SchoolRN,BSN

Welcome:balloons:

:welcome: I'm in a similar situation. Going to be at the same school district as my kids, coming directly from an ICU setting. Hoping we both love it! Something to consider... I joined NASN, along with my state chapter, & it has been extremely helpful & informative.

Bergren~ Thank you for the clarification. Until our PS health component is ready, I will use the log like you suggested w/ in & out times but no documentation other than home or return to class. I have been working on a form as well for individual patients that I will put in a binder until full then transfer to their folder. Legal issues & liability are always a concern, but especially I think when dealing with other peoples children. I appreciate your help & guidance:yeah:

Per the conference staff the problem with the paper log is that if your records are subpoenaed then you have multiple students information on one page. I guess redacting isn't allowed? Thankfully, I haven't had to find out. I don't remember her mentioning putting the copy into an envelope for parents only. Maybe they do, but I understood it served as the child's pass back into class, so I don't know. I agree privacy could be an issue. As for the health section, I will be sending an email to the IT coordinator as soon as I'm done here to find out if we can make that section workable. Sounds like it would be a great help. Thanks everyone :)

schooldistrictnurse, Thanks for the info! We use PowerSchool as well, but I'm not sure how to use it the way you are describing. I think it was new as of last year and I was only there two days/week then. This year I will have my own school, so I will have a bit more flexibility & control over how I do things. Where does the secretary transcribe the information? Where is the running log? On the left side of the screen there are places for immunizations, parent info, attendance, etc... but what else am I missing? Are there functions that maybe the school corp hasn't added that I should be asking about? I don't recall any place for electronic charting or documentation. Thanks for your help. I'm trying to get organized now so the first couple weeks run as smoothly as possible.

Hi, I went to a conference last week & was told that a running log is a huge no-no for legal reasons. The presenter suggested using 2 part carbon-less slips (custom made by a local printer for their school corp) in which front copy is kept in clinic & back is sent back to teacher. At the end of the day, back part is sent home to parents so they know when student is in clinic & why. Front copy is batched monthly for data collection & then stored by year. Wondering how others are keeping records? Suggestions & ideas appreciated

I completely agree. A tech job will make you much more marketable. If you can swing it with school, I would absolutely look for a position in the hospital I wanted to work at after graduation. Good luck!

I can't offer specific advice about the Tampa area, but just wanted to encourage you to look at the bridge programs. I graduated at 42 with a BSN after going the ASN, then RN-BSN route. It was much longer route than it needed to be (I also have a degree in another area & could have done a bridge program) & cost ended up being very similar. I would also stay with programs that are accredited with good reputations. You want the best clinical program you can get because it will make a huge difference in your knowledge base when you start working as a nurse. Another suggestion that might be helpful is to look into a PCT/unit clerk job at your local hospital. It is absolutely the best experience you can get to prepare yourself to work as a staff RN. Good luck to you~

I know that Tipton, Howard Regional, St. Joseph, & Dukes Memorial all have openings listed on their websites. They are all around the Kokomo area.

Apply at the places where you had clinicals & use your instructors as references. That's what worked for me. Good luck :)

Thanks so much for all the great input. I officially accepted an ICU nights position today & I would not have thought to do so without the encouragement of all of you. Many many thanks:yeah: :redbeatheHeather

Thanks for all of your help. I know either shift is doable. I just keep telling myself there are working parents everywhere :) I am overwhelmed I think b/c I haven't worked f/t in soooo long & I am the primary "go to" parent for everything. The only reason I am going to work f/t now is b/c my husband's job isn't stable & we have to have insurance. Otherwise, I think I would just work part-time. I'm excited to start, but trying to lessen the impact on my family I guess. Seems like two or three days together is best for most people. How long did it take you to adjust? I'm afraid I'll feel like the walking dead! Do you mostly try to go straight to bed when you get off work or wait a little while & then sleep later in the afternoon? I think I would learn from either area, but my I am definitely more interested in the critical care. I am just afraid to try nights!

