nrsjo60

Thanks so much for the info...I have researched many programs for the MSN in Ed.. I am leaning towards Olivett because so many nurses have done the program Online and its a good program, plus we get a 20% DISCOUNT. WGU is really different I have to say, and I really didn't get the drift at first...I figured if its fully accredited, it must be good. thanks again.. joanie:nurse:

Hey thats great ..I'd like to volunteer too. I live in Illinois, but I have a week off in August. Ill check out the medical corp..

this is a very good question... I suppose in a disaster one would do what she/he could do to save someone. Many of us have advanced education and training and might be able to "act as a doctor", but legally, probably not...Nurses are suppose to "act" nto the level that they are trained.. 5 years in Er is hardly enough experience..there is more to managing a pt than ER medicine. One needs to know medicine , structure, function etc...thats why we now have so many specialists, but Im sure in a disaster, a nurse might go over and above her practice act...the nurses in the army perform amputations and all kinds of medical management. so its a good question.....

Well I agree with both of you. Good judgement, patient safety, an d do no harm is always first. I dont think we help each other if we bully the nurses at the SNF's. Nursing care at the snf is totally different than at an acute care hospital , esp. in an ED. Not to say they don't follow infection control issues, but the plan of care is not the same in sub acute care or convalecent care. Skin care, keeping weight on, keeping patients moving and propelling, monitoring psychotropic meds, documenting..its hard work....this nurse probably should have connected the foley to a bag, but some reason she felt leaving open to a diaper might have made sense to her. Instead of bully her, maybe coaching her would have been more prudent. I have worked in Er, ICU, eduation, LTC.. every envirorment has its own stressful envirorment and difficult situations makes pts more to the next level of care. Coach, manage, take on the challange as she is handing off to you and just take care of the patient......the other nurse is right...Hospital nurses tie pts down, wont let them up to walk, dont walk them, rely on PT to do all the ambulation, dont feed there patients, and these patients go back to the snf in a mess...I have witnessed it many times,...LTC nurses are caring and the know there patients well so give them the benefit of the doubt and stop being such a princess and try teaching or using your skills in a positive way and not a punitive way:nurse:

Kimberly I didn't intent to insult the program. It looks like a great program. I just graduated from Univ, St Francis BSN, but it is the only school that is competency based and not college credit, so I am unsure...I am not sure my hospital will consider it a qualified school either because of the untraditional model.. I am very self directed and can do a program like this probably with little difficultly so I am glad you responded. Can you tell me a little more about it. Actually today the Dean of students emailed me, and I was surprised.. Joanie:nurse:

Im glad you like the progarm , I am seriouly considering. I am just not sure if the degree is good enough to teach at the nursing schools..do you think they recognize the degree? its non traditional, and some of the schools dont think out of the box..the tuition is great though, and i like how they charge one cost for the term..

Long Term care has a totally different type of nursing ratios. THe also have more CNA, who do mostof the care ADL's etc. The nurses role is more med passing, obs behavior, monitoring psychotropic drugs, maintaining wts, ..the focus is different, In acute care, the problems are acute, so the ratio is different. and regs. are different. If anyone has 30 patients in and acute center without a team approach...you are working in the wrong states...SOme states also allow CNA s to adm meds...that is how oour profession looses its value. Those states also pay the RNs a very small wage...So it matters what what the regs are in each states, and how the work is distributed. I work in Illinois, we would never give our professional workload away to unlicensed personnel..it would make the demise of our profession...and devalue the RN

Great, you are on your way. Congratulations. Enjoy, and ask alot of questions...

Well What a night. I remember those nights some time ago I have been a nurse for 30 years. So I have seen and done alot. I have had nights like that flong time ago where I thought the only thing I could accomplish was to cry in the closet....Some nights are really bad, others good... I would suggest that on the bad nights.. ASK FOR HELP.. sometimes we think it is bad if we need help...Its about keeping safe for the patients, that includes asking the charge nurse for assistance. THen keep an anecdotal notebook of your own and write down when and what time you ask for help and the reply...THis kind of antecdotal note an safe you if lu get called to your bosses office, and in court also... You are not alone...I am a case manager now, and I see our nulrses doing the same thing and feeling the same...They stick together though....No nurse should talk to you like that...its bullying. THis is forbidden now in the workplace and there are new nurse practice acts to protect you...Document Document Document... You are having some growing pains. You will do ok, learn form the pressures, but ask for help,..If the staff or the charge nurse cannot assist you then you have proof that the unit is too busy,,.

I would start out in Long Term Care or Assisted Living.... AYou will probably learn alot in long term care and be up front and honest with the interviewer and im sure you will get a job. Agencies uually wont hire unless you are experienced . Check out the local nursing homes. THe other things is you might check out the local community colleges for a nurse refresher course...call the local nursing school, and usually the director there knows where you can take a refresher course. that will bring u up to speed... Good Luck...

You will be fine.... Your first day you will probably just buddy up..Watch and listen. THe preceptor picked was probablyf picked because she has experience and is good with new grads.... Get to know ythe envirorment first. Get to know the charts, ...find out who the " go to" people are... Make a list of quick extensions. like 1) resp 2) cath lab 3) code blue 4) Rapid response # 5) the nlurses station Then find out who are the MAIN cardiologist.... You wll find your own way of organizing yourself. Listen in report, that is how you learn also. AYou will be fine..and good luck..

Hey Remember, you did what you could. Wondering if maybe the MD should have ordered a sitter...It happened to us once actually from the ICU...it was a busy sat night. we were all busy..the heart monitors were ringing all night. a few codes, and someone turned off the alarms because there was so much chaos that night. a pt who was suicide prec. saw that we were busy , was ablwe to take himself off the monitor. put on his clothes. walked out to the hospital chapel, and hung himself....We all felt bad. IJts about our intentions. Your intention was to give good care. If she didn't have a sitter, you couldn't be in the room constantly..You may need some debriefing from the ER social worker...God Bless.

Hi, I work in a CVICU that has eICU. There are a team of MDs and Rns at an off site. they can view our pts with a camera on the wall and they can read the chart because it is digitalized. they a can view the pt so close that they can see the size of the pupil..they are extremly helpful especially at noc. We just push a button on the wall and they are right in the room with us so to speak.. they can walk us through a code blue or help us with just about anything...the nurses like them. some of the docs dont trust it yet...joanie in McHenry.