canna42

canna42's Latest Activity

1. 

   Buried under paperwork

   canna42 posted a topic in Ambulatory

   Hey everyone, Well I had one week of orientation (sort of ) before nurse training me got sick and had to quit. The paperwork is sooooo different from hospital. She was 2 months behind on filing hence, i am now really behind. The hunt for charts takes a huge amount of my time. I see no light at the end of this tunnel. Who does the filing in your offices? Lots of what i am doing should be done by secretary. There are 4 in the office which our office has only 2 doctors. I am frustrated beyond my limits and so is doctor. I just don't know how to fix it and office manager doesn't either. I am already working 60 hrs week. I thought this job would give me more time with my kids but it is getting me less time. I have already lost 9 lbs in the 4 weeks i have been there. So stressed out I am having difficulty eating. Not that i get much time to eat anyway. Suppose to have half hour but ends up being 10 minutes. Don't mean to vent but i can only afford maybe 10 more lbs ha ha..will have to get all new clothes and will look almost anorexic..seriously would be hard on my health. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!!! Thanks Canna:(
2. 

   My new office job (LONG)

   canna42 replied to a topic in Ambulatory

   Hi Laura..This is the second week for me in a new office job. I had worked for 25yrs in hospitals so this is new to me. The paperwork is daunting. So many medicare/medicaid rules for reinbursment. Sooooo many nurse calls for prescriptions renewals or wanting new meds.The doc I work for is great. He is real easy going..nice towork with. The only "politics" type problem I have come across is from the other docs nurses. They don't think it is fair that our doc got a second nurse...they say they see much more patients so they should have a third nurse. Actually I agreed with them. Their doc has long history..tons of patients. My doc has only 3 yrs practice in our area so is still building his practice. So far I have only heard little snatches of whining to business office manager...my worry is tht they would try to move me to other docs practice. I don't really care for other doc..he is type he wants butt kissers...that is not me. I don't mind making coffee since I am a coffee drinker but I am not a door mat for anyone. Hopefully they will atleast get part-time nurse and leave me alone. Good luck Laura!
3. 

   Office Nurses' Salaries

   canna42 replied to KarenS's topic in Ambulatory

   JenniferRN Many thanks for the information. I will sure write them this week. Thanks again...Canna
4. 

   Office Nurses' Salaries

   canna42 replied to KarenS's topic in Ambulatory

   Hi JenniferRn..where did you take instruction for basic x-ray? I will at times have to do occ one at my new job in office...have no idea of how. Any tips you can give on office work appreciated. What was suppose to be 8-5 job is really 8-7:30 or later. Office manager just hired more secretarial staff. The nurses have been bogged down with secretarial duties (filing...getting charts..etc)..hopefully will get better with more organization. I have only been in an office a week. Have worked 25yrs in hospital. Glad I had a good bit of emergency room experience cause it is very similar. The referrals..fax machine...tons of phone numbers i am always on search for is mind boggling so far ha ha ha..everyone says will get better once i have them memorized. I was not able to get "orientation" since they waited to hire me after the other nurses 2 wks notice was over. Have been kind of thrown into all of it so paperwork got a little overwelming at first and still it on a lot of it. Luckily doc I work for has patience of a saint. He is very laid back and loves to teach thank God!
5. 

   First day as office nurse

   canna42 posted a topic in Ambulatory

   Yesterday was my first day working in an office. Geeeeeez lots of paperwork to learn. Soooo many phone calls. The nurse training me had to stop approx every 5 minutes for phone calls and usually there were more than one at a time. Stacks of charts to go over to schedule egd's c-scopes labs to check ect. Originally we were going to use Mondays when doctor is off to catch up on paperwork but we were informed yesterday that now on Mondays we have to help the other doctor cause he sees 80-100 pts a day but they won't hire him another nurse . No additional overtime so I am not sure when we will get paperwork done. I liked it though. The day went very quickly. Will take some time though before I feel comfortable. Very different from hospital nursing I have been doing for so long.
6. 

