Latest Comments by Calabria

Calabria 4,377 Views

Joined Mar 3, '11 - from 'U.S.A.'. Calabria is a R.N.. She has 'Always looking to learn!' year(s) of experience and specializes in 'NICU, OB/GYN'. Posts: 119 (61% Liked) Likes: 289

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  • 0

    Nothing, really.

    I am working. My partner and I live nowhere near our families. All I want for Christmas is to move back home, which is a gift that I know that I won't get for a very long time, if at all.

  • 0

    I graduated in December 2010 with $60,000 in student loan debt. That was between 2 different Bachelor's degrees, and in spite of going to the school with the most value available to me. It was not ideal, but I had little help from my parents, and I worked 3 jobs through my first degree to try to offset costs. When I took out my loans, I knew what my monthly payments would be in relation to my monthly earnings, and I knew that I wouldn't be struggling every month to survive. And it's true: my partner and I live comfortably, we have a healthy savings account and retirement funds, and we should have all student loan debt wiped out within the next 2 or 3 years.

    I now have $30,000 of debt left, after working only 3 years, because I make extra payments on my loans, which enables me to pay them off early. It's painful to think that I could have had $30,000 in the bank if I went to school for free, but that wasn't an option for me. I would not have taken out more debt for my education if I had to, though. $100,000 is way too much money... some people in my class did take out that much money. I'm not sure what their financial situations are like, but if they are anything like mine, they must have a hell of a time making ends meet every month.

  • 2
    gcupid and Joe V like this.

    More than once, I've tried to badge into my apartment building with my work ID.

    It leaves the people at the front desk very amused.

  • 5
    Bortaz, RN, monkeybug, sharanza930, and 2 others like this.

    Quote from lub dub
    Calabria-

    So are you saying that RT was to blame for this?
    No, that's ludicrous. I'm saying that the signs and symptoms of the bleeds were first noticed immediately after suctioning. My point, like Bortaz, is that we shouldn't be exposing micropreemies to unnecessary interventions that heighten their risk of complications such as bleeds. Excessive suctioning is one of these interventions. We have no way of knowing when the bleeds definitely happened, but they first manifested right after suctioning.

  • 4
    Bortaz, RN, sharanza930, wooh, and 1 other like this.

    I'm currently laughing at this thread. Especially at the people (who don't work in NICU) that are aghast that NICU nurses take such ownership of their patients. Babies are not little adults. And it's not just instillation of NSS that's against evidence-based practice; suctioning when there's no REASON to suction (e.g., nothing in the ETT, clear breath sounds bilaterally) is harmful to micropreemies.

    Just a story to share with you all: I once had one of my micropreemies die after suffering massive pulmonary hemorrhage and brain hemorrhage. It coincidentally happened after RT suctioned her. When I left her, nothing was in her ETT and her lung sounds were quite clear. She was doing wonderfully when I left, and was weaning from respiratory support. When I came back 12 hours later, she was maxed out on respiratory support, seizing, in DIC, and her sats were in the toilet. Respiratory therapy and I negotiated a game plan as soon as the shift began so that handling would be minimized. I managed to keep her alive through the night, but she passed away a few hours after my shift.

  • 8
    Satori77, CountyRat, Carpediem1012, and 5 others like this.

    I prefer the term "assertive" to the term "tyrant".

    Neonates can't advocate for themselves. They need somebody who's willing to do it for them. I've gone so far as to threatening to call the department chair at 3 AM (after exhausting all other options) because I've vehemently disagreed with an infant's plan of care, and I was concerned that my patient was actually going to die.

  • 2
    brattygrl and CosmicHymns like this.

    Regarding scenario one, if the doctor wrote the order in accordance with standards set by the Joint Commission, she would've written it as "1 gram" instead of "1.0 grams", if that's what she really wanted. Adding ".0" leads to increased risk of error.

  • 3
    SnowShoeRN, duckyluck111, and SoldierNurse22 like this.

    Why should any nurse put 2 lives at risk by exposure to an infectious disease, as opposed to one? If possible, spread out the patients in isolation to the non-pregnant, non-immunocompromised nurses and call it a day.

  • 2
    LonestarJulieRN and duckyluck111 like this.

    I hope that some of you aren't my coworkers.

  • 0

    My employer gives us the option to say that we don't wish to float if we sign up for overtime, and it's noted by scheduling. If a float is needed when our overtime shift rolls around, then our shift gets cancelled.

  • 1
    bagface likes this.

    I'd report them to the Department of Health.

    And anybody who listens, really.

