Orca ADN, ASN, RN

Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC

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All Content by Orca

  1. Orca

    Question for the Nurse Managers out there.

    Orca replied to 240zRN's topic in Nurse Management

    I am a DON in a correctional facility. I believe that you are wise to keep your hand in acute care to the extent that you can, to keep your skills polished. Correctional nurses perform a wide variety...
  2. Orca

    another which would you hire

    Orca replied to Mulan's topic in Nurse Management

    There isn't a straight answer for this. It depends upon what you are hiring for, the demands of the job and the capabilities of the interviewees. The 22-year-old could be very sharp and a quick...
  3. Orca

    New health care laws and our jobs.

    Orca replied to roreyn02's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Honestly, there is a lot of uncertainty about how the new laws are going to work and also some misinformation being passed around. As a result, there has been a lot of overreaction to the new health...
  4. Orca

    What's the weirdest thing management has said to you?

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

    Assigning based upon room numbers makes for some screwy assignments. I worked for a reabilitation hospital, and our typical assignment was eight patients each, regardless of acuity. I looked at my...
  5. Orca

    Psych RN job right after BSN graduation

    Orca replied to priorities2's topic in Psychiatric

    Generally speaking, outpatient mental health jobs are given to nurses with floor experience in the specialty. I have done both and have enjoyed both. Outpatient tends to be a bit more relaxed, because...
  6. Orca

    Tough decision, must be made my tomorrow

    Orca replied to OnlybyHisgraceRN's topic in Nursing Career

    I have done a lot of interviews, and I don't agree with this approach. If I heard this in an interview, I would be really put off by it. The people doing interview #2 have their own timetable, and you...
  7. Orca

    Strike breaking agency recruiting nurses

    Orca replied to lindarn's topic in Collective Bargaining, Union

    This is the thing that has always fried me about hospitals in labor disputes. The hospitals are willing to pay strike breakers far more than the unions are asking for just to avoid giving them a fair...
  8. Orca

    Non-nursing Clinical Oversight of LPN/RNs?

    Orca replied to kcnurse2003's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Medical assistants cannot supervise nursing practice.
  9. Orca

    Split on what my minor should be..

    Orca replied to Kandake's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    In almost 18 years of nursing, I have never been asked what my minor
  10. Orca

    What am I doing wrong?

    Orca replied to masek77's topic in Men in Nursing

    You forgot
  11. Orca

    Forced wearing of nursing cap.

    Orca replied to onetiredstudent's topic in General Students

    This is where I stand. The issue was put to a majority vote, and unfortunately you wound up on the losing side. If you are willing to risk missing out on the public acknowledgement of your proud...
  12. Orca

    Forced wearing of nursing cap.

    Orca replied to onetiredstudent's topic in General Students

    I'm glad my school did away with them. I saw some of the photos from prior classes and the caps they had looked goofy, almost cartoonish. I don't believe that anyone should have been made to wear
  13. Orca

    Fun answers you can use for the dumb questions we get...

    Orca replied to tenjuna's topic in Men in Nursing

    A couple of my classmates in nursing school were in their 50s. They reported similar experiences from their first jobs. Because of their age, patients assumed that they were veteran nurses and knew...
  14. Orca

    Epic (Nursing) FAILS!

    Orca replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nursing Humor

    Years ago, I was an orderly in a metropolitan hospital. I was walking down the hallway and noticed one of our respiratory therapists in the room of a man who looked to be about 80 years old. She...
  15. Orca

    What's the weirdest thing management has said to you?

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

    This didn't come from administration, but from a doctor in a facility where I once worked. We had a patient with a difficult family. When I say difficult - the patient's son and daughter-in-law were...
  16. Orca

    BSN vs ADN

    Orca replied to Grizabelle's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    I had a four-year degree in a social science when I decided to attend nursing school, so I would not have needed basic educational courses to get a BSN. What determined my choice of school was that I...
  17. Orca

    New Nurse New Mom - How do I get back to work?

    Orca replied to illininurse's topic in First Year After Licensure

    My mother (an ICU RN for years) took significant time off from work when my sister and I were born. I still don't know how she pulled off returning to her career, with all the catch-up learning that...
  18. Orca

    Which Stethoscope should I get?

    Orca replied to A_Rose83's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    I bought mine years ago through my nursing school (they offered a significant discount), and I still use it all these years later. I have never felt the need to upgrade. It remains a terrific...
  19. Orca

    What's the weirdest thing management has said to you?

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

    I always loved it when our administration at a rehab hospital where I once worked told us to give certain rich/famous patients the "VIP treatment". On one occasion I cared for a Hollywood celebrity...
  20. Orca

    My thoughts on Mental Health Nursing

    Orca replied to Elladora's topic in Psychiatric

    My first job after graduating nursing school was as evening shift charge nurse on a hospital adult mental health/chemical dependency unit. This hospital had never offered mental health services...
  21. Orca

    Need advice on new job ASAP

    Orca replied to wiggingout's topic in Psychiatric

    If the start date in March is guaranteed and you're financially able, I would hold out until then. Taking a job and immediately telling an employer that you're going to need time off, no matter how...
  22. Orca

    Starting at a Corrections Facility

    Orca replied to red2003xlt's topic in Correctional

    "Chest pains" are probably the hallmark complaint in prisons. Some inmates consider any discomfort between the neck and the waist as chest pains. Some have gotten it down to an art, knowing what...
  23. Orca

    Fun answers you can use for the dumb questions we get...

    Orca replied to tenjuna's topic in Men in Nursing

    Very seldom. We have become a part of the normal environment - although I still occasionally get "Are you the
  24. Orca

    Moving on.....

    Orca replied to TorsadesRN's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Making a clean break is one of the best things you can do. Too many people try to persevere in their old environments, and almost inevitably old habits set back in. Best of luck to you going
  25. Orca

    What am I doing wrong?

    Orca replied to masek77's topic in Men in Nursing

    As someone who has conducted more than my share of interviews, I can honestly tell you that the interview is not the place to express your personal wants or needs. Employers are looking for people who...