DSplendid

Just wondering if anyone else has paramedics working in their ED. We just started hiring Paramedics; as techs.. Thus Far they can: Start IV's Transport mon. pts to tele, or other departments (non-icu) Defib, Pace, give meds per ACLS protocol (if warranted) As well as tech duties,...splint, undress, collect labs, ekg...etc. some grey area of collecting Triage data??? That has yet to be clarified. My question is what are they allowed to do in your ER? Because it is still new and grey to us. For example; I was orient. a paramedic well known to our staff who was just hired. That night I had a very difficult IV and the doctor let the paramedic put an EJ in. Without blinking he dropped that in like nothing. (no doubt he has done it a million times before) the MD said he would sign it off on his orientation skills check list. Unf. I told him, it was not on his skills list. Nor was intubation later that night, when we had a another diff. tube. Nor was hanging a bag of NS. All which the MD as well as the nurses assumed he would be able to do. We all assume in time as they grow within the ED so will there scope. I mean personally, if your allowed to transport mon. patients and use ACLS drugs...why not a bag of NS. Any feedback would be great. Thanks.....

oh this is fun, lets see.... copied a whole chart for a transfer...on the wrong pt. while giving report to the most experienced rn...i said: "mrs. so and so is legally blind, i mean she totally can't see!" i had the whole department laughing....:roll walked a symptomatic bradycardic (hr 30-40's) to the bathroom; and then was surprised when she started to get dizzy :smackingf let a surgical pt, which was literally on the way to the or, have a sip of ginger ale. :smackingf placed a pt on a neb treatment and...oh, i don't know, let it continue to run for about 4 hours...worse part is...she still was inhaling from it. lastly, during an emergency...i took emergency meds ordered by the doctor out of the pyxis...and didn't realize the whole time taking out the meds. i was under another pt's name...which by the way, was being d/c'd. :uhoh21: there is more....trust me! :smackingf :selfbonk:

Oh... this is fun... If I was not a nurse... I would be the highest paid actress in major motion pictures. I would also be the most recognized portrait photographer with such clients as Brad Pitt, Aerosmith, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I would also have my own clothing line, called Honey Kat Co. In my spare time, I would whisk off to my wine vineyard in Tuscany which produces the most exotic tasting wines; known around the world, for its rich smooth body test with a hint of sweetness. When I have the time, I correspond with my Columbian coffee producers. Yes, I also have my own line of premium smooth coffee blends... And as a treat to my hard work, I vacation on my private island in Hawaii.... Wow that was great....now back to reality...screaming teenager, hungry husband, dirty house and my 3-11 shift tomorrow; beside the most angry Doctor known to Emergency Medicine.....

Hey Kirs, Let me first just say,...I have no exp. in L& D other than my own internship during nursing school. ( 7mo's ago). IMHO, don't beat yourself up over it. It sounds like it was madness in there, which can lead even the most veteran nurses to make mistakes. You admitted, you coached when you shouldn't have, and that shows taking responsability; and, now it kind of sounds like some just want to point fingers. As you describe, whether you enc. her or not would not have made the difference. If this was truly a precepitis birth, you telling her to stop; wouldn't have changed that baby coming. During my internship, I was picking up a 37 wk. G1P1 mom from the ER who had SPROM at home, while in the elevator...she stated and I quote...."I think, I'm pushing. I paniced and told her not to, and closed her legs...yes, closed her legs. As I was wheeling her on the unit, she began breathing heavy and saying something doesn't feel right. I told her to deep breath, we were almost there. I grabbed a nurse and headed to the traige area. Little did I know as I removed her sheet from her legs to place it on the bed......she was crowning! Later the nurse needless to say, chewed me up one side and down the other....I admitted, all my fault...just a poor judgement call. The right thing to do was get her back to the ER on a stretcher and have staff eval her and move only if safe and with staff. My primary RN told me a precip. birth can not be stopped! She then went on to ask me..."You're not thinking about working in Maternity when you graduate....right?" So don't worry, things happen...its not like you turned on her pit...hahah...I know its not funny, but I truly believe things just happen, we are not perfect. Good luck.

well...just an update... i have completed exactly one week of nursing as of today.... i must say it is getting easier everyday...but, everyday i still seem to be scared out of my mind...lol. i'm very lucky, my preceptor is an angel, and she makes me feel very comfortable. even when i make a mistake, she doesn't come down on me, she just tells me: "ok, now you know...and next time you won't do that." she also, gives me my space, its funny though, i can see her hiding sometimes outside the door etc. well so far so good, i'll keep you guys updated. what i've learned so far....trust your instincts, and believe in yourself. you really have to have some confidence. the hardest thing so far.....dealing with families, ( for me anyway). good luck to all~

Wow...that is new to me...I'm doing something different. I'm doing 3 days of classroom..to start...orientating to hospital equipment etc. then working 3 months with my preceptor, and then 2 months of more classes on and off. It used to be (stopped just as I started) orientation with a preceptor was 6 mo. and 3 mo. of classes....I don't know what happen...I just hope I feel comfortable in 3 mo.

