What I would do is to get into contact with Med/Surg unit managers at your facility, if you're in the hospital setting, and express your interest in Med/Surg. Ask about recommendations that would be helpful for a transition. Your psych background will be helpful, as med/surg pts can certainly have their share of psychosocial issues and/or psychiatric diagnoses. I personally have worked med/surg for almost 2 yrs and it seems that on a daily basis we encounter more and more psych issues. Many of our nurses have a difficult time c these pts. Myself having a bachelor's in psych and the BSN have some extra education about psych and can use some of it to help get through the shifts. If you're interested, go for it! Med/surg can be very stressful and demanding, especially when you can have 6-7 quite ill pts with so many different co-morbities and then psychosocial issues. Best wishes!!!
I hope you find what you are looking for...however, I think that so many nurses are type A...which is why we are so hard-headed. I always tell myself after a difficult shift - did I maintain the safety of the patient? Yes. Did my staff remain safe as well? Yes. Did I do no harm to the patient? Yes. Did I do the best I could despite running into complications with different patients? Yes. If you're answering Yes...then that's half the battle. Being type A can be a real pain in the butt, but I'm sure your patients are thankful for what you've done for them. Most are very understanding that Med/Surg is always going to be a tough field. Best wishes in your endeavors!
i would like to say...i love being a nurse and wouldn't trade it for the world! yes, there are days and perhaps a string of them that are insanely bad, i take time to reflect on my night and what i could do to make it better. reflection is a good way to calm yourself down on the drive home after a rough day or night! i also invested in a small meditation book called "the promise of a new day" by karen casey and martha vanceburg. it's nice to have around when you need a snippet of hope, especially after a long, hard shift. it's not for everyone, but i find it to be helpful to have a small little one paragraph reflection and then i can reflect from there.
this one's for the newbies, or anyone wanting a little extra hope for the day or week. best wishes on a successful future.
march 16th - "within our dreams and aspirations we find out opportunities." - sue ebaugh
[color=#a52a2a]our dreams invite us to broaden our horizons to reach beyond our present goals. they are much more than whims. they are probably much more than whims. they are probably calling us to those opportunities for which our talents have been readied. most of us need this encouragement to attempt new ventures. we've each been invited to this present moment by design. our lives are joined like the titles of a mosaic; none of us contributes the whole of the picture but each of us is necessary for its completion. more importantly, the depth, the richness of the picture in its entirety, is enhanced by our fulfilled dreams. with joy and excitement we can anticipate our frequent aspirations, recognizing them as the guideposts offering directions for our daily travels.
today i will welcome my dreams. they indicate tomorrow's successful ventures.
from the promise of a new day by karen casey and martha vanceburg.
best wishes to everyone, and may you find peace in knowing that as a nurse - you are wonderful and make a difference every day, even if it's not constantly said to you!!
[font=impact]"oh great one, i come to you to beg a favor...is there any way to get rid of full moons? it was like a [font=impact][font=impact]zoo [font=impact]last night down there in the ed!! "
I believe that this is an overraction to the max! Although you are stating that you "appreciate" your NAs...it doesn't seem that you appreciate the underlyings of what it truly means to be a nurse. I hate the idea that a nurse only does "this and that"...and the "messy stuff" is for the NA! On my unit, sometimes we run on nights with 1 NA to 34 patients...guess what we do, nurses pick up patients as an "NA". I was an STNA for 5 years, and it was physically HARD work...I also was treated very poorly by some of the nurses and vowed that I would NEVER treat my staff like that or allow it! I put those skills to use to help out my NAs, I take on total care patients when I already have a 6-7 patient load, just so they're not as physically stressed; I also make sure to ask them if they need any help repositioning/cleaning up patients...patient care comes first. I understand documentation needs to be completed in a timely manner, but allowing someone to sit in a position for hours on end or their own releasings of bowel/bladder are inappropriate and in the long run will only create MORE documentation that needs to be done when they develop a decubitus ulcer! Taking on a more complex total care also frees them up to help some of the other nursing staff on the floor. I agree entirely with what a previous poster stated regarding calling briefs "diapers"; please do yourself and your co-workers a favor and if you are working with the adult population, refer to them as a brief or a liner. The older patients who may require the use of these will appreciate and not feel as if you are calling them a "baby" by using the word diaper. These people still need to keep as much of their dignity as they can, don't take that away from them.
I would like to say that I have mainly positive things to say about nursing; however, I have only been in practice for a year so perhaps my views will change as I become more experienced.
* I love my co-workers! I work straight nights (weekender & 1 day during the week) on med/surg/tele internal medicine floor and our team is so cohesive, everyone is a team player!
