The Days When I'm Not a Nurse

Nurses Week Day 2: WhiteCoat Clipboard Giveaway & How to Get a Nursing Job

by

On the second day of Nurses Week, I give to you TWO WhiteCoat Clipboards from MDpocket!

May 7 2014

I just did a product review for this company (read that post here) and in collaborating with them, they offered to give away 2 of their nursing clipboards! I have a white one and a silver one (I had to go generic since this prize could go to anybody!)

Also! Use the code NURWK14 for 25% off your purchase! You will have to FIRST be logged in onto an MDpocket user profile for the code to verify. This code expires 5/12/14.

If you procrastinate (no judging), I have another code that is good through 5/14/14: AMONW14 will get you 15% off at checkout. Again, you’ll need a user profile before the code will work.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

————————————————————————————————————
Paige and I do these monthly link ups where we blog about nursey things. And we welcome all you nurse and student nurse bloggers to join us! The more the merrier. :) 
Here are my suggestions to help the average nursing student get a job in the nursing field (after you’ve gone to nursing school and passed your boards, of course).
1. Get some sort of medical experience. 
Be a CNA. Volunteer in a hospital, a clinic, or a nursing home. Or start shadowing people in the medical profession! Just start exposing yourself to where you will end up someday. 

2. Bulk up the resume (with medical related things if possible).
If you’re sitting around waiting to hear back after you’ve applied somewhere, take that time to be proactive. You can go ahead and get certification in things you’ll need once you DO land the job. Go get your CPR and ACLS certification! Yes, most employees will pay you to do that training after you’re hired, but it shows you take initiative and looks good on the resume to show you’re already certified. Add whatever medical experience you got in #1 and add it to the resume. 

3. Connections. 
When I switched jobs to my current one, it was an in-house transfer. It really helped that I was acquainted with the manager and that my old co-worker was working down on that unit. Thanks to her, the manager was told when my application had been submitted to HR and therefore knew when to start bugging them about getting my interview set up. Same thing works for outside the hospital: it helps if you know people on the inside who can talk to the right people. Make connections while you’re doing clinicals or during your preceptorship. 

4. Follow up.
Our HR is notorious for taking a while to respond after an application is submitted. Call them and keep following up! They’re busy people and it’s ok to let them know that you’re waiting to hear from them. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Just be professional about it. 

5. Interview well. 
My mom taught me to send a thank you note to my interviewer the same day you’re interviewed. Like a hand written, snail mail, personal thank you note. It’s amazing how a simple gesture like this can leave a lasting impression. Also, take time to look up “most popular interview questions” online and do some research! Have good answers ready for those questions because they will be used. 

Good luck on the job hunt, all you new grads!

Nurses Week 2014: CharMED stethoscope bling giveaway!

by

I’m starting off my Nurses Week giveaways with one of my newest favorites: CharMED’s stethoscope charms! I’ve purchased this product for myself, given them as gifts, and NOW I’m going to give some to one lucky reader!

May 6
(This giveaway is for the purple/iridescent pair on the left)

Here’s what I love about them: it’s a way to identify your stethoscope among all the others (especially if you use the monogram charm). It’s a way to add a little something extra to your otherwise standard and occasionally boring uniform. They’re easy to clean with alcohol wipes (more cleaning and care info here). And you can buy different ones to support a cause that’s special to you!

I have this one on my stethoscope:

CharMED is offering an incredibly generous promotion code during Nurses Week! If you use the code “SPRING30” you’ll get 30% off your entire order!

Spring30 will get you 30% off your whole order of #stethoscope charms!
Enter to win below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nurses Week 2014!

by

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Nurses Week!

I always get really excited about Nurses Week because it’s a chance to a. show appreciation for my fellow comrades out there, b. show some nursing pride and c. treat myself. I do something I rarely do and post every.single.day. of Nurses Week (you can check out all my Nurses Week 2012 posts and Nurses Week 2013 posts, if you want).

This year, I’ve got several of my favorite nursey things to give away! Check the blog every day and enter to win!

