NancyRN

I recommend FlyLady.net for all of you who can't seem to get organized. Her methods have totally changed my life! My whole house is decluttered, peaceful, and clean! The FlyLady method is simple: if you don't love it or use it, GET RID OF IT! You can't organize clutter! Although the methods she uses are meant for getting housework under control, you can use them at work, too. The biggest change I've had at work is that I no longer try to multitask. I concentrate on ONE THING AT A TIME. Know what? I'm much more efficient! Anyway, check out Flylady.net for wonderful ways to get your whole house clean 15 minutes at a time!

I've never had a problem with discrepancies in Pyxis. I would love it, except I have little or no fingerprints, and so it takes me about 25 tries to get in. I've had the machine reset several times to no avail, and they won't just give me a password, they say we all have to use fingerprint...arrrgh!

I have been getting acid peels and permanant makeup at a plastic surgeon's office. The nurse who does them has been trained by the doctor. She was just in the right place at the right time; she had no prior plastic surgery experience. She's told me how much she loves her work. I've noticed quite a growth spurt of day spas offering acid peels (Although I would only get a peel from someone operating under the supervision of an MD). The day spa where I get my hair done has plans for offering botox injections soon. Does anyone know where I can get training in medical esthetics? I've looked online and all I find are very expensive schools out of state which seem to be set up in the manner of a vocational school. As an RN I don't need anatomy classes. I just want to learn to give peels and botox. Thanks for any input you might have!

My daughter (a teacher) recently told me about a nurse friend who works in a nearby hospital. I asked her what her friend's specialty is, and she said, "I honestly don't know. To the general public, a nurse is a nurse is a nurse, Mom!" This caused me to think about the rivalry that exists throughout nursing: the OR nurse vs the PACU nurse vs the ICU nurse vs the Stepdown nurse, ad infinitum. It's no wonder we can't get anywhere with administrators. We're too busy one-upping each other to really stand together. What causes this kind of attitude, and why does it happen? Nurses are generally respected by the public. The caste system is something we've created ourselves; maybe because we feel powerless in the workplace? I'll admit that as a Stepdown nurse in a hopsital, I felt superior to a Long Term Care nurse; that us, until I tried it myself. I RAN back to that hospital, where I only had 5 patients instead of 25!

Its always nice to see you posting here, cheerfuldoer! Glad also to see that you're looking into jobs with less stress. When I graduated 4 years ago at the ripe old age of 47, I wanted a cap because nurses wore caps when I was a girl. My nursing instructor personally glued a red velvet stripe to a cap I brought in, and I wore it to graduation ( although I wasn't allowed to wear it to the pinning). I only wore my cap twice to work. I loved wearing it, but I felt self conscious, because every nurse I met had to tell me how much she'd hated her own cap. I can't see why we shouldn't wear a cap as an option, much the same as fun earrings or holiday scrubs!

Thank you jan!

jan, thanks for the fascinating explanation! I was finally able to "see" in my mind why left ventricular hypertrophy causes pulmonary hypertension! What about pulse oximetry in infants with congenital hearts? We use the toes. Does it matter?

I wear my Miraculous Medal (a Catholic religious symbol) at all times. No one has ever asked me to remove it, and I would not comply.

Just once, I'd like to see ER depict a nurse crying after being verbally abused by a patient or family member. This show continually depicts patients being abusive towards staff; the staff seems to just let it roll off their backs, as if they have no emotions at all. The public must have the idea that it's just fine to act this way since no one ever objects or even gets their feelings hurt!

Tooty, thanks for the glance at the "other side of the fence". I'm one of those who always wonders what it might be like to sit at a desk to work instead of running hospital hallways for 12-13 hours at a stretch. Maybe a desk job isn't as easy as it seems! jnette, I think you're on to something. A while back I was whining to my son, "Why is everyone so MEAN to NURSES?" He said, "Mom, everybody's mean to EVERYBODY! Just look at how people treat waitresses and sales clerks! And EVERYBODY hates LAWYERS!" (He's a law student). Sad, but too true.