* I have been able to pay off debts because of increase of income and go on vacations, as well as saving up for retirement.
* I have learned so much in this first year, and I thirst to learn more!!!
* I have time during the week that if I want to sleep, I can sleep. But I also have time to go to the gym and visit with friends/family.
* Health care benefits are nice to have, I couldn't imagine not having them!
* The sense of being dutiful and being able to make a difference in even one person's life.
Of course there are negatives to every job, I guess I'd have to say difference in personalities of the patients is a big problem...so many people think they are in the hospital and that you as the nurse or nursing assistant OWE THEM something! These are the people you need to set boundaries with and stick to it or they will eat up your staff alive! A little one-on-one chit-chat can really do wonders!
Congrats! As a CNA, you're going to be the backbone of patient care, the patients are going to rely heavily on you for lots of things. It's hard work! I did it for 5 years prior to becoming a nurse. All I can say is, develop good relationships with your co-workers, it makes those crazy nights a little easier to get through! Communication is HUGE, brush up on your norms for VS and don't hesitate to report it to the nurse (like BP on 80/40's, HR greater than 130s, temp greater than 100 or on the flip side, low temps). The unit should work as a team...I currently work night shift on med/surg/tele internal medicine unit and we ALL work together, that's the only way for the unit to run smoothly even when you hit snags in the road! Best of luck to you!!!! Oh, and don't be afraid to ask questions...that's the only way you learn. Time management? That will come with time, try not to beat yourself up...and if you're feeling down, have a buddy at work you can vent to who can help you to calm down when you're stressing!
I'm sorry to hear of your loss, I couldn't imagine the pain and heartache you're experiencing. Perhaps this life-changing event will come in some other form. Just remember to take time to yourself so you can grieve; if there are employee assistance programs to help with your grieving, that may be helpful too. And perhaps, one day your story can help your patients to change their ways. I wish you luck in your grieving...best wishes to you and your loved ones experiencing these hard times!
First of all, I remember being in high school and worrying about the same thing. Then in college, I changed my majors numerous times. People change and mature with time...some faster than others. And with that, some people realize what they're meant to be before others.
The great thing is that you can always start in one area and if you find you're not satisfied with it, then you can change to something else...because you are so young. I started out with my goal of going into Psychiatry...finished all of the pre-reqs and started the core classes, then wanted to be a cop...so then I started taking those classes and completed an Associate's in Police Science. Then I started working in an assisted living facility as a nursing assistant, became State-Tested Nursing Assistant and traveled onto a nursing home. It was then that I finally found my longing for nursing, but I wanted to help more than being a Nursing Assistant. Long story short, it would be faster for me to complete my Bachelor's in Psychology and then complete the Accelerated Bachelor's of Nursing program.
I am VERY satisfied with my decision to become a nurse...and the Psych degree helps too.
This experience is unlike anything I've experienced before...however, since I have had such an interest in Hospice nursing since before I started nursing school and became an RN, I hope I will get to share more of these experiences as I volunteer for Hospice starting this fall. (* denotes name change)
The patient, a woman in her mid-70s, had spoken to the on-coming dayshift nurse *Mary* (my co-worker) about her fears of death as she said, "I believe today is my last day here." Mary came to me to tell of this patient's fears knowing that I have a special interest for those needing end-of-life care. I told her that if she'd like, I would sit with the patient and talk to her, hold her hand and comfort her. A few moments later the call bell went off and the respiratory therapist called for Mary to come to the room immediately. Mary asked me to come along assuming that the patient had passed; but what we and three other co-workers experienced next left us in awe.
As I put on gloves to help the patient become more comfortable; she raised her head up - eyes closed - and spoke to all of us, "WOW! It's just so beautiful...I can't even explain it."
We all leaned in closer as if children listening to a favorite bed-time story.
Mary asked, "Please tell us more about what you are experiencing..."
The patient replied, "I'm not scared anymore." She became instantly calmer and looked much more comfortable than she had been previously. "I am ready to go. There is just such beauty. First I was scared, but now, WOW, there are no words for the beauty. I am ready to go home to heaven."
In that moment, we just looked at each other. Mary and two of our other co-workers stated, "I have never experienced this with a dying patient, this is amazing."
Mary then asked the patient, "if you are ready to go, what are your final wishes? Would you like us to call your family? Would you like us to contact the chaplain? What is your religion?"
The patient replied, "I am Catholic, yes, please tell the chaplain to come quickly as I believe I don't have much time left. My family, tell them to get here so I can give them a hug and tell them I love them; tell them I will wait for them before I go."
