Phoenix1963

When I was younger I usually got a warning when they found out of was a nurse. Had 2 tell me they don't ticket nurses. But I've also had others not even blink when they ask where I work and I say I'm a nurse. So I think that yes, sometimes it helps.... but not always.

I am an admissions nurse and we are expected to complete 2 each shift. We don't use Allscripts; we use another program created just for our company. I've been doing computerized admissions approximately a year now and it depends on the admission. I have done 2 in 6 hrs, 2 in 9 hours and 3 in 9 hours, but it was affected by the complications in the case. I'm fortunate in that my medical directors have Egan and can send c2s from anywhere, but I still may have to spend another hour just charting after doing the bare minimum paperwork (plus activating optum, calling in meds, et cetera)to get them admitted. I hate having to rush, but sometimes you don't have a choice. And if something is shortchanged, it's going to be the paperwork over the patient teaching, assessment, all the important stuff. I only get frustrated when I'm also on call that night and have to make visits instead of completing my admissions. There are times I miss the paper admissions because when I have to chart on paper then transcribe to the computer it feels like wasted time.

I have never worked at a hospice like that- and I wouldn't. I can remember when some pharmacies refused to accept a faxed C2 from our medical directors at all, or if they did we had to bring them the original within 24 hrs. And that was in 2011. I have called and asked pharmacists to call me if they DON'T get a C2 from my doc, but I never ever call in C2 refills. I worked too hard for my license!

I thought the same, but we had an alert patient using one due to an esophageal stricture. She said it wasn't uncomfortable, and it only had to be replaced once. If your patient is able to eat (therefore ensuring bowel movements), it's probably not a good choice, but we were able to keep her comfortable and hydrated without a PEG when she couldn't swallow.

When I was younger I usually got a warning when they found out I was a nurse. Had 2 tell me they don't ticket nurses. But I've also had others not even blink when they ask where I work and I say I'm a nurse. So I think that yes, sometimes it helps.... but not always.

My weight tripled at age 3 with no changes in activity or intake. My pediatrician told my mother not to worry, I was about to have a growth spurt. Im 53. I'm still waiting. I was on the first liquid protein diet at age 8. That stuff was so nasty I would pour it out rather than gag it down and drink water to try to feel full. I was on Adkin's when it came out, then pritikin's (sp?), weight watchers, sweating to the oldies, whatever was the diet du jour, my mom and doctor put me on them. I lost weight on each one, but gained back more. And I was an active kid- played sports, swam on the swim team until the coach cut me because he only wanted winners (yes, he told me that. At 13 years old). In high school I played softball and soccer. When I was 16, I suddenly dropped 80 lbs, again with no change in eating habits or activity. When it started to come back, I went back on a diet, eventually eating nonfat yogurt 100 calorie servings 3 times a day. No soda. It still came back. I was crushed. In my late 20's I wanted to see an endocrinologist, but I had an HMO. Before I was referred to an endocrinologist I was referred to a dietician. She put me on an 800 calorie diet that I stuck to for a YEAR without losing weight. I lost it and demanded a referral to an endocrinologist when after more than a year my dietician looked me in the eye and said, "Have you considered giving up ice cream?" I lost it because I hadn't had ice cream, baked goods, bread, chocolate or anything with added sugar (When I moved to a new state I got copies of my records. She never believed I was sticking to my diet). I got my endo referral and was started on thyroid meds. Using essentially the same diet (I let myself have 900 calories sometimes) and joining a gym where I worked out 7 days a week for 2-3 hrs/day (1.75 hrs/day just on a stair master because that burned 1500 calories alone) and I lost 100 lbs. Then I moved back to Texas. I couldn't find a gym with the same equipment (cheaper stair masters hurt my knees after only 30 minutes), my job required an hour each way commute and I got an upper respiratory infection and had to take a break from working out. The weight started coming back. I gained back 130 lbs. Then I noticed I was gaining 8-10 lbs yearly even though I was active and did not overeat (yes, I'm sure because most of my male friends would ask why I didn't lose weight since I didn't eat as much as everyone else they knew). I had to do something. When I gained 15 lbs trying to low carb and lose weight before my wedding I started looking at WLS. On the day I had my duodenal switch, I weighed 420 lbs. I lost to 270 and it stopped. Since that wasn't normal for the DS, I was working with my surgeon's office- I submitted food diaries, water diaries, was told I "wasn't eating enough," or was "drinking too many sugared sodas(I wasn't- I'd been told not to)." Finally my surgeon admitted that instead of a distal bypass, he'd given me a proximal bypass. But he didn't believe in revisions, plus I lost 100 lbs so I was a success. I kept it off until 18 months ago when I was put on creon due to vitamin deficiencies (while taking bariatric vitamins). I gained 30 lbs in 2 weeks with no change in eating habits. I asked if this was normal. She told me not to worry about it. When I gained another 20 and my labs were unchanged, I stopped taking it. I worked on the vitamin deficiencies with my endocrinologist and went to a hematologist for iron infusions and learned that I'd been given the wrong form of iron to absorb it. Long story short, if CICO was always successful I should be rail thin. Instead I'm back to 315-320 lbs and it doesn't change whether I eat or not. Plus I can't work out like when I was young because I have a torn meniscus in one knee and OA in the other. I eat salads and fresh foods. I do buy ice cream sometimes, but it has stayed in my freezer for 6-8 months. While I do not regret the surgery, I regret my choice of surgeon and I wish someone had told me that FeSO4 was the wrong type of iron for me (FYI, if you've had wls, take polysaccharide iron). Tell me again how I'm fat just because I eat too much or the wrong foods. If you were right I never would have needed wls in the first place. You have no idea how insulting it is to be told that you "just don't care" or "have no willpower" and that's why you are fat. If I didn't care I'd probably be on disability and weigh 700 lbs by now.. and eating a lot more junk food! And no, I didn't do this because I had diabetes or HTN or heart disease- I had no health issues except excess weight when I had surgery. I was trying to save my knees and be able to stay active. Fortunately my patients dont don't judge me by the size of my behind.

