PALS

Today concluded day two of my pediatric advanced life support (PALS) course.  It was short and sweet, just the way I like it, and I managed to get out of there a couple hours earlier, provider card in hand!

I feel like I've gotten a lot done, and it's only Wednesday!!

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Image via Safety Store

Donate Blood!

One donation of blood can save three lives!! If that's not reason enough to help, I don't know what is!

Here are some additional facts about blood donation, courtesy of the American Red Cross:

• The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others."
• Two most common reasons cited by people who don't give blood are: "Never thought about it" and "I don't like needles."
• One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.
• If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!
• Half of Red Cross donors male, and half are female.
• The American Red Cross accepts blood donations only from volunteer donors.
• Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 19 percent donate occasionally, 31 percent are first-time donors, and 50 percent are regular, loyal donors.
• Only 7 percent of people in the U.S. have O-negative blood type. O-negative blood type donors are universal donors as their blood can be given to people of all blood types.
• Type O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known and with newborns who need blood.
• Forty-five percent of people in the U.S. have Type O (positive or negative) blood. This percentage is higher among Hispanics – 57 percent, and among African Americans – 51 percent.
• Only 3 percent of people in the U.S. have AB-positive blood type. AB-positive type blood donors are universal donors of plasma, which is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.

So check out their website, find a blood drive near you, and schedule an appointment to donate today!

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Photo courtesy of Google Images

Where Have I Been?

That's a good question!  I'm sorry I haven't posted in a long time, it's just that there hasn't been much to post about lately.

I've been working my butt off every day filling out job applications, to no avail.  I have my RN license in hand, and I keep applying places, but there just don't seem to be a lot of jobs out there for new graduate RNs, at least not in my area.  It's quite frustrating!

I thought for a while I was going to strike gold, had an interview for an ER position set up and everything, but the nurse manager's wife went into labor the night before my interview, and he hasn't returned to work yet, so that interview is postponed until further notice.

With grad school's start date looming right around the corner (Sept. 1), it's looking more and more like I'll be a full-time student, at least for the first semester.  I'm going to keep applying for jobs every day, and hope that someone will bite, at some point!

Fingers crossed!!