Nurses Week 2014
On Wednesday, Paige and I will be linking up and talking about our experiences in getting a nursing job.(This particular topic was requested by Hope who is finishing her Junior year of nursing school). We would LOVE for any of you nurse bloggers out there to link up and share your experiences too! 
Also, because I love you, I’ve been doing some research. If you’re a nurse, you’re going to love this:

Nurses Week 2014 Round Up of Promotions/Deals/Giveaways:

MDpocket Product Review

by

I got all this in the mail from the other day and it was pretty much like Christmas! 
Just look at it!
MDpocket is a company that sells all sorts of medical goodness: reference guides, clipboards, medical equiptment, and much more. 
Let me elaborate on the items in the picture:
1. WhiteCoat Clipboard: Nursing edition– I love my clipboard. Before this, I kept my nursing brain (that piece of paper where I write down all my patient info) in my pocket. But it was kind of annoying having to unfold it every time I needed to check something or write a set of vitals down. So then, with this clipboard, I thought I’d leave it laying around somewhere and lose it. I confess, I have gone searching for it on occasion, but having it on a clipboard makes it easier to spot. It’s a full size clipboard that folds in half and can fit in lab coat pockets and some scrub pockets. The best part is the reference material it has on the back: pupil sizes, ekg interpretation, ABG analysis, normal lab values, conversions… so much knowledge. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used the ruler on the edge to measure things (they have cm AND inches)! I’ve had co-workers eyeing my clipboard, I’m going to have to keep it close to me. 😉
2. WhiteCoat Clip– goes on the top of the clipboard and you can attach a pen to it. I used it for a few weeks and then the little guy cracked on me. Now my pens stay in my pocket, no big deal. With the clip and pen in place, the clipboard isn’t quite flush when it folds, FYI. 
3. WhiteCoat Band– goes around the bottom of the clipboard and holds your paper in place so you can fold it in half more easily. With it’s stretchy, rubber-band like feel, it could also be used 
4. Rapid ID reference cards– Tons of good information on these! I probably use the EKG and lab value ones the most out of the bunch, but as a student, I would’ve loved these. 
5. NP Pocket Medical Reference Guide: Nursing Edition– Again, lots of good, basic information in here. Things that every nurse needs to know. Mine sits in my locker at work where I can grab it as needed.
Here’s some visuals of my favorite item, the WhiteCoat Clipboard: Nursing edition. 

 If I haven’t convinced you of the wonders of this clipboard, perhaps this video will:

My very favorite part is that the company was kind enough to engrave my name on it before sending it to me to review! 
I can just see this making a perfect graduation gift for someone. They have nursing specific ones (like mine) or they have clipboard editions: anesthesia, respiratory, medicine, pharmacy, or pediatrics.
If you’re thinking “I’d love to get this but I can’t convince myself to spend $26 on one,” check out the Damage SALE page for a slightly imperfect version of the original WhiteCoate clipboard! Also, use the code ANNAMO25 for 25% off your purchase! This code is good until April 30, 2014. 
And let me know if you try any of their products and what you think of them!
**Disclaimer: I received these products in exchange for my honest opinion of them. For said honest opinion, see above.**

Nurses Week Promotion from Dansko!

by

Nurses Week is an event that I recognize on my blog annually. 

It’s kind of a big deal.
Capitol City Speakers Bureau National Nurses Week Speakers
Nurses week is always May 6-12. It begins on National Nurses Day (May 6) and ends on Florence Nightingale’s birthday (May 12). (Here are my nurse week posts from 2012 and 2013.)
For 2014, I’ve got big plans. It includes daily nursing related posts with daily nursing related giveaways. Things you’ll like, I promise. :) 
———————————————————————————-
In the meantime, Dansko is getting ready to celebrate Nurses week by having an amazing contest! 
Go to Dansko’s website and share with them WHY you celebrate Nurses Week and you could win a Dansko Appreciate Event for yourself and up to nine co-workers! Five teams of ten winners will each win a lunch and shoes! This promotion is currently running now through April 28th and the winners will be announced April 30th. 
What an amazing opportunity! Your co-workers will love you if you win. :) 

My Nursing ABCs [and linkup]