  • 1
    SoldierNurse22 likes this.

    Quote from brandy1017
    It just parallels the general obesity epidemic in America and the world; and the truth is all the knowledge in the world and most people can't lose weight! So many factors involved, some changeable, others not, and new research showing the plastics, chemicals and pesticides etc are contributing to the problem. Estrogen contaminated waters from all the women on birth control, and now microplastic that fish are ingesting from "exfoliating" skin cleanser that drains into the water system; and they don't plan to stop using this known contaminant till 2015! Do your part and avoid these "exfoliating" cleansers made out of microplastic. Choose natural such as plant based exfoliators! This world is crazy! How did they think this wouldn't be harmful to the environment!

    Don't gain weight if you have a choice because once you do it is almost impossible to lose, save for drastic measures like the extreme loser or gastric bypass. Even then you are in a constant struggle not to regain the weight.

    So why do you care so much about the weight of others?     Why do you feel the need to judge others? It is a disease and no one in their right mind chooses to become obese! Aside from the increased medical risks, a person faces a lifetime of social stigma and discrimination. Count yourself lucky if you are one of the thin ones because it could always change! You never know what the future holds!
    I care when it, like any other medical condition, affects my coworkers' abilities to function and perform as an effective member of our nursing team. If you can't train to be the charge nurse, and I have to do more often, because of a medical condition, perhaps it's time to go to a doctor and evaluate options for treatment. Or perhaps it's time to evaluate your lifestyle choice and your career.

    I would do the same for myself and any medical condition I have if it were impacting my job and my coworkers.

  • 16
    Penelope_Pitstop, jmiraRN, Sunnysleeper, and 13 others like this.

    I'm personally dealing with some anal glaucoma right now.

    I.e., I can't see my ass going into work tonight.

  • 0

    I didn't do anything nursing/NCLEX related.

    I enjoyed lunch with my best friend at our favorite restaurant. We enjoyed a couple of alcoholic drinks. I spent the rest of the day enjoying time with my family. I showered, pulled out my favorite outfit for the test (because I'm a big fan in looking good when you need the confidence to do something well), and went to bed early.

    It took me a little over 60 minutes to pass my test. My test shut off in 75 questions.

  • 3
    not.done.yet, evolvingrn, and serenity1 like this.

    Quote from MessyMomma
    As a charge nurse on a med/surg unit during the 7p shift, I am guaranteed to hear this at least one time each shift.
    Yes, it's a busy shift; yes, I know you have another 4-5 patients; yes, I know Mr. Johnson needs his dressing changed and Mrs. Conner needs her PRN Norco...but it's your turn. You're up, everyone else has had an admit.
    It's a simple fact on our floor--patient come to hospital; s/he is ill or has a surgical procedure planned;
    s/he is needing to be admitted; each admission needs a nurse. What is so hard to understand.
    I help "my" staff lots with admits. I open and set up the room (if our aides are busy). I get all the stuff ready so you don't have to hunt for it--IV pole there; O2, Flowmeter, Christmas tree ready; tele monitor and leads there; admission kit on table; wound care supplies there if needed; NG tube or oral suction ready and waiting. And I'm gonna be in the room, so if there's something missing, I'll run and get it.
    I help get the patient settled in and grab the orders.
    I put the chart together, enter the orders, write out the MAR's, fill out the home med sheet and immunization sheet--if I can. The only thing I HAVE to do is put the chart together and enter the orders. The rest I do to help
    So basically the RN/LVN gets the patient in bed, assesses him, connects any tubes/lines, then take the completed paperwork.
    If there's any problems, I'll call the doc. I won't leave anybody hangin.
    So that admit really wasn't that bad--half your stuff (paperwork) is done, your room was set up appropriately, all your orders are in.
    I can't make it easier than that--do the computer assessment and care plan and you're done. (I do the computer stuff too, about 50% of the time).

    Why is it such a big deal to get an admit? Why do you have to **** and moan about it? Why are you arguing that "it's not fair" or "it's not my turn"?

    Put your big girl panties on, hush your mouth, and take the patient!

    Thank you for letting me VENT!!!
    1. I have another perspective. I work in a different environment than you (NICU), but if we walk in and see that the assignment is unsafe, we call management/in-house supervisors to tell them that we're formally objecting to working under such conditions. And we fill out paperwork saying so, and submit it to our union. Which leads me to #2...

    2. We complain because if we admit, and we feel that our assignment is unsafe, it puts our patients/licenses/careers at risk. It's not fair to the patients, it's not fair to their families, and it's not fair to any of us.


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