Latest Comments by Savvy20RN

I gained about 30 lbs on nights working 12 hour shifts so I never quite figured it out. I tried eating breakfast before work and eating 'dinner' before going to sleep, but I started having really bad acid reflux and was popping antacids like crazy. After 2 years of that I'd had enough. Miraculously, after I started working days again that weight disappeared on its own. I did nothing different other than eating breakfast in the morning and eating dinner a few hours before going to sleep. Although I'm sure not going to sleep right after getting home on days helped too. I agree with the one poster who stated that you'll never be at 100% on night shift. I tried and failed. My body just couldn't handle it.

I would say pharmacology. Med surg was tough because of the skills that had to be learned, but pharm was hard because there was no easy way for me to memorize all of those medications, contraindications, adverse effects and side effects. That class was pure memorization while the other classes were not. I did well in the class, but I had flash cards EVERYWHERE. Haha.

Do physician's not round on patients daily? Why didn't the family bring up their concern to the doctor during rounds if they believed that their family member wasn't being properly taken care of? When I worked med surg family members bombarded the physician with questions. I also agree with the poster who asked why the physician wasn't assessing the chest tube themselves. They put the tube in. Shouldn't they check it during rounds as well? I'm not saying nurses shouldn't do their jobs, but why aren't the doctor's doing theirs?

I could have written this post word for word when I was in nursing school. I also had a nursing instructor who was tough/condescending, etc. Nothing I did pleased her. I was also very timid in nursing school but being in her clinical group broke me out of it. I think students need a balance between the tough instructors and those that are nice and make you feel confident in your abilities.

Honestly, I learned more from nice instructors who taught skills in a calm way rather than in an abrasive fashion. When I did something wrong they told me and I improved. I wasn't afraid to ask them questions for fear of being belittled. Sure, I also learned from the tougher instructors because I was terrified of NOT retaining what they taught. I think there should be a balance. Instructors shouldn't feel like they have to kiss your behind and give you a gold star for doing something you should know how to do...especially in your senior year. But they shouldn't make you feel stupid either. Nursing is tough and students should know that their mistakes and short comings (even being shy) could harm a patient. I just don't think a nursing instructor's presence should invoke fear in their students to teach them nursing.

I agree with SmilingBluEyes. Talk to someone about it. I wish I would have upon graduation, but I was so glad to get out of there I didn't really care about expressing my opinions to a program I had no intentions of returning to. I think you'll do fine. Do your work, pass your classes, don't give her a reason to fail you. If your instructor hasn't found a reason to kick you out you're probably doing fine. If her only issue with you is your 'lack of initiative,' and not 'you're lack of critical thinking and issues with patient safety, etc' I'd work hard, get in there and learn like you're doing and keep it moving.

I'd love to live in a world where doctors did complete patient care and us nurses just walked around and 'looked' busy. I love Greys Anatomy. I'm enjoying the crazy story lines, but I really wouldn't base my opinion of nursing on what you see on that show or any other show for that matter. I've been told by patients that they didn't realize just how much nurses did. I can't say all patients respect nurses. Heck, there are some nurses I don't respect either. There are also some doctors I dislike. That doesn't mean I dislike or disrespect all doctors. You're going to hear bad things about nursing and those opinions will stick out above the good. Don't take it to heart. You know what nurses are capable of. Only your opinion matters at the end of the day.

Ask her what her nursing license number is. That'll shut her up.

Never failed any courses in college. Passed NCLEX on the first try with 76 questions.

I've found that those who ask the most questions during report are the ones who want you to spoon feed them their assessment so that they don't have to actually do one at the beginning of the shift. Most of what is asked can be discovered simply by doing a head to toe physical assessment. I started off hating bedside report, but when I realized that the questions during report decreased when the next nurse actually looked at the patient, I started to like it a tiny bit. There's always going to be that nurse who nitpicks though. No floor is complete without one. Don't take it personally.

I completed 2 years of med surg on an ortho floor as well. I got tired of the management issues, understaffing, mean patient/families etc of the hospital and decided to try my hand at something else entirely. I now work in Public Health and I love it. The pace is slower, the patients are nicer and I actually feel like I'm making a difference.

I loved med surg at first. I did my preceptorship on the floor I worked on. My coworkers were amazing but they were all leaving for various reasons. My floor had a high turnover rate. I believe 30+ people left before I did. I stuck around because I loved the people I worked with but when they left I didn't see a reason to stick around in a job I no longer liked. I now work 8-5, M-F with no weekends or holidays. I actually get to take a lunch and go to the bathroom when I need to.

It's the little things!

I girl I used to work with had palpitations while working on our med surg floor. She went to the ED and had an EKG done that night and her results were abnormal. A few weeks later she quit and started working in PACU. She loves her job and the palpitations went away.

I also left my job on the floor due to increasing medical conditions (as well as other factors. i.e management). I would wake up feeling sick to my stomach. I popped antacids like candy. I gained almost 20 pounds while working nights because my eating schedule was off. I had lower back pain before I started the job and walking the floor, pulling patients up in the bed, etc only made it worse. I was anxious all of the time. My heart rate would stay in the 90s-100s during my entire shift. My bladder is still recovering from only taking one bathroom break a shift. I even had high blood pressure. I thought about getting on anxiety and depression meds at one point. I knew then that I had to leave.

Since leaving that job I feel better. I have more energy. I couldn't be happier.

That depends on the floor you'll be working on. There are different skills for Ortho versus Neuro or Oncology. While working on Ortho for two years I did all of the following:

Foley Insertion
IV insertion
NG tube placement
Remove PICC line
PICC drsg change
Removed JP, Hemovac drains (emptied them as well)
Wet to Dry dressings, Dry dressing changes
Suction Pt.
Rectal tube insertion
Hung blood...(I did this ALOT)
Hung TPN, PPN, Lipids
Wound vac drsg change
Setting IV pumps/PCA
Blood glucose checks
Giving meds via all routes (PO, IM, IV, Topical, rectal, SQ)
Setting up over head trapeze
Make sure you know your general head to toe assessments.

The list goes on and on. You'll learn all of this on the job so don't be alarmed. The nurses on the floor should be willing to help.

I took your post like Esme did as well. If she wanted to get rid of you she'd just fire you. If my manager was willing to help me find a better job I'd gladly let her. She's helping you make the transition smoother. It really is a compliment! Can't wait to see how this turns out.

I used scripting once in the hospital and my patient laughed at me. I never used it again.

This one: "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? I have the time!" bothered me the most. I NEVER had time and I was lying when I said I did. The patient knew I was lying. They watched me dart up and down the hall for 12 hours nonstop.