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I have had very limited experience/exposure with port-a-caths and Huber needles so I am asking for information. The family member of a friend had a port-a-cath implanted to receive chemotherapy. The patient was admitted to the hospital due to uncontrolled afib and when she was discharged, the nurse left the Huber needle in the port and "dressed" it. After the patient went home she developed a fever of 103 and was readmitted for sepsis. My question is: Is the Huber needle ever left in the port and if it is, how is it capped off? My concern is that our local hospital is extremely short staffed and is using a large number of traveling nurses (more than half the nursing staff is comprised of traveling nurses) and this needle may have not been capped off. There have been many patient deaths due to lack of supervision and/or improper orientation of these nurses. I feel this patient was placed in jeopardy since she is already in a weakened physical state not to mention her immunosuppressed state. What is the usual protocol for a port-a-cath when not being used continuously? I know the procedure will vary by facility, but there has to be some common procedure. Thanks.

While in orientation, if you know that it is not the place for you, by all means, leave. If you see that the facility or policies are not something you can work with, then there is no sense wasting your time, staff time, and facility time going through orientation and dreading every day. I've done it myself and I have no regrets or heartburn for having done it.

I worked in nursing jobs where the patients came to me with all bits and pieces put back together! I could never have survived working in the ER. Of course, wound care was something completely different and I could manage that. I could get through a meal while talking about the most disgusting bedsore I packed. My other issue is the same as many have mentioned here...mucus. Patients with really loose coughs make me gag!!! I can get through suctioning okay, but listening to someone try to cough up a lung is quite difficult for me. I turn my head and support the patient but my insides are wretching!!!

"Karen" doesn't need to share her job choices with anyone. It is her business and maybe she feels people would be asking too many questions. As long as she can keep up with the work demands and the schedules, then it is her business.

Abstinence is the best policy and when society began saying it was okay to have sex outside of marriage and promoting that kind of thinking, the problems only intensified. When I went to school we did not have sex education classes because we knew sex was something special that happened with the right person, sex was not just to have fun or get your name on the school sex roster. Abstinence does not cause abortions, not using some form of birth control causes abortions. There are many women that use abortion as a means of birth control. They get pregnant over and over and go for abortions. Where is the education for this person that killing a growing child is not birth control?? Somewhere these abortion clinics or Planned Parenthood are not doing a very good job of educating the women who use their services.

I guess I am in the minority here. I've never had children, nor do I want any, but personally I would not choose to have an abortion. I know that there are some terrible things that happen in the world where pregnancy may be an end result, but I believe that abortion is in fact, killing a child. Jer. 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you..." God knows us before we are formed in the womb. If the reproductive rights are so vital to women, then I would say, as a woman, that my Constitutional Rights are just as important, yet people are always trying to trample on the 2nd Amendment, which provides me a constitutional right. I would humbly ask that if you are going to comment you refrain from being nasty or argumentative about my comment. I have just as much right to post my disagreement with abortion as anyone who posts their agreement with abortion.

So, he "snapped." Wonder if I could have used that excuse to turn off IV pumps that alarmed every two seconds for a positional IV. No sooner do you reposition the arm and turn to walk out of the room, it goes off again. Now that causes some serious alarm fatigue. Duh, you can't do that stuff!!!! Doctor or no doctor. Sounds like he is in serious need of a psych eval. Glad the nurse is okay. He would have been grabbing his gonads if it had been me!!!

While I am puzzled by so many responses that say to leave it alone, my opinion is different. Enough said. I don't want to set up and argument or get fussed at for my values. If I were you, I would not take this job if it is offered to you. My personal values and ethics would not allow me, in good faith, to knowingly work in a place that does not adhere to policies and procedures designed to properly manage controlled substances. It does not matter whether or not you "know" the employees there, this is not acceptable narcotic wasting procedure. I know there will be some here that will question whether I ever did something not in line with policies and procedures and I will admit, yes, but not when it came to medications or doing something so blatantly wrong. I never did anything that would bring my character into question or put a co-worker into a position of asking them to break protocol or knowingly do something wrong. I refuse to compromise my ethics and morals for anyone.

I agree with many of the commentators. There should be no "enticing" men into the field of nursing. Male nurses tend to go into the specialty areas where there is not as much of a shortage as is seen in med-surg units. The one male nurse commented that he is not compassionate and so he stays on peds. I know there are some compassionate men out there, but for the most part men lack that component of nursing. Actually I believe many female nurses, the newer ones, also lack the compassion that used to be present in nursing. So many people think nurses make big bucks and enter the field for the wrong reason. We don't make big bucks! This push to get more females into the engineering and sciences and men into nursing is crazy. If you have an interest in that field or a calling for that field then pursue it, but don't go into it simply because someone waves a few dollar bills in your face or tells you girls should do the same jobs as men in the science and technology fields. If you have an affinity for it, then go for it. Pay the nurses you now have more money and maybe the turnover won't be so high!!!

