Bluepen

We just bought our first house. It is $330,000. My husband is an accountant but we make about the same. I make $39/hour. Huntington bank gave us a loan easily. They wanted 2 years on the job or same field and 700+ credit. We had that. But finding a house was the harder part. Interest also not low but the 6.85%. We put down 10%. I'm glad we did not use all our savings. It has been a few weeks. I am still unpacking. I love the house. Definitely have savings. It was nice to use savings for first mortgage payment. We needed to replace the old dishwasher, old garage opener, and buy washer and dryer, which was like 3000. Other than that the house is great. Our townhouse rent was $1800 for 3 years and our house mortgage $1900. But monthly property taxes are $400. I usually pick up extra shifts until the end of Summer for vacation money but it will probably go to the house. So if you are already currently paying high rent then you will be fine. If not then get a bigger place and try it for a year or two.

Have you tried applying to nightshift? I did nightshift as a new grad since Dayshift had a one year waiting list. I did it for two years and then went to Dayshift. I think working at nightshift helped me so much become a good nurse. You have more time to think and ask questions. Dayshift is fast and not as much time to learn.

We are 1 nurse to 1 PSA with 5 patients.

Since covid, my hospital lost almost all the experienced nurses, then more turnover, was staffed with travel nurses, and finally this Summer, we are fully staffed for the first time with 90% new grads and new PSAs. I am the old nurse with 4 years experience. I'm sure that any of the new nurses and new PSAs would not have offered much since they are new but if you asked them they would have done all of your or your family's requests. It has been six months. I'm sure that they will good nurses and PSAs but they are all still learning. It is a work in progress. Our charge nurses make an secret code announcement at 5 pm to remind all the PSAs to check on patients to refill waters, make sure they are comfortable, and any last requests. Our managers, lately have been asking all the patients if the PSAs offered baths, call lights answer, etc. Our PSAs only get 5 patients so they have more time for baths and comfort. Last year they had 12-15 patients each. We are finally fully staffed, and have been getting highest customer service and quality points since covid. I always go with my family if they go to the hospital since I know that if the unit is short staffed then the care is not the same. So you should always go with your family and check. You never know.

Our unit started enforcing bedside report after a patient was found dead during a Dayshift nurse's assessment. Maybe they died during nightshift but who knows. If she had done bedside report then she would have had the nightshift nurse stay and help her. That Dayshift nurse was always against bedside report but after that day she never complained. So I just see bedside report as checking if my patient is alive.

At Ohio Health/Riverside Hospital we are still hiring new grads into our residency program. At my unit Dayshift is almost full of new grads that got hired last Summer. But nightshift is full of travelers so they would love to take new grads. So keep applying. Maybe try nightshift. When I was new, I started out on nightshift.

That sucks. I remember when I was working as a tech and the nurse blamed me for not reporting a vital. But it was after they were dead. I felt so bad and angry. The patient was actively dying for three days. Every other nurse had parked a WOW and chair in front of that patients room for the two days straight and getting his vitals themselves. On the third day, the clin lead had him and sat at the nursing station all day talking. I had 10 bed rest patients who were had incontinence so I was busy. I did not tell since I assumed that she knew he was dying. Fast forward as a nurse if I think a pt is unstable then I will get vitals myself. However I understand it getting busy. I would never blame the tech. I would blame myself. However I appreciate when techs tell me any abnormal vitals or changes with a patient since they have helped me save the patient. Sometimes a patient can change fast. Nor do I mind helping even if the tech tells me when they can't find the nurse. Once a tech called me for high heart rate and dizziness since the nurse was new and when I ran to the room, the pt had become unresponsive when I walked in. I understand what it's like to be a tech and nurse which has helped me in my work. We both are busy and should help each other. Just learn from this and keep going.

Congratulations on getting your BSN! I think you should apply to hospital new nurse programs since you have less than 1 year experience. Or even try to find a nurse friend that can be your referral to her unit. It sounds like you are a strong person and went through a lot. Good luck! I think hospitals are desperate for nurses right now and they will train you. Most of the nurses quit during covid and never returned.

Thank you so much! He does have a port. I am currently at the chemo appointment with relative and waiting to start.

All good questions. I have not tried it since I was not sure how you can control giving the medication slow within 3-5 minutes. They give meds before the chemo like Zofran, dexamethasone, etc. But maybe I will go to the next appointment and tell them not to do that to my family member.

When I give IV push, I will stop the IV fluids and disconnect the tubing and give the medication through the peripheral catheter. When I went to a different hospital for a family member's chemo appt, I noticed that a few nurses were giving the IV push meds from the IV tubing port that sits on top of the pump while the pump runs NS. I thought it was cool, since then it will go slowly without watching the clock. Plus it looked easier. However, I wasn't sure if it was something to try. Any thoughts?

Any thought about it? It feels bitter sweet. My unit was a covid unit in 2020. We already stopped the mask mandate a few weeks ago at our hospital. I wonder if anything else will change. Or if travel nurses will be affected.

Did you see the baby that stopped breathing at a grocery store? An ICU nurse did CPR and saved their life. I like how she was calm in the moment then panicked and cried later. I am like that too. I am calm in the moment and then afterwards it will all hit me at once. I would be nervous in that situation too. On TV they make it seem so easy to step in and save a life in public. But it is not easy to do. Like she said. "I've been an ICU nurse since 2008. I've been in very critical moments with patients, life or death situations. I help save people all the time at the hospital. Most of the time, you know what you're getting. You can prepare. You have everything you need, and everyone knows what to do. You know what the worst will look like. You know the outcome. But this was something else. You read about things like this. You hear about them. But you never think it'll happen to you ― until it happens." - Binta Diallo, RN, BSN, CCRN, Anyway God bless this nurse! https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/990954?ecd=WNL_mdpls_230421_mscpedit_nurs&uac=348040SG&spon=24&impID=5355786

I got report about a patient that had delirium and had a fall after fainted at his SNF. Ten minutes after report I saw the charge nurse trying to keep the patient from leaving the room. I ran. She held his arm and I held his waist from the back. Not even one minute later, he fainted on me. We held on for dear life. I yelled for the manager who was walking by. He came in and a few nurses. We got the patient back into bed safely. The patient woke up after a few minutes. Luckily no injury. Later on I asked the charge nurse if she had heard a bed alarm since I did not. She said no.

Everyone thank you for your tips on time management, I have tried many of them and they have made my shifts so much easier.