nambour51

Hassled You've had a difficult year to date with lots of stress and grief. As you move from one phase in your life to another it is important to be positive. From memory the medication error was not entirely your fault. If it comes up I would be inclined to say you have leant from past situations during your clinical placements ie. that errors occur because of a series of events rather than one specific action and that through an event you have learnt the value of adhering to correct procedures eg to check everything yourself and not just rely on someone else's word no matter how experienced that person is. Don't stress too much on this issue. What they will be looking for is someone who is confident, willing to learn, adaptable, good interpersonal skills, enthusiastic etc. You have the knowledge, you have life skills. Sell yourself positivley. Do you have to complete selection criteria for a grad program? If not it may help to get hold of selection criteria for a Level 1 and use it as a guide to presenting yourself.

No it is not the end of your dream. You just have to find out what treatment suits you the best. Good shoes are essential. (Podiatry, shoe inserts, surgery, injections etc) I Have lived with it for years. Orthotic shoe inserts helped, specific exercises helped ease the pain. Even tried reflexology. However 'foot mobilization' by a specialist masseur was what helped the most. (?Niblett? technique - designed to correct the underlying problem rather than just deal with the symptoms). Keep exploring all the options until you find one that works for you but don't settle for any second rate solutions -your feet are too valuable

Be willing to learn from anyone with more experience, but be wary of anyone who big notes themself or infers that they 'know' it all. Some people have a very good knowledge in a limited area, but just because they are experienced in one area doesn't mean they know 'everything'. Be prepared to check on things that others tell you - to verify and also consolidate what they tell you. We learn much through experience and if we are wise we will learn through the experience of others.

"she seemed to want to hold the child in the worst way" What do you mean?

Have been keeping you in my prayers. I gathered from a previous post that his death was imminent. My heart goes out to you. Allow yourself time to grieve. It takes time to adjust to a major change in your life circumstances. I pray all goes well with your daughter's pregnancy.

"everything works for good" etc. Not only has the situation worked out ok for you it has also been a learning opportunity for others. Thanks for sharing your story!

We all make mistakes - it is what we do afterwards that is important. You share that you are a Christian and you appear to have handled the situation from a Christian perspective. You recognized that you made a mistake, you acknowledged that you made a mistake to the appropriate people. Ask God's forgiveness. Accept God's forgiveness. Accept the consequences with grace. Learn from the situation. Undergo assertiveness trainging so that you will be able to deal with intimidating situations in the future.

You are grieving and that is ok. You have had a very distressing experience and your emotions are still raw. It sounds like you were part of a very caring team that was sensitive to a family's suffering. Your post indicates a very caring nature which is a greaat quality for a nurse. This sad experience will help you have empathy with others in the future.

It was good to read your update about the situation. I am pleased that things seem to be improving. I feel for you at this time though. You are already going through a grieving process and you are hurting. We like to look for the signs when death will occur but death takes its own journey. Tell your husband it is ok for him to go when you are not there and tell yourself the same thing! You may feel more comfortable with that process if you pray for someone to be with him when he finally departs this life. That someone may be you or may be someone else. I will keep you in my prayers. Jo

OnTheShoales the notice apparently said 'holiday availability will be curtailed' you still have the right to apply for them - you may need to negotiate the time though. This situation happens from time to time and is not necessarily a result of the IR laws. In the department where I work only a certain number of staff are allowed to take holidays at any one time - sometimes it is simply a matter of being first in to request holidays and othertimes it might involve negotiation with others who have requested that time slot. Thing about what Grace has said about scaremongering. Be objective and don't become intimidated.

Hi Murt. There are lots of variables to be considered. The land of OZ is a big country. (It is quicker to fly to NZ from the East Coast then it is to fly to WA). The cost of living and income varies from state to state. Suggest you narrow down where you would like to go to a couple of options and then start comparing income and cost of living and exploring work availability etc. and consider what sort of climate appeals to you.

Welcome Meg. I was in Canberra in May for the ACORN conference. We had beautiful weather and it wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be. All the best with your studies.

Nursing certainly changes your appraoch to life and your vocabulary. I remember when I was doing my hospital training I was with my family and said '****' my mother was horrifed and said I shouldn't use such words at the dinner table. I just looked at her and said "Why not. I puddle in it all day" my mother was speechless at the time but years later she could still recall the incident - as though it was a real eye opening experience for her about what her daughter was actually doing as a nurse.

All PRN medications should have a time frame for administration included in the order. Remember to document the effect of any PRN medication given.

My problem is not ADHD but more of 'forgettory'. I frequently have those 'what am I doing here' moments' and then I have to recite the phrase I learnt from Sesame Street which my kids used to watch when they were little (over 20years ago!) ' walk backwards through your mind' - unfortunatly I often also have to physically walk back to where I had been earlier to figure out why I was where I was when I couldn't remember why I was where I was!

What a difference a day makes!

It can be difficult to come to terms with things that seem 'unfair' however there are a lot of 'unfair' situations in life. We have do learn which ones are our responsibility to address and which ones aren't.

Avoid any emotional response and avoid getting defensive. If something catches you unaware and upsets you take a deep breath and take your time before responding. Listen for constructive comments and ask for specific examples in relation to any subjective comments. If the review is negative you could ask in what way your performance has deteriorated since your last review! Good luck!

Know the feeling! As much as we all detest paper work it is necessary. We may not be able to control the amount of paper work required but we can control our attitude to it. Have the occassional vent and then get on with dealing with it - no point in letting it get to you.

Congratulations on standing your ground in a difficult encounter! Continue to be alert but don't become over fearful about what will happen in the future otherwise the inmate has 'won' control over you. I pray that you will continue to have the wisdom to deal with tense situations.

I can appreciate your sense of frustration. However the problems you perceive affecting the staff employed at the institution belong to the staff, and despite your good intentions to help, it is really up to them to determine what to do about it. If you are concerned about the care your husband is receiving then you have legitimate grounds for complaint about his care. By all means be an advocate for the residents if other families are supportive of you acting in this role, but be very careful about getting involved in staff related problems. Some situations are complex and difficult to resolve, and require a skilled negotiator with a sound knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of everyone involved. I wish you well with your search for work.

Thanks for that info. Here in OZ once you graduate from uni your results are sent to the nursing council so that when you apply for registration they already have confirmation of your of your qualification. I have also seen HESI mentioned in some posts. What does that indicate?

Another tragic reminder to appreciate life, family, and friends. I pray her family will know peace despite this senseless tragedy.

It is a bit hard to give a definitive answer to your questions. 1. Unfortunately this PERSON really unnerved you, and apparently it showed. When you are in an environment for only a set period of time sometimes you have to keep a check on your attitude in order to achieve your long term goal. Sometimes the only thing you can change in your day is your attitude. 2. Maybe the school should have looked into the issue more carefully. Something to keep in mind when you report a problem like this is to keep to the facts and keep the emotion out of it, thereby providing specific issues that can be addressed. (Be objective not subjective). 3. Charge nurse and preceptor have a responsibility to ensure you were in an environment where you could learn and develop your skills, however you cannot change the past. You are now a tech. It is time to let go of a past situation that you cannot change. Focus on being the kind of tech that you would have liked to have had mentoring you. You have learnt what not do do through this tech!

I agree with Fairlythere. One report is not the end of the world. If the report is still on your file see if you can also have included a report about would you learnt from the experience and how you have developed your knowledge/skills etc since then. This would put the negative report in the past and show that you are developing professionally.