Quote :

"generally speaking you can kiss my fucking ass! there are a few good reasons why i chose my ADN program over jumping through various hoops to get my second BS degree. BSN degrees are heavy on theory. the clinical experience gained in ADN programs is excellent. do you want a nurse that sat on their asses in class longer or the nurse whose program had them out there on the floors learning first hand by experience. Ive seen the BSN/ABSN students on the floors and i was less than impressed with their skills and their professionalism. when i applied to my program i was one of the top programs in NC with the highest nclex pass rate. the only classes that stand between me and my BSN are community health and nursing research......and i have NO desire to do nursing research. So i will take my time with my BSN. laugh at the 2 year program if you want-- that 2 years is actual nursing curriculum time... if you add in the 2 years it takes to get the prerequisite classes to even get into nursing school.......guess what you have the equivalent of a 4 year degree. dont you think for a second that a BSN student had 4 years of nursing core curriculum. They only have 2 years of nursing classes."

oooooh. hit a sore spot, didn't i? okay, sure you are already university educated ... but the fact is that the single-most problem with nursing as a profession, is that nurses aren't treated as professionals commensurate with the rest of health care.

and why do you think that is? I'll tell you why: because you've got a bunch of 2-year ADN ("diploma RNs") who go into places like Robeson County Community College straight from the trailer park. yeah, they can run a PICC line but dont have the basic understanding of how the world works. Try having a conversation with them.

Nurses will always be treated as a bunch of blue collar flunkies by the doctors until you set some standards in education that brings Nursing -- as a whole -- in the same ballpark as the rest of the healthcare professions.

(FWIW, my wife is the BSN/RN soon to be CRNP ... and she agrees with you about ADN nurses. they do their job, and thats whats important to her)

Quote :

"and no hospital in the triangle REQUIRES a bsn for hire as a staff nurse. the nursing shortage is too damn bad for a hospital to shoot itself in the foot like that."

and thats because RTP = the rest of the country

there are many hospitals that have moved in that direction, and floors within hospitals. check out Baptist Memorial in Winston Salem, for one.






[Edited on August 8, 2008 at 10:31 AM. Reason : ]

8/8/2008 10:27:56 AM

i graduate from wake tech's nursing program, which btw is a 2.5 year program once you actually are accepted to the nursing program after doing the 2 or more years of prereqs, on december 8th.

nursing school is a bitch. your social life consists of working on case studies with other classmates over pizza. forget going out drinking on a thursday night for ladies night because you have to write up an 8 page analysis on "therapeutic communication" q week about your psychotic client (yeah i just finished mental health nursing 3 weeks ago).

i still get a good chuckle when patients ask if we are getting paid, and i tell them no actually we have to pay to come and take care of them.

i did my prereq's at ECU, but due to lack of space i didn't get into their nursing program, but i was accepted at pitt and wake tech. a girl that i did do all of my prereqs with who actually did get into the program at ECU failed out a year later. Grades and GPA aren't everything because the smartest "book smart" people have little to no common sense which is a huge part of nursing.

I have worked at Outback part time in nursing school, but starting with adult med/surg 1 this past spring i had to completely quit except for when i had a break from school because for me it was just too much. loans and grants are what i am trying to survive on, but good thing is my dad gives me free rent and is very helpful financially.

and just remember how much time the nurse spends with you vs the 15 minutes a doctor spends with you when you are in the hospital. we ARE the ones who give care and let the doctor know wtf is going on so they can treat you.

btw, how horrible was the NCLEX?

8/8/2008 11:24:49 AM

wait how'd i make it into this thread

8/8/2008 11:40:55 AM

GIRLFIGHT

8/8/2008 12:58:28 PM

the nursing shortage for many parts of the country is pretty bad and its getting worse every year. Can you imagine how much worse its going to be if the only entry into the profession is via a BSN? There simply are not enough BSN programs around to churn out nurses. The health care system needs nurses, who cares where they come from. All nursing school graduates take the same NCLEX.

honestly if betty from podunk, nc wants to go to podunk cc to be an rn at podunk memorial hospital and never leave podunk, nc......great. who are we to judge. its the small rural hospitals that are hurting for staff. The larger teaching hospitals are always going to have a revolving door of nursing staff.

anyway, the nclex really isnt THAT bad. i studied for it for maybe 2 nights. honestly if you payed attention in class, lab, and clinicals you have the knowledge and tools to pass that test. it has 3 tiers of questions. If you find you have mostly infection control, patient teaching and prioritization questions, chances are you are doing well. the test will give you harder and harder questions until you answer one incorrectly. if you suddenly find yourself with a lot of dosage calculations... that means you could be in trouble.

