NYNewGrad

I agree with CraigB - yes, the more years you work, the more opportunities you are exposed to, however some people make every single patient interaction a learning experience and become great nurses/NPs that way. I have 2 more semsters left before graduating an FNP program. I've worked adult med/surg and PICU/NICU for a year and change each. That kind of gives me a diverse background. I aced the peds component of the program and did well in the OB/gyn component by studying hard. I think adult primary care should be comfortable enough for me given the med/surg experience. (The FNP program is focused primarily on outpatient primary care so although adult ICU experience would've been nice, I don't think it's crucial...) If there's one other area I'd choose to work it would definitely be ER. Either way, it's not like once you become an NP you stop learning. Any field that you're interested in is open to you.

I'm starting soon in a Peds Resource Team position where we rotate every 2 months between Peds, NICU, PICU. I have a year and a half adult MedSurg experience and am so desperate and ready for a change. Critical Care really excites me and I have always wanted to work with kids, so I am thrilled with this job. We get about 6 months training throughout. Anybody here have positive experience with this type of position?

Hard to give you a clear answer as you have SO MANY options! Off the top of my head, in nyc - NYU, Mt Sinai, Columbia, Beth Israel, Lenox Hill, Bellevue... (prety sure each of these have NICUs). Your best bet - go to their websites and find the number to recruitment. If you're ready to work nights you'll get a job anywhere. Days is also possible though a bit harder to come by. If you want to go to Brooklyn - Methodist, Lutheran, Maimonides is opening an extened Babies Hospital, Brooklyn Hospital, Downstate, Kings County...

I sent you a PM. Oh, and I wont be seeing you next semeser, as I'll be right here at my computer

I live in NYC and attend StonyBrook's online NP program. Being "young and single" I know I have the flexibility to relocate at any time without school commitments. I can even do the program from Alaska... And I also get to work full-time.

So far so good with SUNY Stony Brook's online FNP, also part time or full time

I'm doing FNP online, though I haven't started clinicals yet. Our school gives you a list of all places where students in the past have had success with preceptors, and at the same time you are free to set up your own if its more convenient. They seem to be very on top of the situation and organized about it, but I guess time will tell. I like the online aspect that allows me to contine working full-time, but at the same time I wonder if I would learn more face to face in discussion. The school has a great reputation so it must be successful some way. For now I'm studying and studying and studying... and I enjoy it!

It's not like you have no experience - If you're a good medic with strong assessment skills and diverse healthcare exposure I think you'll be okay. Maybe not first pick over a NP with 20 years RN experience, but probably on a fair playing field with NPs that have 3-5 years RN experience.

Funny how this thread was revived... Either way, my original question still stands. You write that you attach NS with primed tubing to the nearest port in case of reaction. Logically, thats how I agree it should be. However,with the standard blood Y tubing that we use, the bag of NS and the blood come together at the top of the tubing, which means they share a several feet of common tubing. In case of reaction, when you open the bag of saline which is connected at the top, you'd still be infusing all that tubing with the blood inside. I still think you'd be safer just piggybacking the NS to the port closest to the pt...

Thats my understanding too. AD only occurs after the phase of spinal shock, in which reflexes return. Do you have any more background info on this pt? Vitals? How much time s/p injury? Other s/s?

Sorry, but as soon as I read the question I thought - ok, CS. You have to answer the question with the info they give you. Here, they're saying - 1) Cast was "just" placed 2) they got pain meds and pain is "worse". Let's say maybe the pain meds weren't enough, or it was PO and maybe didnt kick in all the way, you'd still have to wonder why the pain is "worse" as opposed to not relieved. The answer may be a little intimidating in that it says "send for the cast cutter" (i.e. making you the authority) as opposed to call MD and if ordered, then call the cast cutter. Either way though, the pt needs to be thoroughly assessed by the MD/PA/NP. Obviously, if there was a choice to check neuro/circulation I'd do that first. But thats not a choice. All the other choices are simply ignoring the fact that the pain is worse, and no choice says anything about getting medical attention.

SUNY stony brook

I'd LOVE to do ER but everyone tells me the ER in my hospital is a complete zoo, with ratios easily exceeding 1:10 at times. Hallway pts are the norm and critical pts stay back against the wall hooked to cardiac monitors, leaving them 3 rows deep. If they code everyone first needs to climb over the 2 rows of stretchers in front.. Yes, I'd love ER but not enough to kill myself (or my patients). And I'm also not ready to switch hospitals... so that will have to wait.

As much as night time is quieter and thus more *time* maybe to learn, I think you learn way more on days. Thats when docs round and discuss plan of care, procedures are done, specialists come on by (OT, PT, SLP) etc. It's much busier b/c theres so much more going on and thus much more opportunity to learn. My opinion.

No one needs the EKG flat line printout?