Mqnurse13

You should do what is best for you, what will make you happy. Work where you feel you will grow and feel like a team. Where you are proud to work. It sounds like you have already decided, and just feel bad about leaving the current place. But at the end of the day it’s your happiness that you need to be concerned with, we are always educating our patients to advocate for themselves and family, well we need to do that too!

I’m 45 and have only 2 years experience, in acute care and one in critical care. I think I can speak for both of us and say we aren’t elderly and we are physically able to handle med surg, acute care, critical care. I know there’s a lot of nurses our age who end up sitting in management jobs and make the rest of us look like we can’t handle it but let me tell you, I run harder and faster than the younger nurses, maybe because I feel I have to prove something IDK, but when I get on the elevator with my way younger colleagues to go home we are all wishing we had a hot bath and ibuprofen no matter the age, we are all in pain at the end of the shift. 50 is the new 30 don’t let the age deter you into what you choose. I’ve not had any issues getting jobs I think I’m young, I feel I’m young I portray I’m young. I even convince myself! Do what you feel passionate about d you’ll be fine. I have no plans on becoming a desk nurse any time in my career. I live in Atl and they are furloughing nurses and pay cuts. I never thought I’d see this day, just keep trying this will pass.

I appreciate the responses. I’m also surprised At all the times on this site how unsupportive we can be. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch”, “I’m amazed you need clarification”. Please to those that can’t be nice when someone is questioning something as a nurse do not go into education. This isn’t the first time on this site that I’ve been afraid as have my nurse friends to post a question on allnurses due to getting attacked or fear our question is stupid. No question especially when giving meds to patients is stupid. We should always be questioning and clarifying with one another and the doctors. If there is even a slight instinct that something is off it should be questioned. again thanks for the responses and we’ve had nurses giving different amounts of the same med orders because of these order so something is wrong. It wouldn’t have been dealt with had I not put my panties in a bunch.

It’s long term care so there’s no pharmacy to check with. The doctor said if he writes two tabs it’s two tabs not the mg I’m just concerned with how it’s suppose to be done and if I can be liable if there is a error if I give two.

Exactly if we don’t understand it it’s a issue. It should state only mg we have enough sense to figure out how tablets based on that. I didn’t stay how many mg each tab are because it changes depending on the patient and order. So if I have 250mg I’d give two and if I have 500mg on hand I’d give 2 seems like there needs clarification.

Thank you that’s what my gut and brains were telling me while the others argued with me about it. It felt wrong and against what I’ve been taught and I questioned it because they were telling me otherwise.

So I just started working at a facility but the medications are written differently than I’m used to. 500mg, 2tabs, twice a day. whats correct 2 250mg tabs or 2 500mg tabs? in hospital setting it always says total mg to be given not total tablets. the reason I’m asking is because the nurse training me says it’s 2 500mg tabs equalling 1000mg. The doctor also verified and said yes 1000mg however all his orders are written like this and I’m uncomfortable with it, it’s confusing and I’m not sure it’s written according to standards? Can I get in trouble for giving 1000mg in this case sense it states 500 mg. I’m not able to clarify every order he’s writing this way, there are way too many. Thanks!

Thank you so much that helps a lot! I think I’m going to have to make a sacrifice no matter what I choose, 12 hour long shifts at a better place or the 8 hour shifts at a not so good facility. Can’t find my exact match down here, Atlanta not so good for geriatric nurses. Tricia, did you enjoy psych nursing, considering that as another option, I’ve always been med surg and geriatrics considering completely switching gears.

I agree with what you guys are saying and I appreciate the perspective I guess I am making judgement based on what you said I too have received patients from these places. So Maybe the better question is how can a nurse manage to work in these facilities if they have to? Or can/should they?

That’s a comment from someone who hasn’t lived or worked down here, I’ve been to these facilities and they do not have caring nurses working at them, I’m not saying I’m better I’m saying I care more from what I’ve witnessed at these facilities so far. I hope your right in this case I really do. It’s been a real struggle in Atlanta nursing homes, look them up they are run terrible that’s true. I’m hoping your right.

So I’ve always worked in the top facilities, I’m a very good nurse, meaning I care a lot about my patients , I have a lot of empathy as a person, like most nurses. However, here in Atlanta there’s a lot of facilities where that seems to be lacking a lot. I need a part time nursing job that the hours are 7-3 2-3 days a week, the only facilities hiring for that have terrible reviews from employees to patients. The pay is way higher at these facilities too for a reason. I start tomorrow but I’m worried can a good nurse handle working in that environment or should us good nurses try to make a difference in a terrible place?

There are different kinds of political issues everywhere. It doesn't matter what facility you work at or where you go you will run into different problems. I've had the racial issues at many facilities here in Georgia, but I've finally found one where that's not the case but then there are new issues that are just as difficult. I have a wonderful team environment now but there's still those few people that make work hell, doesn't matter where you go. There is usually a different culture on every unit so I would just keep transferring around until you find one you can tolerate. That's what I've done.

Im wondering if anyone else at other facilities is crossing this issue. Fall risk patients insisting on privacy in the bathroom and falling in the process. If a patient insists we cannot enter the bathroom and they fall where is the liability and can we insist we have to come in no matter what. Even when the door is cracked and we are right there it doesn't guarantee they won't fall. My patient insisted I leave the bathroom I instructed him to not get up I'd be at the door and I was with the door cracked open he kept telling me he needed privacy and didn't want me to look at him while in the bathroom even though I explained the policy and risk. Of course he ended up falling but luckily didn't get hurt. My manager told me in the future I can't leave the bathroom even if they insist. My question is where is the line with patient rights and what is the policy at your facility. Thanks!

I did hand my keys to my LPN and nurse manager I already know about abandonment I would never do that. The only reason I stayed as long as I did was because I care about my patients. I'm feeling badly for them right now and wish things were different so I could go back. I just found out today the LPn quit today too. I'm going to call my director today and try talking to her, but I know she has been trying her hardest to fix this stuff but the builders/ owners are ignoring her. It's Just upsetting that when everything came crumbling down she was no where to be found and neither was her assistant. I'm so concerned for my patients I'm considering going back because they have no staff now.

No there was a Rn supervisor there and Lpn