Posted by Kari Wujcik on March 31, 2009
| I have finally had some relief in my life over the last week. I found out that I am officially a registered nurse! I passed the boards and I can finally breathe again! I was quite nervous going into take the NCLEX for the second time. I answered 75 questions and when the computer shut off all the sudden, I was wishing it would turn back on and give me a few more chances to answer questions. 48 hours never seemed so long until you are awaiting test results! When the time had finally come to check my results, my two best friends bravely stood behind me holding their breath, hoping that I had finally passed. For the last 6 weeks I have been working with a personal tutor that helped me form a plan of how to pass the NCLEX. It was well worth the money, because my tutor not only helped me learn how to answer the questions, she helped me to find a confidence in myself that I had lacked before. After you fail a test like the NCLEX, it makes you question if you are really smart enough to be a nurse. Now that I have passed and I never have to do practice questions again, I know that I am smart enough and good enough to be a nurse. It was just a little set back that I had to push myself through. It was not easy coming home everyday from work to do 200 questions. It was not fun to miss spending time out with friends and family. But, it was the priority for the time being. I screamed so loud when I saw my results that I passed. It was well worth the wait and it was amazing to celebrate such an accomplishment. Now every time I write my name, Kari Wujcik, RN, I am proud. I am proud because I worked so very hard to get to this place. |
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Posted by Kimberly George on March 31, 2009
Most Re:Connect readers are considerably up to date on the latest and greatest technological advancements. I would like to open a discussion about which of these technologies you find to be the most beneficial in your daily practice.
I recently received a release regarding the iPhone with PEPID. Are there any current Pepid users out there who would like to comment on the benefits of the Pepid service? Has anyone used the Pepid iPhone? How about other "hand-held" subscription programs?
The iPhone Pepid release states that Pepid is available on iPhone, all other smart phones, online, or delivered into an existing electronic medical record system. I am especially curious about the last application: Delivery into an existing electronic medical record. For those of you who have used Pepid in this manner, can you provide some feedback for others who may be considering this technology?
Any input would be greatly appreciated by all.
Thanks for what you do everyday to make a difference in the lives of those entrusted to your care!
God bless,
Kim
Posted by Kari Wujcik on March 22, 2009
The pediatric nurse residency program has come to an end. Last week, the 37 Nurse Residents were matched to a specific unit in the Children's Hospital. The entire day reminded me of Bid Day and my days as a Kappa Delta back at the University of Tennessee. I had to pick my top three units where I most wanted to work, and then the managers and nurse educators matched us to all the various units based on our interests and evaluations from our preceptors. The celebration started out with the Blessing of Hands ceremony where the chaplain washed each of our hands in a basin of water and thanked us for all of our hard work and care that we give our patients. This was a really neat tradition to be apart of. Then our names came across a big screen and it said that "Kari Wujcik will shine brightly in the PCCU!" So, I am now officially a Pediatric Critical Care Nurse. I couldn't be more excited. I was torn between working in the PCCU or on the Oncology/Hematology unit. I finally came to the realization that the PCCU was the best choice for right now. I know that I will go into Oncology one day, but I think I will gain an incredible amount of experience and knowledge in the PCCU and I am very excited for the opportunity. Being chosen to work in the PCCU makes me feel proud and a little more confident in myself. Even though I did not pass the NCLEX the first time, there are a ton of people out there that believe I am good enough to be a PCCU nurse. In the end, everything worked out just the way it was supposed to. It was just a minor set back. After everyone was matched to their units, we all broke off into our groups and met with our managers and educators. Then, just like on bid day, we went up to our different units and took pictures and met other staff members. This day was what I have been working so hard for over the last few years. I think this nurse residency program was great because it allows you to see what all of the units are about and helped to place each of the nurse residents in a unit that we will be happy working in, hopefully decreasing high turnover rates in units.
Posted by Jeanine Gordon on March 18, 2009
My institution is currently designing a new site for ambulatory chemotherapy administration and we are currently looking at computers to be used in each patient room to access patient health information. Some of the most commonly accessed pieces of infomation include our electronic chemotherpay orders which two nurses would use to verify the order prior to administration, laboratory/radiology results, past nursing assessments and progress notes. Both the laptop and the desktop come with their own set of pros and cons.
