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Nursing student (well, almost) here. I finished my prereqs four years ago and have gotten dicked in my school's yearly lottery ever since, though I am 99% certain that I get automatically waitlisted this year if I'm not actually picked. Before people start asking why I haven't applied to other (much farther away) schools and poo poo like that, I've been at a good job that has allowed me to save up enough money so I don't have to worry about working for the two years I'll be learning the ropes of registered nursing. Waiting sucks though.  Is anyone else here working/interested in correctional nursing?
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Dec 4, 2008 01:56
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Hughmoris posted:Anyone here have experience at going from terrible grades in another major into being accepted for a nursing program? I am a 3 year Electrical Engineering major and I hate my field, so I am looking at going into an RN program. The downside is, my grades are TERRIBLE due to the EE classes that I sucked at. Any advice on how to improve my chances at getting accepted into a program? Should I find out what the prereqs are for my school and just take them over and try to ace it or what? At my college the requirement is a 2.0 in your core classes and a minimum 3.0 in the prereq classes (anatomy, chemistry, micro and physio).
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Jan 29, 2009 18:59
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Why can't I find a loving decent watch for nursing school that isn't over two hundred dollars?! I have freakishly tiny wrists (otherwise I'd buy a man's watch) and can't find a women's watch with a) a face larger than a dime AND b) a second hand. SO FRUSTRATING!! 
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Jul 14, 2009 20:20
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Ohthehugemanatee posted:Dude, go to target and buy the cheapest waterproof one you can find. We are not a field conducive to wearing expensive accessories. Dude, I went to Target and, as I said, couldn't find a watch with a decent sized face and a seconds hand. Apparently women aren't into knowing what exact SECOND it is.
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Jul 14, 2009 21:15
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Pixi posted:I loooove my rubber-strapped digital Timex. I picked it up at Costco for like $35. Waterproof, multiple alarm settings, perfect all the way around. And the strap gets itty bitty. Oh thanks! For some reason I forgot Costco has watches/jewelry...gonna check that out this weekend!
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Jul 14, 2009 22:48
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Auugh in exactly three weeks I'll be starting nursing school (AD RN)!!   
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Jul 29, 2009 00:53
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Today was my first day of RN school at my community college. I learned how to do a bed bath.
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Aug 18, 2009 23:31
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Had my first day of clinical today. Longest goddamn day ever!
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Sep 11, 2009 05:39
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That sucks. Why couldn't they have two three person groups? 
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Oct 8, 2009 18:25
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I'm in my second semester right now, second week in? We're doing L&D in class although I won't have it for clinical until mid April. I'm stoked to be back in the hospital tomorrow.
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Feb 4, 2010 06:42
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BlazinLow305 posted:1. I know nursing used to always be in high demand, especially male nurses. Is this still the case even with the economy like it is? I'd just like to not get a degree and not actually find a job. I'm assumming there is always going to be some demand but figured I'd ask anyway, basically how recession proof is nursing is what I'm asking. 1. People will never stop not taking of themselves or getting sick so there will always be a need for nurses. But you should want to get into the job because it's what you want to do, not because it's "recession proof." 2. No. Here is the breakdown for your current schedule, if you are planning on going to community college and have not taken ANY classes so far: 2 years for your associates degree 2 years for nursing prerequisite classes 2 years of nursing school Of course the first four years will only be accomplished in that amount of time if you seriously bust your balls. You will NOT be able to work more than twenty hours a week at your job while in nursing school, unless you retain knowledge very well or can survive on very little sleep. 3. I don't know where you are but here LPN/LVN programs are only one semester shorter than RN and require all the same prereqs - why waste your time and money if you just want to go on to being a RN? quote:Most of these people are human garbage who think act like nursing is some get-rich seminar. I'm glad that nursing programs are intensive and compettive so that these people can be weeded out and hopefully never be responsible for life and death situations. Uuuggghhhh hate these people! The worst part is some of them ACTUALLY make it through school and become nurses while maintaining this pro-money, anti-patient mentality. One nurse in particular I had to work with a couple of times literally NEVER interacted with her patients. The one time she did I questioned if she even got report on them or checked their charts because she scared the poo poo out of my special needs patient by yelling at him, "SIR WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS?!" BECAUSE HE CAN'T TALK, THAT'S WHY! 
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Feb 4, 2010 20:20
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Lycanthropic Howl posted:Yeah I'm with you, 6 years seems a bit excessive unless you're taking like 6 hours a semester. Hey this guy said he was going to try do this while working 30 - 40 hours a week. Like I said, he MIGHT be able to completely bust his balls and get the AA done in two years and prereqs in one while basically working full time but it would suck big time.