Ive not heard of anyone failing in 75 questions(god forbid), but many folks have passed after taking all 265? 275? questions.

the worst part of the nclex was the 49.5 hours it took for my results to post. and yeah i paid the 8 bucks to see my results early.

8/8/2008 5:02:14 PM

Quote :

"i did my prereq's at ECU, but due to lack of space i didn't get into their nursing program"

hahaha. lack of space? who are you kidding here?

Quote :

"Grades and GPA aren't everything because the smartest "book smart" people have little to no common sense which is a huge part of nursing."

alright.

i had no idea how much nurses loved to pat themselves on the back.

8/8/2008 5:12:44 PM

Quote :

" i had no idea how much nurses loved to pat themselves on the back."

No, not all nurses... In my experience, such sentiments as those you're referring to are peculiar to the ADN (2-year diploma) nurses.

many ADNs have this compulsion to go around and tell everyone how smart and capable they are because apparently they have an inferiority complex around other healthcare professionals whose fields require a minimum of Bachelors level -- if not Master's or Doctorate -- University training.

generally speaking, this is a common attitude amongst typical blue collar technicians in any industry ... you know the type: "I don't need no college degree, i can run circles 'round them college kids they think they're so damn smart" :grr: :grr:

you DON'T find this attitude amongst BSN RNs. they tend to be far more professional in their behavior and speech.

as to the fact that BrainySmurf got a 4 year degree (at State, i Presume?), did pre-reqs at ECU and still didnt cut it for BSN Nursing School, shows both how competitive these programs are, and the fact that she was missing some key elements in in her application.

it also might explain some of the bitterness.






[Edited on August 8, 2008 at 7:58 PM. Reason : ]

8/8/2008 7:47:04 PM

^^400 people applying for 100 seats means that OMFG not enough room...due to lack of instructors because of the previously mentioned burnout and nurses not wanting to go back to be a teacher.

and btw, most ADN people have to wait a few years to return and finish the rest of the prereqs before they can do a BSN or RN to MSN program, but i already have that done and will start it probably next fall, so i can have a short break from school and so that i will be with a hospital for 6 months and they will refund my tuition.

8/8/2008 11:57:56 PM

I'm not trying to be a dick, but 400 applicants for 100 seats isn't that competitive.

8/9/2008 12:48:44 AM

Quote :

"did pre-reqs at ECU and still didnt cut it for BSN Nursing School, shows both how competitive these programs are, and the fact that she was missing some key elements in in her application."

get your shit straight before you go around and make assumptions ASS.

ive done nothing with ECU and never applied at any of the BSN programs. Its not how i chose to enter the profession.

I am from a family of nurses and i made an educated decision to pursue my ADN first. I wanted top notch practical hands on experience in the clinical setting. I applied to ONE program only and was immediately accepted. I needed a program where i could start immediately because my free ride back to school courtesy of the VA was a time limited offer.

there are a dozen RN to BSN bridge programs out there. The classes are online. I wanted to get into a program quickly blow through the 5 straight semesters (no summer break at all, unlike the BSN programs) and get out there and get a job. When i get my BSN i will be able to work while i take my classes.

maybe ADN nurses have an inferiority complex............thanks to pretentious asshats like you. My BSN prepared collegues aren't as priggish as you are.

The type A nurses are the ones in the ICU and we dont really give a shit where you got your training. All we care about is can you take care of your patient, are you safe, are you a team player, and do you have critical thinking skills. The rest of it is just letters on an id tag and more loans to pay off.


yes, nurses pat themselves on the back because no one else will, few people are aware of the vast array of shit with which we put up.

8/9/2008 2:24:36 AM

from my favorite nursing community on LJ

Quote :

"Sounds like your day was loads more fun than mine. All I had was a fight with a surgical resident (who wanted me to give a MOM & Molasses enema to my STAGE 4 COLON CANCER patient with a BOWEL OBSTRUCTION and vital signs in the toilet. Who, incidentally, they drew 14,500 ccs of fluid from when they did a paracentesis. Yes, you heard that right... fourteen THOUSAND five hundred.... and the jackass had the nerve to threaten me with his attending. His attending is a very nice man who likes me better than his idiot residents. Which I proved...and when I asked if HE wanted me to give said enema, he said absolutely not) and a druggie who wanted morphine and vinegar (phenergan) every hour on the hour, although every time I went in the room when I was not summoned, she was snoring. Good times."