   Is This Nitpicking?????

   canna42 replied to micro's topic in Nursing

   Ohhhh you really hit a nerve on my memories. Not meaning you do this...did you leave your charts out just a couple of times? This nurse that worked dayshift ahead of me ALWAYS left her charts out. I got sick of spending the first 20 minutes of my shift cleaning up after her. Sorry but I am not her mom. After this going on for 2 months I blew! I put all my "stuff" away before clocking out and sorry I expect this of grown men and women. Everyone has days they forget or have last minute emergencies..but with some it is everyday. Sorry but it is pet peeve of mine to have others who repeatedly (meaning the nurses I have worked with) leave their dishes , coke cans , coffee cups and left out charts for me or others to clean up. Believe me I am not the only one who feels this way but I prefer to say things directly to someone than talk about their laziness behind their back. Don't mean to offend anyone...just don't want to be seen as someones handmaiden.
7. 

   who does the lab and x-rays in your office?

   canna42 replied to canna42's topic in Ambulatory

   Laura just wanted to say I start my office job Nov 12th. I turned in my 2 weeks notice Friday. Have done the drug screen and signed the tax papers already. Looking forward to first week even though I will probably be all thumbs!! Lots to learn but I am excited about that part. Have done 25yrs of hospital...time for something new. Have worked nightshift for those yrs so I also have to get use to day hours..whew...lots of adjusting but worth it. Thanks canna42:D
8. 

   who does the lab and x-rays in your office?

   canna42 replied to canna42's topic in Ambulatory

   Laura thanks..I added you to buddy list..not sure if I know how to use it though ha ha not very computer literate. Just got home from work..was a long 12 hr nightshift. Hope they call this morning but I am not going to hold my breath.Let me know how to use this buddy thing please! Canna:eek:
9. 

   who does the lab and x-rays in your office?

   canna42 replied to canna42's topic in Ambulatory

   I had worked in pediatrics for the first 15yrs of nursing. You will love it! Children are so honest and tell it all ha ha ha. Grandma's can be scarey at times though (for real ! ). So far I have not heard final word. The office was closed Monday. I am hoping yesterday they interviewed the other two. One way or the other I wish they would call today and let me know. The suspense is killing me. I am like you...would love the hours to be with my family. I will be so depressed if I don't get this one. Best of luck to you..let me know what happens. Darla has been a great source of information to me. Good luck!!!
10. 

    Dealing with patient's families

    canna42 replied to VAC's topic in Nursing

    No offense meant to greenville or anyone else who works icu but lets face it...if you have a max of 4 pts..lot less family to deal with..more time to deal with those you have. I had 14 pts one night when every visitor had reasonable requests for my time. One visitor complained that she had been requesting a pillow for herself since 7pm...I brought it to her at 8:30pm. Mustering all the patience I had by then..I explained my patient load..lack of staff..and same time agreeing that none was the fault of her..I simply stated I had to take care of patients needs first but got to her needs asap.It is a difficult transition for patients just coming out of icu to the floor. In our icu it is 1-1 or 1-2 ..we have no step down unit..so they go from that to 1-12 ratio nursing. A lot of difficulty later is avoided if when admitted patients and family receive adequate information. Most have never been to a hospital and only know what they see on tv..good or bad. Our biggest problem is intoxicated visitors and visitors with no branches to their trees.
11. 

    Midnights vs Day shift

    canna42 replied to mamabear's topic in Nursing

    I work 7p-7a shift. We have plenty of ppl to work nights here..days has a hard time hanging on to nurses. We don't have the aggravation of numerous visitors...drs rnds...other depts taking our charts etc. However our DON at a nurses meeting stated we didn't need so much help since our patients go to sleep at 8:00. I stared open mouth at him...what a stupid statement! Well you know how these things come back to haunt you? Well a yr later he had to work 2 whole months on nights when we had 4 nurses quit. On his third night when we had no nurse assistants show up for work....he was running at full speed..it was 0100 am...I said aren't you glad they go to sleep at 8:00 and you can sit with your feet up? He turned purple and said he couldn't believe he had said that and no one corrected him. I said words like that usually come back to haunt you..and usually with a vengence. It didn't take long before he saw that everyone who was over 80..by themselves became nervous at being alone so called every 5 minutes for little stuff..others climbed bed rails or tried to find the kitchen to start breakfast ha ha etc. Nights is not a cake walk like others think. I tell dayshift all the time I realize how hard they work...it is not my fault more want to work nights than days. Maybe their personality change would help since days is usually the shift of choice everywhere else.
12. 

