Orca ADN, ASN, RN

Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC

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All Content by Orca

  1. Orca

    Problem with Custody Sargents

    Orca replied to stedfast01's topic in Correctional

    In my state, legally nurses must be supervised by nurses. I cannot imagine a system that allows custody officers to give direct orders to medical staff. If California has any sense at all, a complaint...
  2. Orca

    Wife is an RN, Can't find job in Las Vegas

    Orca replied to tschaefer's topic in Nevada Nursing

    Several of the hospitals here are in expansion mode - either adding on or building satellite facilities in neighborhoods away from the main hospital. That implies that there is hiring ahead. If you...
  3. Orca

    Wife is an RN, Can't find job in Las Vegas

    Orca replied to tschaefer's topic in Nevada Nursing

    Las Vegas is an odd job market for nursing. I came here 18 years ago, and getting the first job was the hardest. I had five years of experience when I arrived, and it was denial after denial, even...
  4. Orca

    Nurse Manager Opportunity

    Orca replied to mcknis's topic in Nurse Management

    Hopefully their interest in you as a manager is genuine. As others have pointed out, sometimes it isn't. They could be compiling an applicant list for a position for which someone else has already...
  5. Orca

    "Nurse" arrested for using stolen license

    Orca replied to NurseQT's topic in Nursing News

    She has pretty much assured that this will never happen by practicing without a license (or training). I can't imagine any state nursing board allowing her to sit for the licensing exam when she...
  6. Orca

    Male RN's question

    Orca replied to Jamin33p's topic in Men in Nursing

    I remember those days, when it was assumed that any male had to be gay to go into nursing in the first place. Ironically, the first male nurse I ever met was gay, very openly
  7. Orca

    Can a nurse be Disciplined in every state

    Orca replied to ontheupside's topic in Nurses Recovery

    A nursing school classmate of mine was convicted of domestic violence 10-15 years before we went to school (I heard the whole story because his case was heard the day that my class attended a BON...
  8. Orca

    When does staff rights start

    Orca replied to Sniper06's topic in Psychiatric

    Nothing wrong with immediate correction and redirection. This should not be allowed to happen
  9. Orca

    Does everybody want to be a NP?

    Orca replied to Cola89's topic in General Nursing

    A nurse who worked on my staff was attending NP school. I made a lot of accommodations in her schedule to help her get through. The farther she went in the program, the more that what we did was...
  10. Orca

    How do you get meal breaks?

    Orca replied to DawnJ's topic in Correctional

    My staff's meal breaks are included in their total hours (i. e., the shift is not extended for their breaks). It is expected that there will be interruptions, and some may require immediate response....
  11. Orca

    Manager

    Orca replied to special1rn's topic in Nurse Management

    Supervising those who were once peers is always a challenge. However, it is not impossible. Some will find it easier than others to accept your new role, but accept it they must. Not playing favorites...
  12. Orca

    Exit Interview. Honest or not?

    Orca replied to sungrl01's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    The last exit interview that I did, I was bluntly honest. My unit was taken over by a nurse manager who was intent on running me off because she saw me as a threat to her authority. She set me up to...
  13. Orca

    employment question

    Orca replied to trinan71's topic in Correctional

    The main reason that this question is asked is to see if you know any inmates in the system that you are being hired for. There might be adjustments for separation that would need to be made,...
  14. Orca

    Cute Tiny Blonde Girl

    Orca replied to RachealAnne's topic in Correctional

    A lot of my staff are diminutive females. Their stature and appearance have nothing to do with how effective that they are in their jobs. Sometimes it can be an advantage, because some inmates don't...
  15. Orca

    Dilemma 2 job offers

    Orca replied to catlvr976's topic in Correctional

    This is a very underrated aspect of correctional nursing. When I worked in hospitals, you were always supposed to be kind to visitors and patients, no matter how abusive that they were to you, because...
  16. Orca

    A Day In The life of a Correctional Nurs.

    Orca replied to LPNTOBE2017's topic in Correctional

    My agency doesn't hire new grads, for reasons that I agree with. Correctional nursing requires levels of skill and independence that no new graduate has. Your assessment skills need to be polished,...
  17. Orca

    Prison nursing vs psych nursing

    Orca replied to Jmarty31's topic in Correctional

    I completely agree with this. I have done mental health nursing, prison nursing, and I have worked on a prison mental health unit. A major portion of the prison population has mental health issues,...
  18. Orca

    What to bring to work

    Orca replied to jescalynn's topic in Correctional

    If it's a place where you bring in your lunch, no metal utensils or glass containers. Drinks should be in plastic bottles rather than aluminum cans (you can tear an aluminum can apart and make a very...
  19. Orca

    Where's Waldo?

    Orca replied to all_good_names_gone's topic in Correctional

    Very much this. You cannot take everything you are told at face value. One reason that inmates don't get the care they need is that they don't seek it - then they file grievances over issues that they...
  20. Orca

    A delicate issue

    Orca posted a topic in Nurse Management

    I have an issue that I am unsure of the best way to approach. I have a number of nurses on my staff who are not native English speakers. We have had a turnover in providers, and our new providers have...
  21. Orca

    Mental Health and Corrections:

    Orca replied to WCSU1987's topic in Correctional

    In a prison setting, medications can only be forced with a court order or forced medication panel recommendation. This is only considered when an inmate is a danger to self or others and he refuses...
  22. Orca

    Question about Pre-Employment drug screens

    Orca replied to WhoSaidThat's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Why would you use anything that would put you at risk for failing a pre-employment drug screen? It's not like you don't know that it's
  23. Orca

    Rant - How should *I* know?

    Orca replied to canigraduate's topic in General Nursing

    My current specialty is correctional nursing, so I frequent the correctional nursing forum. I can't tell you how many people have asked what it is like to work not only for a specific employer, but...
  24. Orca

    Nurse Manager Salary

    Orca replied to EatYourVeggies's topic in Nurse Management

    As a DON I can only pick up overtime in emergency situations when no one else is available. My employer understandably doesn't want to pay time and a half at my salary level when there are less...
  25. Orca

    Forced IM meds...always ethical??

    Orca replied to Abbyrose's topic in Psychiatric

    I once had a colleague who medicated patients preemptively so that she wouldn't be bothered during her shift (nights). I learned this when I covered night shift during one of her absences (I worked...