sunny1973

sunny1973's Latest Activity

1. 

   Hospital Auxillary Staff...

   sunny1973 replied to SOCRATES SOUL's topic in Nursing

   Socrates Soul, I couldn't agree more. I have seen the same things in some staff at my facility. It has nothing to do with their educational level, rather their attitude about their job & life in general. Have you tried speaking with their manager? or your Nursing Director? One extremely short-staffed night, I watched as an experienced NP come up to my unit to see a patient. She noticed that the floor behind the nurse's station was dirty, as well as other parts of the unit. I was afraid she would demand an accounting from me, but I was too busy to try & locate our cleaning staff and ask them to do their job that night. Instead, she promplty got on the phone with the owner of the facility. She related how she was "sick & tired" of dealing with rude, lazy employees who couldn't handle the basic requirements of their job. Then she specifically named several individuals in the housekeeping & security departments who "need to be fired" and enumerated all the times she had seen each employee sleeping on the job, responding rudely to staff or customers, etc..... She got her wish. Now the floors are sparkling clean in our unit.
2. 

   Study: 40+ hospital drug errors a day

   sunny1973 replied to deespoohbear's topic in Nursing

   40+ a day? Is that all? I'd be willing to be the actual number is much higher in many facilities.......
3. 

   narcotic theft investigation

   sunny1973 replied to sunny1973's topic in Nursing

   This morning I went to work expecting to take a drug test. However, things were surprisingly quiet. The nursing director spoke with me at the beginning of my shift, explaning why she was asking for statements. I told her, "Honestly, I've always been concerned about the narcotics count & have never really studied the actual pills." She stated that all the other nurses have said the same thing & that this is a good lesson to learn early in one's career. Later in the morning, a co-worker said "federal investigators" were downstairs, but we never saw them. I noticed supervisors occasionally making an appearance to see if the med room door was locked & the narcotics were safely locked away. I'm sure there will be more to come..... JailRN, I'm with you- why aren't we using unit dose packages? Hopefully this event will promt the facility to modernize. I've been thinking about the serious implications of this case. It's not just about stealing, or using drugs. We may have been giving ineffective drugs (or God know what was in those tablets) to many patients. Patients may have suffered with unnecessary pain or worse, adverse drug reactions/interactions. It reminds me of the pharmacist who was recently found to be diluting chemotherapy treatments for extra cash.
4. 

   narcotic theft investigation

   sunny1973 posted a topic in Nursing

   I've been an RN just over 1 year now. A supervisor at the Rehab center where I work has just asked me to write a statement - I worked on a unit for a few hours the other night & apparently it was discovered someone was stealing Demerol. We routinely count narcotics when arriving on a unit & when leaving at the end of a shift. It seems someone has been replacing the demerol tabs with another similar-looking pill. I didn't notice a difference in pills at the times I counted narcotics (although they certainly could have been different). So, I did write a statement that I was working that unit at specific hours, on a specific date & that I counted narcotics with another nurse at the appropriate times. Afterward, my supervisor said there will be an investigation. Even though I've done nothing wrong, I still feel nervous about "the investigation". Did I do the right thing by writing a statement? Can anyone tell me what is involved in this type of investigation?
5. 

   No 504? Legalities?

   sunny1973 replied to sunny1973's topic in School

   Jane & others - Thanks for you input. It turns out that the picky 504 policy only exists in New York City. Frankly, it makes me sick. It prevents me from giving medications to children who may need a prescription medication for a limited time. Recently, I was heartbroken to turn away a 2nd grade Chinese immigrant recently adopted to the USA who needed a rigorous course of antibiotics (1 month) TID with meals. The mother had to give the child a snack when she got home from school & administer the medication at that time. There are so many more stories like that - it would make your stomach churn. I always wanted to provide public health but I'm not sure if my conscience will let me continue in my current environment after my contract is up! It encourages me somewhat to hear that it is not this way everywhere! Sunny
6. 

   No 504? Legalities?

   sunny1973 replied to sunny1973's topic in School

   Thanks for your ideas. I feel a little better about my situation. In nursing school, we learned that "Standards of Care" or "What a prudent nurse would do" includes your training, education, standards of care for nurses as well as your specialty & also your job description. All these things can be used in a court of law. This is why I often feel I am on shaky ground for acting in line with my conscience. I may be acting within a standard of care (ANA) yet out of the boundaries of my job description - which is highly beaurocratic & regulated. I'm certain the people who make all these little rules & regulations do not actually work in schools. Most of them are just not practical! Thanks for your thoughts! I plan to continue gathering info!
7. 

   Need insight, please

   sunny1973 replied to nicola's topic in School

   Nicola, I am a school nurse working in NYC under contract. If you are still trying to decide, e-mail me!
8. 

   No 504? Legalities?

   sunny1973 posted a topic in School

   It is still the beginning of the school year & parents are still returning medical exam forms & immunization updates. In NY, parents of kids needing medications or special treatments must turn in a 504 form. Once it is signed by their doctor, it goes to the Health Dept & Board of Education for approval. As you can imagine, this process can take 3-4 weeks. In the meantime, you may have a child in need of care that you are not legally able to provide. For instance, a parent drops off an epi-pen for a student with severe peanut allergies & an inhaler for her "very rare" asthma attacks. If this child suffers an acute allergic reaction & her 504 paperwork is somewhere in the beaurocratic machine, what is the nurse to do? Of course I would call 911. If I also administer her epi-pen & asthma inhaler what are the consequences? I know I can be fired, but is this also grounds for loosing my nursing license?
9. 

