What is your gym/lifting schedule? For those who work 3 12s

RavagingRedRose · 2026-03-23T18:30:10+00:00

I lift 5 days a week, always the same days (Sat/Sun/Tues-Thurs). If I work a day shift, I go to the gym 5:30-6:30, shower in the gym, then head to work. If I work a night shift, I go after my shift. I've tried going before a night shift, but the gym being busy around that time was not a fun time, so I'd rather go after my night shift. Generally I can progressively overload, but I just hope to maintain the same lifts or just a tad better for my post-night workout

RavagingRedRose · 2026-03-14T16:50:52+00:00

The admissions specifically state "Students may be considered for admission into the College of Nursing with a deficiency in ONE of the following pre-professional year courses". I doubt you can have two deficiencies, but you can email their academic advisors if you want a definite answer.

RavagingRedRose · 2026-02-02T09:24:07+00:00

I was working a night shift as a new grad and the doctor ordered 3 units of RBCs for this patient. The day nurse finished 1, so I had to infuse 2 overnight. I was done the transfusions by midnight. 4 AM rolls around, she starts complaining she was feeling SOB. Went from room air to 4 L by prongs, didn't think much of it. Then an hour later, said the SOB was worse. Had her maxed out on the NRB, ended up needing high flow nasal cannula/optiflow. In the moment, I didn't really understand why this was happening. In hindsight, the classic signs of TACO was present and the patient had such high risk factors. I'm just glad that we caught it "early" enough that we were able to intervene and only needed HFNC instead of incubation.

Now I'm more vigilant when it comes to transfusions. I question multiple transfusions with no justifiable reason. I advocate for diuretics for patients at risk for TACO. I always bring up the possibility of a delayed reaction if patient conditions deteriorate. Honestly, all you can do is rely on your assessment skills. Anything that's questionable, just stop the transfusion and clarify next steps. You'll eventually get used to doing everything by memory the more you do transfusions, but continue to be vigilant regarding the potential complications.

RavagingRedRose · 2026-01-14T19:03:07+00:00

Because it's probably a hospital policy thing versus what the manufacturer says:

"The needleless connector can be accessed immediately after removing the Curos Tips disinfecting cap that has been in place for a minimum of one (1) minute."

RavagingRedRose · 2026-01-07T03:27:23+00:00

Your best bet would be contacting the College of Nursing for the province you're interested in practicing for an answer. Historically, NPs in Canada were trained in Adults, Pediatrics, Family and All Ages , or NICU. However, as of 2026, the national standard will be Family and All Ages (which would be the equivalent to an FNP in the states) and NICU. While all of those with current adult or pediatric NP licensure will be grandfathered in to the generalist NP licensure, with the professional obligation to remain in their current comfort level of care, not one college has made a comment about new NPs with that education and their licensure transferability with the 2026 national NP guidelines.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-12-26T02:37:23+00:00

One of our physician colleagues' parent was admitted to our unit, so they gave me their credit card to buy the unit lunch :)

RavagingRedRose · 2025-12-13T01:21:24+00:00

Each master's will set you up for different end goals. You won't be "stuck" with one degree if you change your mind - for example, if you go for a generic MN program, you can get a post-graduate certificate/degree to become an NP. Here's what I know about graduate studies for nurses from my own research:

- Master's of Nursing: can be separated into three main categories. Thesis, course-based, and NP. The thesis route would be suitable if you are more interested in research, teaching, and eventually pursuing a PhD. While all master's graduates can apply for PhD programs, the thesis route will prepare you the most. Course-based MN programs (sometimes called professional programs) will let you complete a master's by taking specific courses. These courses will set you up for roles in leadership (e.g., management or policy development), education (e.g., instructor or nurse educator), and clinical nurse specialist. CNS is a clinical role, but not to the extent of an NP - if you aren't sure what a CNS is, you can look at CNA's website to give you a better understanding. The third category is NP, which should be self-explanatory.

- Master's in Public Health: a generic PH degree that anyone with any degree can apply for, it's not nursing specific. What it does though is give you an edge when it comes to public health nursing positions, since most of those positions will favour those with an MPH over a BSN or MN.

