grianstad

After I finished my ADN, I HATED bedside nursing and was ready to go wok in KMart instead.It was so different than the ideal world of clinicals! Luckily, a friend of mine talked me into going into Home Care and after only 3 months of bedside nursing, I was able to work as a Visiting Nurse at an agency that had a great orientation program for new nurses. This was a Medicare Certified agency, so I was not doing private duty in the home. I had a caseload of patients I managed. I knew I had found my niche. Many times, a brand new nurse can't get a job in Home Care, but some agencies will hire. It depends on the nurse and the agency. I've never gone back to the bedside in 18 years. I went back to school for a BS in Community Health Education, got certified as a Health Educator and have also worked as a Discharge Planner, in a Planned Parenthood clinic, a hospital-based Community Health Dept, as a Public Health Nurse, in a Wound Care Clinic, and in Adult Medical day Care. If you know for sure the bedside is not for you at this point in your career, it's a blessing. Just don't give up on school, and if you have to do some time at the bedside, the experience will be worth it in the long-run. Good Luck!

I have an ADN and then started on a BSN, but changed majors to a BS in Community Health Education which then allowed me to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam, which I passed. Look up CHES and NCHEC (National Commission on Health Education Credentialing) and you'll get an idea of what career choices you'd have, and there really are many if you are sure community/public health is where you want to be. To sit for the exam, specific courses/curriculum must be completed, so if CHES appeals to you, check with your school to make sure you're in the right program. I went to William Paterson University in NJ. Also, check out SOPHE (Society for Public Health Education) and join as a student. If your state has a chapter, it's a great way to network and find internships and jobs. NJ has a very strong SOPHE chapter. Good luck!

I completed an ADN in 1992. At the time, I had to work full time and go to school at night. It would have been nearly impossible to do the BSN right off the start for me. Our professors highly recommended going on for the BSN and there was an articulation agreement with a local university to accept all the credits. I started on a BSN the following year while working in Home Care. I realized that the community was my passion. I switched my major to a BS in Community Health Education. All the pre-requisites were the same and because of my nursing degree, I was able to have a few classes waived. I ended up graduating with 140 credits, but it was the best decision of my life. I am certified as a health educator and have worked in municipal and state Public Health departments also. If I decide to go further in my nursing education, I have to take only 3 classes to bridge into an MSN program at the university I graduated from. In fact, the 2 departments (Nursing and Community Health) work closely with each other. Sometimes, a student will decide he/she doesn't want to be a nurse during clinicals and switch to the community health education major. I think it all depends on your life situation and the area of practice you are most interested in, but getting a Bachelors degree in nursing or another health related field is a must after completing the associate's degree.

In New Jersey, you're entitled to 6 weeks worth of paid maternity leave (but it's under state disability insurance which only gives you about 60% of your pay). If you have vacation or sick time saved up. then you can get paid from your employer. Federal law mandates that employers that have more than 50 employees allow up to 12 weeks of leave, but it's not paid leave. It just guarantees that you can have your old job back or one of equal status. It's pathetic, especially when compared to other countries; but it's Big Business that really runs this country and unfortunately, the almighty dollar is the bottom line!

And just who made YOU the boss?! I can't believe you actually said that she has nothing to add to the nursing profession until she gets more experience. You have alot of nerve. I'm glad your not my boss with that kind of attitude! If I were a nursing student right now, you would scare me outta wanting to join the ranks of people like you! We all have something to add to our profession. Suzy merely was seeking some info. I've been a nurse for 9 years and STILL don't fully understand ALL the differences between LPNs/RNs and I don't think it's out of line to post the question. Cut her a break already and drop it. Those of you who have made such a big deal about this really need to chill out. If you keep posting on this very tired subject, it'll only keep it going. Let it die a peaceful death for mercy's sake!

What exactly is your situation? Are you a nursing student in the US? Or are you studying nursing in a foreign country with the hopes of coming to the US to work afterwards? Fluency in English is crucial to working here. I think foreign born nurses have to take an English proficiency exam along with the nursing boards to get licensed here. I would suggest you contact the agency that governs nursing in your state/country to obtain the correct information about working in the US as a nurse. I believe there are a certain number of special visas available for foreigners, and I think the number awarded has to do with how bad the nursing shortage is.

I went the ADN route myself many years after graduating high school and it took me 3 years (after transferring in 21 credits of GEs). I was also working full time. The best piece of advice I can give you is to take the prerequisites like chemistry, anatomy & physiology, and microbiology first, along with some easier classes. Then concentrate on the nursing classes by themselves, or with easier classes like general education requirements. I watched many classmates struggle with nursing classes (tough enough on their own!) along with heavy duty sciences. Your brain can only absorb so much, so pairing harder courses with less demanding subjects can really help with the tough road ahead. It's more than worth it though, so don't get too overwhelmed. Stretch it to 4 years if you are able, you'll get there regardless of how long it takes you. Good luck! [This message has been edited by grianstad (edited March 24, 2001).]

While in nursing school, I had to empty and irrigate an ileostomy bag, the kind with the clip on the bottom. As I unclipped it, instead of draining into the basin, it missed and the entire contents of the full bag ran off the chux, down the side of the bed, onto my stockinged leg and into my shoe. I was shocked at how much it burned my skin!!! ( I learned first hand about the pH of intestinal fluids!) Not only was I grossed out and embarrassed in front of the instructor and patient, I had to run into the patient's bathroom wash my leg in the sink and clean out my shoe! Luckily my instructor cleaned up the patient while I cleaned up myself. I've been careful around ostomies ever since! As far as roaches go, I worked as a visiting nurse for many years and one place in particular totally grossed me out. In the middle of winter I would leave my coat and bag in the car, carrying in only what bare essentials I could stuff into my pockets. Roaches crawing all over the place, including the ceiling. Well, they had a light bulb hanging from the ceiling, controlled by a pullchain and at one point it hit the back of my neck. I nearly had an MI though 'cause I thought a roach had fallen from the ceiling! [This message has been edited by grianstad (edited March 21, 2001).]