Robmoo

I did the Texas Tech ADN to BSN program while working full time and married with kids. It was a lot of work, but very manageable. If your program is similar, you will be writing a lot of papers. I recommend PERRLA for organizing and tracking your references. It interfaces with Word and puts the references into either APA or MLA format. Keeping a history of your reference is useful because finding references can be the most time-consuming part of paper writing, and you will find that article that you reference in the previous class paper will very likely be helpful for other papers. Good luck!

Talk to HR. There is likely a policy regarding this issue. Your first time with this issue will likely be a coaching. There might even be circumstance where it is fine for you to hop on and get paid outside of your usual hours. You need to find out your company policy. The not working off the clock is likely part of the labor law in your state.

It is going to depend upon the labor laws in your state. If it is a BON requirement then you are probably stuck doing it on your own. If it is required by your facility, then it is likely on their dime. It Texas one can file a complaint with the Texas Work Force Commision. I've heard of nurses saving up and documenting pay irregularities to file the complaints after they leave for another job in order to avoid retaliation. Depending on the laws in your state, that employer could be on the hook for fines. A consultation with a lawyer specializing in employment law is likely not very expensive.

I gather that you just want to vent and that is why you are asking here. Employment law varies from state to state. If you think that you have a legit complaint, then go to the body that governs workplace issues in your state. If you think that they have violated Federal regulations, then file a complaint there.

Ask her out for coffee and see how things go. If she says give you a reason why she can't do it, tell her that it is an open invitation and to just let you know if/when she is interested. Since she is a colleague, you probably shouldn't ask a second time. The last thing that you want is to be in HR for harassing a colleague. Good luck!

My hospital takes new grads in the ICU. They have a 6 week preceptorship which approx 1/2 of the candidates fail. It is a STEEP learning curve! When I entered the ICU over 20 years ago I had 2 years of experience in Oncology. I would have been better off if it had been telemetry. Coming from anywhere else to ICU is a major learning experience. I was lucky that I had many nurses who were willing to mentor!

Good luck and God bless! I can't imagine how hard this must be for you and your family.

I'm in the same boat in that I am bright enough to work in the ICU, but I don't have the temperament. When my patients do well I am happy. When they take a turn for the worst, I keep asking if there was something that I could have done. This leaves me stressed out. I worked endoscopy to 5 years and now I've been doing cardiac stress testing for 5 years. I went back briefly during the pandemic, but nothing had changed. It was a bit worse because the computer charting had gotten ridiculous. The patient care wasn't bad, but those long hours with only a 30 min lunch break are just too much. I love cardiac stress testing. If something goes wrong then that is what we were testing for in the first place. You call the cardiologist, ONA (we don't have morphine), and get them to the ED or cath lab. I suppose that my point is that you will find stability in other areas also. Leave the bedside and try something else for a while. Find your bliss. I like procedural areas. YMMV

I wonder what a lawyer would say about those the false statement in the accusation. Insisting that the security officer must be a man? "I'll never be your beast of burden. My back is broad, but it's a hurtin." Us sis-males do have more testosterone with all of its benefits and disadvantages, but the female security guard might have worked her butt off and be just as strong. Sometimes strength is in how you use your gifts. You probably know next time to ask for more "security officers." If you enjoy working there then endure. If not then I don't know why you aren't looking to vote with your feet in this issue. The DON dislikes you and that is going to have a major impact on your future earnings and promotion prospects. Good luck!

We use the BD Nexiva in our Cardiac Stress Testing department and it is wonderful! The catheters are sturdier which assists with canulation. They were around $6.00 last time that I looked which is approx 5x more espensive than what the rest of the hospital uses, but I think that we make that up in nursing hours and fewer second attempts.

I can't seem to find the edit button to add this to my previous post. These tactics are and excuse to low ball raises. They are also a defense against a wrongful termination lawsuit if they get rid of someone. There are times in our nursing carreers when the best way to proceed is to vote with our feet. When management doesn't care and won't change until the bottom line goes red what alternative do we have? Why do nurses leave the bedside and leave nursing? It is all about the working conditions.