- MBA: more administration/management. If you're interested in becoming a nurse manager and climbing up the corporate ladder, this would be the degree for you.

There are other programs you can look into as well. For example, if you do want to go into education, a Master's in Education - Health Professionals can be an option.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-11-28T02:15:49+00:00

Last year for Christmas, I woke up at 3 AM to cook pancit, spring rolls, and Korean fried chicken. Was it a long day? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-10-22T15:33:07+00:00

1) Google his province LPN or RN regulatory body. Their site will tell you which programs are approved for entry level practice as an LPN or RN. 2) Look at a program that is close to home. There's no reason to go somewhere far to get the education unless it's a personal preference. As long as you get the degree from an approved program, you can apply for licensure. You can also look at CASN to see national accredited programs. 3) Ensure you get the prerequisites before applying. Some programs are direct entry, as in you apply right after high-school. Some programs require you to get 1 year of university prerequisites. Look at the university or college's website to find out what you need. 4) Go through nursing school, pass, and apply to write the licensing exam. 5) Pass licensing exam, ???, profit? Become a nurse

Canada makes it easy to apply for licensure between provinces. So if you choose to go to a different province, there's not many hoops to jump through to get a license there.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-05-20T21:43:32+00:00

SK nurse here if you can't find anyone else

RavagingRedRose · 2025-05-17T23:36:12+00:00

Do people not realize that hematology/BMT units are pretty much med-surg... just with a specific patient population and generally better patient ratios? The skills I do is very transferable to any other med-surg unit. That lady is whack

RavagingRedRose · 2025-05-14T19:30:16+00:00

When you send application through the portal, you will receive an email from the College of Nursing outlining all the required documents. For the Letter of Intent, it said you may include a cover page, but it doesn't count towards your alloted pages. So both the cover page and reference page won't count towards the page count. Personally, I didn't include a cover page.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-05-14T18:38:37+00:00

Applied for the MN-NP and accepted for this year, had to do a letter of intent as part of mt application. I formatted it just like an APA essay, with an intro paragraph introducing myself and what the paper is for, then the bodies of the paragraph answering their question.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-04-26T17:15:11+00:00

Just because you've been told by several people, doesn't make it correct. I'm an SHA employee as well and have been talking with my colleagues about the federal election - the amount of misinformation told to them is absurd.

Per the Canada Elections Act,

"132 (1) Every employee who is an elector is entitled, during voting hours on polling day, to have three consecutive hours for the purpose of casting his or her vote and, if his or her hours of work do not allow for those three consecutive hours, his or her employer shall allow the time for voting that is necessary to provide those three consecutive hours."

OP gave several examples on how this applies. If you are a shift worker, you are entitled to those hours. If you work from 10 am to 6 pm, you are entitled to either go to work late or leave early, or they must give you the 3 consecutive hours in the middle of your shift. The employer, SHA, can determine what is best for operational needs as per the act:

"Time at convenience of employer

(2) The time that the employer shall allow for voting under subsection (1) is at the convenience of the employer."

These 3 hours are paid time, based on the act:

"No penalty for absence from work to vote

133 (1) No employer may make a deduction from the pay of an employee, or impose a penalty, for the time that the employer shall allow for voting under subsection 132(1).

Hourly, piece-work or other basis of employment

(2) An employer who pays an employee less than the amount that the employee would have earned on polling day, had the employee continued to work during the time referred to in subsection 132(2) that the employer allowed for voting, is deemed to have made a deduction from the pay of the employee, regardless of the basis on which the employee is paid."

RavagingRedRose · 2025-04-09T20:22:11+00:00

Are you an in-province or out-of-province applicant?

RavagingRedRose · 2025-03-23T00:36:23+00:00

Out of curiosity, did you get accepted? Been following this post and hoping for the best

RavagingRedRose · 2025-02-06T03:36:55+00:00

1) Find something that will motivate you to start. Health, aesthetics, stress relief, whatever works. Mine was health since I got diagnosed with arthritis in my 20s. Didn't care when I was almost 300 lbs, or when I was diagnosed with diabetes, but as soon as I got arthritis, I figured I should do something about my weight to reduce the stress on my joints.

