tmjwe3's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    Definitely sounds like a busy assignment. I have to comment on those nipping babies though. If a baby is taking 30 minutes and only nipping 15% of their ordered volume, you may find that gavaging...

  2. WGU RN to BSN Grads/Current Students

    NICUismylife replied to missy26's topic in Western Governors University

    I finished 36 units in 6 months, but I burnt out after about 4 straight months of doing nothing in my free time except school, and then took a month off in the middle. If you are able to really commit...

  3. HELP....I still want to be a RN

    NICUismylife replied to gmonee33's topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    DITTO!

  4. Investing on a house as a nurse in California

    NICUismylife replied to SN_lE's topic in General Nursing

    Which part of CA? It's a very large state with the housing market being distinctly different in different areas. I'm in Central CA and it's very affordable to buy a home on an RN salary, even as a new...

  5. Why am I so anxious before my shifts? Finally on my own in the NICU....

    NICUismylife replied to tmjwe3's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    You were only given 4 weeks of orientation? Are you an experienced nurse or a new grad? That really doesn't sound like nearly enough time to develop time management and assessment skills necessary. No...

  6. How to prioritize 4+ patients?

    NICUismylife replied to xmilkncookiesx's topic in General Nursing

    When I get morning report, it is done on a WOW (workstation on wheels) at the bedside. All orders and labs are reviewed on the computer together, as well as the IV site and all drips being...

  7. Med/Surg blues

    NICUismylife replied to MariKitty08's topic in General Nursing

    I really depends on your local nursing climate. I live in an underserved area, so all of my classmates were able to go directly into their specialty of choice. We also have a lot of new grads come in...

  8. New nurse who feels like a failure

    NICUismylife replied to Nrscaroline's topic in General Nursing

    As a new grad, you have 8 patients and no aide? Am I reading that right? Sounds like they are setting you up to fail. Start looking for a new job

  9. How do I find Per Diem work without part time employer finding out?

    NICUismylife replied to RNDude16's topic in General Nursing

    I agree, if your current employer cannot offer you full time employment, they shouldn't be upset with your looking for a per diem position to supplement your income. I'd have an honest conversation...

  10. How to prioritize 4+ patients?

    NICUismylife replied to xmilkncookiesx's topic in General Nursing

    Also, once you've been on a particular floor for a while, you will notice that there are some meds that are super common. When I was in school, I kept a one-page log of them that included indication,...

  11. How to prioritize 4+ patients?

    NICUismylife replied to xmilkncookiesx's topic in General Nursing

    How are the morning reports that you are getting? If you are getting a thorough report, you shouldn't have to review admission notes and labs, they should have already been included in morning report,...

  12. Confused senior

    NICUismylife replied to SN12345's topic in General Students

    Med-surg is not for everyone. Do not base your desire to be a nurse just on your clinical experience in med-surg. I'm a NICU nurse and I leave work every day looking forward to coming back, but I...

  13. Nursery/NICU linen changes

    NICUismylife replied to first123's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    ^^^

  14. No autonomy or critical thinking as a nicu nurse. What is your unit like?

    NICUismylife replied to SCRUBS.RN's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    ^^^This. I would never attempt to re-position my vented baby independently and I value my RT and the two of us work as a team. All the other stuff you mention is fairly routine nursing care in my...

  15. How many years did it take you to become a neonatal nurse?

    NICUismylife replied to Aspiringrn.'s topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I went straight into NICU following graduation. It pays the same as every other specialty locally. Salary varies widely depending on your location. Cons. Having your patient die in NICU is much more...

  16. WGU or Chamberlain???

    NICUismylife replied to LA.RN's topic in Online Distance Learning

    I recently completed the RN-BSN program at WGU. I am a CA student. I finished in 6 months. I, too, pursued my BSN directly following my ADN and found it to be quite easy compared to the hell of actual...

  17. Advice on comfortable shoes

    NICUismylife replied to marlena.erika's topic in General Nursing

    I have high arches and need a lot of support. Kurus work great for me. They are pricey though at about $140 per pair. Worth every penny

  18. NICU Interviews in NoCal and SoCal

    NICUismylife replied to RonnieNichelle RN's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    COL in San Diego will be significantly higher than Sacramento and the pay will be lower. But you will have 70-degree temps year round and live at the beach. For some that makes it worthwhile. I'd...

  19. Are there schools where, if you get your ADN (RN license), it filters into RN-BSN program

    NICUismylife replied to hollycamillex3's topic in General Nursing

    If you earn an adn, pass nclex and get your RN license, then you will qualify for many different online RN-to-bsn programs. They will not care how many times you repeated your pre reqs, most aren't...

  20. Nclex help!! Late decels interventions order please help!!! Nclex

    NICUismylife replied to Danielledlt's topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    Agreed. Often late decels are a direct result of the pit. Turning it off is the #1 priority. In reality, you'd have the pt turn to llp while you're turning off the pit, which is why I hate a lot of...

  21. Is nursing school really "the hardest thing you've ever done in your life"?

    NICUismylife replied to cn4207's topic in General Students

    Different people are built differently, and different programs are built differently. I am a strong, determined woman, and there were times that I felt like my program was trying to get as close to...

  22. WGU RN to BSN Grads/Current Students

    NICUismylife replied to missy26's topic in Western Governors University

    I just finished biochemistry this week. I finished it in under a week. They have made a lot of changes to how the material is presented since they first switched to test

  23. WGU

    NICUismylife replied to 5228shamrock's topic in Western Governors University

    I didn't have to take Stats, but I just finished biochemistry. It took me one week. Supposedly, it's laid out much better than it was when they first launched the test-out version (prior to that it...

  24. Only taking nursing classes first semester in nursing school

    NICUismylife replied to lorias's topic in General Students

    I've taken as many as 18 semester hours at a time (6 classes), and it was far far far easier than the 9 credit hours during nursing school. Those 9 credit hours amounted to around 60 hours per week of...

  25. How hard is it to find a Mon-Friday day time job as an RN out of school? In Seattle, WA

    NICUismylife replied to Cruisin1313's topic in Pre-Nursing Students

    They only make $1 more than minimum wage, which is probably why they are struggling to fill positions. COL in Seattle is quite