The nurses like the desktop because it would be mounted on a movable arm and make it easier and safer for the screen to be at eye level when verifying electronic orders. They liked the option to have a "real" mouse to use when clicking through the various systems but agreed that the desktop takes up too much space in the room.
They liked the laptop because it was more modern and allows the nurse to perform a face-to-face assessment with the patient. They don't like the laptop because they thought it would be easy to break due to everyday wear and tear, have a smaller screen for viewing information, would have to held at eye level during order verification and the short battery life will require it to be plugged in at some point throughtout the day negating it's portability option.
In the end we would just like to make the best decidion that will maintain patient safety and help make the nurses more efficient and ergonomically safe.
What are you currently using in your areas? If you use laptops what do you like/dislike about them. We would love to hear what everyone else is doing.
Posted by Erin Elphee on March 8, 2009
In the March edition of Connect, Tina Irish talks about why she loves night shifts. I know many nurses dread night shifts and shift work all together but like Tina I am one of those nurses who actualy enjoyed working nights. As a new graduate ten years ago I worked a day-night rotation and in time came to love it. As Tina states, the work on nights is less task oriented and you get time to get to know the patients more than you would on a busy day shift.
For new grads, this slower pace may allow them the time to critically and thoroughly think through their actions and the rationale supporting them without the pressures of the ward interfering. This environment may be more conducive to learning (if you can get a handle on the sleep deprivation)! Patient workloads may be bigger on nights but you also have the time to hone your organization skills, set a plan and conquer.
I also remember starting as a new grad on night shifts with another new grad who wore the same lost expression as me, today we are best friends and speak a language that only we understand. We can finish each others sentences and anticiapte anda ct out what the other is thinking. Having her there allowed me the freedom and safety to ask questions without appearing unprepared or 'stupid'. There is a comeraderie on nights that strengthens the team as a whole. Night shifts aren't for everyone but they are a part of most of our nursing careers. Remember to stop and realize the lessons you learned or the skills that you developed, they are valuable and will serve you well throughout your nursing career.
Posted by Kimberly George on March 7, 2009
How often do you attend a conference and ask yourself, "Why don't they ever offer anything on .......?"
Well, you have an opportunity to contribute to the conference session development. Topic submission for the 2009 Institutes of Learning is open, but the deadline is approaching quickly. Please consider submitting your topic online as ONS has made it an extremely user-friendly process.
For those who have submitted topics in the past, please give us your feedback.
Topics are due Tuesday, March 10!!!
Posted by Kari Wujcik on March 4, 2009
The March issue of ONS Connect caught my eye because of the article Badge of Honor or Recipe for Disaster, byRobin M. Lally. One of the scariest things I have had to come to terms with coming into the nursing profession is the fact that I will have to "pay my dues" and work nightshift. I have dreaded this part about my job, but everyone has had to work nightshift at some point in their careers. It is one thing to stay up very late, but it is totally different to be up late and have someone's life in your hands! It really is a recipe for disaster. As nurses we are supposed to be on our game, looking out for medication errors and changes in our patients. If we do not get adequate amounts of sleep, we could potentially harm our patients.
Lally starts out the article with a great quote from a movie saying that nurses are "never too tired, nor too sick, nor too cold, nor too hungry" to care for their patients. This quote exemplifies the qualities of most nurses, because we generally put everyone elses needs before our own. The article goes on to discussthe alarming number of nurses that do not get an adequate amount of sleep working nightshift and offers tips on how to improve your sleep.
Those that have worked nigthshift before probably have a lot of great tips of how to deal with working nightshift. I would love to hear your thoughts and advice, since the time will soon be coming when I transition into working nightshift.
Posted by Kimberly George on March 2, 2009
In the March issue of ONS Connect, Seth Eisenberg discusses smart pump technology as a means of infusion error prevention.
Seth asks, "...What prevents nurses from infusing the medication at the wrong rate?"
Do you doublecheck the pump while programming or use other techniques/procedures to prevent this in your practice setting? Do you think smart pump technology is the answer?
Many of you may have initiated smart pump technology at your organization and can relate to both the pros and cons that Seth discusses. In an effort to assist those who are considering this technology, please consider posting your experiences so we can learn from your endeavors.
The article is on page 19 or you can use the link below to access it directly.
http://onsconnect.epubxpress.com/link/conn/2009/mar/19?s=0
Thanks all!!
:)
Kim
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