Although I was never fired for absenteeism I was placed on a 90-day probation with the "threat" of termination if I called in during those 90 days. As a Type 1 diabetic with severe gastroparesis having to work the night shift was difficult for me. It screwed up my entire system and I often had GI issues. At that time there was no Disabilities Act to protect me . Another nurse who had diabetes and had issues working night shift was provided the opportunity to switch to days despite being a less seasoned nurse and an LPN. I love my career but I believe nurses are expected to go way above and beyond what is expected from any other position. For some reason we are supposed to be superhuman and to not have the same obligations as other working adults. When I worked in a supervisory role I had to apply those ridiculous rules about providing doctor's notes after a certain number of days off, which caused the employee to get out of their sick bed, pay for a bill when they "knew" they were unable to fulfill their job requirements. It also required my constant monitoring of "habitual" absenteeism, such as calling off from work before a scheduled weekend off or the day before a holiday, etc. Nurses do an amazing job and need to be given a little leeway for their own health. Could this also be one of the reasons there is so much burnout??? Hmmmm...

I find it extremely unprofessional for hair to be dangling down in the patient's face, or over food. Hair should always be neat, tidy AND up and off the neckline!!! Off the collar to be exact. No need to make fashion statements when providing patient care.

The best part of being a nurse for me has always been the opportunity to comfort people at a vulnerable time. Maybe it is their first time in the hospital or they are undergoing a major surgery. Maybe it is just sitting next to someone as they are dying. I enjoy just being present for the sick person. Sometimes they just need to talk. I like knowing I make a difference, even for a short period of time, when they are afraid and alone. When someone says to me, "Thank you for being there," or "Thank you for explaining that to me. Now I understand it better." Anyone can learn the technical things, but being compassionate and caring is a gift. Being kind when it may not seem warranted. Loving some of the most unlovely people is what I have done as a nurse. It is not the money, or the benefits, or my fellow co-workers. It is and always has been providing comfort to the people assigned to my care. That to me is the best part of being a nurse. Knowing I have made a difference.

Oh my goodness!!! I am in tears laughing so hard!!! That was just too funny!!! Absolutely priceless!

When I worked on a med-surg unit a patient load of 8 was usual and customary. When I worked night shift in a nursing home it was one nurse for 60 patients with 3 aides, if you were lucky. To me it is totally unrealistic to expect one nurse, sometimes not even an RN to provide adequate care and supervision for 60 patients. Intermixed in that 60 were skilled care patients that requried sepcialized care, trach patients, children with trachs, severe diabetics that required night glucose monitoring, and wound care. Never mind the actual physical care, but there was charting, following up on making sure people were turned and cleaned as well as doing the tasks of changing oxygen tubing, neublizer tubings, doing QA on the glucometers and the list goes on. In 36 years of nursing I never had a 5 patient assignment!!!

I saw this on the news last night and my first thought was, who are the assistants?? If they are nurses then I am totally disgusted that, being patient advocates, they allowed this unprofessional behavior to go on. Worse was that if they are nurses, that they participated in it!!! I don't care what type of facility it is. Doctors and nurses and any medical staff need to be professional at all times. Never mind the distraction of this while operating. I feel these types of procedures should be performed in a hosptial based facility, even if it is an outpatient surigcal center, where the proper emergency equipment is available with properly trained personnel to take care of any emergency. There needs to be some supervision to surgical procedures. Even the simpliest surgery can go wrong in a minute. Look at what happened to Joan Rivers. These people should have their licenses permanently revoked. What I saw was just plain criminal behavior to me. When profit comes before safety then there is something wrong with that picture. Why on earth would you even allow a non-board certified "doctor" and I use that title lightly, to operate on you in a spa setting?? You're setting yourself up for trouble. That office/spa needs to be closed until a full investigation is completed. This doctor should not be allowed to touch another patient.

I was working nightshift on a diabetic renal unit, but we often got various medical cases transferred in from the intensive care units. This one night I had an elderly man who had a stroke and was transferred to our unit during the 3-11 shift. As I was making my rounds one night, I could hear two males voices coming from one of the rooms. I had rounded on my patient to find he wasn't in his bed!! I checked the floor, I checked the bathroom, no Mr.______. I even looked under the bed. My instinct was to follow the quiet conversation and as I approached the other patient's room I could hear, "Move over, c'mon. Move over. I don't have any room!" Another voice responded, "I'm on the edge now!" I began giggling in the hall, composed myself, and entered the room to find my patient in bed with the other one. The poor fellow was confused and thought he was in bed with his wife!!!!! The best part was my patient was the grandfather of one of the nurses!!!!

The patient called because his/her roommate with dementia has been finger painting on the walls with poop!!!!!

In 2016 I presented the concept of Faith Community Nursing in my church. It was approved and I took a course through Eastern Mennonite University on Faith Community Nursing. In Feb. 2017 I was appointed as the Faith Community Nurse for our church and hoped to be able to use my 32+ years of nursing experience and spiritual knowledge in providing care to the congregants. I will soon be completing my Associate of Arts Degree in Theology so I can further help meet the spiritual needs of my community. My problem is that there is little interest by the congregation. No one will attend educational seminars despite saying they are interested. Many of them want to take CPR classes and every time I try to schedule a class no one wants to commit to attending. In a year I have made very little progress other than to provide monthly brochures on various health topics and a few individual counseling sessions, home visits, and blood pressure screenings. I am so glad this physician has been able to make this clinic work and is providing a holistic approach to serve people in the community, mind, body, and spirit. I wish I was able to do even a small part of this.

oops!!!!! Too funny.

