ChristineN

I would have definitely driven myself.

What amazes me is when grown adults come in that didn't take anything for fever or pain. I had one lady tell me she didn't take anything cause she was worried about interactions with all of her diabetes and HTN meds. I told her next time just take that Tylenol

I was also going to suggest CNL. I am finishing up a CNL program now. I had started a FNP program but realized that I wasn't ready to leave the bedside and I wanted something that also included education in its focus. CNL answers both of these desires of mine. The degree is still fairly new, so I am sure that it will be tweaked some as time goes by.

When I was working in PA years ago we were told that they were no longer legal "unless the unit is short staffed." I never looked for myself to see what the law was as i was not a fan of 16 hour shifts

I am not referring to basic EMT training, I am referring to paramedics, who have more training on advanced airways than nurses get in school

You can not do everything a paramedics can do. A paramedic can intubate and trach, nurses can not

He should be reimbursing you for gas if it is your car

I am sorry for your situation. Are you applying for jobs out of your town? Are you applying for jobs outside the hospital?

No paramedics in my ER, but we do have EMT's that are super useful. They start IVs, rub labs, transport, do EKGs, assist with codes, and so much more.

I am your size 5'0, and weigh 100 lbs, soaking wet. I never had a problem as a tech or now as a nurse finding employment. If you are using proper body mechanics you should be fine.

Soon this nursing student will be on allnurses complaining about how unfair her instructors are and asking if she really has to work at the bedside if she is going to just be an FNP

No offense, but I am sure L&D would be a good job for you since many of the interventions done can be more controversial, especially by those who are holistic.

Just curious, but why RN? Have you thought about being a registered dietitian?

I think she is going to have to ask the BON

Uhh not me at all. I am not going to freak out about germs when not at work. Plus overuse of hand sanitizer just leads to a resistance to antibiotics

I have only ever placed a foley pre OB U/S one time, and I remember it was a special situation where the pt was on the U/S table but they were having difficulty visualizing. I would speak with the doctors and see why this is the practice. Maybe U/S expects it, maybe they had a bad experience once involving a pt that didn't have a catheter. This may be one of those times that you need to remind your pt they have a right to refuse any part of the plan of care.....

Just to play the devil's advocate, not everyone takes notes. Especially if you had the pts the day before and it is just updates

I transferred from the floor to ER after working the floors for almost 5 years. While I don't have critical pts everyday, it was still a transition. You have to be willing to learn, and accept that you are starting at the bottom again. A good manager will see strength in your background, as you should already have good assessment skills down

So then how do you explain all the unemployed RN's?

Dave, we encourage you to read and research the nursing shortage, especially here on allnurses. You will find that the average RN new grad does not have a job upon graduating, and most are unemployed for over a year before landing their first job. What does this mean for you. While you do have experience, which is great, recruiters can be pickier about who they interview or hire, since for most acute care positions they are receiving dozens upon dozens of applications. If they have a candidate with say 3 years straight med-surg experience applying for a floor job vs you, the other nurse will get the interview. It is not fair, but life is not fair, and breaking into a new specialty area of nursing can be hard.

I have had a very positive experience in my 6 years in nursing and it has given me opportunities that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. I will fully support my future kids if they want to be nurses, but I will also support any other aspirations of theirs. My big thing is I don't think we should expect people to know what they want to do with their lives when they are 18. I also don't like the idea of kids going to college at 18 because that is what you are supposed to do. I would rather my kids take a few years off, research options, and be happy. I will also present non-traditional career paths such as community college, trade school, or the military as good options to also consider.

While I can't comment on the DNP, I did attend Chatham 's online RN-BSN program and had a really positive experience. I loved that I could work at my own pace, teachers were very helpful and supportive, and small online classes.

The most useful thing a tech or CNA can do during a code is compressions. You don't have to be licensed to do it, and it frees up nurses to document and draw up meds

You do realize that if you become a nurse you will have to take care of male and female pts, and will not have a say in what gender or sexual orientation of pts you are assigned to. I am a girl, I take care of plenty of men, and you just get used to it. Nothing sexual about providing medical care, and if you act like a professional the pt will not be awkward by it either

It would certainly be possible, especially if adult ICU was only PRN.