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Feb 5, 2010 06:41
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Mangue posted:I never did end up getting to drop an NGT I'm supposed to do that this semester and I am soooo not looking forward to it. The only one I've seen in the hospital setting was horrifying, the nurse went super slow, pt started throwing up blood as a result and was immediately shipped back up to ICU. I felt so bad for him.
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Feb 7, 2010 02:14
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amethystbliss posted:I hope it's appropriate to post this here. I did nursing school for 3 years and have a ton of scrubs (mostly size S-M), some nursing books and a stethoscope that I'd like to sell. Is there any interest? I'd be happy to make an SA Mart thread if so. I am possibly interested in this! How many of the scrubs are size small and what kind of stethoscope?
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Mar 23, 2010 05:39
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Ghost of Castro posted:Finished my last clinical shift as a student today... feels good. I'm planning on going into corrections after I finish school, but I've been working in a prison for two years now anyways. Your experience will depend on the type of facility you end up working at: state, local or federal and classification, etc. An important aspect of care no matter where you are is giving psychological support, a lot of inmates have massive anxiety issues that manifest themselves as medical problems or outbursts and it's important to be patient with them. I've talked to a lot of other nurses that have worked in corrections and they all say it's difficult but enjoyable. And a lot have told me it's where "nurses go to lose their skills" which I think is ridiculous since you have to be a lot more self sufficient. Definitely do it because you can give great, compassionate care and not just because the pay is pretty great.
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Apr 1, 2010 21:08
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Pardon me for the ignorant question but it seems like my instructors are keeping us in the dark about this and I feel dumb asking a nurse at clinical -- what exactly happens after graduation? Do I HAVE to go into a new grad program at a hospital? Most of the new grad programs around here are pretty impacted and I worry about it. Are there other options to go from school to the job market? I'm in California by the way. Also, just started maternity rotation last week, completely NOT my cup of tea.
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May 4, 2010 05:57
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I know I'm always talking about correctional nursing here, but due the complete and utter shittiness of California's prison health system they are DYING for nurses (even contracting out jobs so you aren't working for our bunk-rear end state) and recently changed the application from "ONE YEAR EXPERIENCE + RN LICENSE" to "OH GOD PLEASE WORK FOR US." (they really did take the prior experience requirement off  )
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Jul 25, 2010 20:05
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Iron Squid posted:So my first two weeks of LVN school are behind me. A class mate of mine got booted our second semester for failing a math test. We have drug calculation tests every month and she was given two chances to pass (at least 8/10). I just don't understand how she failed it after taking pretty much the same goddamn test six times before. 
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Aug 11, 2010 05:20
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JAF07 posted:No hospital in their right mind would hire an RN that has zero clinical experience. Well, maybe my local hospital, since they hired someone that needed a diagram drawn for her on how to insert a foley. The local Devry-esque "college" here does their clinical in a (lovely) SNF. "It's the best place to train because this is the only place that will hire you later!"  On a similar note, most of the local state and private schools in my area only work in the hospital ONE day a week for SIX HOURS. I may not have a BSN when I'm done but at least I'll be able to handle a full patient load for an entire goddamn day. Re: foley, what the gently caress there are directions on the box!
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Dec 29, 2010 00:41
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WhatDoTheyKnow posted:I currently work for a hospital in the Central Supply & Processing Department. I absolutely love the work environment, but unfortunately, its too busy there for me to get a chance to talk to the RN's and Surgical Techs there. I would really like to work in the OR and just have a few questions about the two positions. There are adult ed courses in my area for Surgical Tech but I don't know what all they entail (however it's more expensive than my community college RN degree: ~3K). Contrary to the other responder in California an OR nurse (depending on the hospital) can directly assist in the surgery. Most of the surgeries I have witnessed were uncomplicated (lap chole, appendectomy, etc) and it was just a surgeon, an OR nurse assisting and a circulating nurse to chart everything and get supplies if needed.
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Jan 15, 2011 02:57
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I think pet therapy is AWESOME. My only happy memory from the ortho floor I worked on was this enormous dude with loving face tattoos turning into a little kid when the therapy German Shepard came to visit him. It was adorable.
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Jan 21, 2011 07:31
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Woodsy Owl posted:In the meantime, however, I am pursuing CNA training at the adult education annex. I am registered to take the entrance test and complete the application. My sister has half a dozen in-laws who started their nursing career as CNAs. I have a cousin who entered nursing school after working as a CNA. My suspicion is that having experience as a CNA will help your chances of being accepted into a nursing program. Also, my efforts in pursuing CNA training will serve as evidence of my competence and commitment to finishing school well. If you genuinely want to work as a CNA, yes. If you don't, no. You spend your first semester of school learning and doing CNA tasks regardless of whether or not you've done them before.