I find it rather amusing that there has been so much discussion about "who" cleans up poop! Sorry, but in the old days, from which I hail...the nursing staff, RN's, LPN's, CNA's cleaned up everything and anything. Housekeeping did the disinfecting. As much of the visible soiling was cleaned prior to housekeeping even entertaining the idea of cleaning it up! We also had to clean beds for admissions during the night when housekeeping was not available. I too wonder why on earth did you use "towels" to clean up solid poop? Pick it up with TP and flush it. Or even use a disposable bed pad, pick it up and toss it. I envision more time being wasted over discussing who will clean it up than it would actually take for someone to just get in there and clean it up, not rocket science people. I get rather prickly when I hear and read that nurses have other things to do, more important ways to utilize their time. Well, consider this as part of your shift assessment...how did the patient ambulate? You can actually verify the patient moved their bowels. What color stool did they have? It could go on and on. I'm sorry, to me, it is all just part of the job.

Sorry, I am rather hardcore about this. Even if it was a nurse I knew well, I would not take his or her verbal order for this. At the time you give the medication, if there is no documented order, you have no idea exactly what the order is. Suppose the receiving nurse wrote something different than what you gave??? She would likely throw you under the bus. Besides you would be at fault for giving the medication without an order. All the "what if's" come to mind. What if she forgot to write and transcribe the order and went home? When reviewing the narcotics there would be a dose missing yet no order for it. If the cart noted an override and you were the one signed into it, the responsibility would fall to you. Best practice would be to ask the nurse to write the order first, and then if all was in order, you could administer it. In this day and age of stricter control of narcotics I would not take a risk of putting myself in a compromising situation. Besides, this nurse should have known better!

morte - I did not miss the point about the writer indicating "they" lied about her. We do not know that for a fact. I am not saying this nurse lied about it, but it is a one sided report. If in fact fellow nurses are already lying about her, then maybe the recommendation should be that she go work somewhere else. Good luck though. I have never worked somewhere were my co-workers weren't talking about someone or lying about them. It happens everywhere to everyone at some time or another! Especially the comment about her not helping out. I've heard that a million times. Unless you are actually doing the work for them too many times my co-workers fussed that I wasn't helping them. So I would not read too much into the point of people supposedly lying about this nurse.

It is my professional opinion that no new graduate should ever be hired to work in any critical care location. That means ICU, ER, NICU, etc. A new grad needs to hone his/her skills so that they are sharp and can be utilized at a moments notice. Basic nursing skills, assessments, and techniques need to be fully developed before going to work in such a critical, specialized area. These are fast paced environments that often do not lend themselves to "teaching." Most facilities are short staffed and with the addition of a "new" nurse, with no previous experience, it is frustrating for the staff as well as the new employee. They are working short and now have to train someone who isn't able to pull a full load. They probably don't see that as "help" but a hinderance to them being able to get the work done. I know staff can be rude to new grads, been there, done that, but I think being assigned to such critical areas only fuels that flame. If this IMCU is a bit slower paced then maybe it is a better environment to learn and get prepared for your final assignment in an ICU setting. Look at it as a way to sharpen your skills so that in the end, your patients will receive care from a qualified, well-trained nurse.

When I was actively working in the acute care setting my super power was being able to find venous access in anyone. My primary care setting was diabetic/renal and we had many dialysis patients with poor IV access. I would go in, find a site and viola' IV line was established. I have some co-workers who would say, "She can put an IV in a stick of wood!" I was also known as the "IV Queen," "The queen of 18's," which were my favorite size for IV placement. Back then an 18g was required for blood transfusions, so I typically did an 18 if the site allowed, as a "just in case" scenario.

Dear Treated... I applaud your decision to reinstate your license and re-enter the work force. I understand how difficult it must be to find a job and the frustration you feel. Having worked with several nurses who returned to work after going through addiction treatment it was hard on the staff in the unit because the nurses were limited as to what meds they could be in charge of. We had to cover the gap for the things they could not do. It was stressful to have additional duties assigned to us, but, we did it. Once the probationary period was over, they were allowed to work with no restrictions. I agree with many of the other commentators in regards to finding a job in a non-bedside position. Work your way back into the field in one of those areas and as you build relationships with co-workers and prove yourself (because we all know that is what you will have to do), your references will reflect that you are capable and qualified for the position you may be seeking. Everyone deserves a second chance. No one is beyond redemption and I am sure if you polled the people commenting here, all of us have made mistakes in life. I would not freely share what your past mistake was, unless you were directly asked. Then you can inform your potential employer and include the steps you have taken and any programs you went through to prevent further issues. It is not our place to cast judgment on anyone. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord." I hope you find a job you like and will be successful in.