I immediately left the room to contact the Chaplain and told her to get to the patient's room STAT. Another co-worked left to call the family and told them to get to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible.
As the Chaplain entered the room, she heard the patient's remarks about the beauty of heaven and how she was ready to pass. Her face grew an expression much like the rest of ours, as she too was in awe at what she was hearing. We all listened and then joined in a prayer for the patient.
About 30 minutes later, the patient said, "I am now ready to die. Once my family gets here and I can tell them I love them, I will go. I know they will be here soon."
Another 15 minutes later the patient's family arrived. We exited the room to allow the patient time with her family. From outside the door we could hear sobs from the loved ones and the barely audible voice of the patient telling her daughter and husband "I love you. I'll be waiting for you." The daughter left the room for a few moments to collect her thoughts and in those last few moments, the husband reported that he took his wife's hand and kissed her on the forehead and she took her final breath.
I had never experienced the death of someone (as well as my co-workers had not) where the patient's thinking and verbalization was so clear within their last hours before death, let alone sharing their apparent visions of heaven. I found it truly amazing that she literally held on until her family could listen to her say "I love you" one last time. It showed me the true power of the human soul and how strong willpower can persevere even in moments before passing on.
When I was preparing for interviews...I did some research at the local library. Check and see if your local library has a program (free to patrons) that helps with improving resumes and interview skills. I found this to be VERY helpful. I also checked out books and reviewed different "snap words" to use throughout the interview to add that little bit of "pizzazz". It was all worth it, I made a good impression and ended up getting the job.
At any rate, it's good to follow-up s/p interviews just to put that little extra buzz in the mgr's ear of your interest in the position.
When I worked in an LTC facility, I used a paper MAR and would make a little dot c my pen as I pulled the med and verified it against the MAR. Once I actually administered the med, I would come back and sign it off. I totally understand how things are different in LTC...but that does not mean it's legal!!! It's unfair to you to jeopardize your license and REALLY unfair to the resident who may suffer from a med error. Best wishes!
Thanks for sharing! I've had my share of Alz residents in the past who were "in labor" or "waiting for the bus because they can't skip school or mom will get after them". I miss them some of their outlandish explanations sometimes. LOL Keep 'em smiling and happy!!
Sounds dreadful and unsafe.
What I would do is to get into contact with Med/Surg unit managers at your facility, if you're in the hospital setting, and express your interest in Med/Surg. Ask about recommendations that would be helpful for a transition. Your psych background will be helpful, as med/surg pts can certainly have their share of psychosocial issues and/or psychiatric diagnoses. I personally have worked med/surg for almost 2 yrs and it seems that on a daily basis we encounter more and more psych issues. Many of our nurses have a difficult time c these pts. Myself having a bachelor's in psych and the BSN have some extra education about psych and can use some of it to help get through the shifts. If you're interested, go for it! Med/surg can be very stressful and demanding, especially when you can have 6-7 quite ill pts with so many different co-morbities and then psychosocial issues. Best wishes!!!
NurseHotFlash,
I hope you find what you are looking for...however, I think that so many nurses are type A...which is why we are so hard-headed. I always tell myself after a difficult shift - did I maintain the safety of the patient? Yes. Did my staff remain safe as well? Yes. Did I do no harm to the patient? Yes. Did I do the best I could despite running into complications with different patients? Yes. If you're answering Yes...then that's half the battle. Being type A can be a real pain in the butt, but I'm sure your patients are thankful for what you've done for them. Most are very understanding that Med/Surg is always going to be a tough field. Best wishes in your endeavors!
i would like to say...i love being a nurse and wouldn't trade it for the world! yes, there are days and perhaps a string of them that are insanely bad, i take time to reflect on my night and what i could do to make it better. reflection is a good way to calm yourself down on the drive home after a rough day or night! i also invested in a small meditation book called "the promise of a new day" by karen casey and martha vanceburg. it's nice to have around when you need a snippet of hope, especially after a long, hard shift. it's not for everyone, but i find it to be helpful to have a small little one paragraph reflection and then i can reflect from there.
this one's for the newbies, or anyone wanting a little extra hope for the day or week. best wishes on a successful future.
march 16th - "within our dreams and aspirations we find out opportunities." - sue ebaugh
[color=#a52a2a]our dreams invite us to broaden our horizons to reach beyond our present goals. they are much more than whims. they are probably much more than whims. they are probably calling us to those opportunities for which our talents have been readied. most of us need this encouragement to attempt new ventures. we've each been invited to this present moment by design. our lives are joined like the titles of a mosaic; none of us contributes the whole of the picture but each of us is necessary for its completion. more importantly, the depth, the richness of the picture in its entirety, is enhanced by our fulfilled dreams. with joy and excitement we can anticipate our frequent aspirations, recognizing them as the guideposts offering directions for our daily travels.
today i will welcome my dreams. they indicate tomorrow's successful ventures.
from the promise of a new day by karen casey and martha vanceburg.
best wishes to everyone, and may you find peace in knowing that as a nurse - you are wonderful and make a difference every day, even if it's not constantly said to you!!
