Orca ADN, ASN, RN

Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC

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All Content by Orca

  1. Orca

    The Night The Fire Died

    Orca replied to The_Optimist's topic in General Nursing

    My approach to any new job situation, be it a line position, supervisory and now upper management, is to first get the lay of the land, observe what is going on and absorb the dynamics, be they...
  2. Orca

    I can't believe that I made such a stupid mistake and am kicking myself!!!

    Orca replied to RN Chaos's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    You already are. Your compassion and your concern came across very clearly in your initial post. Once you discovered your mistake you did everything possible to ensure that your patient was all right....
  3. Orca

    bipolar v borderline

    Orca replied to rayea's topic in Psychiatric

    None of us started out that way. Time and experience teach you a lot. Reading it in a textbook is one thing, seeing it play out in front of you is quite another. People can describe pressured speech...
  4. Orca

    20, male, I could use some advice.

    Orca replied to Zgb9793's topic in Men in Nursing

    That was a tad bit
  5. Orca

    bipolar v borderline

    Orca replied to rayea's topic in Psychiatric

    Dual diagnosis cases are particularly tough. The only way to eliminate the opiate as a causative factor is to discontinue, detox and see what remains. That may be difficult, if not impossible, to do...
  6. Orca

    Stick it out or get out?

    Orca replied to BluePotion's topic in Correctional

    I will try to address the most important points. I believe that you're being overly paranoid in regard to the second security team. The best way to address it is to begin by checking your facility's...
  7. Orca

    Recent interview

    Orca replied to Mrshooch's topic in Correctional

    If there is a problem and the supervisor is the main suspect, you take it to the next step up in the chain of
  8. Orca

    The Night The Fire Died

    Orca replied to The_Optimist's topic in General Nursing

    Didn't seem to take much to put it out, did
  9. Orca

    The Night The Fire Died

    Orca replied to The_Optimist's topic in General Nursing

    Part of the problem is that there is a great temptation on the part of some new graduates to try to "make a mark", and all too often they set out to "correct" what they see as not the textbook way of...
  10. Orca

    Restrospective

    Orca replied to nursedanny614's topic in Psychiatric

    I have always been fascinated by the human mind, especially ones that don't work the way they are supposed to. Methods used to deal with people who are more "normal" generally don't work, and you have...
  11. Orca

    Forced to wear nurses' hat

    Orca replied to BSNbeauty's topic in Parish

    My school did away with caps for women two or three years before I went through school. My school's caps were hideous. I'm glad that my female classmates didn't have to endure that. I went to a...
  12. Orca

    New Grad offered Pediatric Psych Position

    Orca replied to StellaLunaRN's topic in Psychiatric

    Understaffing is the understatement of the year. One nurse on a 30-bed unit is just asking for problems. You made an excellent decision, one that may have saved your license. Your future may well be...
  13. Orca

    New ADON feeling overwhelmed

    Orca replied to LittleMamaRomeoRN's topic in LTC: Directors, Assistant

    This is dead on. In a lot of places like this, the only time that staff hears from management is when something is wrong. A little encouragement goes a long way - as does a little walking in their...
  14. Orca

    What do people think the ER is?

    Orca replied to Sassy5d's topic in Emergency

    Some people hear about a particular test and it sounds important, so they believe that it is the answer to any problem. I work in a prison setting and we constantly have inmates asking for MRIs,...
  15. Orca

    Is Nursing right for me?

    Orca replied to driven_chick1's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    Apparently that isn't obvious to
  16. Orca

    Big pay cut at Orlando Health, please help your fellow Nurses

    Orca replied to skyflight's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    I'm in. I hope that it
  17. Orca

    Med error- manager told everyone at meeting and made me explain

    Orca replied to veronica123's topic in Health, Stress Management

    One of the primary principles of management: Commend in public, reprimand in private. I am a DON, and if I do mention an error in a staff meeting as a point of education I am careful not to identify...
  18. Orca

    Hey is anyones life as a nurse like greys amatomy?

    Orca replied to francoml's topic in Men in Nursing

    Grey's is fine as long as you take it for what it is - entertainment, not a medical documentary. I watched most of the episodes for the first four or five seasons. There is just enough medical realism...
  19. Orca

    bipolar v borderline

    Orca replied to rayea's topic in Psychiatric

    Bipolar disorder is an Axis I diagnosis and borderline personality disorder is Axis II. They are not competing diagnoses. I have known people who have both, and they are a handful. Take a person with...
  20. Orca

    medication administration

    Orca replied to corrnurse93's topic in Correctional

    The system you are using is on very shaky legal ground, IMO. You have unlicensed, non-medical personnel dispensing medication. I'm not naive enough to believe that this doesn't go on in a lot of...
  21. Orca

    Is 1 nurse to 500 patients acceptable?

    Orca replied to corrections_nurse's topic in Correctional

    I worked night shift as one of two RNs in a facility with approximately 1,700 inmates. We did everything you listed and managed to accomplish it all. The problem with nursing ratios in prisons and...
  22. Orca

    Question for Nurse Managers/Hiring Managers

    Orca replied to RNikkiF's topic in Nurse Management

    A lot of this is subjective. One way to sort out the bad ones is to check with your state board of nursing and see if they have sanctioned or disciplined any nursing schools in your area. A lack of...
  23. Orca

    Undermined by administration

    Orca replied to savoytruffle's topic in Nurse Management

    None of this surprises me. My first job in long term care was my last, for many of the same reasons. The facility I worked in paid $2-4 per hour below the area average, consequently they were always...
  24. Orca

    Confused Psych Student--any advice is appreciated!

    Orca replied to confusedstudent20's topic in Psychiatric

    I had a BA in psychology before I started nursing school, and IMO it helped me to get my first nursing job on an adult mental health/chemical dependency unit. It is wise for you to pursue something in...
  25. Orca

    Managing difficult nurse managers

    Orca replied to TASHA_RN_BSN's topic in Nurse Management

    I also walked into a mess. My predecessor was a dictatorial type of leader whose primary method of communication was to yell at people. She knew the only "correct" way to do everything, and she...