Sorry to say, I've only been out of school 4 years, so I don't remember what it was. All I know is the abuse and the dread. I've worked in many facilities trying different places as agency but it was always the same. I agree, Rene, the family members are the worst! There are always 3 or 4 of them camped out in a room, eyeing me as if I'm the most incompetent boob ever to walk the earth. They question everything I do and say. There's not any support from other nurses, either. They all play the game of pretending everything's fine...nobody will stand up to management with me ...but turnover is so great its like a revolving door there!

this is odd. i saw a post defining nurses as compassionate creatures. these same compassionate creatures have ripped plato to shreds just for posting an opinion! since all of you hold so much contempt for plato, why do you waste your time cutting and pasting his posts, picking apart every response he types? what an ugly feeding frenzy! be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. plato i like that a lot.

She didn't call you mediocre. Sounds like a poor choice of words. Maybe she was trying to be funny? I agree with Coug; saying, "That hurt my feelings," is infinitely better than crawling off to a corner to lick your wounds. Maybe she's desperate enough to actually give credence to some of your ideas for retention.

grouchy, I love the Universal Design concept. I believe if there were a neighborhood of new homes being built to these specs there would be a 10 year waiting list! I am just in my early 50's and I am in good health, but since I want to stay in my home, I will be looking for Universal access in any new home I build.

I find it very sad when people have to move out of their homes simply because they cannot get around anymore. Wouldn't it be nice if all new homes being built today were handicapped accessible? Its not expensive to make wider doorways etc when building new, but the cost of remodeling is prohibitive. With all the aging boomers I don't know why more thought isnt given to this.

I didn't graduate til I was almost 50. I used to feel very discouraged when other nurses would tell me, "I have 20 years experience" because I'll never have 20 years experience. I take pride in learning more than I have to know, so I do ask a lot of questions. I risk being considered "the dumb one" because I will always admit when I don't know something. Since graduating 4 years ago I've discovered: Some nurses have the same year of experience 20 times. Some nurses pretend to know things they don't know. Many nurses will see a chink in your armor and start chipping away. Take heart, RIN. You seem to have a healthy fear of harming a patient. You also seem compassionate and caring, and that can't be taught! Good luck to you and stay true to yourself!

"Altered Tissue Perfusion" or "Impaired Tissue Integrity" . Related to decreased blood and nutrients to tissues, secondary to: surgical wound.

Does anyone know what a Nurse Recruiter actually does all day? I've been seeing posts from nurses who apply for a job and never hear back. I've had the same experience. One place that was advertising lots of openings didn't even acknowlege receipt of my resume. That's just bad manners. I saw on my Caller ID that I'd gotten a phone call, but she didn't leave a message. When I returned her call, all I ever got was her voice mail. Seems to me that facilities are just wasting their money paying a recuiter who doesn't recruit.

In my facility, a large part of performance evaluations is based upon surveys sent home with patients. One big no no is: "the nurse seemed rushed." I mean...I wouldn't wanna RUSH.....

With the critical shortage of nurses willing to work under present conditions, we cannot afford to say "If you hate nursing, why not leave the profession," because too many have already left. Recent studies have linked nurse staffing to the very survival of patients; we need to fix things NOW, instead of inviting more nurses to leave. We're all going to need a nurse someday.

I just thought of some useful advice my own son gave me when I was in school, which has served me well: "Run into the fire!" This means, whenever your fears are holding you back, just DO IT...and you'll be so proud of yourself; and you'll wonder why you ever were afraid!

I've read the articles and they really are good. I have noticed a general trend of family members watching the nurses like a hawk, questioning every move I make. I personally feel insulted by all the second guessing. I give the best care I can give, whether the patient has a family member in the room or not. I don't have to be reminded to do my job.

You won't be dissecting any pigs when practicing as an RN. Even though the pig used to make me sick, I have watched surgery and even an autopsy with total awe and wonder. No queasiness at all. The human body is a beautiful thing. Hanging blood makes me kind of queasy, but I don't have to do it often, and I don't look at the bag. I, too, feel afraid of catching a disease, but it just makes me more careful. You have to remember, most of your patients ARENT contagious. Very few will have Hepatitis or HIV, and you'll be wearing gloves and goggles during invasive procedures. I won't work in an ER or in a high risk area. There are many kinds of nursing. Talk to your instuctor about your fears.

This article is a few years old but is still the best argement I've seen AGAINST circumcision. Includes photos and interviews with men who were circ'ed as adults http://www.infocirc.org/MensHlth.htm Sorry I don't know how to insert a hyperlink.

I agree with sanakruz. It's not your body. If he wants a circ later, he can have one. There are no good reasons for genital mutilation on boys or girls. Isn't it insulting to assume that a male is not capable of keeping himself clean?