jannrn

How does a small hospital maintain it's ratio of 1:5 during breaks? I am curious what other small hospitals do and looking for ideas that may be different from what we do. I work night shift so if we have 6 (or more) patients, then there are 2 nurses, but another RN is required to come in (state law says no meal breaks before 2 am) at 2 am to cover 2 30 minute meal breaks. If there are 11 (or more) pt then there are 3 RN's and a 4th has to come in to maintain the ratio during breaks. In a large hospital I understand that there is a charge nurse or a float nurse that covers breaks, we are not big enough for that. Any other methods to remain lawful?

Just yesterday the local paper had the front-page story about this. the hospital here is implementing a new policy that says all admissions to ICU are on a 24 hour isolation and swabbed and tested for MRSA. Anyone else do that?

We recently had a situation where the mom of 3 kids (6,9,12yr) was vacationing in Jamaica when her husband collapsed and died. She did everything, and in that country they did an autopsy (wouldn't let her go home without it being done) and he had alot of problems including ones they did not know about. He basically had a stroke, he was to be 40 this summer. The best thing you can do is get in touch with a hospice program because they often have wonderful programs for the kids, including summer camps, but mostly the regular meetings for kids (and you).

Nobody can MAKE you take a night shift job, however at the time you are looking in the area that you want to live and the specialtiy you want to work in, that may be the only shift to get your foot in the door. You may find you like it, or your sleep disorder is only if you try to sleep at night (just stretching it a little to make the point of 'you never know till you try it' and maybe you already have) But if you are willing to look around, maybe move to another area, be open to specialties you may not have thought of yourself trying, then I don't think you would have a problem finding somewhere to work as a nurse that gave you the shift hours that you can live with!

I believe it can, especially if it goes on chronically. Have you read the China Study? Interesting book. It talks alot about protein and also how not all protein sources are equal, but not specifically regarding kidney function, mostly related to general health and development of chronic 'Western' diseases.

We have been pretty low census too but when we are full it is 14 pt so we are usually 10 pt or under. I just checked to day and this last month the day shift people all had almost 40 hours of call-off time! We hope to pick up soon!

I am in California and the small hospital I work in (we don't have phlebotomy or IV services) we contract with an outside company, one that also supplies medical supplies to homes. They have RN's who are certified and experienced in placing PICC lines who will come to the hospital to place them.

Just so you know it's not just nurses who sometimes make mistakes, yesterday an MD used silvadene-soaked gause to vag pack a pt I had. Apparently the PACU nurse noticed and he came back and repacked with betadine gause. She didn't have any problems from it thankfully!

I was writing to the original poster, and not passing judgement on those who find separation from thier children easier than others.

Unless you really need the money, or to get out and do something for yourself, your kids are only little for a short time (make a timeline and see) and soon enough you can work out a little early care before school or after care, or work nights and sleep while they are in school. Good luck deciding! You sound like a very loving and attached mom (lucky kids!) because sometimes when you HAVE to work (or think you do, or don't want to give up the second car or whatever) you do have to mentally 'check out' of being attached or it hurts to much!

"The China Study is a very, very good book if you can get your hands on it." I recently read this book and couldn't put it down, fascinating info, and hard to dismiss. Research like this is being repeated over and over but it is so hard to change our culture's way of thinking about what we eat!!

To answer your specific question: no, you don't need a female nurse with you when you give a female pt personal care.

I always ask my pt if they brought their own jammies to wear and that they don't have to wear ours if they don't want to. Many do wear thier own and I think it is beneficial to be more comfortable and for the nurse to see the pt as more of an individual than a 'pt'. Of course if they are going to a procedure or have messy wounds, etc then our gowns should be worn.

wow, I have tons of respect for phlebotomy! I consider them the experts in what they do, and quite often they bail me out of a difficult 'stick'! (we don't have them, but one comes in from the lab to pick our specimens up. She's a lifesaver and has tons of info, I am always asking her questions regarding our labs! Sorry to hear of your bad experience. If they lost you guys they'd certainly be missing you!

Just to give you another side of the story, take a read at some of the birth stories on this website, and where some women see labor very differently than most in America. You'll be guaranteed to hear many a horror story, but here you can see it is not always so. http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/ Warning: controversial...