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If you need further information, just send me a private message, golytely. Would be happy to share.

a CPAP machine is a definite must if you are a sleep apnea sufferer. I have been suffering from severe sleep apnea for a long long time but went to a sleep physician about 4 years ago who suggested I sew a lego block onto my back to discourage sleeping on my back. I still snore on my side. I got a mandibular advancement splint and wore that for 4 years until recently, I woke up one morning and could not open my jaw to eat or anything. I got another referral to another sleep physician and this time, this physician did the right thing and now I am using a CPAP machine with nasal pillows, and it has changed my life totally. I used to struggle to keep going after lunch, now I work 12 hour shifts with not a hitch. sure I feel tired at the end of the day but I no longer feel like I am in the twilight zone all the time. As you probably know, untreated sleep apnea can lead to all sorts of health issues like diabetes, cardiac problems, pulmonary hypertension (not a good way to go!), all sorts of issues, it is not just about losing sleep!

Dolcevitarn, The pay is quite different in the hospital compared to in aged care facilities. Hospitals generally pay more, by about $1-$2 more, which mounts up to quite a bit after a while.

One of the numerous things about being in nursing..the variety is so good. The only thing is you have to start somewhere - whichever areas you go into while you are looking for the 'ideal' spot, you will still get invaluable experience because skills you glean from one area you can still use in another. I always thought I would love to go into critical care - now that I am here, I am not so sure anymore, but while I am deciding whether to stay or leave, I still get another tick in my resume for the experience...that is the beauty of nursing.

I was 36 when I graduated from nursing school. I had one classmate who was 58...so what is the problem?

Anaphylaxis, Difficult intubation, laryngospasm, bronchospasm, pain management..are some that come to mind.

Chunky sputum! Makes me wanna puke! Hairy excised skin lesions...that is another. Seems to have a life of its own, looking at it, reminds me of Silence of the lambs movie - human skin on its own, yuck!

I cut my finger once on a heparin ampoule. Bled for a good 5 minutes. Since then I have had another ampoule shatter completely under my thumb and fingers...was quite a shock.

When I put on the name band on the wrist and the leg on the patient, they would enquire why on the leg too. I would always say "in case, you get separated from your legs". They would give me a shocked look, and I would say 'nah, just so that if they need to snip off the name band from your wrist, they can still identify you from your leg band. When I peel off the tegaderm from the patient's IV cannula, sometimes they would go 'ouch', I would say "I didnt feel that"! Usuallly gets a chuckle.

Hi, I am nearly at the end of my first year in nursing and like you, in the beginning, everything was overwhelming. It does get easier, due to repetition. What I find most helpful is to ask when the need arises, as reading up on things and committing to memory does not always work because when you get nervous (because you are not sure or dont know), I find that I dont remember anything I have read anyway. The other thing I find really useful with the doucmentation bit is to type up a list of forms and things to do on the computer (in small print), print it out and then laminate it into a card and carry it around either on your lanyard or just in your pocket or even just have a notebook. That was what I did when I was unfamiliar with the discharging patient process. It worked well and after a while, I didnt need to refer to it anymore. Hope that helps!

one of the questions asked during mental health grad nurse interview is "how would you talk to someone who is threatening suicide?" If nothing else, this could exercise your mind a bit? Good luck!

Why do nurses keep doing what we do??? Would any other profession have put up with this kind of madness??? Are we mad???? :stone :smackingf

Ginger We did 'burnout' first year into nursing school and then again, two times in 3rd year nursing school - for two different subjects. So I do have some pictures, the only problem is how do I get them to you?? Would you like to give me your email and I can send them to you? There is a good picture where a nurse is holding a candle and it is burning on both ends. A suggestion is to go to Google and click on the "image" instead of "web" and search for 'fire' . if you cannot find any, just send me your email address and I will send the image file to you. Hope this helps. Chris

Years ago, when I was in Nursing school first time around, I was told that you do not administer O2 therapy of more than 2L/min to people with COPD. Second time around in Nursing school 3 years ago, We were told the hypoxic drive theory was all a misconception and has research to prove it. Asked an MD, and he reckoned that when you take the O2 mask off a COPD patient, they miraculously wake up from their "sleep" - hypoxic drive theory at play??? What is your experience of this?

IT has also been proven in studies that cold conditions lower our immune system, hence we are more likely to catch a cold (provided you already have the cold virus). :)

I don't have any problems with wedding bands at work, although I dont like wearing it just in case it prevents me from washing my hands properly, but I cannot understand people who wear all sorts of rings, high and low-sets and even gold bracelets and rings on every finger.

Doctors reckon not...nurses do. What do you say from your experience?

Just wondering how clinical nurses get to where they are? By qualification or experience or both? If experience, how many years would you need?

I chanced upon this website about travel nursing. Looks like a lot of excitement but what is the real picture here? Do they recruit nurses from overseas too or just American nurses?

And people who say that we should go into M/S for at least a year before going for midwifery or any specialty have actually wanted to go into that specialty and got stuck in M/S for one reason or another. One of my colleagues got told that and when my friend disagreed in that none of the skills you get in M/S you can translate to use in any other specialty in the next floor got that nurse going :angryfire . Think it has something to do with being a sour grape. Go figure....

Gee whiz...I am a new grad and into the 5th week of nursing in a surgical ward. We have a high rate of turnover of patients and I feel that i have gone into the wrong ward because I miss the interaction with the patients too. I have not got to the point where I am crying after every shift but I understand how you feel. Some days it is overwhelming and I feel like I am not getting any better and still feeling disorganised and so ignorant! I have a fellow graduate who talked about crying after and before every shift - her preceptor was being unkind and unsupportive. Things are better now because they have changed her preceptor. Is it support you are lacking?

I was told by another senior nurse you let them have a light diet once you can hear bowel sounds. I read somewhere auscultating for bowel sounds is not a reliable way of making sure that the bowels are working again. Thank you for your reply. I will keep that in mind.

I am a new grad working in a surgical ward. Today I was totally confused by the decision made by a senior nurse. This patient has had an abdominal hysterectomy Day 2. She has passed flatus but hasnt had a bowel motion yet. She started on free fluids for breakfast this morning. The doctor wrote this in her notes. The patient is for discharge tomorrow. When the senior nurse came in, she queried me on when the patient was going on a light diet. How do you decide when a post op abdominal hysterectomy patient go from free fluids to light diet? As far as I understand it, nothing has changed from this morning (whenthe patient was on free fluids) to this evening (when she has her dinner). Please help! I am clueless!

Starting pay is $21 an hour. You get more when you work afternoon (12.5% more) or night shifts (15% more) and 50% more if you work weekends. Everyone is moving up here from Victoria and Sydney and Tasmania. So we need more nurses . Average temperature here is about 25-28 degrees celsius and miles and miles of beautiful beaches. If you want the best of both worlds, work in Tweed Heads (northern most part of New South Wales) for the money and live on the Gold Coast (for the lifestyle).

Hi everyone, I am from Australia, on the Gold Coast.