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Mar 23, 2011 04:52
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I was also a woman with no interest in kids or babies wading through my OB rotation: it was embarrassing having to ask a NICU nurse how to hold the babies correctly or swaddle them, etc. Luckily all of the L&D nurses were awesome and LOVED having students do skills - I was afraid to heel stick the babies and my nurse said, "WHATEVER, THEY CRY AT EVERYTHING, JUST DO IT." I never had a patient that asked to not have a student. Post partum is the WORST. You teach these women the same poo poo over and over again because they have whacked out hormone brains and it doesn't sink it. It was rare I got to sit down during an 8 hour shift because I was usually going over breast feeding AGAIN. I will take the smelliest poo over amniotic fluid, the smell stayed in my nostrils for the rest of the day. 
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May 6, 2011 00:26
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I've just been upgraded from "nursing student" to "unemployed nurse*." drat you California! *actually I do home health care but obviously want to do RN work/get RN pay now.
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May 30, 2011 00:48
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Totally Negro posted:About the nursing job availability in California.. I'm interested to know why there's such a problem finding jobs? Is it because the most desirable costal cities already have tons of people competing for nursing positions? The Valley between SF and Los Angeles (and parts of LA I have heard) are better at hiring new grads but pickings are still slim. Same with above Sac/part of Reno with little rural hospitals. The problem is the hospitals don't have money to train new grads. These are the hospitals in my area: Hospital A has an unpaid internship program which is currently full of grads from LAST YEAR Hospital B (county) doesn't offer a new grad program but will hire a small group of new grads (five or so) and cohort them together in an unofficial new grad program Hospital C has a new grad program where they ONLY take ten students from the local state ~*BSN*~ program Hospital D (my favorite) cancelled their new grad program Even worse, Hospital D is a GREAT hospital but essentially fucks over their staff and patients to save money. For instance, their brand new cardiology building is staffed by something ridiculous like 60% FLOAT POOL. They save money by not having to pay those nurses benefits but cardiology nurses, eager new grads like me and the most critical patients get boned over. I can't complain too much - I specifically want to do correctional nursing and they are always hiring, even new grads. It's just a long process, even if you have worked in a facility before (which I have).
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May 30, 2011 17:32
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Nurse Fanny posted:I have a preceptorship question: how important is your placement or specialty? Are there any floors that will hurt or hinder your chances of getting a job out of school? Things I've HEARD.... L&D preceptorships are pointless because you're not going to be hired straight into L&D (could be wrong) 90% of people look down on OR preceptorship because "OR is where you go to lose your skills" (psych too)  BUT...if you want to experience these specialty areas then do it!! You'll have a RN license when you're done not a ~SPECIALTY~ license.
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Jun 20, 2011 03:18
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Hey, is there a pocket book or app just for IV fluids/push meds? Like what to mix with them, how much, how quickly you can push it, etc? I've been using Medscape but I'd like something that loads quicker and has more specific info.
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Jun 24, 2011 19:52
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AmbassadorTaxicab posted:So who's not a very big fan of PowerChart?  Meditech. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world who loves that program. Everything else feels like I'm quadruple charting.
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Jun 28, 2011 07:40
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Zeo posted:I like MediTech. I've seen what they use at other Hospitals and it's crazy. I know!! It's so easy to use and I end up memorizing the codes for different things. At a different hospital I had to use a ~*FANCY*~ brand new charting system which was, for lack of a better description, like a giant Excel spreadsheet. loving awful. With everyone (CNAs included) charting poo poo on the same spreadsheet you had to scroll back forever to find the previous shift report to review. And there was no section for nurses notes!! ALSO they used a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT med charting system that wasn't connected and you had to scan meds using a loving PALM PILOT. Took goddamn forever to do ANYTHING.
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Jul 1, 2011 02:40
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annaconda posted:I have been a nurse for just over 5 years, 4 of those in ICU, and I am suddenly really wondering why. I advocate for patients and their families - from things as complicated as palliation to as simple as pain relief - and no one listens to me. I am constantly made to administer treatments I think are inhumane and against the wishes of patients and their families. I am made complicit in the lies that the doctors tell families in regards to the likelihood of survival of patients. I have to hide the truth from familes who ask "Is he/she going to be OK?". I have to prolong the deaths of 90-year-olds whose bodies have given out, but whose children and doctors cannot accept are dying. There are 2 cases that I can pinpoint: 1 Yikes, I am so sorry.  I've worked at two different hospitals where the staff could not give two flying fucks for a) alcoholics or b) homeless people. Like, will go all day without seeing the patient (except to give meds) and essentially do no discharge teaching at all. I end up taking over basic care for them, 'cause we also don't have CNAs or NAs. I don't care if they are just going to go home and drink again or are being discharged to a loving city park across the street the are still human beings in the hospital and deserve CARE.
