Wrist Watch Designs

- What would you say is the very best men's wrist watch available today?
I've had my Orient for 20 years and it's now getting a bit old and slow. I want to buy a new watch, and I want this one to be the last one I buy. Rolex comes to mind, but I'd like some other suggestions. Note: I'm not into huge diving watches or digital displays. Thanks.

A Do not waste your money on brand names like Rolex or Omega the internal mechanisms of their watches are just equal to and in some cases, not as good as others - these companies are really just good gold bracelet designers. Most high quality watches have good mechanisms these days but some produce exceptional quality. In my view Seiko produce excellent watches for everyday use but if you want a great time piece with a solid Swiss movement try: http://www.christopherward.co.uk. This British company buys the very best movements from a Swiss manufacturer then assembles them into beautifully designed bespoke cases with high quality straps or bracelets. They are expensive but compared to Rolex etc they are cheap and much better to look at - ideal for special occasions.

- Is nursing right for me?
I am a 24 year old female who is notoriously lacking direction. Lately I have been seriously considering nursing as a profession. My previous career endeavors include Psychology, English, Funeral Service, and Business. What peaked my interest in nursing was the fact that it is always in demand, the pay is fairly lucrative, and is a medical career. I love watching fictional medical shows, the surgery channel, and true medical stories. The human body is fascinating! I spent the last year and a half in funeral service and what I loved about it was the body. Being wrist deep in a chest cavity is an amazing experience. It made me think I would enjoy being a surgical nurse. Being an ER nurse sounds like torture to me. So much stress! I think maybe a nurse at a doctor’s office sound great. To be honest, it sounds kind of cushy- 8-4, no weekends or holidays, not too crazy or stressful. Is it difficult to get these types of positions? Is the pay lower than other areas? Should I be an RN to do that job? To tell you a little more about myself, I am an excellent student. My grades are top notch, and I am not afraid of hard work. I am organized, detail oriented, empathetic, and very upbeat. Death doesn't faze me- it's simply a part of life. However, I am very sensitive to stress and a hostile work environment. Also, I really enjoy free time (aka having time to spend with my friends and family. I'm a 'working for the weekend' type). I am easily bored. I guess what I'm asking is, What qualities make a good nurse? I know there are SO many different types of nurses and I wonder which would best fit my personality and needs. Is this for me? I've started and stopped so many things that I'm now nervous to dive into anything new. I have an Associates in Business so I have many of the prerequisites for an accelerated BSN completed. Advice? I know this is kind of rambling but I’m a little hopped up on caffeine right now! : D

A Are you a people person? Do you care for others, feel empathy, want to advocate for people to make sure they get the treatment they want? That is probably the core of the nursing practice. The rest of the things you are looking for can be found in nursing too, but if you can't deal with difficult personalities without judgment, if you can't connect with other people, etc., you will not make a very good nurse. Nursing can be very stressful, depending on where you work. Nursing is a profession with endless job settings and opportunities, so the good news is that if you find yourself in a job that you find to be too stressful, or a "hostile" work environment, etc., there is always something else you could move on to - perhaps a good thing for someone who might have a short attention span or a wide variety of interests to explore, but not a good thing for potential employers who want to retain employees for the long haul. The 8-4 kinds of jobs in nursing do exist, mostly in clinics, and those jobs do pay significantly less than hospital nursing does. They are also few and far between because everyone wants those "cush" M-F kinds of jobs. You might get there someday, but it's less likely as a new grad. New grads have the best luck going into a hospital or nursing home, working rotating shifts or nights and usually every other or every third weekend rotations. For most hospital staff nurse positions, if you work 12 hour shifts you can get the every third weekend rotation. If you do 8 hour shifts you are usually expected to work every other weekend. It's almost an industry standard, but of course different facilities have their own unique ways of doing things sometimes. You do not qualify for an accelerated BSN unless you hold a BSN in another field. An Associate's Degree won't help you there. You can either go for the ADN or traditional BSN. Every school will have different pre-reqs, so make sure you research programs carefully and select the one where you will have the least amount of work to do to get admitted. Part of nursing school is going through training in a variety of patient care settings, having observational experiences in ORs, etc., so you will have exposure to many things and can start evaluating your preferences then. Very few nurses know exactly where they want to work or in what specialty before they even start the nursing program. Their preferences sort of develop as they gain experience during school. Good luck.