I wanted to talk to you about an exciting opportunity to
inspire your fellow nursing students/nurses & also make a little money
along the way.
In the near future, I’m going to post videos that my subscribers
create :) in addition to my own videos.
And I’m looking for pre-nursing students, nursing students
& nurses!
I know you all are the smartest people around & have a
lot of words of wisdom that would help the EmpoweRN community.
If you are interested in making videos let me know!
Below you will find the guidelines.
No matter what, I always look forward to hearing from you!
With Much Love,
Caroline Porter Thomas
Guidelines:
The videos will contain content that will teach &
inspire:
Pre-Nursing Students
Nursing Students
And/or Nurses.
I’m looking for original videos… if you have video
creating/editing skills great… but the focus is not on flashy videos… it is on
content.
You can feel free to create a video about any nursing
content that you learned really well… for example:
-Tips with a certain disease process: ie.
Congestive heart failure, Pneumonia, Intra Cranial Pressure, Hypothyroidism,
Gastritis, Stroke… just to give you an example.
-Nursing Math examples
-You could go over a medication that you learned
really well & share tips on how you remember certain things.
-You could share your experience taking the
nursing entrance exams like the TEAS, HESI or whatever your entrance exam is
called.
-You could share an inspirational story of how
you overcame a challenge… either with nursing school, a nursing professor or
managed having children multiple responsibilities or having to work…
-Whatever hot nursing topic you want to talk
about!
-You could share any tips & tricks that
helped you!
-You could submit a skills video, however please
provide written permission from your institution or place of work, that allowed
you to use the supplies for the video.
-If you use, music, please make sure that it is
“Royalty free.” If you are not sure, please do not use music or contact me
& I can send you one.Ultimately no
music is preferred.
-This video will be made exclusively for this
channel.
-Videos may be edited slightly & an Intro
& ending will be added… the same one you see in my latest videos.
Pay: Here is the deal. I’m willing to give you up to $50 for
the video, so you can feel good about putting time & effort into it.You tell me what you think the video is worth
& it’s as easy as that! Every Month I will allot a certain amount of money
to this project & God willing this amount will increase as time goes by.
Prior to your making the video, just run the topic &
asking price by me & I will let you know if that is in the budget :)
You can donate the video if you want & if you do so, you
will be acknowledged in the description section for the donation.
Payments will be made via paypal or a check can be mailed to
you.
At the end of each video, please say:
“If you like this video and want to see more like this,
please give it a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel & Post a comment!”
I look forward to seeing the great videos that you create!
This is a video that was long over due, sorry for everyone that requested it earlier!!
Here is the video... but below I have included the section from the book!!
I hope you find this helpful!!
My Story
When it
was time for me to graduate nursing school, I told my mother I didn’t want to
celebrate with a party. I explained that my degree was worth nothing unless I
passed the licensing board examination. My mom got her way, and we had a nice
party anyway. I have to admit it was nice to celebrate making it this far, and
I enjoyed it thoroughly. Directly following the party, I switched back into
serious mode. I said every day to myself, “Wow, you passed in 75 questions, you
are so intelligent!” In my head over and over while I was studying, I said this
to myself.
I was blessed
to attend a school that provided us with NCLEX reviews. I attended every single
one, every single day. I noticed many of my classmates taking vacations or
simply time off studying. I often wondered why, as our four years meant nothing
without passing this final licensing exam. After the review every day, I went
home and studied what we had gone over that day. In my head still, “Wow, you
passed in 75 questions, you are so intelligent!”
I
signed up to take my exam the first date I could, which happened to be a month
after graduation. I was surprised to see that I could sign up for a two o’clock
test time. As I like to sleep in, this was the time I chose. I also found a job
at Central Carolina Hospital that allowed me to follow an RN before I passed
the board examination, and get paid while doing so. On the days I didn’t have a
NCLEX review or follow my RN, I allowed myself only one luxury. This was to
sleep in until 10 a,m. Once awake, I made myself repeat question after
question. I still repeated in my head, “Wow, you passed in 75 questions, you
are so intelligent!”
Two
weeks before my exam, I was introduced to Pearson Vue. This company had NCLEX
review questions on the computer. Every morning I answered question after
question. In the evenings I would go over questions I didn’t understand with my
mother; she would help me understand the rational or help me look up the
answer. In those two weeks, I completed every single question on that website. Sometimes
in the mirror I would say to myself, “Wow, you passed in 75 questions, you are
so intelligent!”
Many of
my NCLEX reviews suggested taking a few days off before your exam so you would
not be too stressed out. Some of my classmates did this and it worked perfectly
for them. I knew myself and realized I wasn’t comfortable with that. During my
entire time in nursing school, I studied until my instructor told me to close
my book. For the last most important exam, I was not about to change my
strategy. Again and again, “Wow, you passed in 75 questions, you are so
intelligent!”
