School started

Sorry if I'm not on as frequently. School started this week which means I go back to my crazy schedule. I'm super excited about my class, pediatric nursing, because I want to go into pediatrics and I lucked out with a great clinical instructor and a great hospital for clinical. The hospital I will be at for the next 7 weeks will let me not only get to work with kids on a regular inpatient unit, but also the NICU, and pediatric ER. I'm an ER junkie. I love the chaos and excitement. Plus, I will also work at a pediatrician's office helping with check-ups, as well as going to a school and working with a school nurse. So much to do and see!

I had to get a health form filled out for school from my rheum. about whether or not I was able to be around all these different types of patients or if anything needed to be avoided so that I don't go into a flare and such. He put, "no restrictions"! I was sweating bullets that he'd put restrictions on me, but since I'm not on prednisone or anything to really knock out my immune system, I'm good to go. Yay!

I am still here reading posts, just busy so it takes me a bit to reply to everything.

Hope you all are doing well! For those going back to school or have kids going back to school, wishing you all the best!

Have a great school year, and this all sounds exciting, I'm happy for you : )

Have a great year. Keep us posted on how it is going. Most important thing to remember wash your hands!! To this day I still remember my instructor putting that on a final for a 20 point question.

Ann, Yes! They are little balls of cooties. Haha

Trisha, thanks!

Lonewolf, I am at my local community college in Maryland for my RN (AA degree). It's not specific for pediatric nursing, but I'm fairly certain all schools require a semester of pediatrics. As you get your RN, they give you semesters in different areas (pediatrics, geriatrics, critical care, ob/gyn, emergency, etc), that way if you get to sample everything and be sure you know where you want to go. Once you get your RN, you can be certified in pediatrics (or any area really) and become a Certified Pediatric Nurse by taking a certification exam. My aunt lives in FL and is a nurse, I can email her and ask her if she knows of any good programs down there. Let me know if you want me to email her.

Purple, 20 points?! Wow! Even though we Purell and wash our hands all day and sinks and antibacterial gels are all over the place, I still keep a pocket antibacterial gel with me all day. And I always change out of my scrubs as soon as I get hoe and have specific "hospital shoes" so I limit what I track into the house.

Bless you for working in the NICU…my daughter was 3 months premature. She was a “micro preemie”. She’s 13 now and perfectly healthy by the grace of God and the wonderful nurses that took care of her in the NICU for 2 months! They are a very special group of people. I wish you the best of luck with your health so that you can touch people’s lives like they touched mine.