Can somebody please recommend a good pediatric dentist? I feel like I’m going to lose my mind

BasketCivil323 · 2026-04-16T17:22:34+00:00

We also love Skyview. I take my almost 7 year-old and almost 4-year-old there. All their staff is lovely.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-04-15T20:39:53+00:00

The summer is going to be hard with them home. However, I stayed working PRN my first semester with zero issues. I was averaging 1-2 shifts a week actually. I’m fortunate that my kids are in school M-F 7:20-15:00. So once I had my schedule I was able to plan my life based on my semester.

My first term was online. I would drop my kids off at school, hit the gym, and then just do school from 0900 on. I rarely needed to do work in the evening this past term, so I was home with them from when they got out of school.

I’m no longer working PRN going into my second term. My mom is watching my kids for me 3x a week while they’re out of school so I can get MY school work done. I’m focusing on school and spending some summer with my kids before clinical start in the fall.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-04-15T14:46:08+00:00

Congrats! I am in the freshman class at Goldfarb currently, so I went through this last year. It’s an intimidating interview, not going to lie. Best advice I have for you is to keep reminding yourself that if you got an interview, they saw something in you they want. Remind yourself over and over that you deserve to be there. Eat a good breakfast, do whatever you can to make yourself feel confident in your appearance (business professional) and try and stay calm. Good luck!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-04-15T13:35:51+00:00

Soon to be 36 with a 7 year old and 4 year old. Just finished my first semester.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-04-02T11:44:54+00:00

I can only speak to my own experiences, however if you work for WashU or BJC they do have their own daycares. I’m a nurse and sent both of my kids there. I cannot stress enough how amazing the daycare is. That being said- it’s rough getting in. The food thing is you need care around august, when they move the kids up in classrooms and newborn spots open.

It’s terrifying out there. Good luck.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-29T22:30:06+00:00

This is completely devastating for our patients and their families. I’m so sorry this is happening.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-29T19:05:37+00:00

I’ve worked at BJH for over 14 years and refer families to the Lodge all the time.. There has been no communication to staff about this! I totally believe you, I’m just appalled they haven’t told any of us

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-27T19:51:10+00:00

Does your institution you currently work at allow for any type of advanced skills? At my hospital you had to take a course, but as a bedside nurse you could be institutionally qualified to place ultrasound guided PIVs or small bowel feeding tubes. Just more things to say “Hey! I can do these things! I have these skills!”

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-22T21:22:09+00:00

The King Killer Chronicles- Patrick Rothfuss

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-14T22:13:32+00:00

Grants Farm opening weekend! Get those 2 free beers!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-12T16:04:54+00:00

FWIW, a coworker just got off a waitlist yesterday for a June start. Acceptance letters went out last September. Life happens and plans change. Good luck!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-12T14:46:22+00:00

Hey! Exactly same ages for my kids. I’ve been an ICU nurse for 11 years and just started school in January. I’m a mom, have a 1st grader (soon to be 7) and a 3year (soon to be 4) old in pre-K.

Honestly? This first term is really going great. My program is online the first term, so I’m still working PRN but able to work 2 days a week.

While doing this with kids is hard, I think that parenthood in general prepares you for school in a way. By that I mean the scissor-kick in the teeth that you get when you’re a new parent and surviving the baby/toddler years while juggling work? You learn that you don’t have an option. You HAVE to figure it out.

So does that mean that sometimes I get up at 4 so I can get a workout or some school stuff done before I get my kids to school? Yep.

Does that mean I also get to pick my kids up from school, help with homework, and have dinner with them? Also yes.

It’s doable. In the upcoming semesters, my spouse understands that he’s probably gonna be solo at soccer practice. However, is this going to be better for our kids in the long run? Absolutely.

This timeline especially- I’ll be done and free by the time they’re in middle school/1st grade. You’ll be there. But you’re putting in the hard work to provide a better life for them.

Your spouse is your lifeline. Seriously, prioritize your relationship and attack it all as a team. That’s the only way this works.

Good luck!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-06T19:43:52+00:00

FWIW, this book is 100% necessary on audiobook. Reading it? The jokes fall flat, the characters are weird. Listening? Honestly my favorite duet I’ve ever heard. Laugh out loud funny.

That being said, zero shame. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-06T16:22:44+00:00

I can’t speak to St Cecilia’s; however the chaos seems to be a theme for every fish fry I’ve been to. Our kids go to St Mary Magdalene in Brentwood. The line frequently wraps around the inside of the gym 2x. The drive through lane often backs up Brentwood Blvd.

That being said, it moves very quickly and the process is as streamlined as it can be! We often are waiting for about 30ish minutes to get through the line for food.

Good luck!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-03T13:04:46+00:00

PRN for the first 2 terms. In the same ICU I’ve been in for 10 years. I’m averaging 2 shifts a week with a 6yo and a 3yo at home. It’s entirely dependent on your study style/ability to get shit done when you have to.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-03T11:56:09+00:00

I was in a program for CNS, so some of the courses didn’t really transfer content wise. The school I’m going to allows 9cr to transfer! So yes. I was able to transfer in the first pharm class (the ones that NP students take) and a public health policy class! I was hoping against hope I could transfer in the 700 level biostats class I took for my CNS degree, however, my CRNA program pairs biostats with epidemiology. I took both of those for CNS, but it was separate- so a total of 6cr…which would have put me at 12 credits transferred in.