Thank you so much DaytoNite.....

Same here...I was getting 94% on the Mosby...then I went upto 99%.... Passed my boards with 75 questions... Some classmates were getting 84%...and also passed the nclex.. Good luck

congratulations!!!!!!:balloons:

hello... i just had a few questions for those who have started working as an rn or have been for awhile. first...i start orientating in 2 weeks. i've already worked at this hospital and this department for about a year as a nurse tech/aid. the way it works, i guess..is i will do a hospital orientation, then go off and work with my preceptor (6mo total) i'm not new to health care...i was an emt for 11 years, and on & off in put pt. dept., clinicals, hospitals etc. i feel very comfortable with the staff i'll be working with. furthermore, i do feel confident with my skills i gained in school and knowledge from already working in that dept. i.e. were things are, the computer system, routines, etc. but my questions are this. is it normal to be scared out of my mind ? i'm so scared, i'll look like an idiot! i have this recurring nightmare that my preceptor asks me something/do something so simple and i mess it all up; and everyone gets mad/laughs at me.... do the preceptors expect a lot from you? i mean i'm a hard worker, and i learn fast; moreover, willing to learn. but just starting off, i need to absorb first. i mean, i don't know what i mean. i think i'm just scared they're going to except me to know everything, esp. since i have a little exp. and worked there already...and of course i feel as though i don't know anything. how did you feel, and when did you get comfortable? i know this is going to vary by person and on the type of nursing. but just some feed back. like when did you fell as though you had a grasp on what was going on. how did you feel while being precepted? when did you feel ok, being on your own? i won't be on my own for 6 mo. which is fine with me. any advice...any at all is welcome. i'll be working in the ed, which i feel very comfortable in like i said...however...tips, advice, suggestions, tricks..lol on just being a "new grad" in general would be great. (don't feel as though you can't commit if your not working in the same dept. as me...i want to hear it all.)

Buddhanah.... Picking up the pieces after a such a dissapointment; is always the hardest part. Every single emotion you feel is not only normal its expected. The pain your feeling right now must be horrific; but this too will pass. For now, take time for your self; your entitled to it. But then you must get back up. Start with a plan, decided what and how you want to handle this..do you want to take a review course, do you want to use suz's plan. If there is another student in your same boat, think about if you might want to get together. Focus on the positive, (although hard right now) , that even though this is a set back, your not out of the game. As far as telling your friends, I can understand why you wouldn't want to. But know this, there is no shame in failing, the shame comes from being knocked down; and staying down. I don't know you, but I can bet you have had a few let downs and hardships before this; and you have always over come them. Don't let this be any different. You made it through Nursing school, now just go and show that damn computer why! Keep your head up, make a plan, come back here often for support, and then do it! I'm sending you positive vibes and prayers your way....and a great big hug! ~D

Hello...congrats on getting excepted, and lucky you to have such kind friends. I have to tell you, IMHO a littman classic is 10 times better than sprague, as for a Cardio?? I don't really know what they mean. I have a littman master cardiology it too was a gift, but I find it just as good if not the same as littman classics. If your really going to get into heart sounds, and advance practice...I would then say perhaps invest in a steth that specializes in that. Otherwise, I think yours is great. Good luck

Your so not alone..... I passed and felt just like you did at 75, however, 3 friends of mine just passed one with 140, and 2 at 260+. So keep strong, keep busy, the way you feel is the way everyone feels...sending positive vibes your way ~D

I'll tell you, I'm glad you did...I really liked it, some questions are easy...some are not. What I really liked was seeing how you get stronger as you go throught the chapters, I didn't finish the whole book by the time I took my NCLEX, but I felt very comfortable answering the many priority questions I received...and I think..no I know it was because of that book.

first let me say congratulations on your acceptance, that is the hard part...:balloons: as far as maintaing a b...you can do it; if you really want it! it will be hard, your going to have to study and work for it, but it is possible. just make sure you get everything in order for september, ex. if you have children who will watch them etc. for clinicals. if you have a family, make sure they know home cooked meals everynight might be out of the question. if you work....well that is a tough one...i found that i could not work more than 8 hours a week, plus family and school. if you can't work, how will you manage or will there be support know your study habits and learning styles now...ex., if you need to read and re-write things plan on that. if you like to tape lectures plan on that etc. whatever you do...keep organized...there is nothing worse than spending 2 hours just finding your stuff even before you get ready to study...lol. good luck, you can do it!