Hi all~ I will be graduating in May & have been trying to decide which shift will work better for my family. I have four kids, 16-6 & have been a SAHM for the last 15 years. NS was a huge change for us & a full-time job will be another. The hospital I've applied to only has 7-7:30 shifts & I've been told I will most likely be able to choose. The daytime opening is in MS & nights is in ICU. While I would love to take the ICU position (I have really enjoyed the clinicals I've spent there & ER), I've never worked nights before & am concerned about being to shift my sleep schedules. On the other hand, if I choose the day job, I'm concerned about the (much) larger pt ratios & I won't be there when the younger kids get home from school - not even close. My husband will be there at night, but his job is pretty much 8-5, so after school may be a problem. I guess what I'm looking for is advice from those with more experience than I. What works for you & why? 3 days/nights in a row? Spread out over the pay period? I don't know where to start & I need to be able to make a decision soon. Thanks very much for your input - as you can tell, I'm about to drive myself nuts trying to make the best choice. Heather

When I was thinking about going back to school, I looked at 1. school reputation (both public & private) 2. proximity 3. When could I start. When I tried to make my decisions on those three areas, it was a fairly easy choice. You also might consider is getting a job at a local hospital as an aide & seeing if they have any tuition reimbursement programs. Several of my friends are having their school completely paid for in return for working x number of years for that hospital. I don't know what you do now, but that can be an excellent way to get some of your education paid for. The other thing you might do is make appointments & talk to the various admissions offices & see if there are other scholarships available that would make tuition more affordable. It never hurts to ask. Just some things to think about. Good luck with whatever you decide.

The patients I have given them to say it hurts less if they are given very slowly. I don't usually go faster than 1.5 min.

I am told that ALL dosage calculations can be solved by dimensional analysis. Get a good workbook & practice 15 minutes every day. Also see if your school has a nursing tutor that is willing to work with you on these. We were taught to use this formula: need = order x available So for example, in your problem you needed the answer to be in mL per dose. mL = 12 Units x 1mL dose dose 100 units The last part is the conversion factor that allows you to do the problem. If you need the list of conversions, pm me & I'll be happy to send them to you. They are something that just has to be memorized- no way around it. The first thing I do when I get my tests is flip my paper over & write the whole list on the back. That way if I get flustered & can't remember a conversion, they are all right there in front of me. And I always do the math first. Doing so allows me to not be hurrying at the last minute to work a problem. If I have to guess at something b/c I"m running out of time I'd rather it be a multiple choice question than a math problem. Good luck!! I just passed my second year proficiency exam with a 100% (and I would not call myself a math whiz by any stretch of the imagination) so it can be done.

I would pick the first choice. You'll be at work only while your kids are in school & it won't disrupt your family time or your sleep. Sounds like a great opportunity :)

I have been told that the Saunders Comprehensive Review is the best. ISBN 1-4160-3199-5. Good luck!

I don't think age matters as much as intellect & attitude. I started nursing school on my 40th birthday & am getting ready to go into my last two semesters. I have found it to be an exhausting but wonderful experience. In my opinion, attitude is far more important than age. Best Wishes~

It is so exciting to enter your first semester of nursing school. Congratulations on your acceptance! In all honesty, I would suggest that if you are a person who enjoys reading (mysteries, romance, Harry Potter, etc...) that you read as many books as you can possibly fit into your schedule prior to the start of the semester. There is NO time for fun reading while in school! It's all text books & care plans. Relax & enjoy your time with your family before the semester begins. Best wishes, Heather

Wow. Ben is right. You will be one hell of a nurse. Best of luck to you.:redpinkhe

Hi Lyndsay, :welcome: Try talking to the different schools you want to apply to. Talk to their financial aid office as well as admissions. They can give you an idea of what kind of scholarship funds are out there. Different schools will require different classes, so I'd hold off on enrolling until you make a decision where you want to go. I attend IUK & we have an awful lot of people from Indy, so you might consider talking to admissions there if you don't mind the drive. Morris Starkey is the nursing coordinator & you have to attend an orientation session with him before enrolling in pre-nursing I believe. 765-453-2000 is the campus phone number. Just ask for the nursing office. They have some excellent instructors & the tuition rate is decent. Starting in the fall though, they will only have BSN & MSN degree programs, so if you are looking for associates degrees, you'll have to probably look at Ivy Tech. Good luck, Heather

I think I found it on CINAHL. PM me your email if you want me to try & forward it to you. *** Oops, looks like I'm too late...Sorry you had to buy it

You're welcome! I am in the ASN program now & plan on going straight into the pods next May. Maybe we'll be in the same class:)

Sorry, I don't really know. You could probably call Karen & ask. She was very helpful when I talked to her. Another option might be IU Kokomo. They are expanding their BSN program quite a bit (double?) next year because they are getting rid of their ASN program. Morris Starkey, nursing coordinator, is who you need to talk to at IUK. I have several friends in it. It is an excellent program & the cost is very reasonable. I would imagine competition wouldn't be as big an issue next year since they are expanding so much. Campus phone number is 765-453-2000. Good luck to you.