I was a new nurse 20 years ago; was that in place then? At any rate, she was my teacher, and my unit manager was my supervisor. It was a transplant unit with national prominence and I was promoted to the ICU once I completed my orientation, so I guess she did ok. Indeed, but miles of initials and education means nothing if despite your education you are not good at your profession. Scope of practice is legalese; actual practice is reality, and I've met and dealt with poor RNs many times. Apparently those initials did not teach them all they needed to be a good nurse. I've met poor LVNs too, but I've met many excellent ones as well.

Not true. The older nurse could have refused 2 students; instead, she accepted the assignment and did not even TRY to do a good job. She was rude. Period. Having precepted for years I always had a choice to take more than one student. You all keep making excuses for the older nurse. If this is how you accept assignments too, then perhaps you should consider not taking any students. Again- Professional Integrity. Get you some.

Was that in effect 20+ years ago? I didn't think of her as my supervisor; she was my teacher and peer. And my unit manager was my supervisor; she signed off on my orientation paperwork. If it was wrong, I don't regret it- she knew more than most of the RNs on that floor and I learned a lot of practical aspects of my job. She must have dont something right- I was moved to the transplant ICU once my full orientation was completed and that was a merit based move. And yes, I understand that the scope of practice is determined by the initials, but you can have a mile of initials and still be a very poor nurse. I stand by my statement.

So why are you attacking the OP when her preceptor failed at her assignment?

I understand your feeling offended. I have a BSN, but on my first hospital job I was allowed to choose my preceptor. I chose the one who had the most experience and was willing to explain things to me. My boss's first words: "you do realize she is an LVN?" Yes I did- but she was the best choice in my eyes, and I never regretted it. The quality or professionalism of a nurse is not determined by the initials after the name on the badge- I've had LVNs and ADRNs that I would trust with my life, and BSNs that I wouldn't let care for a healthy pet. A good nurse is a good nurse, period.

I knew I'd get this. And yet you all say the OP is wrong about nurses eating their young. Not the OP. I'm in Texas. I've been a floor nurse, a hospice nurse, a case manager and a DON. I've written a blog about my hospice nurses for 10 years. And all I have to say about most of the replies here is that the lot of you have forgotten professional integrity. If you accept an assignment, you accept it as a professional. You do the job professionally. Politely. If she could not handle 2 students she should have said so. So get over it and realize that some nurses should not teach. Period. She accepted both students and failed at the assignment, period.

I completely understand what the OP is saying and I agree- that nurse should not have been teaching student nurses. I have taught and oriented and mentored from my first hospital job. Yes- the brand new nurse had nursing students because the experienced nurses rebuffed them and wouldn't accept them. It was ********. And all of these critical comments sound just like what I experienced from my coworkers- excuses. That nurse had 3 patients. 3. THREE. She was not too busy. She was too lazy, disinterested, whatever. Nurses DO eat their young. Accept that and move on. Yes, this article was about HER NEEDS- she was the STUDENT. Writing about HER PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES. That kind of is expected if she is writing about what she personally experienced. How was she able to know what the preceding nurse thought? All she experienced was her actions. As such I don't see how all of these experienced psychic nurses know her account is unreliable. As a preceptor I have never been forced to take a student. I was asked. I knew I would have students. This was not a surprise. She just did not want to be bothered.