by

I have this massive medical dictionary book that I got in nursing school and it’s one of the few I decided to keep. You can literally open it up and find something new every time. And there are pictures! I wanted to use it as a coffee table book but Mo said no because people eat in that room.
Anyway, I wanted to make my own personal version of that and share a little bit about my job by using the alphabet. Here goes.
A is for apnea.
Defined as the absence of spontaneous breathing. It can be induced by respiratory suppressing medications, like narcotics. Or it can occur in individuals while they’re asleep. It’s not normal. Get treatment.
B is for beta blocker.
A classification of medication that target the beta-receptors specifically on the cells of the heart muscle. Helps with hypertension, managing arrhythmias, and protecting against a second heart attack. 
C is for chest tube. 
So, so many chest tubes. Rarely do we have a patient without one. 
Picture of chest tube placement after lung surgery
Majority of the time, they’re placed to drain blood and fluid after heart and lung surgery.
D is for dialysis. 
There are several types of dialysis but the one I have to know about as a nurse in an intensive care unit is CRRT (continuous renal replacement therapy). It’s basically a slow, continuously running dialysis that the nurse manages. These patients are 1:1.
E is for Electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG). 
My heart patients have this done before surgery, right after, and as needed. Often times, the little stickers get left behind and we’re pulling them off for days. Helpful hint: the longer those stickers are left on, the gummier they get. It’s awful.
If you can’t get an order for a rectal tube, these can save you!! And the patient’s skin too. 
G is for gonorrhea. 
Actually, I never have to deal with this in my patient population (*knocking on wood). I was just stuck on G for a while. 
H is for heart. 
My favorite organ of the body. 
The real deal vs. the Hallmark deal
I is for Insulin. 
Our goal after surgery is to keep a patient’s blood sugar well controlled to prevent infection and promote healing. We do this with the help of our amazing Glycemic Management Team and keeping the patient on an insulin drip for the first 48 hours (diabetic or not) or as long as needed. 
J is for jaundice. 
It’s not just for those newborns, I’m telling you. It’s often benign for babies, but for adults it’s cause to worry and investigate. As a nurse, it’s awfully uncomfortable watching someone turn yellow.
K is for kilogram. 
In the hospital, we use the metric system. And military time. Kilograms for weight, centimeters for height, milliliters of fluid, and Celsius for temperature, just to name a few. It’s not so bad once you get used to it. The hard part is when a patient wants to know what their temperature is, but in Fahrenheit. Lucky for me, our hospital has a conversion table taped to the inside of the cupboard door where we can easily figure it out for them. 
L is for Lasix (also known as Furosimide). 
It’s a diuretic. It makes people get rid of extra fluid in their body. Our heart surgery patients get a TON of fluid from surgery and we want to make sure they can get rid of that fluid. We keep track of their daily intake/output and weigh them every morning to see how they’re doing. If the doctor thinks they need a little extra boost in getting rid of the fluid, they’ll order Lasix. 
M is for myocardial infarction (aka heart attack).
Heart Attack illustration - Myocardial Infarction
MIs occur when blood flow to the heart is blocked long enough that part of the heart muscle becomes damaged or dies. Please take care of your heart. And if you EVER have anything that could possibly be chest discomfort, tightness, pressure, whatever… get checked out! Don’t mess around with the heart!
N is for nosocomial infection (aka hospital-aquired infection).
It happens. Hospitals can be dirty places sometimes.
O is for Oxygen. 
Interesting fact: I recently had a patient tell me that oxygen helps her nausea. She has been on chemo and has definitely had her share of nausea and has found that when they put oxygen on her, the nausea lessens. 
P is for pacemaker.
After heart surgery, our patients come out with temporary pacemaker wires to have as a backup way to help the heart beat if there are problems. 
There are also external pacemakers and permanent pacemakers and transvenous pacemakers. We get exposed to all of them. 
Q is for QRS complex. 
File:Qrs.png
R is for Red Man syndrome. 
I’ve seen this once or twice during my 6 years nursing. It’s like the jaundice thing, it’s disconcerting to watch someone turn a different color, red being one of them. This one occurs as a drug reaction (Google image this one if you’re feeling brave).
S is for sternotomy. 
This is probably one of the most common post-operative incisions that I care for (besides throcotomies, but see the letter T for more on that).
Sternotomy diagram, showing the sternum and incision
There are YouTube videos of this, if you’re morbidly curious. Don’t watch it if the idea of blood or retractors makes you squeamish. 
T is for tamponade.
Cardiac tamponade is a potentially life-threatening condition where blood or fluid gets trapped between the heart and the pericardium. It puts pressure on the ventricles and limits how much blood the heart can pump out to the body. Either the fluid must be drained by a needle (pericardiocentesis) or, for our heart patients, sometimes they have to take them back to the OR and open their chest again. 
When life gives you tampons, make tamponade. LOL..........
U is for underwear. 
It’s something that patient’s don’t get to wear basically the entire time they’re on my floor (or in the hospital, for that matter). They have to take everything off when they’re admitted and don’t get to be in anything but a hospital gown until they get their discharge order. 
But I think it makes them feel young again. For most of them, they haven’t gone commando since they were 5. 😉
V is for valve. 
The heart has 4 of them. 