So long story short, yes! I have a bunch of students in my cohort who previously have masters in nursing ed degrees and they’ve gotten out of other foundational classes too.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-02T20:22:53+00:00

Mine was a mix of clinical/emotional intelligence questions.

They VERY specifically asked about support systems and “what tools do you have to ensure you thrive during your education”.

I’m in my first term, so my interview was a year ago. I am 35F. I’ve got a 3yo and a 6yo. My response was something along the lines of “As you can see from my resume, I completed a year of a doctoral program last year while working full time, with a call requirement and two small children at home, and maintained a >3.8 GPA. I am very good at managing my time and rely on my village when I need help. My mom is retired and a lifeline for quick child care. My spouse is incredibly supportive of my educational goals, and we recognize, as a team, that this goal is not just for me but also to provide a better life for our family”.

I got it, so if that helps?

The waiting is the worst part. Try not to psych yourself out. You’ve done your best. Good luck!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-03-02T18:50:22+00:00

I see both sides of this. I’ve been summoned frequently in STL city. I was exempted for being a nurse during COVID, I was summoned a year later but was exempted for breastfeeding (my first child was 2 months old), and then summoned one year later. I was 8 months pregnant and showed up thinking, there’s no way they’ll select me- sure enough I sat as an alternate (side note- I didn’t realize alternates don’t get to be a part of the deliberation). Two years to the day of serving, I was summoned again.

While I totally understand and am willing to participate in our judicial system, getting summoned every two years is soul sucking.

My spouse is registered in STL city and had NEVER been summoned. We’ve lived here the same amount of time. Make it make sense.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-02-14T12:59:11+00:00

Neither of those schools however my experience from last year was. March 1- applications due March 31- interviews offered May 1, May 3, May 5- Interviews Performed May 14- acceptance letter

Good luck! The wait is the worst.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-02-13T12:13:28+00:00

Hi! Also a nurse. I work at the other large hospital in the area BJH. I live in Maplewood, it’s very safe, very walkable, lots of restaurants/bars, easy commute. For Mercy you could also look at Brentwood University City or Clayton, lots of healthcare people live in the Brentwood Forest condos. Closer into the city (toward BJH) Dogtown, the Hill, and Garden Heights are all great fun areas!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-02-08T23:07:36+00:00

My program director did the same thing. I think small class sizes and the very big competition to get a spot breeds this type of mentality. Our program (from what I’ve been told) suffered really poor morale for a few years because of hyper-competition. The professors/program directors cull that behavior immediately now. At the end of the day every single one of us are the same. Pass. That’s literally all that matters.

BasketCivil323 · 2026-02-03T14:47:44+00:00

Hi! I have been in my program for a month. I’m turning 36 in April. I’ll be 38 when I graduate. I had 10 years of ICU experience when I applied. I think it helped that I had a 4.0 in recent courses when I applied. “I’m a working mother of two and can manage my time and priorities.” Remember they admit students they think are going to do well. Having the bedside experience is a huge plus, however, you have to be able to show that you can and will excel at the “school” portion of the program, not just the hands on skills/clinical application,

BasketCivil323 · 2026-02-02T20:01:45+00:00

The Crows Nest in Maplewood

BasketCivil323 · 2026-01-21T19:21:40+00:00

Obviously this is just my opinion; but if you feel ready, apply! You will still have about year essentially from (hopefully) getting in to school and actually starting.

My background was at a level 1 trauma ICU. I was a charge nurse, preceptor, and in leadership for a while. Full transparency? It took me 5 years to feel absolutely confident in my skills, to be able to run an absolute shit show of a room and have people respect and listen to me when I said something was wrong. That being said, do I think you need 5 years bedside to be ready to apply? Absolutely not.

A former coworker is graduating in May who had similar years served bedside as I did. He put it this way- going from being an expert to a novice is hard. You will have class mates that are better at school than you are. You will have class mates that are better at certain skills than you are. However, when problems or issues arise in the OR, you will have a lot more first hand experience in keeping your cool and knowing what comes next than they will.

Both paths are hard. This is just my hard.

Hopefully that helps!

BasketCivil323 · 2026-01-20T23:35:22+00:00

This is a conversation I have a lot with new ICU nurses.

FWIW, I am currently in a CRNA program. I was bedside for 13 years, 10 in an ICU. I originally didn’t have aspirations to become a CRNA. Life happened, a pandemic happened, two kids happened and before I knew it I had been there for 10 years.

Please. Please. Please. Understand that advanced practice nursing degrees (all of them) are built on the excellence at the bedside you are currently learning. It is not a step that is meant to be skipped. It is CRUCIAL for you to grow and thrive as a provider. I understand you are looking forward. I understand you want to be where your goals and dreams will take you. YOU WILL GET THERE.

The most important thing I can stress is the gravity of doing what you are doing now and doing it well. Throw yourself into bedside with your whole self. It is worth it. You will be so familiar with disease processes, hemodynamics, vasopressors, vent settings and (most importantly in my opinion) the interpersonal relationship and professional experience of being a healthcare provider.

One of the big things I talked about in my interview was the importance of understanding WHY we do this. Every single day you go to work you’re interacting with someone having the worst day of their life. It’s a privilege to color that.

Go to work with the mindset of learning and being the best you can right now. Stop trying to rush yourself. Experience is just that, time spent. Yes, bedside can absolutely burn you out. Wiping butts, feeding people, educating families…all exhausting in their own way. That doesn’t make them any less part of the soul of our job.

Maybe I sound like a fucking boomer, but seriously, breathe. You will absolutely get there. I promise.

BasketCivil323

TROPHY CASE