8/9/2008 6:37:51 AM

you know how i can tell you're insecure? you're username has brainy in it.

8/9/2008 7:01:40 AM

you're really fixated on me aren't ya?

even got up early on a saturday morning to run check this thread just to add an inane comment that adds no value to the thread at all.


its sweet really, i have a new post stalker. run along now like a good boy and make some sort of meaningful contribution to society kkthx.

8/9/2008 8:10:03 AM

i couldn't sleep knowing something new might've been posted in this thread.

8/9/2008 8:11:48 AM

they make drugs for insomnia


you should go get a script for that or something

[Edited on August 9, 2008 at 8:14 AM. Reason : your PCP would be happy to oblige]




It was a slow night on the unit.... this thread provided much entertainment for my colleagues.

[Edited on August 9, 2008 at 8:16 AM. Reason : we were bored]

8/9/2008 8:13:22 AM

i did my prereq's at ECU, but due to lack of space i didn't get into their nursing program
i did my prereq's at ECU, but due to lack of space i didn't get into their nursing program
i did my prereq's at ECU, but due to lack of space i didn't get into their nursing program

8/9/2008 8:29:37 AM

haha

you said unit

8/9/2008 8:30:24 AM

yeah its a big one too




ya know, for some college edjumakated folks....there are a few reading comprehension issues up in here.

[Edited on August 9, 2008 at 8:43 AM. Reason : ehhee]

8/9/2008 8:40:16 AM

^^^to be fair, it wasn't brainysmurf who said that.

[Edited on August 9, 2008 at 8:40 AM. Reason : .]

8/9/2008 8:40:32 AM

a girl I know who just graduated from Durham Tech worked nights and every weekend at a restaurant on top of her clinicals.

8/9/2008 10:58:12 AM

Quote :

"Its called a break. Nurses are entitled to them. However there have been many shifts where i havent had time to drink water or even pee. Forget about the 30 minute uninterrupted lunch that i was entitled to. Most nurses have to eat on the run because they are too worried about their patients to not at least watch the monitors. Nurses are nurses, not servants or handmaidens. unless your kid's monitors are screaming or he's about to die, cut them some slack. by now i am sure you know where the ice machine and the linen closet are."

Excuse you, but do not take your frustrations out on me. I have spent more time in the hospital with my son since his birth than I have at home. Not only do I know how to get ice and change the bed, but I know how to do everything from drop an NG tube to administer rectal mediations to stop his seizures. I required very little of our nurses during our stay and have never asked for anything from them so trivial. But when you are put in a room on reverse isolation, your child is aspirating, and no one is answering your calls, but you run out in the hall with your child in your arms to find 4 nurses playing around on MySpace. . .it's more than a little annoying.

8/9/2008 1:57:34 PM

doesn't anyone think of the medical students? we get there before the nurses, leave after they do, and repeat this 6-7 days of the week. it would be nice to have a 7a-7p shift for 3-4 days a week...

8/9/2008 3:22:55 PM

"on the unit"

8/9/2008 3:27:14 PM

^^ listen, we all know that it's harder to go through med school than community college nurse school. it's this brainysmurf character that keeps ragging on doctors.

8/9/2008 4:00:26 PM

there you go simon with that reading comprehension


medical students /= doctors


med students are actually pretty cool. I havent met an obnoxious one yet. They ask questions and are generally respectful of nurses.

Interns are obnoxious for a few days.... but then they make their first big mistake or so and realize they really dont know nearly as much as they think they do. OR, they are obnoxious to the wrong nurse who has been there for umteen years, and then they have their asses handed to them.

PGY2s and higher the attitude changes somewhat....often not for the better.

Attendings.......you never really know what you are going to get when you encounter them, some are awesome and some i would never let them near me if i were a patient.

unfortunately my favorite icu intensivist only works a few weeks per year in the icu.