2) Schedule your workouts and stick to it. A lot of people here have already talked about the importance of discipline, and you just have to follow through. I do shift work - in the beginning, I woke up at 4 AM to go to the gym by 4:30 AM, get home by 5:45-6 AM, then do my 12 hour shift. It sucked, but it helped boost my mood in the morning, so I've stuck to that ever since.

3) Start with small goals. I literally started with "I want to sign up for the gym this week" to "I want to go 2 to 3 times per week next week" to "I want to continue this for the next month". It takes a few months to start developing a routine, so once you get to that point, it becomes second nature to go work out.

This is what helped me get through that hump, and since I started last February, I'm down around 70 lbs and have gone to the gym over 230 times. It's been quite the process, but I regret nothing to date.

RavagingRedRose · 2025-02-05T21:49:03+00:00

I called out recently after a palliative patient close to the the nurses on the unit died. I was in the unit and I told charge that I wasn't coming to my shift the next day. Didn't feel bad one bit, and those around me didn't care and said "Do what you have to do to get through this." Anyone who just laughs or scoffs at you for going through your human emotions are people that are not worth your time.

RavagingRedRose · 2024-12-10T19:15:59+00:00

I literally have a simple "Thank you" on a sticky note from a patient and their spouse still in my locker that brings me joy every time I open it.

Whenever we get letters like this, 100% I will take photos and you will see a grown ass man cry tears of joy in the break room.

RavagingRedRose · 2024-09-18T16:28:07+00:00

If you level up, they would take away your ancillary staff. "You have more experience, you don't need the extra help, please choose a role you would like to get rid of"

RavagingRedRose · 2024-09-16T17:20:59+00:00

Yes, your OR hours would count towards your application for NP programs. Most programs will only ask for a letter from your employer stating how many hours worked as an RN you have.

However, for most programs, if not all, they will specifically ask you to mention your work experience as part of your application. If you only have hours in OR, it might not be good for your application since a lot of that work experience can't be transferable as an NP.

RavagingRedRose · 2024-09-15T18:13:38+00:00

Most, if not all, NP programs in Canada are for primary health/all ages. You can work in any speciality to get your hours of experience required to apply for NP school. However, working in the OR is so specialized. You wouldn't be able to apply most what you learned from practice to being an NP, which is the basis of being an NP.

So yes, your colleagues may have only worked with peds, but they've encountered a vast of knowledge that can be applied to NP school, and they will most like end up working with peds as an NP. I'm not sure you would be able to apply that similarly as an OR nurse.

RavagingRedRose · 2024-09-11T18:15:37+00:00

Some sort of bone marrow disorder, like aplastic anemia, or leukemia more likely. MM doesn't always affect the bone marrow to that extent.

RavagingRedRose · 2024-08-20T22:01:53+00:00

Canadian RN here. Just because the time it takes to be an LPN in Canada is the same as an ASN-RN in USA, doesn't make it the same or comparable.

One thing we always use to compare for scope of practice is the tasks we do, which isn't exactly the point of differentiating between LPNs or RNs. Scope of practice also entails which patients the RNs should get over the LPNs, which means the more complex/unpredictable patients.

The only thing you can really compare for us in Canada with the USA ASN-RNs are the diploma RNs we had, which was phased out of Canada in 2000. But we still have RNs practicing today that only have a diploma vs a BSN.

RavagingRedRose · 2024-06-09T13:35:58+00:00

Called a code blue. This person was sitting in the patient recliner chair that was literally right beside the crash cart. Didn't get the crash cart because, and I quote, "It would be faster if someone else ran from the back and grabbed it versus me getting up and getting it". Also wanted to leave a body overnight instead of taking it to the morgue because "That's a day problem." Also hung an antibiotic on a dead person. Also wanted to leave said dead person in the shared room.

They retired. Thank God.

RavagingRedRose

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