Will we miss the hiring "blitz"?...

Three weeks ago when Sheryl, a representative from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), came to present a seminar to us, she informed us that in 2011, there will be over 10,000 registered nursing positions available in Ontario. As students, we will not have completed the BScN program until the Spring of 2012. What does that mean for us as students? Are we going to miss out the the hiring "blitz"?. This has made me wonder if I should attempt the accelerated program for year four students. What this means is, you would continue to take courses throughout the summer of 2011 and begin final placements in September rather than in January.

I am planning on taking courses during my summer breaks to alleviate some of the workload I have. Taking six courses this semester has been difficult, especially because I have other responsibilities and obligations outside of school.

I am planning on withdrawing from Sociology next semester and take it through Trent University through the Summer. Not only will it count as my Sociology credit, but, it also counts as one of my elective credits too! Two credits for one Summer school course, sounds pretty good to me!!

Tracy

First Semester of Nursing...

The first semester of the BScN program is coming to an end with two weeks left before exams begin. It has been quite an experience, much more difficult that I had anticipated. I was overwhelmed with the amount of papers that we have to write as well as learning the APA format for all of the papers.

When the semester began, I was working four or five shifts a week, which now has dwindled down to two. It's almost impossible to be a student in this program and work full-time, manage a family of five, and be successful. I have spent many nights throughout this semester sitting at my kitchen table until around 4am completing homework, then setting my alarm clock for 6am to edit what I had just completed.

I am happy to say that I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass all of my courses this semester, but, I have had to make some sacrifices along the way. My advice get organized right away, utilize your time management skills to the best of your ability, and learn how to function on very little sleep.

Overcoming Communication Barriers in Health Care

I believe that technology is helping to overcome some of the communication barriers in health care. Technology helps nursing professionals spend less time with paper documentation and more time with patients. As first year nursing students, we are taught that therapeutic communication is one of the most important aspects to learn and practice when we go to our clinical placements in January. Patients feel more confident, trusting, and relaxed when they have hands on care from nursing staff. Computers, personal data devices (PDAs), and electronic medical records are ways that nursing professionals can enter patient information, access valuable resources from the internet and retrieve patient history within seconds, rather than having to search through file cabinets which takes time.

Becoming an expert observer!

Good Evening to my fellow bloggers,

I spent yesterday at Toronto East York General Hospital with my daughter who had day surgery to correct a "clogged" tear duct. The surgery was apparently successful, hopefully we will not have to go back again to redo the procedure. The doctor tried the less invasive procedure first which sometimes is not successful.

As first year nursing students we are taught many things in regards to theory and clinical practice. We are taught that blood pressures are always to be taken without clothing present and we are taught that stethoscopes are to be in our lab coats and not hanging around our necks. Before my daughter went into surgery, the nurse took my daughter's blood pressure on top of her hospital gown which can cause a false reading. After the surgery I was in the recovery room with my daughter, I was amazed that every single nurse in the department was wearing their stethoscopes around their necks, exactly what we are taught not to do.

I'm not trying to criticize other people's practices, but I'm happy to acknowledge that these are practices that I will not use or take into my clinical placement in January.

Tracy Dodge

Introduction

Hi, my name is Tracy, I am 38 years old, married, and have three children. I have decided to return to school to begin a career in the Nursing Profession. I am currently a student of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in the Collaborative Nursing Program.

I am creating a blog for one of my classes which I will be using throughout this semester. I’m not sure how I feel about blogging at this time, it isn’t something that I have tried in the past, but, hopefully it will be educational and fun to do. I am hoping to make my blog a tool to help myself as well as fellow nursing students find different and effective ways to study.