AlbertaBlue

Hello, Actually, this is not true. There are many universities that offer accelerated two year degree nursing programs (University of Calgary, Mount Royal College in Calgary, Athabasca University, University of British Columbia, Winnipeg, Manitoba, etc.). Canada has long been phasing out the two year nursing diploma programs (excluding Quebec who has a separate nursing governance association from the otherwise national Canadian Nurses Association), and there are virtually no provinces that accept new grad's that do not have a degree. I believe that this is in part to do with the new Health Professions Act that requires Nursing Associations to be held accountable for their own practices. They are trying to get around the four years in a degree program by offering an accelerated program for those who have prior degrees. Nevertheless, Canada is a beautiful country with ++ opportunities for employment. Good Luck!

It seems like it doesn't matter how many hours you're technically supposed to work according to what you've signed on for...it always seems like you work way more with overtime hours added. I'm finding that our staff who are part-time (including myself) are picking up a ton more hours as overtime making our part-time job practically full-time because of an increasing nursing staff shortage!

This is my understanding as well...as with a patient who has methemoglobinemia - their sat's will be reading a falsely normal reading despite the fact that much of their hemoglobin has been taken over by metabolites produced by various different chemical agents. It seems like the most probable explanation for someone who has a low sat, and who happens to also be 87 and post-op, is atelectasis - you just have to get them DB&C - pneumonia in the elderly is a more common without the presentation of surgery. Just some thoughts.

We give Haldol IV all the time...thanks for the information re: long versus short acting Haldol...I will have to make a point of checking out whether it is the lactate version.

I can give you an example of a condition that absolutely requires that you use an IV filter set. If your patient has a patent foramen ovale...then use a filter for all IV solutions and IV medications...essentially what happens is that your patient is at a higher risk for embolisms...therefore you want to use a filter to catch any air that may be lingering in your IV tubing.

Duoderm can be very useful in certain instances...they are great overtop of the bridge of patients' noses who are on BiPAP machines...all that pressure from the BiPAP mask is then absorbed by the duoderm and not the patients sensitive skin. But I do agree that it can be misused and has caused, on occasion, the most horrendous wounds. OUCH!!

I completely agree with this posting. There are different occasions when you would not want to check the placement of an NG tube...as with esophagectomy patients whose stomachs have been anatomically shifted...you would never instill air in this case as the point of the NG is to decompress the stomach. In the case of surgical patients who require NG tubes we virtually never touch them unless the surgeons have clearly stated what they want us to do with them. Also, in the case of NG/J/or G-tubes that are being used for feeding...you would also hold the tube feed for two hours pre and post administration of Ciprofloxacin. And of course if you insert a Silastic NG you would never use it until it has been confirmed to be in place via CXR. Just some additional thoughts.

Hmmm...well...I would suggest that if you are training at some thing for a two week period it will do nothing to balance out the year of training that we were originally talking about in this posting...I would imagine that the two weeks you are thinking about has more to do with learning something that ultimately affects those who already have a solid background in their nursing competencies - in other words, two weeks of training is usually afforded to those who already know what they are doing as nurses...rookies usually need more time to learn which way is up. An investment of resources to truly equip a nurse with all that they will have to know to be competent requires more of a financial investment on the part of the employer, and usually takes more time.

Hey Sandlewood, I think it's amazing how other people find it so easy to make plans for us that we never imagined ourselves. I agree with you that if you never wanted to become a doctor turning your shoulder to it is a way of discovering what you want in your life. I have always made the attempt to listen to why certain people would think that I would be good as this or that, but ultimately the hardest thing to do is figure yourself out - and for some odd reason, doing the things that I want to do aren't necessarily the easiest options for me, nor necessarily the most financially secure. I think that it's fantastic that you are reflective at all...so many people accept things that with a little provocation they may discover is not good for them - stress has a way of wrecking your body...the whole mind/body connection is so vital. I wish you the best in what ever path you choose...I got a great vibe from the tone of your postings, and I'm sure that as a counsellor or even a social worker you could affect people positively with your energy. Good luck!!

