diamondmeadows

From this CDC paper: "Human breast milk has been implicated in perinatal transmission of HIV, and HBsAg has been found in the milk of mothers infected with HBV (10,13). However, occupational exposure to human breast milk has not been implicated in the transmission of HIV nor HBV infection to health-care workers. Moreover, the health-care worker will not have the same type of intensive exposure to breast milk as the nursing neonate. Whereas universal precautions do not apply to human breast milk, gloves may be worn by health-care workers in situations where exposures to breast milk might be frequent, for example, in breast milk banking." You might also be interested in this link: What to Do if an Infant or Child Is Mistakenly Fed Another Woman's Expressed Breast Milk. Just for perspective, consider how much more milk a baby is exposed to after being given a full feeding of expressed milk, and the odds of transmission are considered to be barely existent from that exposure. There is no evidence that Hep B or C is transmitted through milk. Moms with Hep B and C are advised to breastfeed their babies if they want (although caution is advised if there is blood involved). Link: Hepatitis B or C Infections: Mothers with Hepatitis B or C infections can breastfeed their infants. If you were to catch anything from this kind of exposure it would be so remarkable that you would probably have case studies published in journals about you.

Thanks. I am definitely planning to apply to UCF. Have you heard anything about FAU?

Hello! I have recently moved near Melbourne from out of state. I have had a goal of completing an MSN FNP program for a number of years, but it seems like a challenge to find a good program from here. From what I can tell, FAU and UCF (DNP) seem to be the most accessible from this area, but I may be wrong about that with my limited information. Are there any others I am missing? Since I am brand new to this area and haven't started working here at this time, I am hesitant to choose a school that doesn't assist with preceptor placement since I have no contacts. Thank in advance!

Thanks for your thoughts. Benefits are not a problem for me because we are on my husband's insurance. I would be happy to work in a primary care setting and will keep my eye out, but I'm not counting on being able to find something that will work for me because my child care situation with my 2 year old has become more difficult so my availability would be limited. That is why I was thinking volunteering some at the free clinic might work out better. My career is not my priority right now but I know I will want to develop it more in a few years, so I appreciate the input from all of you because I don't want to utterly sabotage my future opportunities in the meantime.

Hi everyone. I have been an RN in a hospital for about five years. I currently work in a very specialized area that is mostly focused on patient education. Frankly, I'm kind of tired of it and feeling like I want to do something different. During my undergrad program, I always thought I would go to grad school, but that idea went on the back burner after working for a while, especially because there seem to be so many new grad NPs who struggle to find jobs. Now I'm thinking it might be time to start planning for it again. However, I'm not sure that now is the right time, since I have two small kids (ages 5 and 2) and I am currently only working part time. It seems that it might be better to wait until until they are both in school. If I quit my job and don't work (or only do some small things like volunteering at the free clinic or seasonal flu shots) for 2-3 years and then start an FNP program full time, would that hurt my chances of getting a job after graduating? I don't feel that my current specialty is very applicable to primary care, but I wondered if not having a job and staying home with family for a few years would just generally look bad. Thanks for reading!

I agree with Bobbkat. You must network. Think of anyone you can who might be able to help you, and contact them. If you really can't think of any contact (professor, preceptor, friend, classmate, coworker, church member, etc.) who has an "in" somewhere, then you need to make contacts by volunteering, joining a professional organization, attending conferences, etc. You need someone to be the little bird in the hiring manager's ear saying: "Hire bornthisway!" Other than that critically important step, you need lots of persistence and patience. Don't give up hope. It's frustrating, but you can do it. Eventually, it will happen for you. Really!

I'm not even going to pretend like I use nursing diagnoses in my practice, because I don't. I haven't even thought about them since school, to be honest. I also definitely think that when you look at the lists in books, they can get into the realm of the stupid sometimes. However, I actually do think they are useful to students (even though I feel like I'm going to be hit by some tomatoes for saying so.) I think they are helpful in teaching the student how to think like a nurse. If your diagnosis is pneumonia, the only way you can really fix that is through medical intervention, and the nurse does the very important job of implementing the medical treatment plan. However, if the problems are stated as impaired gas exchange or ineffective airway clearance or anxiety or whatever, it requires the student to think: What can I do as a nurse to fix this problem? It encourages the student to produce independent nursing actions. The nursing diagnosis states the problem, or the thing that nurse is going to address, rather than just stating the patho. If a patient is diagnosed with stomach cancer, what is actually going on with her? We may know the patho, but what is bothering her exactly? There can be lots of problems, or nursing diagnoses, for something like that, and lots of nursing interventions for those problems. Of course, I think we eventually move beyond the need to express these problems in the form of the nursing diagnosis, and we identify problems without even realizing we are doing it. However, I think the nursing diagnosis gives students a head start on that process.

I love my job! I work on a very busy mother/baby unit. I have only been there six months, but even on bad days, I am still so happy to work there. It is very interesting, and I feel like I am constantly learning. I love being a part of such an important time in my patients' lives, and it is very rewarding to me to make such a difference in the lives of mothers and brand new people through the care and education I provide. I am also extremely fortunate to work on a unit with a supportive and positive culture. I know that I can always get help when I really need it, and I always feel comfortable asking questions. Plus, we have fun. My nurse manager and charge nurses are wonderful. I also feel that the hospital I work for is an excellent organization in general. I even work the shift and number of hours that are ideal for me. I am very fortunate.

I agree with everyone else. Bad idea. I understand your desperation though. It sounds like you've done everything you can at this point, and it's so hard to just wait. I really hope you get the job. Good luck!

It sounds like things are really rough for you right now. You seem very sad. I hope things get better soon.

I mean this in the most respectful way possible. :no: and more . On every level. OP, good luck at your interview! It sounds like you're on the right track. I hope you get the job! Please let us know.

This isn't a matter of people deciding how someone should live and learn. The student broke the law, and the OP has the right to press charges. It's not cruel or unreasonable. It's our justice system. That said, OP, I can understand why you may not want to press charges. You have worked with this student and so I think only you can decide if that's the right thing to do. Mainly, though, I'm just posting to say that this is unbelievable, and I'm very sorry that it happened to you.

I love this! So sweet. This person must have cooked a LOT of Thanksgiving dinners in her day. OP: Good for you! Your patients are fortunate to have a nurse who cares about them and is so passionate about her job.

:ancong!: Sounds wonderful! Is it an ER position?

If possible, it may benefit you to set up a shadowing experience with a CNA. That will give you a better idea of what the work is like and how well it suits your abilities. I'm sorry to hear that you were laid off, and I hope you are able to find something you enjoy. Good luck.