Eat Before You Get Here!

Mat Price · May 22, 2004

Have noticed people with psycological problems have the worst kind of eating habits. Again and again have had them tell me they fast from the time they get up in the late in the morning untill early or late evening when they start to binge. At that point they stuff themselves continously with unhealthy foods untill they finally sleep which is usually between 2 and 4am. They then get up the late the next morning or in early afternoon and start the whole thing again. People who are mentally and physically healthy have completely different eating and sleeping habits. When a person tells me they live like this I know they got problems.

OR they are a nurse ... well i gues your right

DOCS RN · May 22, 2004

Ever try just saying "NO"? You don't work in a restraunt. The family is not your responsibility. The patient yes, if it near a mael time or a true diabetic.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · May 22, 2004

The bottle neck is the nursing schools. Here in CA the salaries have gone way up. Many people are trying to get into nursing. We want to help the patients and YES we want the high pay. However I will have to be a super-competitive to get one of those rare slots in a nursing school.
Clearly, there are systemic problems with the health care system. The patients -- even the crazy, egocentric, welfare cheats that you seem to get -- are not the ones responsible for your low pay and bad working conditions.

I have made no comments about welfare cheats, crazy patients, low pay whatsoever in this Thread.

And few Nursing Schools has nothhing to do with the stats of a large percentage of new Grads quiting within 1-2 years post graduation.

There are more than enough nurses in this Country that it has no shortage. Just most of them refuse to go back to work as Nurses because the pay is not acceptable for the conditions.

maturner · May 23, 2004

My favorite is the noncompliant type II with a BS of 356, CC of N/V for who cares how long, and abd pain rated 10/10 who has to eat because they "have diabetes."

rn"Didn't I just finish telling you not to eat until after we finish evaluating your Nausea and Vomiting" pt"It looks like a long wait and I have diabetes. And, its okay I am drinking diet coke!" rn"Yea, thats great but what about the king size candy bar, Cheetos, and Double Whopper your washing down with it." pt "I think I am feeling better now but I want to stay a little while to make sure my N/V doesn't come back" rn "You're kidding me right." pt -slack jaw, blank stare(you know the look) "how long is the wait going to be." rn"Seriously, you're kidding me! I forsee a wait of not less than the remainder of my shift!" pt "Then can I get a taxi voucher?" rn"You're wearing your bus pass around your neck!" pt"Ohhhh, the wait for the bus is to long" rn"Yea, but not nearly as long as your wait to be seen in my ER."

career2 · May 23, 2004

The comments were not from you but they were on this thread. There have been comments about mental illness and various forms of government assistance.

Pay here is over $40/hour for an experienced RN. Thats close to a six figure salary if you work some overtime. How much money does one need even for a really hard job? My sister actually makes less than $40/hour as an MD. She seems pretty happy. She took less money to work in a clinic for poor people. Maybe you could get out of the hospital and find an RN job with better conditions.

I have made no comments about welfare cheats, crazy patients, low pay whatsoever in this Thread.
And few Nursing Schools has nothhing to do with the stats of a large percentage of new Grads quiting within 1-2 years post graduation.
There are more than enough nurses in this Country that it has no shortage. Just most of them refuse to go back to work as Nurses because the pay is not acceptable for the conditions.

ratchit · May 23, 2004

I have made no comments about welfare cheats, crazy patients, low pay whatsoever in this Thread.
And few Nursing Schools has nothhing to do with the stats of a large percentage of new Grads quiting within 1-2 years post graduation.
There are more than enough nurses in this Country that it has no shortage. Just most of them refuse to go back to work as Nurses because the pay is not acceptable for the conditions.

Carolladybelle, take a deep breath and let it go. Career2 hasn't seen the big picture of nursing yet and just doesn't- and won't- get it until he/she has walked in our shoes.