Two
days before I drove to the location of the exam. I wanted to make sure I knew
exactly where to go on “the day.” I went home and again repeated question after
question. I still allowed myself only one luxury of sleeping in until about 10 a.m.
because I was able to get a 2 p.m. test time. I knew I could also do this on
test day. While driving back home, I
kept looking in the mirror saying to myself, “Wow, the test shut off in 75
questions, you know what that means!”
Test
day. I woke up at 10 a.m. just like I planned. I went through my morning
routine of telling myself, “Wow, you passed in 75 questions, you are so
intelligent!” I ate breakfast while still doing more questions. Time flew and
before I knew it I was driving to my test location.
Fear
suddenly came over me. I suddenly thought, “Oh, I need something to make me
feel better or give me some energy.” Right away I pulled into the nearest gas
station, tires screeching and all. I went straight for a Mountain Dew. It had
been so long since I drank one, possible five years, but when I consumed them
before I was always buzzing off of a sugar and caffeine high for hours. I drank it immediately and continued onto my
destination. By this time, I was practically screaming, “Wow, you passed your
NCLEX exam in 75 questions!”
I
arrived at the location about an hour early. I began looking over notes, my
nerves, however, would not let me comprehend anything I was reading. I looked
over these notes for 30 minutes then finally went inside the building to take
the test. The test room was much smaller
than I was expecting, and there was almost no one in sight. I expected to be in
a crowded room with many more nursing students about to take their exams. However,
it was nothing like that.
I was
early, but it didn’t matter. I went right up to the counter, handed the person
my test information and my license, then posed for my photo. They gave me a
locker for my sweater and said “Okay, you can go ahead.” As I went up to the
exam room, I was closely examined by the proctor who asked me what the bump in
my pocket was. “Ummm, I’m not sure.” I reached into my pocket to find my chap
stick. I was told to put that in my locker as well.
When I
came back, I was told the rules of the room. I was given a small dry erase
board if I needed to write anything down. I was told I could have as many bathroom
breaks as necessary; I simply needed to raise my hand and he would lead me out.
I then was led to my cubby, which had my computer on it. I entered all of the
information it asked, and then answered three example questions. I was told at
one of my reviews these example questions would determine the level of
difficulty your questions would begin at.
Question
one. The question came up but I couldn’t see it! My heart was beating out of my
chest and I felt like I was going to pass out! “Maybe the Mountain Dew wasn’t
such a good idea, oh my gosh, what if I fail my exam!” Panic-stricken, I sat
there, unable to read the first question and drowning in fear. “Breathe, Caroline,” I said calmly to myself,
“just breathe, slowly, easily. If you don’t pass, you can take it again,. Everything
will work out.”
It felt
like five minutes that I was breathing and talking calmly to myself. The clock
however said 30 seconds. I finally blinked one last time and was able to read
the question. Question after question
came. They were so difficult, just like I imagined. I did every question just like I always
practiced, reading, rereading, then reading the answers, then again rereading
the question. Then finally, selecting what I thought was the most appropriate
choice.
I went
though each question like this. The majority of my questions were med-surg
based. I was pretty nervous about this, because this had been my hardest course
while I was in school. I kept getting “select all that apply” questions, too,
which I always thought were so difficult. I had to do breathing exercises
several times during the exam. As the numbers began to rise, I had to make
myself breathe slowly even more.
73, 74,
75. I looked at the number 75 for about 30 seconds before I could even read the
question. I read, reread, then looked at the answers, then again reread the
question. At one of my reviews I was
told that if you remember the last question you had and you knew you got it
right, you probably passed. I selected my answer and tried desperately to
remember this question. Every time I was
about to press the submit key I completely forgot the question.
I did
this several times before I finally said to myself, “Caroline, if you have to
do more questions, it’s ok.” I talked myself into truly believing that and
breathed some more as I pressed the submit key. The computer screen went blank.
“Oh no! I didn’t remember the last question!” Did I pass? Did I fail? The whole
time I imagined myself taking this exam I saw myself feeling so confident
afterwards. I felt nothing of the sort.
Driving
home I could hardly talk. My nursing school friends called me and assured me
that I passed. I didn’t feel as good as
I wanted though. Over the next few days, while waiting for my results, I just
didn’t feel that great. When the third day came and I was able to go online to
see my results I was so nervous to do so.
I sat
in the living room with my mom and dad. I went to the website, put in my
information and waited for what seemed like an eternity. I was concentrating so
hard on the screen I didn’t even notice my parents disappeared. Finally, it
came up and said my result in tiny little 12 point font, “pass.” “I passed!” I
exclaimed! My parents came into the kitchen carrying a cake that said,
“Caroline Porter BSN-RN” and a bottle of champagne!
As
proud as I was that I passed my exam in 75 questions, not one person besides my
classmates ever asked me that question. My boss didn’t care what my grades in school
were and when I got my license, they were just happy I could work as an RN. Bottomline, no matter how many questions or
times you take the exam, pass is pass. In the end if you’re a licensed or registered
nurse. That is all they care about. I have come to find out myself that is
really all that matters as well.
