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In my facility new grads are not supposed to float for twelve months. Experienced nurses after three months

I was finished with my ADN program at the age of 48.ANd let me tell you , I did not regret it. I had the advantage that when I entered a patient's room, patients automatically trusted me and felt comfortable just because they thought I had been a nurse for many years. Age in this case , can really be helpful, and life experience definitely counts.

I was just selected as Nurse of the Year, and my photo will be placed on a poster in our hospital. QUite frankly I am somewhat embarrassed and nervous about it. I was excited about being selected but now I am scared and dont know what to wear. Has anybody been through something like this? They want to take my picture next week, and I am not sure what to wear. Scrubs - of course. But printed ? Solid colors? What looks good? ANy ideas, friends?

I think you will be fine as a preceptor. I attended a workshop not too long ago, and research shows that the best preceptors , are the ones with 1- 5 years experience.if you have more experience it is harder to remember how hard it is in the beginning and they have a hard time relating to new grads/ new staff in general.If you enjoy your work,are resourceful, positive and patient - you have nothing to worry about.There is quite abit of literature out there that can help you, too.

I really appreciate everybody's input so far.I like the idea in engaging him in some form of work like re-stocking things etc.Will suggest that next time I go to work.He is not at all interested in TV, movies,or Video games. There is no family support. Any more thoughts?

We have a patient on our floor that has been there for over four months. He was admitted with a closed head injury , and as of now is not ready for discharge and there is no funding in place to transfer him to a rehab facility. he is getting increasingly agitated and of course bored, becuase we have barely anything for him to do. he has a sitter all the time, and besides playing cards he just wanders the hallways.At times he is so exhausted , and his feet are swollen, but he just does not sleep.He constantly comes to the nursing station, asking for his "pain pill". it is getting annoying to the nurses, not only the one that has him as a patient, we all are getting "tired' of him. Anybody have any suggestions?

I work on a Trauma Floor and we do not have a standing Alcohol Assessment Tool we use.Quite often we deal with homeless , alcoholic patients and when necessary we give Librium, Ativan per MD order.But it takes at times a while to get the MD's to order something etc. We also serve beer with meals at times. How are you dealing with alcoholic patients in your faciltiy, and could you send me a copy of your assessment tool? I am looking to develop an order set that is Nurses driven for our patients that are struggling with alcoholism.Any help would be great. Thanks to all!

How do you handle the alarm by the IV pumps , when it says: Air in line. Some pumps let you advance it , others don't. I heard one RN say that if the bubble is the size of champagne bubble it will not harm the patient. I had a patient in a panic rip his IV out cause he saw a tiny bubble traveling up his IV line. He was in total panic and thought that once this bubble reaches his blood stream he would surely die. ANybody have any thoughts and rational for me?

When you run a PCA at what rate do you run your IV fluid? Just would like some opinions and rationals, please

We are on the 8 thfloor of our hospital, so we made the "8" out of shaped bones . Which loooks pretty cool.

Where I work we would get a $100 more per month for the certification. The NAON website will fill you in on all the specifics. The test costs around $300 and the (recommended) book another $150. Test itself is hard , I've heard. One of my fellow workers just took it, and passed . Our Unit Manager took it - and failed ---GO Figure!!!

CAn someone tell me how to use the Clinitron Bed> Can I use a chuck on it? It seems too high for a normal person to get in and out. How do I lower it?

I lived there ( in Juneau)for 15 years and it can be a pretty lonely place. Summers are short and there is plenty of rain. Rain comes in so many varieties that you have never seen before, like sideways rain, upside down rain, slushy rain, ice rain - you get my drift.Alcoho and drug use is rampant. Also in case you hate it , it is so expensive to get anywhere by plane. Alaska Airlines has a monopoly and they have no competition, and are charging a fortune. If I was you , I would think this one over.

Your biggest necessity would be a pair of rainboots, or what Alaskan's would call Alaskan tennis shoe's. It rains a lot especailly in Juneau. Weather can be very depressing. But the two weeks of summer are quite beautiful. You also need a four wheel drive vehicle.The city will plow the roads downtown ( where the legislature are) always first, and if you live in the valley , you are screwed, or you might not get plowed at all. Or they plow right after you got done shoveling or snowblowing , and they leave you with a huge wall of snow in front of your house. I have found that the people are quite "cliquey" , Oh gosh is that even a word! Anyway, the transition can be quite harsh for teenagers.The Juneau High school has a reputation for being brutal, especially to newcomers. The most of the staff at BArtlett are Philippinos, and are not welcoming to newcomers either.No Trauma, Their so called CCU/ICU holds 4 beds ! Anything out of the normal goes to Seattle or Anchorage.With ER experience you would be bored stiff there.

I am interested in getting my Ortho Certification.Some RN's on my floor said that it is extremely hard. What helped you the most when studying: A review course?flashcards?study groups?Any other ideas? How long did you study before taking the test?Did you pass the first try? Any help ,suggestions and ideas are helpful. Thanks everybody