We were all idealistic and aiming for compassionate perfection at one point. Watching the transition from wide eyed "gonna change the world!" to "oh my lord why have nurses let this happen to nursing" is interesting and sad. Let him/her have the idealism he/she will need for a little while longer..

Since I've worn out more than a few pair of sneakers, I can say I am with ya!

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · May 23, 2004

Carolladybelle, take a deep breath and let it go. Career2 hasn't seen the big picture of nursing yet and just doesn't- and won't- get it until he/she has walked in our shoes.
We were all idealistic and aiming for compassionate perfection at one point. Watching the transition from wide eyed "gonna change the world!" to "oh my lord why have nurses let this happen to nursing" is interesting and sad. Let him/her have the idealism he/she will need for a little while longer..
Since I've worn out more than a few pair of sneakers, I can say I am with ya!

I was trying to restrain myself from saying that, but some people do have to learn the hard way, I suppose.

And I would rather not generalize , as the poster has generalized other people's comments towards me.

And it ain't just the hospitals..... that are the problem. Otherwise all those people quitting would be going there, rather than tossing 3-4 years of school to the wind.

Not to mention in the rest of the country nurses are getting paid maybe $15- $25 an hour, and substantial less at clinic work. Those making $40 are certainly not in the majority across the country.

But G-d forbid that established fact cloud anyone's rosy view.

And even $40/hour is not worth :

- Having a visitor, upset that his family member has died, demands that the nurse resucitate the dead body, and when she tries to explain, he proceeds to strangle her with her scope, injuring her. Administration explains that it is understandable as he "was upset".

- Watching your second patient of the week bleed to death in front of you, as their tumor eats a hole in their neck and through the carotid, and while you comfort family, knowing that the patient has Bloodbourne disease, and they initially bled all over your arms and through clothing, that a dementia patient has just bitten/scratched holes in.

- Having an prisoner bite you while you try to draw blood. And the guards at the Bedside refuse to restrain him.

- Taking antibiotics for infected scratches from dementia patients.

- Hearing one patient fall, as you keep another patient from falling out of bed, because MD has ordered a sitter.....but staffing says that you do not need one as you are already "overstaffed. And as idiot administerators having started a "restraint free policy" No restraints. You pray you do not lose your license.

- You and a pregnant nurse position a confused patient for an procedure. The MD gets angry as the patient beats the crap out of the nurses. MD throws contaminated sharps into the field, hitting the patient and both nurses. Patient grabs the pregnant nurse's finger, bends it backwards and breaks it. MD does nothing to try and stop the injury and leaves the room. Nurses clean up patient, and sharps. The next day, he puts patient on isolation for meningitis.

- MD (knowing full well that there are pregnant nurses on floor) , angry that staff will not crush Thalidomide, crushes it and gives it to patient. To heck with aerosolizing the drug to anyone that walks in that area.

- Patient maces tech and roommate when they refuse to let her smoke in her semiprivate room. The tech quit Nursing School after the incident.

- Sitting on a "nonregulation" needle in the room of an known IV drug user...usually shortly after some "friends" came to visit.

- Not getting a (required, time charged for) break for monthes of shifts...or getting off on time.

Sorry my life (as opposed to being crippled, maimed, HIV + per needlestick) is worth more than $40 an hour...

Now please allow us to vent.....one day you will need to vent, also.

Vsummer1 · May 23, 2004

I notice that career2 states that EXPERIENCED nurses in California make $40 per hour. Sorry, not in the part of California that I am from. I am sure that some nurses do make that much, but with much more education than the basic RN and a whole lot more experience and schooling than the majority of RN's.

In California, the cost of a home is more than most nurses can afford.

In California, the wait for school may be long, but once you get out you may find that there are not enough preceptors to train you because the schools are churning out students faster than NURSES want to take on the burden of training a new RN under THEIR license.