W is for walker. 
Not the zombie TV show. Walker as in “an extremely light, moveable apparatus, about waist high, made of metal tubing, used to aid a patient in walking” (Mosby’s Dictionary).
Double Trigger
X is for Xarelto. (I bet you thought I was going to say x-ray, huh?)
Xarelto is a prescription medication that is used for preventing or treating blood clots. We occasionally have patients taking this, although Coumadin (Warfarin) is more common. And that’s all I’m going to say about that so I don’t sound like a drug rep. :)
Y is for yeast. 
Nystatin powder, anyone? 
Z is for Zaroxolyn. 
Another drug. This one is a diuretic that we use from time to time (usually with Lasix- see the letter L).
———————————————————————-

Did you learn something new? :) Link up with Paige and I below!
ps. April’s topic is all about finding a nursing job! This is for the especially for the nursing students who are about to graduate!!

Happy Certified Nurses Day!

by

March 19!
It’s National Certified Nurses Day!
A day to recognize and honor “the important achievement of nursing specialty and sub-specialty certification.” That’s what the website says. :)

If you follow me on Instagram (@anna_the_nurse), you’ll have noticed I recently joined the ranks of certified nurses:

(It was a 2.5 hour computerized test of 125 questions. A little intimidating.)

So, in honor of Certified Nurses Day, I thought I’d do a little Question/Answer post to help you learn more about becoming a certified nurse. And since I’m a member of the AACN and my certification was through them, a lot of this will be about my experience with them.

Keep in mind, there are a BUNCH of nationally recognized professional organizations who offer certifications. Some of these include: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA), Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ), and Oncology Nurses Association (ONA).

Nursing Certification FAQ (According to Me)

Q. Don’t you just take the NCLEX and become an RN? What is this nursing certification thing?

A. “Certification affirms advanced knowledge, skill, and practice to meet the challenges of modern nursing.” (source) So, you won’t lose your job if you fail a certification test, but it’s an extra something you can add to your registered nurse status. :) It’s a milestone that not all nurses choose to pursue, but it does recognize personal excellence in a particular area.

Q. Why should I become certified?

A. There are a bunch of reasons! You can test your knowledge and be a more confidant nurse in the area you work. If you’re not ready or wanting to go back to school, this gives you something to work towards. It looks great on a resume. The hospital I work for gives a bonus to nurses who become certified, which is awesome. I can sign my name Anna, RN, BSN, PCCN (if I wanted). My hospital also has a ladder system where nurses can level up and having a certification gives you points to go up the ladder. And then you can have celebratory fro-yo after you pass the test. :)

Q. How should I prepare to for the certification test?

A. Remember the NCLEX? Sort of like that.
-Get study materials. I used the AACN’s PCCN review course online and the audio from David Woodruff’s PCCN review (a friend hooked me up with downloads of his review). I studied for about 3 months. I listened to the review in the car between home and work. I spent a few hours each week reviewing material. I spent the last couple weeks taking practice questions/tests.
-Form a study group. While I did not have a study group for my PCCN certification, I DO plan on having one for the CCRN certification! If you do well learning in a group environment where you can talk through ideas and ask questions, it’s smart to do it. If you’re looking for a study group/review course, check with your hospital and with AACN. They have chapters scattered throughout the nation and they will sometimes organize group reviews for certification. This website will help you find an AACN chapter if you’re interested.
-Use ALL your resources. Google the certification and see what’s out there. I read through some nursing forums that had suggestions of how people studied and other helpful tips. Youtube the certification. The PCCN, for example, had several videos posted of people doing reviews for the certification and there were questions on the actual test that I got correct BECAUSE I watched those youtube videos! Ask other certified nurses about what they did to study and what they’d recommend to someone preparing to take their test.
-Take practice tests! Just like NCLEX. :) You need to get into the groove of how they ask questions and what they are looking for.
-Be confidant. Believe in yourself and believe that you will pass. It helps.
-Test day. Know where the testing center is. Don’t be late. Most of the places offer ear plugs, which is nice. I tested at a H&R Block in March, so even though I was in a separate room with the computer, you could still hear customers coming in and talking. Ear plugs made a difference! Also, you find out the SAME day if you pass or fail! That’s something I actually appreciated. Last time I took a test like this, it took 3 days to hear the results. These certification tests can be re-taken. If you don’t pass, they’ll let you know what to do next.

Q. Okay, I’m certified. Now what?

A. You will have to maintain said certification. For example, mine is renewed every 3 years. I have to maintain my RN license and work so many hours in the area that I’m certified in. Then I need to either take the exam OR complete a certain amount of continuing education recognition points (CERPs). Not so bad, right?

I hope this helped  a little bit! As a new nurse, I didn’t know much about certification and I probably could have taken this test years ago if I knew more. :) If you have other questions, leave them in the comments! If you’re on the journey to become certified, good luck!

Thank you to all you certified nurses out there! 

