Content That mamatara Likes

"Sweet, 'tired' was the look I was going for today!"

I say " yeah I am tired. Scootch over and I'll join you for a nap".

There is nothing wrong with admitting you are tired.
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I find this a very interesting question. I do wonder tho about the headphones as one can not hear much other than the music. For me, I listen to my I pod almost every night and it helps me get to sleep. I can have even rock going and sometimes I actually fall to sleep with it on and an hour later wake up to the music or to no music as the CD is finished. It always amazes me.

Great idea!! Good luck

That reminded me. We have a guy with a guitar show up every Wed. He pulls up a chair in the hall and plays and sings for a few hours. One day he was playing and singing and I walked by and yelled out "Leonard Cohen"! He smiled.

You handled that situation beautifully, OP.

As much as we hate to admit it, we're not going to turn a bigot into an open-minded, tolerant individual in the course of a hospital stay. Whatever makes someone that way, we don't know and we can't fix it. I do like Blue Devil's approach, and have been known to give good glare when stupid, insensitive, judgmental comments come out of patients' mouths. But again, I have neither the time nor the temperament to try to 'educate' these fools, so I just fix 'em with a bad look, mutter "I'm sorry you feel that way" and go right on doing my job.

Listen as an FYI for the future, do your best to get a hard copy or an electronic copy of your schedule with all dates verified. Then copy it back--reply with the schedule your were given, and write that you are confirming the dates, and that if any changes are to be made to it, it must be sent electronically or in writing ASAP--for school reasons or child care reasons or whatever. Why do this?

Let me tell you that I have had a number of dates changed at a few places where I have worked over the years--without proper notice or anything previous to the write-in on the schedule given to me. I have gone into work (some of those places were quite a distance) and found that someone switched my dates on the schedule, or I have had a few people call me up and tell me to get my butt into work, or I will be considered a "no show." A no show? Huh? I am on the schedule for blah, blah. No you aren't. It says today or tonight or whatever. ??????? I have never been a true "no show." I am reliable. If I agree to do something, unless a close family member or I am truly sick, I don't call out.

Also note that although the change had nothing to do with you, it can be written down somewhere in your records--even to HR records, and it can be used against you, even if you prove to the unit team and mgt that there was an unconfirmed, unnotified change in the schedule.

You have to go further if someone does this purposely or somehow by accident and switches things up, b/c it can go on your record. You have to make sure this kind of things does not go down on your record anywhere. This may be hard to do, b/c mid-mgt can keep their own "undeclared" notes and records on you--so, if it goes on the "undeclared" mgt records, even a lawyer may not be able to help you find it, should you ever need to do so. But at the very least, check all records through HR.

So just make sure you check that the error isn't used against you somewhere. This is the kind of thing that makes me support unions for nurses, and I am NOT a BIG union person. I have just seen people get screwed A LOT--especially nurses. Lessons learned so to speak.

So while it is true that it is your responsibility to know your schedule, make sure you have a copy, and send the same copy, with your notification that those dates are confirmed, back to the appropriate people.

I wish work could have more lollipops and roses, but after you have been in the field for a long time and have seen a lot of just WRONG stuff, you get wise. Go in with your eyes open, and back up everything---just do it in the coolest possible way, so they don't think you are paranoid, or that they don't perpetuate that you are somehow paranoid. I think the saying, as I have shared before is something like, "be a gentle as a lamb, but as wise as a wolf. . .or be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves."

This is the challenge--to be very careful about everything--and I do mean EVERYTHING, but do it in such a way that you are not viewed as aggressive or defensive.

In nursing, it is important not to draw too much attention to yourself, b/c select others will resent it or feel some loss of control. Wise but circumspect is the name of the game.

If you are emailed your schedule be sure to print out the email so you have documented proof of discrepancies between the email and the schedule book. That way you have some back up in case you miss a shift due to changes you were unaware of. Although as others have said ALWAYS check the schedule book to verify that your emailed schedule matches the book.

Welcome to AN! The largest online nursing community!

It depends on where you work. Before I moved to New England.....I would have taken them to a back room and notified their attending. The first time I would have shown them where the supplied were. The second time I'd call the attending. When they are travelling in packs, they can look after themselves. If they left the room a disaster they attending himself would call them back to the room to clean it as it was....it was apart of policy that they dispose of their own mess to decrease exposure risk to the nurses.

NOW....I moved to New England and the attitude was different. The good ole boy club is alive and well. The nurse is to be seen and not really heard. I remember at one facility It was expected to follow the attending on rounds with the pack of residents, interns and fellows firs thing in the morning.....bring the chart and have everything ready for the "Team" labs, x-rays, vitals, I/O totals. "The Attending" at one pint said ....."any ideas?" I committed the unforgivable act of speaking. "The Attending" ever so slowly turned his head as there was an audible gasp in the room as he spoke....."You must be new....." as he looked at me like I was a bug on the windshield. I looked at him and said.....obviously it wasn't "my accent that has you dismayed" but after working all night long if my only purpose on the "team" and hour past quitting time is to carry the chart....I need to find another job.

I went to the manager and resigned. Funny this was a surgical critical care unit.

What I have learned here in New England.....I would have approached them by leading them to the supplies closet so they can help themselves. I would have taken the resident aside and told him that they trashed the room that I spend a ton of time keeping my patients and rooms clean and I have a ton of stuff to do other than cleaning you after them. However, if it is the culture there than this is the norm....you might need to find another position or ignore it for fighting the system...rarely works.

I wish you the best.

vents and abg's



mechanical ventilation
http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11019/n460/vents.html


pediatric tracheostomy and ventilator care

ce article: pediatric tracheostomy and ventilator care

Lippincott's Nursing Center:
How to care for a patient with a tracheostomy CE article

neonatal and pediatric endotracheal tube care




aaron's tracheostomy page
www.tracheostomy.com

vent users' support page

When you can't stand your patient not to look tidy and calm in the bed with all their lines neatly organized.

When you get angry that a patient doesn't have a central line.

When you see a bad car crash on the news and you think "Well, I guess we're getting an admission." (I work in trauma ICU)

When you understand the saying "There are many things worse than death."

When you put the code cart next to certain patient's rooms to ward off evil spirits.

When you run down the hall yelling "I'll do compressions!"

when your patient starts to move and the first thing out of your mouth is "you've got a catheter in your bladder, so just go ahead and pee."

when you hear ventilator alarms in your sleep (and you're not at work.)

when you refer to 30 seconds of pulseless v tach as "a little irritability issue."