Tencat12

I'm thinking that in this environment it is better NOT to expose students to the risk of catching this thing. Dead students don't make nurses next Winter either....I'm a clinical instructor and all the other colleges in my town did shut down clinicals except our program. I am also at high risk if I catch this thing because I have moderate-severe asthma and am over 50.

My program is 85%

Is this for an FNP? If it is, yes it's too much. I was told my FNP assessment class should be either stand alone or with a fluff class. Both assessment and stats are time consuming. It would be especially hard if you are working full time to boot.

Congrats! It's good to see that all this ends eventually! Good luck to you in your future endeavors! Yay!

Meanwhile, in the hospital cafeteria...

I have lived in both srates as a teacher. NM is lousy for teachers. NM ranks dead last in most wellness and education categories. However I understand the NP practice is good in NM. I imagine it is good in Washington too and I know it is a great place for teachers. If I were choosing I'd go with Eastern or Central Washington because Seattle area is way over priced.

My 3 year old daughter sliced open her cheek on a coffee table when I was a couple years out of nursing school. I was totally useless. I finally got it together when we got to the ER. Im still a nurwe 11 years later......don't be hard on yourself.

BSN is nice but not necessarily what is needed. Nursing is so struck on theories and theorists in the education phase for BSN. It's even worse when one gets into the MSN. A good provider needs to know HOW to give care and WHY that care is given. Theories don't teach that. Also I agree with Old Dude. Treat your employees well rather than a necessary evil and you will see the quality of care go up.

I'm not school nursing at the moment, but you guys make me laugh so much I'm going to lurk here anyway!

Hi! By all means, DO IT! I'm going into the second year of an FNP program that is part time for didactic classes and full time for clinicals. I'm 48. I have two kiddos of my own and we all sit and study together. If you can manage it, you should go for it.

Hi all! I was recently on hunt for a hospice job after being out of hospice for 3 years to regroup and recharge. I have a lot of hospice experience. But while interviewing, I've noticed that the powers that be have no qualms about a case load of 20 or more for their case managers. Is this happening everywhere? I had a caseload at the end of my last hospice stint of 18, and I found that to be too many patients to be able to care for them the way they deserve to be cared for. Is it because nurses are willing to take on too much? Or is it a standard now?

I applied for two schools, but one of them decided they didn't want to offer the program in my state. I got into the second one, The University of St. Francis, Joliet Illinois. My under grad GPA was 3.6.

Hi! What are you waiting for???? If you are unhappy and have a shot at something you would really like to do I don't see why you WOULDN'T jump at the opportunity. I was a hospice case manager for 8 years, got an office job in the hospice organization and HATED it with a passion. I left the pay raise to go back to patients. Life is too short to worry about doing the 'right' things.

Hmmm.....It would be worth chatting with Doc about. I'm surprised they haven't taken her off of her PO meds that aren't comfort meds. I have never heard of Dexamethasone being used for abdominal pain in hospice, but maybe it would work. PRN morphine is a problem in facilities because too many times I've seen that staff will not give it if it's PRN. Maybe patient needs an increase of pain meds, or more scheduled doses of morphine. Is patient constipated as all get out? Sometimes that will cause abdominal pain. With that much narcotics on board, anyone would be constipated. Is an outside hospice agency coming in to see her? If so, chatting with the Case Manager would be worthwhile.

I love the ones that you make suggestions to (gargle with warm salt water, suck a sugar free candy, lay down for a few minutes) and they choose to do nothing that you suggest except "go back to class". It is a pet peeve of mine that I am not allowed to give out cough drops, however.

Four visits a day is a good number. 5 works too, barely. I found that 6 or more was drive-by nursing at its finest! :) Unless the 6 are situated in one LTC facility. Just remember that one patient can quickly go to hell in a hand basket and may screw up your planned day....God bless 'em! Or if you get really lucky, they may all decide to get fiesty.....it really depends. So I think you're on the right track with 4 visits.

Hi! How is patient's swallowing going? How alert is she? Has she just started morphine? Or has she had it for a while? Or is she on Oxycodone? When a patient reaches the comfort care stage, pain meds are the priority. Is she regularly getting pain meds? Parenteral administration of meds might be possible, if the lady has any veins at this point, but does sticking patient with needles at this point further patient comfort? If this woman is on comfort care only, why is she having PO intake for anything other than morphine or oxycodone? It may be that the morphine is causing the N/V, so a switch to Oxy might be in order. I think it's great that you're looking for ways to help this woman!

I thought about a lawyer, but I'm not being fired over it. I'm just choosing to get out of this school. I have documented the crap out of the situation. Kid ended up where kid needed to be (hospital) and is getting the help that they need. I think parents have a lawsuit if they chose to bring one against the school.

Very well done! Pretty funny about the 'dropped' call.... :)

Have you been spying on me in my health office???? :) I say those things DAILY! How about "Suck it up, buttercup"? I don't actually say it, but I think it A LOT.

Have you been spying on me in my health office???? :) I say all those things daily! How about "Suck it up, buttercup"? I don't actually say that, but I think it A LOT.

Of course it's pink eye! It HAS to be. And it should be billable to workman's comp, darn it! :)

Admin. Batsh-- crazy. Straight up. An insecure, micromanaging principal who avoids any kind of confrontation like the plague (and blows me off when I request meetings) with a squad of syncophants.....Holy cow. I really should have left a while ago. I pity the nurse who follows....

Thanks for all your support! Kid is doing well and still inpatient. Mother thanked me for all 'our' help from the school. :) Counselor accused me of 'overreacting' as student was 'only looking for attention and not REALLY suicidal....' Yup. The sad thing is they are going to REALLY screw up some day and not be 'lucky' at the expense of some poor kid. I'm tired of being run over by buses.....I don't know how all you great school nurses do it. I have never worked anywhere else where I was so worried daily about my license and my sanity......

AMEN! The level of absolute, unspeakable, utter and absolute CRAZY I am experiencing right now is amazing. And it's not coming from the kids or the teachers or the parents.......Wow.