[Bulldognurse]

After lurking in the shadows and enjoying the site for many years, I've decided I needed to become a contributing member. Here's a little about me:

I have a lot of years in nursing. I haven't done everything in nursing but it is varied. I started in Critical Care - and moved into management early on in my career. I've done ICU, CCU, ER, PAR, and Circulated in Surgery,moved up to supervisor PAR, the Surgery Dept MGR, then DON, (too much - all the time responsibility) so I then moved to MGR of Inpatient Services, but, I just don't have patience for the politics anymore - so I've just recently changed venues completely and now I do Regulatory Compliance. Not sure I'll stick with this though - feeling like I might have not made the best of choices for me.

One thing you can tell right away about me is that I am NOT afraid of change!

If you feel that I can add anything to the discussions please don't hesitate to ask. I'm happy to be here.

[pickledpepperRN]

Welcome!

I'm very interested in regulatory compliance having worked with MANY others to get regulations to protect our patients.

Do you have a bull dog?

[NephroBSN]

Originally Posted by Bulldognurse

After lurking in the shadows and enjoying the site for many years, I've decided I needed to become a contributing member. Here's a little about me:

I have a lot of years in nursing. I haven't done everything in nursing but it is varied. I started in Critical Care - and moved into management early on in my career. I've done ICU, CCU, ER, PAR, and Circulated in Surgery,moved up to supervisor PAR, the Surgery Dept MGR, then DON, (too much - all the time responsibility) so I then moved to MGR of Inpatient Services, but, I just don't have patience for the politics anymore - so I've just recently changed venues completely and now I do Regulatory Compliance. Not sure I'll stick with this though - feeling like I might have not made the best of choices for me.

One thing you can tell right away about me is that I am NOT afraid of change!

If you feel that I can add anything to the discussions please don't hesitate to ask. I'm happy to be here.

Can you expound on why you might not stay with Regulatory Compliance?

I'd be interested in that.

Thanks.

[jillyk*rn]

[Bulldognurse]

Thank you, Spacenurse, NephroBSN and JillyK*RN for the welcome. JillyK, what a smile your welcome gave me. You must be the perfect peds nurse, what fun!

So tell me, how did you come to choose your usernames? Obviously, NephroBSN, you are a BSN of Nephrology – Spacenurse are you a Treki fan or have you worked for NASA? - All in good humor – just curious. Now to answer your questions.

BulldogNurse is because I have been thinking a lot lately about my father. He gave me the nickname of "Bulldog" when I was about 5 yrs old. He raised English Bulldogs, Boxers and Boston Terriers and me. He said he called me Bulldog because when I took hold of something I never let go. For some quiet and secret reason, I took pride in the nickname, but I acted as if it all wasn't true and "I am not stubborn!!!"

Anyway, my Dad has been gone now for a few years, now. And I thank him for giving me that little bit of encouragement. He was right. I am a bulldog. And I like it that way. Thanks, Dad.

Do I own a bulldog? Yes! And there is a story behind that, too.

Regulatory Compliance struck me as something I would be interested in because the nurses today are paper heavy, (or computer weary) too much documentation. But, they don't seem to put all of the pieces together as to whywe have to do all of that documentation. They don't understand. It’s not about doing the documentation to meet compliance. It’s about meeting the compliance because there is a reason to meet it and a reason to document what we are doing.

The critical thinking process is not there for a lot of the younger nurses (I think a lot of the lack of process thinking is due to the fact that so much of our charting is computerized pathways.) Anyway, I view part of my duty as a Regulatory Compliance person is to help the staff to understand WHY we need to document what we document and how this helps the patient as well as leading the process to better patient care.

Why I might change roles?

I don’t know that I can make that much of a difference in nursing in my current position. It sometimes feels futile. I have done a few inservices, but it’s too soon to tell if anyone is hearing. Sometimes I feel like I need to cut a good long switch. (Just a joke.)

Anyway, at heart I am a nurse and I want to feel that I have helped people to heal. In Critical Care and in management I did feel that I helped. I was able to see the results in a broad way and sometimes up-close and personal. I am missing the immediate gratification of up-close and personal and I don’t see so much the broad view of changing perceptions.

Regulatory Compliance is fascinating, frustrating and altogether not the science I expected.

- Bulldog

[Angels']

Welcome to allnurses.com

Angels'

[pickledpepperRN]

Bulldognurse:
I am so with you on "pathways". You seem to have the very best understanding of documentation and regulations. Too bad most hospitals only want to pass inspections.

I love our neighbors English bulldog. She is friendly and cute in her special way.
You're not a Taurus are you? One of my grandmothers claimed, "I am NOT stubborn!"

I love to read science fiction. Also my daughter and I have been in a Star Trek club for twenty years. We've made good friends.
Worked in the JPL cafeteria during preparations for Apollo. Cooking and serving lunch to scientists was the closest to the space program I could get.

Welcome again. Enjoy posting!

[Bulldognurse]

Thank you Angels' for the welcome.

Spacenurse, I also enjoy science fiction. I am a Star Trek fan too, all of them. Have you see the Firefly series? I was a very short run tv series. It was constantly moved to different times and days, and interupted by ball games. The show didn't stand a chance. I thought it was going to be a rip-off of Star Trek but I ended up enloying the series. We have it on DVD and now there is a movie out about it, Serenity. I thought it was very creative, fast paced, and the characters grow on you. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a look-see.

[RainDreamer]

Hi and welcome to allnurses! Glad that you decided to join us here!

Wow, you've done all sorts of things!! I think that's great. I hope I can be that adaptable once I get some experience under my belt.

[Bulldognurse]

RainDreamer, I have known some nurses who have stayed in one place with one job description for over 20 years and still love exactly what they are doing. And, although they have remained in one job, they have not become stagnant. They continue to learn and evolve and grow. I have known other nurses who stayed in one place and don’t even know they have become bitter and burned-out.

Some of my changes were opportunities that I couldn't let pass. I have changed jobs for financial reasons or for better hours so that I could be available to my children. I kind of like the changes I have made over the years, but it's neither good nor bad, I think. I’ve enjoyed every flavor of nursing that I have tried. Good luck to you in your career and follow your heart!