Orca ADN, ASN, RN

Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC

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All Content by Orca

  1. Orca

    Oh no! What are employers going to think of this?

    Orca replied to nkenn04's topic in General Nursing

    Honestly, I wouldn't worry about taking the time and expense to join an organization. You will be a be a new graduate with no experience as an RN, and a membership isn't going to change that. I...
  2. Orca

    name change

    Orca replied to m&jsmom's topic in General Nursing

    I ran into an issue like this a while back (not over a name change, but the lack of return calls for a simple issue). I was trying to get a number from a past license from another state (it wasn't...
  3. Orca

    Ever have family members of a pt who was a doc?

    Orca replied to buddiage's topic in General Nursing

    We had the mother of one of our staff physicians when I worked in a rehab hospital. Mom herself was no problem at all, very cheerful, patient with the call light. When son was in the room, different...
  4. Orca

    Are LPNs able to...

    Orca replied to getting2work's topic in General Nursing

    Address this with your employer. If your state board allows you to do everything else with them they likely wouldn't have a problem with you changing the dressing. However, your employer may have a...
  5. Orca

    Why am I taking another tb test??

    Orca replied to adruiz01's topic in General Nursing

    That's pretty much the rule of thumb here, too. Show the results of a test done in the past 90 days and you're fine. More than 90, roll up your
  6. Orca

    Do You Wear Your Colors To Work?

    Orca replied to AngelfireRN's topic in General Nursing

    I wear street clothes now because I'm a DON. The other staff on my unit wear scrubs. When I worked in mental health it ran the gamut. The first unit I worked on (adult/CD) had us wear street clothes...
  7. Orca

    Ironwood or Chuckawalla for a new grad?

    Orca replied to LB49er's topic in Correctional

    That is my take as well. All of our RN positions require at least a year of experience, and it would have to be exceptional experience for me to consider someone even then. With the economy declining...
  8. Orca

    Do You Wear Your Colors To Work?

    Orca replied to AngelfireRN's topic in General Nursing

    I work in a state prison. We cannot wear solid blue (inmates wear this), solid orange (matches the jumpsuits worn in the intake unit) or solid yellow (matches the jumpsuits in the segregation unit)....
  9. Orca

    What do you do when you see a CO obviously abusing an inmate?

    Orca replied to stephied's topic in Correctional

    Our system does this as well, in any situation in which use of force may or will be used. It settles any questions about statements or actions that took place during an incident. I have also stood by...
  10. Orca

    What do you do when the CO's won't take action?

    Orca replied to katkonk's topic in Correctional

    I would first report it to a custody supervisor and my own supervisor, then document everything in an informational report. I know that any officer in my system who did not act after seeing that an...
  11. Orca

    County Jail VS Prison

    Orca replied to Sheena's Mom's topic in Correctional

    I have worked in a state prison as a nurse since 2001. I feel much safer walking the yard than I did going down corridors late at night in a hospital that was located in a bad neighborhood. As far as...
  12. Orca

    Do you have to make absolutely certain that inmates swallow their meds?

    Orca replied to stephied's topic in Correctional

    We do it with everyone. It isn't just psych meds that are of concern on the yard. Clonidine in particular is in demand at my facility because of its sedating properties. Inmates will also try to sell...
  13. Orca

    The good things that happen in corrections,

    Orca replied to Eirene's topic in Correctional

    Inmates realize that we all have jobs to do. When we are fair and treat them with dignity them they generally respect us, even if they don't agree with all our decisions. Thanks for sharing this...
  14. Orca

    Ironwood or Chuckawalla for a new grad?

    Orca replied to LB49er's topic in Correctional

    Just because posts are not recent doesn't mean that they have no merit. The environment and its suitability for new grads has not changed. Absolutely. We often provide the first health education...
  15. Orca

    Should you treat a prisoner different

    Orca replied to PEBBLES1's topic in General Nursing

    I am a DON in a state correctional facility. To be blunt, it seems to me that you aren't quite acclimated to the situation yet. From reading your opening statement it sounds as if you are identifying...
  16. Orca

    Religion and Nursing

    Orca replied to tryingpatsy's topic in General Nursing

    1. What do you classify your religion as? Baha'i has it ever effected your work? It has taught me to be more accepting and tolerant of others, and it has prompted me to broaden my understanding of...
  17. Orca

    Which position to accept???

    Orca replied to topher-67's topic in General Nursing

    LTC facilities tend to understaff and you will likely be run to death. CNA turnover is usually heavy and you are constantly covering for vacant positions. There is a lot of lifting, assisting and...
  18. Orca

    from med/surg to corrections....interview thurs

    Orca replied to juleeRN's topic in Correctional

    One question we ask all prospective nurses is what changes they expect to make in their practice as a result of nursing in a correctional environment. What we are looking for is statements about...
  19. Orca

    Learn To Say It Correctly!!

    Orca replied to SheriLynnRN's topic in General Nursing

    I completely agree. I don't expect patients and visitors to be savvy in medical jargon and names of medications. It drives me nuts, however, when trained medical professionals can't get it right. It...
  20. Orca

    Eating Disorders

    Orca replied to rachelgeorgina's topic in Psychiatric

    We used to get quite a few bulimics. Since we weren't a treatment center for eating disorders, these patients (usually young women) were normally referred for more intensive treatment elsewhere. We...
  21. Orca

    Are your "observation cells" a part of your infirmary?

    Orca replied to stephied's topic in Correctional

    Ours are in the very front of the infirmary. They have cameras so that direct observation by the infirmary officer is possible. Normally they contain inmates on suicide precautions - although on...
  22. Orca

    Strip searches?

    Orca replied to stephied's topic in Correctional

    Sometimes - and I was also involved in cell extractions, when they shot tear gas into individual cells in the segregation unit because of unruly behavior and inmates who would not cooperate with...
  23. Orca

    Dress code in the observation cells?

    Orca replied to stephied's topic in Correctional

    It depends upon the level of observation. If they are on strict mental health seclusion, they get only a suicide blanket. The psychiatrist visits mental health seclusion inmates daily (except...
  24. Orca

    Unique Nursing Jobs

    Orca replied to redheadludi's topic in General Nursing

    Not a job I have had myself - but a nurse I worked with once had a job delivering medical services to remote areas in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Not many nurses take a float plane to work. As for...
  25. Orca

    RN or BSN

    Orca replied to dreamer19's topic in General Nursing

    I also had a BA in psychology when I went into nursing. I went to an ADN program mainly due to time constraints (the BSN programs expected me to be available all day and I had to work). While some...