LandDRN

LOL...I also just happened to note, and be amused, of the posts regarding intrusive/interuptive family members and visitors interfering with nursing duties and care.....they seem to have invaded and provided their opinions on a site provided for and about nursing issues for nurses.

Sort of off topic...but with the ever increasing rise of work place violence on nurses, studies are concluding that the unlimited, open access by visitors is contributing to the rise of this problem. In the "customer is always right" attitude rise, so has there been a rise of workplace violence on nurses. In an attempt to lower this risks, facilities are starting to gravitate back to visitor passes and visiting hours. While I appreciate the views from those practicing 30+ yrs and non-nurse family opinions, the days of unhappy "customers" writing letters to the DON have been replaced with patients/family/friends threatening to harm ( sometimes with weapons present) staff. We had one such incident that turned into a brief hostage situation at our facility. How can anyone benefit from that potential problem?(Incidently, there also has been a rise in reported nurse on nurse workplace violence in the form of bullying and verbal abuse. Great example reading this thread. Nurses are humans with human emotions too and deserve a nonjudgemental place to verbalize their frustrations. There seems to be a cyber shaming/bullying of sorts for those wishes to "let off some steam" amoungst understanding peers. This is a forum for nurses wishing to discuss their issues/concerns/ect.)

Hahaha! Love these! :) Staff irritants: 1. phenergan = phergran 2. O2 Sats = O2 stats 3. prostate = prostrate Patient/Family irritants (Education goes a long way! I don't mind those trying to learn. My pet peeves are the ones claiming they either have a medical background/are "nurses" ( as I had a housekeeper at another facility claim to be) or state they "know all this already because I watch Maternity Ward and A Baby Story" when trying to explain things to them.) 1. Induction= Inducement ( or Seducement as I had one soon-to-be-grandmother say OR "take the baby"......where are you taking it?) 2. Toxemia= Noxema ( pre-eclampsia/eclampsia please) 3. Meconium= Mecnim 4. Contractions= Contraptions 5.lady parts= "my **** down there" as I had a mother of 3 elequently tell me once :chuckle

We don't even have a Nurses Day at our hospital.....we have Hospital Employee Day ( management stated that the former title made other workers feel "left out.":lol2:

I guess the moral of the story is....if you are a nurse don't feel free to attempt to validate any negative feelings. You are to be the quiet, always smiling type or risk being called a martyr, selfish, or....eek..racist! How sad not to be able to lean on the support of fellow nurses when needed. Some of us don't live in the land of rose colored glasses...but feel free to let me know where that is...it sounds nice!

Yes, I know that. And I did not say I agreed with the OBs decision for this proceedure. It was a dystocia case and we promptly wrote him up several times. He only practiced for 8 months at our hospital after receiving "counselling." I was just stating that this was the only time I've seen it and that was his rational given. He stated he felt that it would help provent the head from receeding after the push was completed. Hense why I stated this was not a common practice here ( AKA no one else did it and I only saw it used twice.)

We just tell them under the current laws we are no longer able to give out medical information over the phone. I also explain to them we have no way of verifying that the person is who they say they are over the phone if they insist on the subject.

We just had 8 of our night staff give birth within a 4 month time frame. I think the general consensus was nursing in general is alittle difficult ( but safe, you will be pregnant not ill) while pregnant. No one had fertility problems. I think my day shift pregnancy was far worse than my night shift pregnancy! - L&D nurse and mommy

LOL, no your baby is well protected. Before I became an L&D nurse I was a cardiac nurse and ran to the code with the code cart and started chest compressions while 8 mionths pregnant. Again another victim of malpractice wariness. Women have been lead to believe they need to be on bedrest at home with their feet up for even the lowest risk pregnancy so "just in case" the healthcare team is safe from liability.

Well, in OB I hear this every night by almost every patient ( and labored myself twice and had the same opinion! ) so in this case no. But I have had several years as a cardiac and PACU nurse and the answer is YES!! If those pts told me that....get ready. Dont know how but alot of them just know. I've seen it more than once!

OB nurse here. We've had a patient come in for traptions ( contractions) and another asked if there was mecnim (meconium) because she watches discovery health and knows all about that stuff.

I have seen this done but only to stabalize the decent of the head if "turtling" is a problem. Not a routine or even frequent practice here.

I defianately do not like them but I wouldn't say I'm scared of them. I always get a kick out of pts w/mulitple tatoos and piercing tell me thay are afraid of them though. Aside from that, I have to say I feel badly for alot of recovering addicts. Those that are truly committed to their sobriety develope quite a fear of needles and do sometimes need alittle support with injections and such. I had one tell me the thought of a needle, any needle "brings me back to those days and I don't ever want to go there again." She came back for another baby 2 yrs later and is still clean! I was her nurse for her second baby too and was so proud of her!:)

The "but who cares?" reffers to our management. Should have been more specific. We are run but alot of transplants from up north that have no clue. Guess you didn't read my post all the way. I WILL stay for a 1-3. If "the big one" comes NOBODY ( with a big INCLUDING our patients) should be there. I'm not talking just staff, I mean NO One should be in that building. With the exception of a new additional tower the 75% of the rest of our hopital was built in 1954. I don't wish to cme accross snotty, it's just a big concern that several ( including both our clinical managers) are afraid of.

