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.

Even if someone does have good sleep habits, being in the hospital can disrupt them. I don't think this always requires medical intervention, but I can see how that might be the best course of action at times. When I was in the hospital, I slept for about two hours total over three days. I pretty much always sleep well at home, but I just could not sleep in the hospital. By the time I got home, I was actually hallucinating a little. I didn't want any sleep meds because I had to take care of my newborn, but I can empathize. As for the patients who nap all day and then complain: hilarious! OP, it sounds like you've had some really frustrating patients driving you up the wall lately. Maybe the stars will align and you'll get a break soon. :)

How reliable are your sources? I think I would rather do an ASN program and then bridge than go to a bad school, but I would want to be very sure that the school was really bad first. I did some prereqs at a community college, and I found that a lot of the students there were very biased against the main BSN program here. I heard all kinds of crazy rumors about the BSN program. People said that it was on probation with the Board of Nursing, that new grads from there were actually paid less than ADN grads at local hospitals, that no one wanted to hire them, and on and on. I did a little investigating, and none of it turned out to be true. It was all made up by people who wanted to feel like the program they chose was better than the other program. I went with the BSN program and it was wonderful. I'm not saying that means that your BSN program is good. Just make sure your information is correct, if you haven't already. Good luck!

I agree with those of you who have posted about quantity of live vs. quality of life and refusal to discuss end of life issues. It is so hard to see someone obviously suffering because their families won't let go. I think it's especially horrifying when adequate pain control is denied. However, I think some of these patients and family members probably would have agreed with you too until it happened to them or their loved ones. I think it's a lot easier said than done on this issue when it actually comes down to you dying or your mom dying. Also, most people are not nurses (not yet anyway, but give the nursing schools a few more years and we'll see!) and have not seen how this actually plays out, so I think they don't anticipate the road they are going down when they are accepting interventions offered. They don't expect their loved one to end up miserable and suffering. I think sometimes, like the PP whose church member had lingering feelings about his mom's DNR status, people just don't know where it's okay to draw the line, either. How much pain is too much? If someone doesn't have advance directives and is no longer able to make their own decisions, it can be so hard to try to decide when they would have chosen to stop. We can wax philosophical all day, and honestly I think we should talk about these issues and clarify our values about them, but it's important to keep in mind that it's different when it's your own "MeeMaw" lying there needing you to make a decision, and it's definitely different when you're being told you're going to die.

I don't really have any advice for you. I just want you to know that I read your post and I'm sorry for the terrible experience you are having. I wish you the best in making your decision and I hope things look up for you soon.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I hope you are able to find another job soon.

So what happened? Did you hear about the position?

I may as well throw my opinion out here too. I graduated in May 2009, and I have spent a year and a half of job searching. During this past year and a half, I have given a lot of thought to your question. I notice a number of people on AN saying not to go to nursing school because you won't necessarily get a job. I see things another way. It's true that you won't necessarily get a job, at least maybe not for a long time, and maybe not exactly what you want. This is true for pretty much any degree right now. For this reason, I think you should go to school for what you love. If nursing is what you love, then go for it. If you just want to do nursing because you think it will mean a guaranteed job, then run the other way and pick something else. Despite what the media, the public, the schools, and everyone else says, there is no golden ticket to a guaranteed job. So just do what you want! As many of you know, spending a long time looking for a job can be a very demoralizing experience, and you go through a lot of different emotions. During the desperate frustration I felt as I applied for job after job and was rejected over and over again, I sometimes started to feel a pang of regret that I ever went to nursing school and subjected myself to this. However, it always dissipated into the same old sadness because I knew that I didn't really regret becoming a nurse. I just hated the situation. There is really just nothing else that I want to do. I love nursing, and that's that. As others have said, we can't predict the future. I really hope that things improve before you all graduate, because I don't want others to have to go through this same difficulty, but that may not happen. If you really want to be a nurse, then go to nursing school, but do whatever you can (work as a CNA, volunteer, etc.) to make yourself stand out so you will have the best possible chance of getting a job. As for me, I thought things were hopeless after so long and that my career was over before beginning. However, I have just been offered my first nursing position. To make things even crazier, it is actually my dream job. It is the floor, hospital, shift, and number of hours that I wanted. I couldn't have designed a better position from scratch. So don't be too discouraged by what you are reading. Apparently, miracles can happen.

Which school are you attending? During my last semester, both of those hospitals as well as others in the surrounding areas visited my school and talked to us about pay rate, benefits, etc. Maybe they will do this at your school too and you can talk to the nurse recruiters personally. I will say that when I graduated, both hospitals were offering the same pay rate to new grads. If you are going to school in the area, you will probably get lots of clinical time at both hospitals, and you will be able to form your own opinions about them. As far as whether or not you should move when you graduate, you may want to make that decision according to where you can find a job. Hopefully the market will improve by the time you graduate, but right now it is extremely competitive and difficult for new grads to get hospital jobs. The hospitals are swamped with applications for every posted position. I think most new grads would be thrilled to work at either hospital, because many are having to take less desirable jobs in other settings if they even find anything at all. I graduated in 2009 and many people in my graduating class had to move to find jobs. I think it's a good idea to keep your options open and do things like work as a CNA, volunteer, etc. while in school to make your resume stand out. Good luck with school!

Congratulations!

Absolutely. This is very common in my area.