   Discouraged and needing encouragement

   sunny1973 replied to tartay021's topic in General Career

   Tartay021, Good luck in school & Congratulations! I was at a dinner party with my husband's company & thier spouses the other night & everyone was asking each other what they do for a living. Mostly people in the advertising industry - some said "oh, I could never do what you do, I hate the sight of blood" or "wow, you hardly ever hear of young women being nurses anymore" etc... At first I felt a little inferior. But then I thought to myself, "None of these people know what it is like to save another human's life or too bond with a child taken from an abusive home or receive a hug from a patient leaving your unit after waking from a coma." Nursing is an extroadinary profession! I'm going to be honest with you. I love being a nurse but, you may as well prepare yourself for some negativity! Especially in nursing school. Although you will meet nurses who truly inspire you, you will meet burned-out, bitter, menopausal old hags too! And many of them have good reason to be that way! However, if you really want to be a nurse, don't let the negative things get you down! So, how do you stay encouraged? Concentrate on the patients. They were a source of strength to me. So many times I heard patients say things to me like, "You are going to be a great nurse" or "Here comes an angel" It means a lot when an HIV or Cancer patient tells you that you have brightened their day! Too me, that's what nursing is all about! Once I had a nursing instructor tell me, "If you are ever in a place where you feel yourself getting burned out, make a change. Change up your hours, change to a different department, change to a different facility or a different type of nursing." That is so true! Granted, I haven't been an RN for very long - but my eyes have been opened to the great variety of nursing jobs out there! I have several friends in Home Health Nursing who absolutely love it! They say they have a chance to form a rapport with thier patients that they did not have in the hospital & they have a fairly flexible schedule so they can be there for their children if needed. I have another friend who did 2 yrs in hospital ICU's then entered travel nursing & loves it. She gets too see the country & never stays in one place too long. One nurse I knew from school went from working in the OR to a private Dermatologist's practice. The doctor saw her in action & hand-picked her - she gets great hours, benefits & better pay than her hospital job & she accompanies the Dr on all his surgeries as his personal nurse. One of my classmates is now working in a dialysis clinic & loves her job. The list goes on & on! Like anything else - nursing can be what you make it - a positive or negative experience! Just be open-minded & focus on the positive! Remember the patients! You are entering a field where you can really make a difference in people's lives - be proud of that! Feel free to E-mail me if you need encouragement through school!
10. 

    Second Degree in _____?

    sunny1973 replied to Julie, RN's topic in Nursing

    Julie, I have a BS in psych. I say go for whatever you are interested in! It seems in today's world you can weave your varied interests together to make a great career. I have a friend with a Bachelor's in health administration. She's now applying to a nurse anesthesist program! Another friend who felt she was "just getting too old for bedside nursing" went back to school to get a degree in health & a teaching certificate. Now she teaches at a private school & loves it! If you feel going back to college would be too cumbersome, consider getting some type of additional certification. Many hospitals offer small shift differentials for these! Good luck!
11. 

    Certification

    sunny1973 posted a topic in School

    I've been reading up on School Nurse Certification. I've seen that "a bachelor's degree or higher" is required. I am an RN but have a bachelor's in another area (not a BSN). Does anyone know if I would still qualify to sit for the exam? I have e-mailed the Certification organization but have not received a response yet. Also, I'd like to hear from anyone who is a Certified School Nurse & has sat for the exam. How much study time did you give yourself? Thanks! Sunny1973
12. 

    Need advice on helping kids live with diabetes

    sunny1973 posted a topic in School

    Hi! I am a new school nurse. I really love my new job. I'm working at a primary school & with over 500 kids. There are many diabetic children. The older ones (7-11) are having a hard time feeling different & tell me how much they "hate" coming to the nurse everyday. Of course, their feelings are only natural but I wish I could help them through this rough time. I have used conversation techniques learned from nursing school, pediatrics & psych studies and these work well most of the time. However, there are a few kids having a particularly hard time. (They are also involved with the school counselor but do not open up to her in the same way). Can anyone recommend a website, book(s) or offer some advice on how to handle these kids? I want to enter this school season better prepared. Thanks! PS - In case you haven't guessed, I'm a newby in need of a mentor! :)
13. 

    New grad needs employment advice

    sunny1973 posted a topic in Nursing

    I have recently moved to the Northeast, tristate area. I'm not "in the loop" here & I'm having a surprisingly hard time finding a job. I've sent my resume out to several hospitals & have only received a response from a nursing home & 1 hospital that is too far to commute to daily. What am I doing wrong? Perhaps my resume stinks? I don't have any work experience in the medical field, just volunteer work. Is is because I am a diploma -RN, instead of a BSN? Should I be looking other places than employment ads in the papers & on the internet, and HR offices in hospitals? Should I use a placement agency since I don't know the area? I've passed my NCLEX, graduated with a 4.0 & am already working on my BSN. I'm hard working, willing to take a night shift in med-surg, for Pete's sake! When I hear people talk about the nursing shortage or how I "will have no problem finding a job" I just want to cry! Can someone give me advice, please?