I live in California, will graduate and will make HALF OF that $40 AN HOUR. The only ones making that are 20 year experienced charge nurses that DESERVE that wage and have earned it, or the contract nurses they have working d/t the ratios mandated by law who DO NOT train new nurses. As a new grad, I will be happy to make my "measly" $20 an hour and I HOPE and PRAY I can find a $40 an hour nurse to train me, as he/she is worth her weight in gold!

Career2, I am not yet a nurse but I really hope you don't choose nursing as your career because you haven't a clue what the people I aspire to be like do for a living. You did mention a doctor in the family. Perhaps medical training is more what you should be thinking about. I have met many doctors with your superior know-it-all attitude, so you should fit right in with them.

Forgive me for being so negative, but I find the nonsense this person is spewing is getting to me.

(edited for brain fart spelling error)

susi_q · May 26, 2004

vsummer: we'll be glad to add you to our "little club" - sounds like you will be able to give your best, and keep your wits, and come back for more. (Hope you get a great preceptor, by the way)

career2: please open your eyes. Most of us care about our patients more than we do our own well-being (no other explanation for all the s*** we take). However, we also recognize that in order to remain sane, we need a place to vent. To get it off our chests, and know others have the same frustrations, somehow makes it better when time to go back and face it again. Give us a break!!!! Like it or not ... we're human.

Also, don't start taking on debt in expectation of a $40/hr salary ... let alone a "6 figure annual" - not for new grads - only for when you are experienced enough to take on even more of the crap as a manager or traveller (which can get downright dangerous).

rn500 · May 27, 2004

Holy Moly Carolladybelle, where have you worked, Attica? You HAVE been through the ringer!

As for the thread, I work in OB and we get the same stuff. Again, it's not a truly needy/hungry/not NPO pt that we mind feeding, it's the family members who come to bed down for the night with the pt and think we are waitresses in our spare time. I truly am stupified at the attitude some people have about hospitals. The day OB units changed to open visiting was a truly sad day. Now, before the flames start, you KNOW I'm not talking about responsible daddies and grandparents who keep control over their 2 year olds and don't let their children scream, run up and down the halls, crawl on the filthy floor, ask us for juice every 5 minutes and crush saltines into every nook and cranny they can find. And I'm not talking about the supportive sister or friend who brings a couple bucks to feed themselves, I'm speaking of the baby daddies who show up with 49 cents in their pocket and no one to call for a ride/food/whatever, their buddies who come to visit "Shawna" but don't know her last name, the 3 little sisters of the 16 year old pt, grampa who is diabetic and must have a sandwich while he is here, and assorted cousins, aunts and uncles who think we are a corner convenience store.

PHEW! I needed that! Thanks.

Did I mention the guy who HAD a corificeat for his kid, but since he knew we gave them away for free if needed, could he have one?

Ummm... NO! I had to count to 10 on that one.

veetach · May 27, 2004

wow what a thread! I have a couple of questions though... WHERE on earth are staff RN's making $40 per hour??? I want to move there!!

Here in PA, agency/travelling RN's can probably make close to $40/hour, but they are driving sometimes 75 mi (one way) to a hospital to work. I currently work in the 2nd highest paid hospital in the entire state, and I am getting just shy of $29/hr (including differential, not including charge pay) and I have been nursing for 10 years and in the ED for 7 1/2.

I used to live and work in California, the wages are not nearly high enough for the cost of living.

One more thing, feeding dinner to someone who is going to be discharged is not my priority. My diabetic patients in the middle of a long workup or patients who are going to be admitted after 6:00pm (who will miss dinner trays on admission) are the ones we worry about feeding. We have a Taco Bell on one side of our hospital and a Hardees on the other, everyone else can stop by for fast food after discharge.

RNin92 · May 27, 2004

You know it amazes me that no matter what the start of a thread...someone always comes around to finger pointing and telling the ER nurses to "find another career". And that person is NEVER an ER nurse. (Thank God!!!)

career2...want can I say that better nurses than I have already said to you?

Hmmmmm...how about lighten up and think career number 3..cuz nursing ain't gonna be right for you my friend.