I know what you’re thinking. “Cookies, again?!”

by

We made it home! Portland was amazing, I’ll share the details in a later post. :) 
But today, I wanted to wrap up my Valentine’s Day/Heart Month contest! 

Here are the answers to this post:
(*keep in mind, these are my interpretations and because they are neither real or on ekg paper, my answers might not be the same answer that another person might get)
1. Normal sinus rhythm. All of you got this one right! Jill nailed it with the MOST correct answer of “normal sinus beat” because it doesn’t show how much space there is between complexes.
2. Indeed, it is ST elevation. Harder to frost on a cookie than it looks.
3. Atrially paced. With 100% capture, as Drew helpfully identified.
4. Atrially paced with a failure to capture. 
5. Atrial flutter. I attempted to represent a 3:1 conduction, but ya know, with frosting… it’s hard. Atrial fibrillation is also acceptable.
6. Accelerated junctional is what I was TRYING to do here, but forgot my t waves. :) So I guess this one and #8 are up to interpretation. It’s too narrow of a QRS to originate in the ventricle but there’s no p-waves to make it SVT… so I think I just made up a rhythm.If this were an actual heart rhythm, check on the patient, get an EKG and call the doctor.
7. Sinus rhythm converting into ventricular tachycardia. 
8. See #6. (putting this one in twice was not intentional. I had planned on using this one:

This is what happens when I write a post at 6 am before work. :)
9. Ventricular fibrillation. Just like NSR, everyone identified vfib! Excellent work! :)

So, I brought these cookies to work on Valentine’s Day and by the afternoon, there were a bunch of vfibs, asystole, and vtach cookies left… none of the nurses wanted to eat those ones and get jinxed! Goes to shoe how superstitious we nurses are. :)

Drew, Jill, and Stormy, you three win for the most correct answers!
I’m shooting you all emails and I’ll send you a prize in the mail. :)

Thanks for playing Lauren, Drew, Jill, Stormy, and Breanna!

Nursing Bucket List

by

February is ending and it’s time for another nurse link up with Paige and any of you lovely nurse bloggers out there who’d like to join us!

Did you watch that Grey’s Anatomy episode where Christina gets to make a bucket list of all the surgical procedures she’s ever wanted to do? Speaking of Grey’s Anatomy, anyone else get burned out   watching it? (talk about never-ending story).
Back to the bucket list. I’ve got one, except for nursing. It’s always changing. I’m either adding to it, changing it, checking things off… but here’s a general idea of where I am at, as of TODAY. 
1. Go on a nursing conference cruise. 
They really have these! Most nurses have to get so many continuing education hours each year and I can’t think of a better way to get them than on a cruise ship. Who’s with me? 
2. Volunteer more.
My hospital always has volunteer opportunities for the community events they hold. I’ve been apart of some of these and it’s always such a rewarding experience. 
3. Become a certified nurse. 
In the nursing world, there are all sorts of certifications we can get. While I’m currently set to take the PCCN soon, my bucket list absolutely includes getting my CCRN (certification as a critical care nurse).
4. Get a master’s degree in nursing. 
While I’m not currently working on this one, it’s on the bucket list as more of a ‘long-term’ goal. First, I have to convince myself to go back to school. It’s hard to get back on the horse when it’s really nice to be off it! :) Then I’ll have to figure out what sort of program I’d want to apply to. There’s so many options: advanced practice registered nurse roles like nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and certified nurse midwife (CNM). There’s nursing research, nurse educators, clinical nurse leaders (CNL), nurse administration, and more!
So much to think about. 
5. Try out a nursing leadership role. 
Now’s as good a time as any to mention that we’ve had some management changes in the CVICU recently. Our wonderful manager of 5 years transferred to the ER to manage their unit. So now we have an interim manager and the hospital is interviewing for a new manager.
To make a long story short, I interviewed.
And it went really well! When all the changes first started happening, I thought I’d maybe consider  an assistant manager position or something, but after some reflection and some external encouragement, I decided to show some initiative and go for it.
Round 2 of interviews is coming up later in March and I can honestly say that I’ll be excited for whatever happens. Even if I don’t get the position, I’m so happy with the unit and the co-workers and we’ll all get to adjust to a new manager together. If I’m chosen to take over the role, it’ll be a wonderful opportunity and I’ll have a ton of learning opportunities coming!
I’m sure you all will hear if something happens. :)

Speaking of buckets…

I found this in Portland. And I took a picture of it specifically so I could include it on this post. :) 

What do YOU want to do with your nursing career? 
Let me know, I’m curious!
ps. last chance to guess these heart rhythms! I’m choosing a winner next week when I’m back in town!