<3 sammi
[font=impact]"oh great one, i come to you to beg a favor...is there any way to get rid of full moons? it was like a [font=impact][font=impact]zoo [font=impact]last night down there in the ed!! "
I know it's a dog-eat-dog world in nursing but I didn't think that meant literally!
I believe that this is an overraction to the max! Although you are stating that you "appreciate" your NAs...it doesn't seem that you appreciate the underlyings of what it truly means to be a nurse. I hate the idea that a nurse only does "this and that"...and the "messy stuff" is for the NA! On my unit, sometimes we run on nights with 1 NA to 34 patients...guess what we do, nurses pick up patients as an "NA". I was an STNA for 5 years, and it was physically HARD work...I also was treated very poorly by some of the nurses and vowed that I would NEVER treat my staff like that or allow it! I put those skills to use to help out my NAs, I take on total care patients when I already have a 6-7 patient load, just so they're not as physically stressed; I also make sure to ask them if they need any help repositioning/cleaning up patients...patient care comes first. I understand documentation needs to be completed in a timely manner, but allowing someone to sit in a position for hours on end or their own releasings of bowel/bladder are inappropriate and in the long run will only create MORE documentation that needs to be done when they develop a decubitus ulcer! Taking on a more complex total care also frees them up to help some of the other nursing staff on the floor. I agree entirely with what a previous poster stated regarding calling briefs "diapers"; please do yourself and your co-workers a favor and if you are working with the adult population, refer to them as a brief or a liner. The older patients who may require the use of these will appreciate and not feel as if you are calling them a "baby" by using the word diaper. These people still need to keep as much of their dignity as they can, don't take that away from them.
Best wishes!
I would like to say that I have mainly positive things to say about nursing; however, I have only been in practice for a year so perhaps my views will change as I become more experienced.
* I love my co-workers! I work straight nights (weekender & 1 day during the week) on med/surg/tele internal medicine floor and our team is so cohesive, everyone is a team player!
* I have been able to pay off debts because of increase of income and go on vacations, as well as saving up for retirement.
* I have learned so much in this first year, and I thirst to learn more!!!
* I have time during the week that if I want to sleep, I can sleep. But I also have time to go to the gym and visit with friends/family.
* Health care benefits are nice to have, I couldn't imagine not having them!
* The sense of being dutiful and being able to make a difference in even one person's life.
Of course there are negatives to every job, I guess I'd have to say difference in personalities of the patients is a big problem...so many people think they are in the hospital and that you as the nurse or nursing assistant OWE THEM something! These are the people you need to set boundaries with and stick to it or they will eat up your staff alive! A little one-on-one chit-chat can really do wonders!
Congrats! As a CNA, you're going to be the backbone of patient care, the patients are going to rely heavily on you for lots of things. It's hard work! I did it for 5 years prior to becoming a nurse. All I can say is, develop good relationships with your co-workers, it makes those crazy nights a little easier to get through! Communication is HUGE, brush up on your norms for VS and don't hesitate to report it to the nurse (like BP on 80/40's, HR greater than 130s, temp greater than 100 or on the flip side, low temps). The unit should work as a team...I currently work night shift on med/surg/tele internal medicine unit and we ALL work together, that's the only way for the unit to run smoothly even when you hit snags in the road! Best of luck to you!!!! Oh, and don't be afraid to ask questions...that's the only way you learn. Time management? That will come with time, try not to beat yourself up...and if you're feeling down, have a buddy at work you can vent to who can help you to calm down when you're stressing!
I'm sorry to hear of your loss, I couldn't imagine the pain and heartache you're experiencing. Perhaps this life-changing event will come in some other form. Just remember to take time to yourself so you can grieve; if there are employee assistance programs to help with your grieving, that may be helpful too. And perhaps, one day your story can help your patients to change their ways. I wish you luck in your grieving...best wishes to you and your loved ones experiencing these hard times!
Welcome!
First of all, I remember being in high school and worrying about the same thing. Then in college, I changed my majors numerous times. People change and mature with time...some faster than others. And with that, some people realize what they're meant to be before others.
