Beck1956

I am teaching dosage calc to a new group of students now. We teach several different methods to solve these problems because, usually, at least one of these methods makes "sense" to a student. Whether they use ratio & proportion, dimensional analysis or the old nursing formula of D (desired) x Q (quantity) = X (amount) H (have) I want the students to use what makes the most sense to them and has them arrive at the correct dose. beck

Bravo to your attitude! If morepeople in carge acted in this manner, there would happier nurses, and happier patients. Members of the float pool at the large hospital I worked at got dumped on, plain and simple. When one nurse gets 6 patients located on 4 different halls and then has to give report to 6 different core staff in the morning (charge nurse overheard saying that those six were too difficult and spread out), then it was a dump. Situations such as this ocurred fequently.

We all have our own ideas on how to handle such situations. Our students sign an acknowledgement of these rules prior to beginning clinicals. So the written warning/counseling puts them on notice. People who are doing their best to be good students often resent this type of mass hand slap.

Amen to that!I worked floatpool and we always got "challenging" pts as our manager called them. That is manager speak for BOHICA (if you don't know the acronym, ask around. LOL)

It is more likely that indivual employers might institute a BSN policy, one such policy is the "BSN in Ten" initiative. Nurses without a BSN would sign an agreement that they must complete a BSN within 10 years of being hired. My masters thesis dealt with this topic. Most ADN nurses have no incentive to go back to school. The pay rate difference at bedside is minimal or none, but student loan debt is around for quite a while; many employers don't have great tuition assistance.

I am a nursing instructor, my problem with this email is that it avoided directly dealing with the individuals who were not in compliance with the dress code. Unfortunately, many instructors, and floor nurses, are not comfortable in resolving issues. You hear things such as "I don't like confrontation/conflict"; that is like saying you don't like doing your job when you are in a position of authority. Speak directly with those who are the problem. Provide the a written counseling, or student improvement plan. Do your job.

This could (and probably should) be reported to the app marketplaces where it is marketed. The marketplace might also be held accountable for the privacy violations in a lawsuit.

Using an image of a patient without their express written consent is a violation of that patient's right to privacy, even if identifying information is removed and the face is blurred. Would, you be able to recognize a picture of yourself, even if the face was blurred? It might be a fun, interesting app, but is it ethical to post these pictures?

Good advice! People ruin careers by posting inappropriate things on social media. Beck

Unfortunately, no matter where you are, or what you do, you will come across people like this evaluator. Moving to another department and making a fresh start might be a blessing in disguise. Learn and grow from this situation. I know it must be frustrating , trying to be a team player by helping a patient, and finding out you still did something wrong. If a different nurse manager asks why you lost your ICU hours, tell them ICU wasn't a good fit for you. Don't say anything deragatory about the old boss, a possible new boss doesn't want an employee that they feel might speak badly about them also. Beck

I usually recommend that my students purchase a decent stethescope, but that doesn't necssarily mean expensive, or a Littman. People new to nursing often have dificulty hearing with a double lumen stethescope (the tubing rubbing), so i recommend a single lumen. My personal preference. I have owned many stethescopes, many of them high priced (even amplifying, Littmans). What I use now is an Adscope Ninja, usually retails for $40-45 on Amazon. I hear just as well as I did with Littmans that cost more than twice as much. I ask my students to not purchase the cheap ones offered at the bookstore and at uniform shops. They need to be able to learn heart and lung sounds and the cheap ones can make this difficult. Beck

Many of my students have chosen to do the same thing. Most of them are either CNA's or PCT's. Becoming an LPN first will allow them to make more money while working fewer days while getting through RN school. There are many reasons, but I hear this the most. Beck

Good luck! One word of warning, make sure you know what type of program you are signing up for. I know someone who went into an RN to MSN program, she wanted to teach and figured she could be a clinical instructor once she got the BSN done. There was NO stop at BSN and she about fell apart when she found out. The RN to MSN track allows you to eliminate a few classes along the way, but I don't know of any that hand out a BSN along the way (but there may be some out there). Beck

I am getting my EdD from Argosy University online. One third of the way done! Beck

I graduated in 2 years from the WGU MSN (Education emphasis) program. There were some objective exams, more papers than exams. I had to prepare a powerpoint and defend my capstone project. The paper itself was 168 pgs, including graphs. I did not find the program overrly difficult. Now working on my Doctorate in Leading and managing higher and post secondary intitutions! Beck

Someone else mentioned practicing NCLEX questions. Good advice, but don't start too early. I am an nursing instructor and I have seen students get very discouraged because they can't answer these questions correctly right away. You need to master nursing content before you can effectively apply your new knowledge to questions in NCLEX that require critical thinking. Many students have difficulty with the pharmacology questions in NCLEX. You can start learning medications now. You can't memorize every drug, but you can learn classes of drugs and their side effects etc. When I was in nursing school I kept a drug book in the bathroom, lol. I never wasted a minute. Now you have apps you can put on your phone so you always have an opportunity to learn. Look on the Google play store or iphone app store. There are many apps with NCLEX study questions and a few with good advice on how to prepare. Beck

You're welcome! Already having a BA should really streamline the process for you and get thru the program quickly. Good Luck!

It took me one year. I always knew I would eventually get a BSN so I took a few courses at the community college over a couple years that cut down the time. College algebra, art history and two semesters of Spanish. A word of advice, if the statistics class is conducted as it was, learn how to use MS Excel before that class, it was all Excel based. That was the most difficult part for me. Learning statistics AND Excel at the same time. Beck

I sat in on 2 days of my state BoN and heard a ridiculous number of disciplinary cases. A nurse from the University hospital was in front of the board for taking zofran out of the pyxis and administering it IV to a co-worker. She got caught, not fired, got a letter of reprimand from the BoN and placed on probation. Hope this helps.

I completed my MSN-Ed at WGU in two years. You have to be self motivated to stay on track, but it is well worth it! And economical, but well respected.

I graduated in June of 2009, and my degree was readily accepted by employers and peers. Two years later I enrolled in an MSN program at Western Governors University and completed my degree in 2013. My only regret about Chamberlain is the student loan debt, it was expensive. My MSN-Ed was much more cost efective; I didn't know when I started my RN-BSN that WGU also offers that degree. Live and learn! Beck

I agree, relax and enjoy. I suggest you make sure you have a place available where you can study comfortably and, hopefully, without interruptions. Beck

I know you are discouraged, but don't give up! I teach nursing, and have tutored many of my students who have failed NCLEX, inbetween teaching classes. It took one of them multiple attempts during the course of a year, but they passed! I always recommend NCLEX apps to my students so they can study anywhere, anytime. Check the Google play store for them. One of my students showed me a new app the other day called nclex survival guide. No questions, but good advice. Hang in there! Beck

Congratulations!! I teach nursing school and even though students attend paid reviews, I still offer them reviews and tutoring until tey pass. It took one student 4 attempts, but she finally passed. As long as they don't give up on themselves, I won't give up on them. I always recommend that my students download NCLEX apps with practice questions so they can work on NCLEX anytime, anywhere. Congratulations again! Beck

Congrats! I teach an LPN program and many of my students use this as the first step of their nursing career; it allows them to have a better income as they work their way up the nursing ladder. There are any apps available to help LPN students master concepts and content, and study for the NCLEX when the time comes. Take a look on the Google Play store. Beck