I understand, I am a born Floridian. The idea of evacuation isn't to leave the state though. It's a matter of sometimes only moving a few miles away to be out of storm surge. Guess I am not very "devoted" since I don't fulfill my "responsibilites." Been there and done that (x3) but who cares.

It'll be a new experience that's for sure. I worked Opal and it was not pretty. We ran out of food and water. Luckily that facility provided for our families ( our current hospital does not permit them to come except in extenuating circumstances like single mom, ect. which is A-okay with me. We own a travel trailer and hubby, the kids, and dogs will evacuate the area) But they also took far more precautions that my current facility ( boarded windows, sandbagged main level entrances, enforced not having everyone in the community stay with dad, grandma, ect in the hospital. The cut it down to basic operations and kept people levels low to help avoid supply issues.) I'm not afraid of hurricanes per say, I worked during 3, one a direct hit from hurricane earl in panama city, FL. And I'd glady work a special needs sheter. I just refuse to stay in an area that every single structure around us is required to leave for safety due to storm surge. It's not the winds that are the big killer in these storms. I grew up in the Bay area and living in the panhandle opened my eyes. The Tampa area hasn't seen a direct hit from a decent strength hurricane in forever. Alot of people will be caught offguard there.

We are allowed to accept things as cookies, pizza orders for us ect ( and it is such a very kind and appreciated thing to do!) but our company has a strictly enforced rule of not accepting individual gifts, no matter how small or inexpensive.

We give alot of methergine and hemobate following sections to decrease bleeding risks, which in a good majority of people leads to diarrhea the next day! And people do poo during these when there has to be some manual manipulation to get the baby out. it is usually cleaned up very descretely when we transfer from OR table to stretcher. As for lady partsl deliverys they is a lovely cocktail to clean up after those, which alot of times includes poop!!:chuckle

Our hospital takes it one step further and gave the family $50.00 worth of Red lobster coupons ( they originally gave them Outback Steakhouse ones but they refuses saying they wanted seafood instead) and sent the pt himself one of those large carved fruit bouquet arragements. This was someone who had been admitted to the unit for cocaine related cardiac issues. The family ( his brother and girlfriend) looked as if they partook in these activites too and smelled of alcohol. I cannot believe they did that! All over tylenol being given 40minutes late due to a code on the unit!!!! Blows my mind!!!

The advanced maternal age guidlines were established to give an age recommendation ( over 35ys old) for both insurance companies and medicaid to be required to pick up certain screenings for this age group if the parents wish (amnios, fetal echos ect..) that normally aren't run on every patient. They aren't meant to "knock" older patients. Of course 40 yr olds can do it, and do it well! But the 37yr old who'd like to be reassured and wants those tests doesn't have to worry about getting fully billed for them!

Wow, that's alittle against ACOG guidlines!!

I have a good friend who has it, is on meds for it, and is an incredible nurse!

I don't work PACU anymore but when I did we had these "boarders" and unfortunately we had to take nighttime call to care for these pts. It would not be unusual to work 2 18hr shifts a week due to this.

We know our hurricane policy. The point is that it is dangerous to everyone including the patients. The aftermath team will either need to be great swimmers or have personal water craft to reach our hospital. I have met my requirements in the past ( one tropical storm which at only 74 mph knocked out our generators temporarily and flooded the ER and outpatient departments on the ground floor) but no where is it written that we are required to place ourselves in that type of physical danger. I don't refuse to work. Other area hospitals transport to inland hospitals and the staff go there to help. I have no problem with that. Unless I plan to work an hour away, all 3 area hospitals are in evacuation zones for cat 4 and up. My family already has an evacuation plan ( which yes, does include me staying behind to help which I'm okay with) it just doesn't include drowning. The point is we would like a way as employees to advocate for ourselves and our patients for safer policies. The reason given to us was the expense of tranporting all these pt ahead of time and the landfall location changing last minute. Where I live developement has gotten out of hand, land has been made where it was water and wetlands have been drained to allow for building. 3/4 of my county is in a flood zone! it is not my job requirement to drown!

I also wouldn't put up with threats. I had a gentle man ( well man) tell me after checking his pedal pulses post cath ( I had explained what I was doing and this was the 3rd or 4th check on him) that if I touched him with cold hands again he was going to kick me in the stomach and send me to ER ( I was 8months pregnant). Never one to speak up for myself, I kicked into mom-mode and told him that I would not tolerate being threatened and if he did it again I would call security and if he dare lay and hand or foot on me I will call the police. He promptly apologized and was very nice, calling me "dear" the rest of the day. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do!