This video is to give tips on how I stay organized throughout my day as a nurse.
Our job can be very demanding, so it is important to have "systems" in place :)
In this video I share many that I use on a daily basis!
Get the FREE Report sheet :)
Sorry, I could not figure out an easier way to give you the file... I want you to have the word document, just in case you wanted to modify it :)
xoxo
www.EmpoweRN.com
Hey guys!
Here are some tools that I use every day to help me make sure I don't miss any major lab values while on the job.
This is a brief intro, but if you all want to dive deeper into this and the critical thinking process that goes into each of the lab values post a comment and let me know!!!
Make sure to subscribe so that you get updates on when I post the next video!
I love you guys!!
My Twitter!
https://twitter.com/EmpoweRN
My Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/EmpoweRN/163131040451901
5 Tips to help you leave work at work and be present for
your fam when you get home :)
1. Make the Decision that you will leave work at
work and be present when you are home.This will help you be a much better wife, husband, mother, father… and
nurse!!
2. When you get home think about what your loved
ones need and be so busy making other people feel good that you start glowing
from love ;)
3. Stay away from the gossip at work! Be in your
patients rooms making them feel good as much as you can!!
4. Have a “feeling good” ritual before you leave to
go home!!This way you are ensuring your
self care and self love so that you can great your family with a big smile ;)
Some rituals that may work for you could be: Brushing your teeth like me,
eating a little snack, drinking a glass of water, praying, meditating, writing
down 3 things that you are grateful for ect!
(sorry totally forgot to mention STEP 5
lol!!)
5. When you have a bad patient outcome, for example
your patient is diagnosed with a scary disease or you have a patient that
passes away, faith is seriously needed. I have faith that I do not know why
many things happen, but everything does happen for a reason. No matter how
wrong or hard it may seem on the surface, everything ultimately does turn out
to be good.This faith allows me to go
home still feeling good and with a clear mind ready to be with my hubby!
I
I hope you liked
this video I made for you!!
If
so please give it a “Thumbs up” and post a comment to let me know which video
you want to see next week ;)
Make
sure to subscribe so that you get updates on when I post the next video!
Disclaimer: Not a sponsored video!! I do not diagnose or
treat disease, if you have a concern please see your doctor! These videos
reflect my opinion only and should not be taken as fact.
This is Caroline from EmpoweRN! Just wanted to give my new nurses (and soon
to be nurses ;) some tips to help them prepare for their jobs and/or clinical
rotation....
One question that I have heard repeatedly is this:What should I be carrying around with me?
Well honestly this will vary somewhat depending on which unit you call home,
however I try to pay attention to the things that I do over and over.
If I do something on a daily basis, I
figure out a way to make it a habit. Whenever
a new task is added or I start to see a new medication more often that requires
something specific, I find a way to make administration easier. For example, let’s just say our
hospital started ordering Dilaudid IV 2 mg in a glass vial. I will start carrying with me filtered
needles so that I’m not running up and down the unit looking for a filtered
needle while my patient suffers in pain.
I’m very methodical about how and
where I place things in my pockets. Because
my goal every day is to move faster and faster on the unit, this involves
knowing where everything is that I need to get my job done. I take what I do very seriously. I’m grateful every single time that I
have the opportunity to care for an individual. I am so grateful for the hospital and
the administrators who run the organization that gives me a place to do this
awesome job. You should
feel the same; I know you worked hard for this, but it is still a privilege. With that said, let me tell you
how I prepare to do an outstanding job.
I’m going to first list the supplies that
I keep in my pocket on a regular basis:
Left Shirt Pocket
1.Alcohol swabs
2.Sticky notepad
3.Flushes
4.Wrapped 18 gauge blunt needles 2 or 3
5.Filtered needles 2 or 3
6.Empty 3 ml syringe 1 or 2
7.Telemetry leads 1 or 2
8.On the outside I have a banana hair clip
Right Shirt Pocket
1.Scissors
2.Highlighter
3.Black dry erase marker
4.Red dry erase marker
5.Black Sharpie
6.Mechanical multicolor pen
7.2 mechanical pencils
8.One pink (or turquoise) uni-ball pen
9.2 black mechanical pens
10.Transparent tape
11.Pen light
12.Telemetry calipers
In my pants pockets
1.Pulse oximeter (right pocket)
2.Temporal thermometer (left pocket)
In my bag
1.Pill crusher
2.Another pair of medical scissors
Each item is important to my
work. I usually work as a
Telemetry/Cardiac nurse. I
say “usually” because I am also a float nurse, which means I can go to multiple
units. I have been floating
for almost three years now, so I am trained for a number of different
specialties. I am giving
you my base list; however, keep in mind that for your specialty, this equipment
list may vary quite a bit. The
main goal is to have your frequently used items available so you can do your
job in a timely manner.