The beatings will continue until morale improves!

Being late isn't the issue with the BON it was back timing her documentation to before he/she had actually arrived on the unit. For example, documenting an assessment at 0700 that was not actually done until 0830.

Someone will hire you. Nurses are in high demand. I don't think that anyone will hold it against you that you took a gap year to take care of a sick family member.

I think that this has already been said, but it bears repeating. The DON gets paid to put up with this stuff. Next time just forward it up the chain of command and let them deal with it. I think that you are fine. You made a mistake. You've been counseled. Don't do it again. I think that Jesus said "go forth and sin no more."

After initial competencies in orientation they just get pencil whipped each year. Maybe not completely pencil whipped,but most of the competencies are things that we at least once or twice a week if not daily. No one has every actually come to look over my shoulder prior to signing off beyond the initial competency. Some of competency items that are rare and we sign off that I have the theoretical knowledge to do them and the team-lead or manager signs off. Competencies that are critical but are seldom to do tasks we have in an annual skill fair where we get a brief refresher training and a check-off. If we get a new product for central line dressing changes we get an inservice and maybe someone watches us do one. I'm shocked that a facility would fire a nurse for successfully starting an IV on a patient who was a hard stick and then report it to the board to add insult to injury. Someone was looking for a reason to fire and decided to throw in a side dish of malice. My manager lost the confidence of the director. Within 3 months they found a reason to fire her. It was a petty reason similarly to this situation. I wish I knew which facility it was so that I can make sure that I avoid them.

That employer was looking for a reason to get rid of you. I can think of no other logical reason for them being so petty. Reporting you to the BON, that was ridiculous! Was this a discrimination issue? Where there other nurses who had not completed their IV competency who did the same thing and received a lesser/no punishment? Perhaps they wanted to hire a less experience and less educated nurse at a lower salary? Though technically a policy violation, what you did was not wrong. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Count it as a blessing that you no longer work there. That fact that you own the policy violation instead of making excuses shows that you are a good person and a responsible nurse. Ever find that the times in life that you have gotten in the most trouble were times when you were just trying to help?

Good to hear that you are out of that situation. It is too bad that the PICC nurse job didn't work out, but 40% more money is difficult to agrue with.

Nursing might be the hardest job that you ever love. If you are enjoying working peds as a PCT then I say go for it! I wouldn't say "don't go into nursing." I'd tell people to do their homework before starting on the path. Some people get shocked at how hard nurses work because they had no comparable experience before applying to nursing school. That shock can lead failure in school or leaving nurseing within the first few year. Go in with realistic expectation. Since you've been in the trenchs you are going in with realistic expectation. We get paid farily well, but we work for every penny.

What did you decide and how did it go?

In the DFW area the NP market is saturated. NP's do not make much more than RN's and definitely don't make more than an RN who puts in some overtime. In this market $160k in student loan debt would be insane. Take a look at the market where you are or want to settle down. Weigh those costs vs the salary and benefits for the specialty you want. Education is just like any other investment. Will it pay off? If not then look for lower cost options. Frankly, unless you want to work with patients doing nursing care IMHO you should look at a Physcian Assistant (PA) program. The PA education is more in line with the education received in medical school. So many doctors prefer PAs especially to an NP with no nursing care experience. Also, during COVID19 our NPs got pulled back to the bedside but our PAs didn't. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I'm sorry that you were treated so shabbily and that it ended that way.

Good for you! Nice bargining skills! You get the best of both worlds! Wow! a CNA making $32/hour! That can't be in Texas.

If you truely believe that something funny is going on, then forward your information up the chain of command. If it isn't an isolated incident they can investigate for diversion. Going to the BON? Why?

Sounds like PICC line insertion. Frankly, that company is not a fit for you. Not being able to accept instruction from the instructor at the more sensistive part of the proceedure? The company is rampant with disorganization? The director assaulted you? If they were to invite you to stay would you? I wouldn't. There is no shame in returning to the ICU. Many nurses don't have the skills or the temperment to work in the ICU and you do. That is an amazing skill! If you were unhappy in the ICU, see if you can work PRN while you find another opportunity.