Great Job!  Thanks to all who participated!

Congrats and thanks to everyone who submitted their articles for our article contest, Write About Anything - a Non-Nursing Article Contest at allnurses-Central.com.

The allnurses.com and Central members cast their votes, the staff provided feedback and the winners are....

1. If I could see you one last time... This is what I would say.
2. Alzheimer's: The Curse and the Blessing
3. The Magic of Kleenex
4. Ninety-nine Percent Spirit
5. Sandpaper Kisses
6. Nana I Have to Go!

Dec 6 - Dec 12 Hottest New Topics

• Most embarrassing mistake you've ever made
• "I'll Tell The Nurse" (vent)
• Get off freakin' Facebook--there is work to be done!
• Fear of Zombies
• Please Share Your 5 Most Effective Study Strategies
• New grads over 30, are you having trouble getting interviews?
• Philadelphia area job market?

Most embarrassing mistake you've ever made by sunnycalifRN

Just for fun. What the most embarrassing mistake you've made in your nursing career? (I'm not talking about sentinel events, please keep those to yourself.) Well, here goes: Maybe two weeks into my orientation in ICU, I'm going to administer some med via a PEG tube. The PEG is buried beneath gown, sheet and blankets and I finally find the Lopez valve. The patient is receiving tube feeding also. I turn the stopcock on the Lopez valve, try to administer the med with the syringe ... it won't go in ... I push a little harder ... still won't go in...

"I'll Tell The Nurse" (vent) by StNeotser

Just a little vent here. Why is it all the other depts in the healthcare facility immediately notify the nurse of things that are not their job, but really aren't the nurses job either. For example, we had a new admit whose telephone did not work. On admission I switched out the phones, still didn't work, must be something wrong with the line so I put i a work order for the faulty phone. New admission complained about the phone to everyone who walked into the room.

Get off freakin' Facebook--there is work to be done! by newohiorn

I asked the tech to take 5-10 minutes of her time to walk my very sweet patient when she got him out of the bathroom. I go in his room a half hour later and he tells me she didn't even offer to walk with him. Mind you this is a frail 89-year-old who isn't going to be able to walk very far so it would only take a few minutes. So, even though I'm behind as all get out, I walk with him. No less than 15 minutes later I walk past the nurses station and this tech is on Facebook--I wanted to wring her neck.

Fear of Zombies by toomuchrock

I have this irrational fear of Zombies. It probably stems from the resident evil video games and movies that I adore ... and the silent hill games that I rather enjoy as well ... but I am, in fact, afraid of the potential of the living dead. I work on the general surgery floor. We also occasionally have medical patients. Sometimes we have hospice patients. And on 2 occasions I have had a patient of mine unexpectedly die.

Please Share Your 5 Most Effective Study Strategies by jd2nursing

I'm starting a 12-month ABSN program in January 2010 and I would like to know what works best for studying in nursing school. In my pre-requisites I have found that reading the book is pretty ineffective and that I learn the material much better by actively engaging with it (study group, flashcarding, watching educational videos on CD, using practice study figures...you get the idea). All ideas appreciated!

New grads over 30, are you having trouble getting interviews? by freeflowchi

I graduated in May 2009 and have not been able to secure a job yet. I have an ADN degree with a Bachelor's of Science in Marketing and a Master's in Traditional Oriental Medicine. I have ten years of experience diagnosing and treating patients as a licensed acupuncturist and have worked in several clinical environments with doctors and therapists in addition to alternative medicine practitioners. I am in my late thirties and have seen all of my colleagues from nursing school who are under 25 being hired without any patient care or life experience. Is anyone else noticing this trend?

Philadelphia area job market? by PhillyQuaker

Hi -- I'm new to this board. I've read a lot of contradictory things about the nursing job market in Philly. For example, I gather that it's terrible and new grads can't find jobs, but that you can always find a position with a nursing home.

I also hear contradictory things about the necessity of having a BSN. I hear that most positions at magnet hospitals now require a BSN, but I've also heard that most hospitals care more about the bachelor's degree than about whether it is a bachelor's in nursing.

I'm taking steps to switch from a fundraising career to nursing. I've been taking prerequisites and hope to start the 2-year associates program at CCP in Fall 2010. I already have a BA and an MA, both in History. I'm hoping to do the nursing program at CCP, get my RN license, and start working as a nurse. Is that just hopelessly naive?