chase4myheart

My mother was a patient at the facility where I work until she passed away 2 years ago. My father is a patient there now. It's a win-win situation for me. The only thing that I asked was not to be assigned to the hall that a family member is on where I would have to give direct care. That avoids a conflict of interest issue if anything comes up. Go for it.

Administrator and DON are going by what pharmacy says.

Last month our pharmacy stated that the DEA has began issuing citations that add up to millions of dollars to LTC facilities that have nurses who accept telephone orders for narcotics from MD's. This includes vicodin, ativan, xanax, etc. The pharmacist states that they must have a hard copy of the written script in their possession before we can administer this medication. This means that even though we have vicodin and ativan in our Omnicell, we can not administer it to the patient that is screaming in pain. What happened to nurses providing nursing care? I feel so helpless. I work the 11p to 7a shift. Pharmacy states that I can call the MD and explain to him what I need and that he can call pharmacy and give them a verbal order and then after they speak with the MD they will fax us a written script to give this med. Pharmacy can accept the order but we can't. How many MD's do you know that are going to do this at 2am in the morning? How is this going to look when state comes in and we've been documenting a patient's pain level at a 10 and that all interventions are not working? I thought pain was what the patient says it is and is to be treated. I guess that I'll be sending more people to the ER to get their pain under control at night. It just seems like this is one more way to hamper safe care for our residents. For example, about a year ago I had a new admit to our lock down unit that came in with no psych meds ordered. At midnight he has jerked the fire extinguisher off the wall and is swinging it around like a lasso. I got an order for IM Ativan and was able to get the fire extinguisher away from him and keep my other residents safe. If this situtation occurs again, my hands are tied. Are any other facilities going through this type of situation? If so, how are you handling this? I did google DEA regulations just to make sure that our pharmacies info was on the up and up and what I've been told is legitimate info. Any help would be appreciated.

Where I was employed at before entering the field of nursing, cell phones weren't allowed due to risks of blue prints and designs being photographed and copied. If you were found with a cell phone on the premises, you were fired. Are you saying that residents rights and privacy are less important than that? Also, the sad fact is that a lot of people can't be trusted. Just food for thought. Anyone else have any opinions?

After reading and listening to the news about staff taking nude photos of residents at Waddell Nursing Home in Galax Virginia, I am sickened by the thought of how anyone could do something like this. Two staff members (CNA's) took nude photos of residents without their knowledge. Police are unsure yet if the photos actually made it on the internet. As a nurse, I am wondering how do I protect my residents from this where I work? At least 99.9% of the staff where I work have cell phones with cameras on them, and how easy would it be for someone to snap a picture without the nurse or supervisor's knowledge. Our policy is that cell phones are to be turned off or placed on vibrate while in the building, but I think that I'll just suggest that cell phones not be allowed in the building. If there is an emergency, staff can be contacted by the facility phone. I just can't stand the idea of my resident's being violated in this manner. Anyone else have any feelings on this?

I took the Virginia NCLEXRN. You should be able to call the 1-804 number that you have for the Virginia Board of Nursing the next business day after you take your test. You put in your SS # and a recording will tell you the license you currently hold. If it states you have no license listed then you didn't pass. It will be posted on the Virgina Dept of Health website 2 business days after you take the test, so you can look it up on the internet that way. I also did the "Pearson Trick" and it worked for me. I got the famous popup that blocked me from re-registering to take the NCLEX. Good luck. I know the waiting is the hardest part.

The trick does work. Took the NCLEXRN on July 2nd. Couldn't find out my quick results until this morning because of the holiday. The trick was the only thing that kept me sane during the weekend. I kept getting the block that wouldn't let me reregister. Today I called and found out that I passed!!!!!!!!! I'm officially a RN now. Please don't call Pearson about this trick. It would be awful if they found someway to block it and future test takers couldn't use it. Thank's guys and girls for letting me in on the trick. Believe me, I left Pearson that day thinking that I had definitely failed that test. It was so much harder than the LPN test. I still can't understand how I passed, but I'm sure glad I did. I can go to work tonight and sign RN after my name. YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I got a dream catcher tattooed on my shoulder with my graduation date and RN. The dream catcher symbolized making my dreams come true by being a nurse. By placing it on my shoulder, I can keep it covered at work and maintain a professional attire per facility policy.

It has always been my understanding that the LPN cannot do the initial assessment when a person is admitted to the facility without an RN cosigning. Where I work at, LPN's are constantly assessing the patient. This is a part of nursing care that they give. If an LPN couldn't auscultate lung sounds or determine when someone is circling the drain, then they wouldn't be much more than a tech. I do know that LPN's are giving more privileges in LTC than in hospitals. Hope this helps some. Contact your state BON if you are still unsure of the LPN's scope of practice.

I've been a LPN for 2 years and hopefully will graduate with my RN in May 09. During my clinicals this semester, I've been able to spend a lot of time in ICU. I have to say that I simply love it. Of course the patient's are much more critical, but there's time to actually learn different procedures. The other nurses also have the time to show you some of the tricks of the trade. I have to say during my clinical rotations that ICU was where I acutally learned the most this semester. Hats of to ICU nurses. You really rock!

I am soooo in your shoes. I work 40 hrs. on weekends and I'm carrying 15 credits right now. All I do is work, go to school, and do homework on my one day off. All that keeps me going is graduation in May of 2009. I keep telling myself "this too shall pass". Hang in there. We can do this and it will definitely be worth it.

I am a nontraditional student and received a $300 scholarship for the fall semester. Apply for everything out there. You never know when you will get lucky and get something. My tuition was 1354.00 this semester and the cost of my books was $685. Every little bit of financial assistance certainly helps.

I encourage each of you to never say never. No one knows what it's like for another person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. I was in my last semester of nursing school when Mom's dementia kicked into high gear. She also became unable to walk and required total care. I had to work due to financial reasons. I also had no brothers or sisters to help with her care. There also wasn't the financial resources to pay for at home care. It was a difficult decision, but I did place my mother in a nursing home. It was one that I investigated extensively. I also got a job working at this facility as a CNA until I finished school and completed my boards. This gave me the chance to be there more often and to see that the correct care was being given. I have to say that I was amazed at the care that she was given there. Everyone loved her and couldn't do enough for her. By the way, I am still employed at this facility as an LPN. That was two years ago. When my mother drew her last breath at this facility, I had the support of both my colleages and my friends with me. I only hope each and every day, that I can give my patients and their families the same kind of love and devotion that my mother received at this facility. There are some good facilities out there. I guess that I was just lucky enough to find one.

I just completed a summer bridge program from LPN to RN. I'll graduate in May 2009 also. I'm also working 40 hrs/week while going to school full-time. I know that it will fly by for me and I am sooooo ready. It really sounds good to say that I graduate next year. Good luck to everyone!

You are the nurse. The aides are working under you. If you see that they aren't doing their job, write them up. You have that authority. It also shows a paper trail so that management can take disciplinary action. I can almost guarantee that after one or two aides are written up, that the others will see that you aren't going to accept any slack and conditions will improve. You are your patient's advocate. If you see that your aides aren't giving them the care they need then it's up to you to make sure that they do. If they are busy with another patient that's one thing, but if they are sitting at the nurses station reading or gossiping then that is lazziness and I have zero tolerance for that.