I love this submission! I do mean this with the utmost respect...and I do appreciate your frustration...but I found it an hilarious posting...you have a wonderful way with words! You should write comedy skits for nursing! And honestly...I really mean it...I'm just laughing at the truth behind your words. I don't want to diminish your point because you make an excellent one...but really...that was great!

We often get cases of shingles on our unit, and we have always been told by Infection Prevention and Control that as long as the patient's shingles are scabbed over there is no chance of its spreading...the only time that you should be worried is if it is leaking and has disseminated (you have to have more than two dermatomes for it to be considered disseminated). Your brother should be okay!

I appreciate your frustration...I sometimes carry out orders that I have questioned only to be told that I should do as ordered...I can't believe that your hospital doesn't have an Ethics Board! Would you feel comfortable going to your manager with your concern and telling her/him that you would like to take your issue further? It would be a shame for you to carry your concern forward without your manager's support - there is nothing worse than pursuing something as significant as this without someone else's support.

If you feel strongly that the doctor is not practicing ethically then perhaps you could approach your Ethics Board. The last time I disagreed with the care plan proposed for a dementia patient on our unit, several of the nurses on our unit approached our manager, and we submitted the case for an ethics review. It was very helpful and everybody seemed to benefit from the process - and because there was an objective mediator everyone was able to voice their opinion. It sounds to me that for a patient who normally takes a nominal amount of pain medication, the amount that you were ordered to administer was too much (especially since she had been there before and left AMA). Ethics review boards handle cases like these really well. Take it easy.

I think it's important to balance out the positive with the negative - nothing is perfect. I love working as a nurse because ultimately I love to interact with people, and I do feel like I make a difference. However, I find it a relief to have a place where I can vent my frustrations to a group of similarly minded people...it's nice to know that I'm not alone when I sometimes don't like my job - and I find it comforting to read other nurses' posting because I invariably can relate to their experiences...I'm not sure it's negativity...I agree that it's just plain ol' venting. Take care.

WOW! Sandlewood...I know you don't want sympathy...and it is not sympathy that I want to give you...but I sure wish I could reach through my computer screen to give you a hug!! How awful that you should be treated in such a hostile manner. You know...I think that all of us have experienced similar stories...so much for a "caring" profession. It seems to me sometimes that there are more hostile people disguised as nurses then there are supportive people. I can remember wanting to hurl everyday before going into work for the first year and a half of starting my first nursing job because of the seemingly impenetrable cliques on the unit...it felt like there was always some one there to put you down instead of help you. As for suggestions to your problem...1) I'm super-relieved to know that you have sought out counselling support...we all need to be able to talk with objective minds, and I worry for you that you have slumped into a deep hole that others have dug for you...if words can give a glimpse of the person writing them...it seems to me that you are a compassionate type of individual...you need to find the escape-hatch to your hole (it took perseverance to find my own), 2) You write like someone I could imagine working as a counsellor...have you ever thought about becoming a counsellor? There are certifications that you would have to get...but perhaps that would be worth the effort. Listening and talking is a lot easier than working on an acute med/surg ward, and it seems to me that it might suit you, 3) The only thing about community nursing is that it would be more helpful for you to have a couple of years of acute care experience in order to recognize better when things are going wrong with the patients in the community setting, 4) Have you ever thought about working with adolescents? Perhaps working with young women with eating disorders? 5) What about public health...doing vaccines for children all the way to the geriatric population, or perhaps working in an STD clinic where you provide public health services...there are a lot of other places to work that don't involve entering a hospital. What about a travel clinic...I have a couple of nursing friends who split their time talking with really interesting people going here and there at the travel clinics they work at - they administer varying types of vaccines, etc. Or what about working at the UBC health clinic...you could work with students. There are endless possibilities...but I feel like you need to nurture your soul...you need to start believing that you are worth better. And, unfortunately, it has been my experience that there are hostile people everywhere...I have tried to get a stronger shield to all of their negativity...I like to use humour. Anyhow, though I don't know you...I send you positive energy and an internet HUG!! :)