humerusRN

What is your child care for when you are on days? I am just thinking any 12 hour shift for a single mother would be hard!!! Unfortunately, night shift is usually the only shift open to so many new grads. Experience leads to days. It's not as easy as "creating a job" for you on day shift, as FTE hours are finicky, and are approved thru lots of hoops and hurdles. Good luck!

I wish we had a cool handshake. ? I work bedside, inpatient pediatrics. I do all of the above.

This would never fly at my facility because while we self schedule, we also have to balance.... so you get moved around. It would be unrealistic to expect everyone else to shuffle their schedule *except* for you because you work nights somewhere else. Nope nope nope.

We have hired many adult RNs into my unit over the years - I hear from them that it almost feels like they are back to new grad status because, like another poster pointed out - kiddos ARE NOT little adults. They compensate differently. Get sick differently. Code differently. But this is why you have orientation! ? You have the basic skills, you just have to learn to apply those to kiddos and you'll be set. Good luck on your new position!

# of times I have used chemistry in nursing = 0. I honestly think that so many programs make it a requirement just because it is another lab science! I wouldn't sit this one out, you'll be fine!!!! I never used my chemistry requirement in nursing school. Anatomy and Physiology? Definitely. Math? 100%. Chemistry - not really. You'll be fine.

IMO, 4 hours without the RN rounding is inexcusable and definitely would be grounds for disciplinary action for the RN (and the CNA).

This is our set up as well - inpatient pediatrics. If you've ever needed suction and not had it ready (and working) - you'd understand the rationale in this set up. We do throw them away (as well as our opened and connected to the wall bag/mask) after each patient is discharged.... and replace with new equipment. Each patient gets their own suction and ambu bag. ?

Family is usually present in pediatrics, and I can't imagine not rounding on a patient for 5 hours! Our policy is every hour, and PRN. You see my face every hour - even if you are an "easy" kid with a great family. Even if my round is just ducking my head in, seeing the kid is asleep, and I mime you a thumbs up sign. ? It is easy to overlook the stable kids when you have a busy assignment, and I can't speak for the hospital where you were at OP - but I work inpatient peds at a Children's hospital, and my patient load is usually 3/4 kids, 5 on a bad day. If I am busy with a super sick kid, I will have a charge RN or a teammate check in on my other kids. It's just the right thing to do. Never hesitate to call out when you need something, even if it's just to see the RN's face and get the thumbs up that everything is OK!

Did you take a sudafed? Will one of those suckers make you test + for amphetamines? (or do they just make me feel like I could clean my whole house and run a marathon, and I'm alone in this.... lol.... )

I am seriously shocked someone can be upright on 75mg on benadryl. 25mg puts me into a coma. ?

I work for a non profit. Everything is still about the bottom line. It's depressing, but not unexpected. ?

I am just impressed you could start one on yourself. That being said, I work in a "right to work" state, which means they can fire you for absolutely nothing. But it seems to be IMPOSSIBLE to get fired through my hospital. We have some people that should have been terminated eons ago, but yet.... they still stick around. No idea what the heck it takes to really lose your job, but I can promise you it wouldn't be starting an IV on myself. I can't start an IV on anything other than a well hydrated adolescent kid.... so I am not at risk for this problem. ?

I take care of a chronic population - and when they are admitted thru the ED, they always come to us with PIVs. We always discontinue them and access their ports on arrival to the floor. Why? Because they will be with us for 2-3 weeks. They require daily, sometimes more frequently, lab draws. They require some nasty antibiotics that I'm not about to infiltrate an IV with. I think ED RNs should have this training....it's insane to cause unnecessary harm to a patient because an entire department doesn't have what I feel is a pretty basic skill for inpatient RNs. Why is this not required training? You can access a port just as quickly as starting an IV in most instances. We do have some floors who don't get ports often, and when they do they call one of the floors that do get them often, and we go down and access for them. Team work makes the dream work. Don't start unnecessary lines.

I was told by a TBI kid recently that he knew I didn't care about him, I was only in it for the money. Does anyone get into nursing for the money? Maybe I live in the wrong part of the country, but I do not make bank. If I was picking a career based on potential income, this would not be it. My benefits suck, my schedule sucks, the work is HARD, and the pay is below average. So no, I don't do it for the money. That would just be stupid. I think I could get better benefits and less stress working for Starbucks. They even get free spotify! Those of you who are in it for the money, send me your details so I know where I need to move to find some of this "money". LOL!

Sometimes the only way the suits will really see our needs, is if we let the system buckle under it's own weight and quit digging them out. Definitely turn off your phone. I know exactly how you feel about letting down your fellow team mates - I always hate the thought of my friends struggling. But at the same time, I know that on my shifts... I'm not really going to expect anything differently. They can't fire you for NOT working about your required hours.