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Jul 31, 2011 18:14
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Dr. Capco posted:So I'm going to take my nclex in February or so and my main method of studying is doing shitloads of practice questions and tests. I already have the kaplan book and a couple others. Any other tips? Get the book NCLEX Made Incredibly Easy. The CD that comes with it has the questions I feel most closely resemble actual NCLEX questions, in difficulty and content. Pocket NCLEX is great for very very concise reviews and brushing up on drugs. A lady I've been tutoring has a book by Linda Charity and it's loving awful, please don't get it. When in doubt remember A-B-C-Pain-Safety and DON'T ASSESS IF THEY ARE IN DISTRESS.
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Aug 27, 2011 16:10
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Etrips posted:I'm no where near taking the NCLEX test, but what does this mean for future reference? If someone tells you they are having chest pain or SOB, don't take a blood pressure or check pulse ox, admin a med or O2. Basically, don't dick around, do something for the patient immediately.  Edit to add: "Assess" also includes things like asking them questions (onset of pain/degree) or reviewing something in the chart.
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Aug 28, 2011 01:28
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Space Harrier posted:I'm pretty sure jobs are tight just about everywhere right now. Hospitals may have a need for new nurses, but they don't have the budget to hire. It's so frustrating because the first thing out of ANYONES mouth when they find out I just got my RN license is, "OH SO YOU MUST HAVE LIKE A MILLION JOB OFFERS 'CAUSE NURSING SHORTAGE, RIGHT?" 
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Sep 15, 2011 22:16
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Yarbald posted:My instructors really hammered it into us that you need to aspirate. Number of times I aspirated while doing an IM: once, during skill check off.
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Sep 28, 2011 04:49
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Sgt. Poof posted:By the book you aspirate for IM, back in the day it also said to aspirate for sub-q (from what my NP instructor said). Now it's just IM. I have to agree with baby_hippo; I just did it for med check or the by the book clinical instructors. My first five IM injections were into fresh out of the oven babies, with their brand new grandmothers looming over my shoulder. No time for aspiration! Wanna freak out? Last year a lady from the county health department came to talk to us about doing flu clinics and we were informed we would NOT BE WEARING GLOVES because it "takes too much time and is wasteful considering the amount of clients we see in a day." Thankfully we ended up not doing that flu clinic and I didn't have to budget in buying my own goddamn box of gloves from Costco.
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Sep 30, 2011 05:32
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Bum the Sad posted:The TEAS is retard easy. It's probably about the same toughness as a GED. They sell a bullshit study book on their website.
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Nov 4, 2011 23:08
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Yarbald posted:So I've got my Block 1 HESI exit exam coming up next Tuesday. Any suggestions on how to prepare/study for it? Don't? Isn't that the point?
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Nov 17, 2011 06:17
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Yarbald posted:Why wouldn't I? It counts towards my overall grade and I'd like to do well. Oooh sorry...it didn't count toward our final grade in my program. It was just used to see how we'd do on the NCLEX and what areas to study.
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Nov 19, 2011 18:45
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Dancingthroughlife posted:What can you tell me about psych nurses, I'm interested in that because I have psych problems myself. Is it a bad idea to go that route when I have my own problems? What about it interests you? Do you just want to hear about other people's problems so you feel better about your own? Or have you had poor experiences with psych nurses/doctors and want to help people, etc? Psych nurses don't get the luxury of wearing scrubs but they also, for the most part, don't have to deal with bodily fluids.  quote:That's the thing that scares me the most about nursing, is lives being in my hands. People die. You do what you can to either make it not happen as soon or make it as comfortable as possible.
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Dec 7, 2011 03:11
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leb388 posted:Psych nurses don't wear scrubs? Huh. What do they wear, then? I know home-health nurses wear street clothes, because they're out in the community, but I didn't know psych nurses wore anything different. Around here business casual. Ugh, I HATE sloppy looking home health nurses - wearing flip flops and SWEAT PANT CAPRIS to a patient's house is completely unacceptable. If you are that loving lazy JUST WEAR SCRUBS.
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Dec 7, 2011 18:01
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