The great thing is that you can always start in one area and if you find you're not satisfied with it, then you can change to something else...because you are so young. I started out with my goal of going into Psychiatry...finished all of the pre-reqs and started the core classes, then wanted to be a cop...so then I started taking those classes and completed an Associate's in Police Science. Then I started working in an assisted living facility as a nursing assistant, became State-Tested Nursing Assistant and traveled onto a nursing home. It was then that I finally found my longing for nursing, but I wanted to help more than being a Nursing Assistant. Long story short, it would be faster for me to complete my Bachelor's in Psychology and then complete the Accelerated Bachelor's of Nursing program.
I am VERY satisfied with my decision to become a nurse...and the Psych degree helps too.
Best wishes on choosing your rewarding career.
This experience is unlike anything I've experienced before...however, since I have had such an interest in Hospice nursing since before I started nursing school and became an RN, I hope I will get to share more of these experiences as I volunteer for Hospice starting this fall. (* denotes name change)
The patient, a woman in her mid-70s, had spoken to the on-coming dayshift nurse *Mary* (my co-worker) about her fears of death as she said, "I believe today is my last day here." Mary came to me to tell of this patient's fears knowing that I have a special interest for those needing end-of-life care. I told her that if she'd like, I would sit with the patient and talk to her, hold her hand and comfort her. A few moments later the call bell went off and the respiratory therapist called for Mary to come to the room immediately. Mary asked me to come along assuming that the patient had passed; but what we and three other co-workers experienced next left us in awe.
As I put on gloves to help the patient become more comfortable; she raised her head up - eyes closed - and spoke to all of us, "WOW! It's just so beautiful...I can't even explain it."
We all leaned in closer as if children listening to a favorite bed-time story.
Mary asked, "Please tell us more about what you are experiencing..."
The patient replied, "I'm not scared anymore." She became instantly calmer and looked much more comfortable than she had been previously. "I am ready to go. There is just such beauty. First I was scared, but now, WOW, there are no words for the beauty. I am ready to go home to heaven."
In that moment, we just looked at each other. Mary and two of our other co-workers stated, "I have never experienced this with a dying patient, this is amazing."
Mary then asked the patient, "if you are ready to go, what are your final wishes? Would you like us to call your family? Would you like us to contact the chaplain? What is your religion?"
The patient replied, "I am Catholic, yes, please tell the chaplain to come quickly as I believe I don't have much time left. My family, tell them to get here so I can give them a hug and tell them I love them; tell them I will wait for them before I go."
I immediately left the room to contact the Chaplain and told her to get to the patient's room STAT. Another co-worked left to call the family and told them to get to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible.
As the Chaplain entered the room, she heard the patient's remarks about the beauty of heaven and how she was ready to pass. Her face grew an expression much like the rest of ours, as she too was in awe at what she was hearing. We all listened and then joined in a prayer for the patient.
About 30 minutes later, the patient said, "I am now ready to die. Once my family gets here and I can tell them I love them, I will go. I know they will be here soon."
Another 15 minutes later the patient's family arrived. We exited the room to allow the patient time with her family. From outside the door we could hear sobs from the loved ones and the barely audible voice of the patient telling her daughter and husband "I love you. I'll be waiting for you." The daughter left the room for a few moments to collect her thoughts and in those last few moments, the husband reported that he took his wife's hand and kissed her on the forehead and she took her final breath.
I had never experienced the death of someone (as well as my co-workers had not) where the patient's thinking and verbalization was so clear within their last hours before death, let alone sharing their apparent visions of heaven. I found it truly amazing that she literally held on until her family could listen to her say "I love you" one last time. It showed me the true power of the human soul and how strong willpower can persevere even in moments before passing on.
SJM
Kringe38,
When I was preparing for interviews...I did some research at the local library. Check and see if your local library has a program (free to patrons) that helps with improving resumes and interview skills. I found this to be VERY helpful. I also checked out books and reviewed different "snap words" to use throughout the interview to add that little bit of "pizzazz". It was all worth it, I made a good impression and ended up getting the job.
At any rate, it's good to follow-up s/p interviews just to put that little extra buzz in the mgr's ear of your interest in the position.
Best wishes and good luck!!
When I worked in an LTC facility, I used a paper MAR and would make a little dot c my pen as I pulled the med and verified it against the MAR. Once I actually administered the med, I would come back and sign it off. I totally understand how things are different in LTC...but that does not mean it's legal!!! It's unfair to you to jeopardize your license and REALLY unfair to the resident who may suffer from a med error. Best wishes!
Thanks for sharing! I've had my share of Alz residents in the past who were "in labor" or "waiting for the bus because they can't skip school or mom will get after them". I miss them some of their outlandish explanations sometimes. LOL Keep 'em smiling and happy!!
