Orca ADN, ASN, RN

Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC

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All Content by Orca

  1. Orca

    To the bedside, or correctional facility?

    Orca replied to mom35's topic in Correctional

    I agree with Spongebob. Correctional nursing requires a lot of independence - which only comes with experience. I started in a hospital and am glad that I did. I've been in corrections for about ten...
  2. Orca

    Is Corrections a good job for a new RN Grad???

    Orca replied to nursgwithcompassion's topic in Correctional

    My honest answer is no. Correctional nursing requires a degree of independence that a nurse with no other experience simply does not have. My agency (Department of Corrections in a western state) will...
  3. Orca

    RN working as LVN in correctional facility.

    Orca replied to Daisy212's topic in Correctional

    I'm not sure about your state, but in mine a nurse cannot work in a job for which he or she does not hold the appropriate license. I am an RN, but I cannot take an LPN position because I don't have a...
  4. Orca

    Why are we as Psych nurses seen as bottom of the barrel?

    Orca replied to dreamingofbeing's topic in Psychiatric

    Where I work there are both psychiatric and medical nurses employed. I have served in both classifications. One thing that does not help the image of the psychiatric nurses is that many have developed...
  5. Orca

    I lost my job.

    Orca replied to pretty70's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I have had a couple of employees who were in this situation, and as long as they communicated with me there were no negative consequences. One of my colleagues had an employee who took off without...
  6. Orca

    New Grad in Corrections

    Orca replied to ibrn2010's topic in Correctional

    One agency you don't want to lie to about any kind of legal difficulties is the Department of Corrections - and it is amazing how many people have tried when I have been involved with employment...
  7. Orca

    New to Corrections, Interview questions (Long) lots of ?

    Orca replied to LoveMyBugs's topic in Correctional

    I am a DON at a state women's correctional facility. I will try to answer some of your questions. Bear in mind that some of this may not apply to the specific facility you have applied to work in....
  8. Orca

    Intermittent FMLA: The joke's on us

    Orca posted a topic in Nurse Management

    I am interested to hear how you handle intermittent FMLA, something I have come to regard as a scourge. It seems that it is invariably the biggest abusers of sick leave who are granted this status...
  9. Orca

    are filter needles necessary?

    Orca replied to brownbook's topic in Patient Medications

    I wouldn't want to run the risk of injecting tiny shards of glass. It's easy to prevent
  10. Orca

    Can a doctor write you up or fire you??

    Orca replied to Epona's topic in General Nursing

    This is all too true. Several years ago I worked on a mental health unit. We once got a patient who a cardiologist we had never worked with before agreed to serve as medical consultant for. The...
  11. Orca

    Did you work while in nursing school?

    Orca replied to mamacashew's topic in General Nursing

    I worked a full-time job the entire time I went to school out of financial necessity. Fortunately my employer was willing to work with me on a schedule toward the end even though they knew I would be...
  12. Orca

    Professional boundraries in Correctional Nursing

    Orca replied to harmonpa's topic in Correctional

    All of the above is excellent
  13. Orca

    Mandatory cut-off age for being a bedside nurse?

    Orca replied to Katie5's topic in General Nursing

    You can't make a general statement about (or legislate) when someone is no longer fit to administer care. I currently work with a nurse in her 70s who I had rather work with than just about anyone....
  14. Orca

    Burnout?

    Orca replied to CNL2B's topic in General Nursing

    Quite possibly you are taking on too much at once, and it is reducing your tolerance and your ability to cope. I doubt that your job has changed much, but your perception of it has. Be sure to give...
  15. Orca

    Accepting this gift from a patient

    Orca replied to nursingpower's topic in General Nursing

    I had a patient send me a thank you card with $10 in cash in it. I immediately turned the $10 in to my DON and explained what happened. I did not want any ethics questions about accepting a gift from...
  16. Orca

    Can they make you work full time and not pay you benefits?

    Orca replied to jxRN's topic in General Nursing

    I once had a per diem job that gave me so many hours that everyone assumed I was full time. I got no benefits, but I was making $7 per hour more than they offered me to go full time. I told them that...
  17. Orca

    Resume dilemma (resigned new job after 4 months)

    Orca replied to TrixieRN1's topic in General Nursing

    I would leave out the explanation. It may appear that you are just trying to make excuses, and also the larger entry might call undue attention to your short-term
  18. Orca

    So what is the deal with nursing.....

    Orca replied to spacemom1's topic in General Nursing

    I would be a lot less worried about the horror stories than about the lack of jobs. A lot of the horror stories are people sharing with the one group of people they know will understand. Friends and...
  19. Orca

    When SW try to micromanage Nurses

    Orca replied to Shell5's topic in Psychiatric

    It's a bad spot when someone the unit would be better off without believes they are invaluable and things will fall apart if they are not there. The lack of backing from your nurse manager is...
  20. Orca

    Any ideas on how to keep their pants up?

    Orca replied to NCindasun21's topic in Psychiatric

    We used to link rubber bands together between two adjacent belt
  21. Orca

    How many patients do you have as a Psych. RN?

    Orca replied to lion09's topic in Psychiatric

    The worst day I ever had in the hospital, I arrived on the unit to find that we were staffed with two CNAs and me. I had 16 patients on the floor and two admissions waiting in the ER that would put us...
  22. Orca

    Dangers of Labeling Inmates - Stories Sought

    Orca replied to Guest371144's topic in Correctional

    Correctional nursing is a good field to be in, but I don't recommend it as a first job in nursing. It requires a lot of independence, and without prior experience it is difficult to do well. Some...
  23. Orca

    ADN nurses with other BS degree

    Orca replied to njmomstudent's topic in General Nursing

    I have a BA in psychology and an ADN. I believe that the BA might have given me an edge in getting my first job (on a mental health unit). Also, if I ever did decide to go back for another degree, the...
  24. Orca

    What do the male nurses do to prevent sexual assault accusations?

    Orca replied to SkySoldier's topic in Men in Nursing

    I have done some duty trading, and I also take a female staff person with me if I have to go into an area where I might have to examine a
  25. Orca

    what can i do to make myself a desirable psych rn candidate?

    Orca replied to bymysoultosqueezeRN's topic in Psychiatric

    I have worked both, and if you have worked corrections for any length of time you have dealt with a bunch of mental health issues. You might also start out per diem on a mental health unit if they...