Simba&NalasMom

If the g-tube itself is a 16 French or larger, that should be plenty big enough for the granules to pass through. Is it the extension tubing that's getting clogged? If so, you can try to use a bolus extension tube which is quite a bit wider. Most insertion kits come with one. You could also try a 10cc syringe directly inserted into the button. Otherwise switch to suspension and thin it with water, as previously mentioned.

Oof... That sounds like false documentation to me! Might not be a bad idea to inquire with the board of nursing and contact an attorney. Yikes.

Sure do appreciate all your labor in keeping us all updated. ❤️

I'm convinced the nurses who designed HCHB are the same mean girl psycho bullies that we have all worked with at one point or another. There's simply no other explanation. As a home health LPN, I spent more time charting than I did with my patients. And I do not whip through my visits. One of the office RNs at this agency told me that three other LPNs quit just over the charting.

I was voice typing.

I have my doubts although DeSantis has announced that the state is allocating $79 million to existing programs to try to help with the shortage. My worry is that there are many more diploma meals in Florida who are all too happy to cut themselves a big slice of that pie.

Yeah that response was probably mostly my ADHD talking after my meds wore off that day. I am not a mean person and would not literally speak to patients like that. But I would definitely try use some tough love with some of the more frequent flyers. At the same time I guess it's a good thing I'm not a school nurse because I just can't with these high maintenance people. I'm not here to give you the damn Disney treatment. I'm here to take care of your health.

I have worked for four different home health agencies off and on since 2008. Every single one has been problematic. Schedulers never know what they're doing, there is high turnover with management and when that happens many times management brings their own people in. Out of the half dozen or so managers I have worked with I have had exactly one who has been supportive. Yeah what you're dealing with is probably fairly typical. Edited to add that I see I commented almost a year ago. A year ago I was still giving other agencies chances. I've given up at this point they all suck.

I work in a nursing home with many individuals with dementia and mental health. Same deal. If I or the aides do not see it, they're getting ginger ale and crackers until we do.

Bingo. I have been traumatized and abused many times throughout my career. But there have been many many more kind coworkers than not.

LPNs ARE nurses and we do know everything "nurses" know. Sometimes even a bit more. Dude seriously. ?

Good grief! There are many reasons an individual may display a lack of empathy, and ASPD/sociopathy are a couple of the more far-fetched ones. A family member is the most inappropriate individual to make that determination, even if they are a qualified diagnostician. And on a personal note, that family member sounds toxic and may well have some profound issues of their own and could be projecting. Find yourself a professional and get evaluated.

I work in long-term care and I work the floor and it definitely would be if I did. I'm sure it depends on the scenario though.

This comment answered every single question I had that the CBS and ABC breaking stories did not answer. Thank you so much!

I'm thinking that these schools had accreditation at the time that this fraud was going on. The schools are all closed now according to the papers. I'm assuming that the individuals who did this did so without the knowledge of the school administrators but who knows? It's definitely going to be a long and messy investigation. Delaware has already annulled 26 licenses and I hope the other states act as quickly.

Pfft. Why are you so worried about a bunch of manipulative little stinkers trying to get the better of you? That's their job. Especially the ADHDers. You don't gotta be nice to a little *** who's trying to take advantage of your kindness. That in itself would piss me off. I mean you don't have to be a dick, either... "Sorry, kiddo, you don't have a fever and nobody saw you throw up. Here's some Pepto (if you're even allowed to dispense OTCs to kiddos these days). Back to class with you. Come back if it happens again and somebody sees it."

I read that many of these "students" were already CNAs and looking for a shortcut to licensure. They knew exactly what they were doing but so far nobody has taken action against them. This inordinately pisses me off. Obviously the licensees should be annulled but these students should also be punished and never allowed to work in healthcare again. Because they either knew exactly what they were doing or they lacked the critical thinking skills to figure out what was going on. So either way they have no business working in the field.

Great answer.

Yuck! Totally not normal. The whole reason I love home health is I love my autonomy. I would never work for an outfit that didn't allow me and my patients to figure it out between ourselves. If you love the work itself there's definitely a better situation out there for you.

Happens all the time. The important thing is that you speak up now and get it taken care of at your next visit instead of trying to cover it up which many new nurses are tempted to do. You will be fine. And if you work for the type of agency who's going to come down heavy on you for that type of oversight then it's not an agency worth working for. ?

Greetings and salutations! I have an adolescent male homecare patient whose uro NP ordered a closed system for intermittent straight cathing. The problem that the entire nursing staff and mom continue to have is the cath is so floppy it's like trying to stuff a marshmallow into a piggy bank unless we push the cath out of the bag (the CATH, not the CAT heh) first, which defeats the purpose of staying as clean as possible. Sometimes I have to go back to using his regular straight caths when he's particularly tense. Currently we're using Cure. Anybody have suggestions on a closed system with a bit more rigidity? Thanks in advance.

I think in all practicality, it's how it appears on paper at the end of the day. Legal semantics, in other words.

Agreed. I don't see why a forum should not be a legitimate resource for students. It's not asking others to do your homework for you.

LTC experience is always helpful; it's where a lot of us develop our strong assessment skills and time management. Getting 6 months to a year experience in LTC may also benefit you in the event you wind up changing your mind about wanting to work in group homes. As far as jumping into a group home, it really depends on the acuity level as well as your level of support. The house where I work recently hired a new grad RN and I was told that after a few days of training, she was not comfortable with the trachs, so she left the position. However, I've worked in other group homes as an agency nurse where the individuals are much more stable and the highest level of acuity is g-tubes and I've wound up doing most of the cooking and wondering why I even needed to be there. :) When looking at a group home as a new grad, I'd ask the following questions: Is there a strong support system present for you, e.g. is there a seasoned and approachable nurse whom you can easily contact with questions? How comprehensive is the training/orientation? I would be leery of signing on anywhere that only wants to give you a few days and then throw you out there. What is the level of acuity/how stable are the individuals? How supportive are the caregivers? I've been in houses where the caregivers are very savvy, helpful, know the individuals inside/out and have been a great resource for me as a nurse; I've also been in places where they can be bossy, lazy, and sit around doing nothing while the nurse runs her tail off. Of course, in nursing homes the CNAs can also make or break you! LOL...

I'm reading this over 6 months after you posted it. How are things going? Let me know if you still need support with this. :)