    Why hosp cannot pay nurses more, according to one CEO...

    canna42 replied to st4304's topic in Nursing

    Let me tell you about an interview I had 3 weeks ago. I work at a small country hospital (max40 beds). I interviewed at a hospital in a larger city with bed capacity 320 beds. The interviewer said they were higher IV certified LPNS because they were having difficulty getting RNs since travel nursing was taking many of them. She was already to sign papers till she inquired of my present salary. She gasped and said that is what they started experienced RNs at....HELLO CLUELESS!!!! No self respecting experienced RN would work at a hospital with starting pay of $14.50 that I get as an IV cert. LPN. If our small hospital can afford to pay us...I know the larger hosp can. Its a case of greed pure and simple. One of our local drs was hiring a nurse for his clinic. I had already heard from the grapevine what his pay was. He was "delighted" to be offerring a nurse $8.00/hr to work for him with no benefits. When he approached me.. I said please do not insult me by offerring me what you did so and so. I can work at wal-mart for more and a whole lot less responsibility and very good benefits. Which actually I have considered many times going to work at wal-mart..very good benefits and they treat their ppl very well. I would miss my patients though. Come to think of it...I do see a lot of them at the local wal-mart often ha ha.
13. 

    What color was your student uniform?

    canna42 replied to P_RN's topic in Nursing

    we had grey dress uniform with white pintuck bib. Last night that I worked I wore pale pink scrub ( called cotton candy ha ha). Never wear white anymore...except for occasionally wear white lab coat.
14. 

    who does the lab and x-rays in your office?

    canna42 replied to canna42's topic in Ambulatory

    Thanks again Darla! When I saw the term ICD9 codes..I went huh? ha ha I have a lot to learn! Have not started just yet but our days are Tuesday-Friday...every other week we work 1/2 day on Mondays. The clinic is owned by local hospital so we get same benefits that they have there..sick time , vacation time , insurance with their group rates..we can pick up overtime if we want it by working our days off at the hospital. The dr is really nice..he is heavy into procedures...I like that...and the other nurse is one that i have worked with b4 at our hospital. I just hope nothing happens to job slot at last minute. If someone from the hospital that owns them wants this job..they have to give it to them. So far the administrator and dr want me..said they were real impressed with my credits and references. I have to wait one more week to make sure no one at hospital wants it. very few ppl want to lower their salary this much except for reasons like me. My salary will decrease by 4$ /hr. I don't care anymore and neither does my husband. He wants me home.
15. 

    who does the lab and x-rays in your office?

    canna42 replied to canna42's topic in Ambulatory

    Darla..thanks for your reply. I appreciate the information. The office is general practice. The particular doctor I will be working with likes doing lots of procedures. The office manager realizes I have not been doing these particular procedures but doc is willing to show me how. I am familiar with venipuncture as I am IV certified but have no idea what to do with blood once obtained ha ha ha. Hopefully will get adequate training before let loose on the unsuspecting public. Sounds like my days will go fast. Have not had any of the thanksgiving holiday off in 6 yrs! Looking forward to no holidays. Thanks again for your reply.
16. 

    New nurse feeling low2

    canna42 replied to shavsha's topic in Nursing

    It was not exactly what I call a chewing out...more attitude..huffing and puffing..making me feel incompetent. She would bark at me..Do you have ...done yet? Why have you not done this yet ? etc. I carefully did everything I could think of so I could answer YES..already done! We didn't have the internet then but I read all I could and listened to anything anyone had to say. When others see you really want to learn...they actually enjoy teaching you. I learned a lot from the "older nurses and nurse assistants." I watched nurses that I had a high opinion of to see how they handled situations...I am a ppl watcher anyway. Every unit I floated to I got nosy in all their business esp ICU but told them I liked learning even stuff out of my scope of practice. I figure all information is valuable. You will toughen up some as you go along but look at every reprimand as a lesson to learn and work at not taking it personnally...always admit your mistakes. If you make a mistake..and all humans do..run to the nearest charge nurse. I have seen a few who tried to cover up their mistakes...big mistake and could cause great harm to a patient. Most mistakes are harmless but if not evaluated as to why it occured the next one could be deadly. In 25yrs this has served me well...hope it helps you.