8/9/2008 8:19:13 PM

Quote :

"But when you are put in a room on reverse isolation, your child is aspirating, and no one is answering your calls, but you run out in the hall with your child in your arms to find 4 nurses playing around on MySpace. . .it's more than a little annoying."

next time stick your head out the door and yell assertively i need help my son is aspirating, if no one answers the call light.

or, give the whole unit a heart attack and hit the "staff emergency" button


but NOT the blue code button............because the code team out of the ED, the OA, security, and every nurse on the unit will be pissed.

8/9/2008 8:26:56 PM

8/9/2008 8:28:57 PM

unreal.

8/9/2008 8:48:25 PM

^^^, and ^^^^ everything brainysmurf said here is right on.

as to the thing about MySpace... i cant say, maybe Bottombaby has a legitimate grievance. but the fact is, in many hospitals nurses are given crazy workloads because they're perpetually understaffed.

my wife has worked many 8 and 12 hour ICU shifts where she didnt get ANY breaks and had to eat on the run.

8/9/2008 9:25:46 PM

unit

8/9/2008 11:13:18 PM

^ Fired up. Feels good.

8/9/2008 11:17:46 PM

Quote :

" next time stick your head out the door and yell assertively i need help my son is aspirating, if no one answers the call light. "

I did. I was in one of the corner rooms that actually has a view of the station AND the computer screens. I was able to see what the heck they were all doing when I ran out to get help.

I am not saying that nursing isn't hard. I have loved every nurse that I have worked with while on 5100 and the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Duke. And I have few complaints about the nurses, but PLENTY about the Y1s that I had to deal with when my son had his thymus transplant in July. However, there are still plenty of nurses out there who are 20-something community college kids working the night shift looking to put their feet up (or play around on MySpace) at every opportunity.

8/9/2008 11:22:15 PM

Quote :

"However, there are still plenty of nurses out there who are 20-something community college kids working the night shift looking to put their feet up (or play around on MySpace) at every opportunity."

^ i know i would.

8/9/2008 11:57:47 PM

i will say bottombaby, that as a nurse my biggest fear is that something will happen to one of my patients when i am elbows deep in the other patient's room.


so it was probably to your advantage that they were just dicking around on myspace rather than literally stuck in another patients room. Otherwise it would have taken much longer for someone to help you.


although part of me wants to know what you expected the staff to be doing at the time.

8/12/2008 8:56:55 PM

I certainly did not expect them to be playing on MySpace or Facebook or shopping for clothes (true). If you are on a well-deserved break, do not take it at the nurses station. On every floor that I have ever been on, there is a break room less than ten feet away from the nurses station where you can go put your feet up for a few minutes. It is unprofessional to surf the web where parents and patients can watch you as you do it. Even if you are on your break and your patients do not need anything, do you have any idea how it looks when someone has a real medical issue that needs addressing and there is a nurse (or 3) clustered around a computer checking out someone's vacation photos? It does nothing for the profession.

[Edited on August 12, 2008 at 10:28 PM. Reason : apostrophe s]

8/12/2008 10:26:13 PM

i see what you are saying, but i dont think we will completely agree with each other.

If a nurse takes a break at the nurses station...at least she can see the monitors, hear the alarms, and see/hear the call light. You cant do that from the break room.

Its night shift!! it is rarely busier than day shift. You get to work you get report, you get your shit done so that hopefully your patients can get SOME sleep.

If there are 3 nurses sitting around while call bells are going off or alarms are going off then, thats unsafe. But if all of their work is done for the moment then let appearances and reality be what they are. Who cares what it looks like if the patients are safe, at least they can immediately leave the computer to see to your son's needs.

dicking around on the computer is better than falling asleep in the chair from boredom.


i guess my point is.... meds are passed, patients are turned, pillows fluffed, dressing changes done, assessments completed and documented, ivs are started, tubings are changed out... basically all of those little necessary but time wasting things are done. And there is nothing to do until the next med pass or assessment is due.....what would you like them to do?


I am trying to establish what patients and patient's families expect vs what really happens.

8/12/2008 10:59:07 PM

^ the thing is, professionalism should be a FULL TIME task. a major part of the overall experience patients receive in hospitals is their impression of how professional and dedicated the staff are. the hospital isn't a place for the "it ain't my job" attitude. just ask yourself, if a JCAHO rep were standing behind you at all times, would you do anything differently?

8/13/2008 12:20:58 AM

yeah, bottombaby, i totally sympathise with your medical situation...


but you need to lighten up a bit.

8/13/2008 4:05:42 AM