rktele

Time, money, malpractice insurance, and I love bedside care.

I've heard of this also, and actually saw a video of it in my Hypnobirthing class. Unfortunately, I was not that fortunate!

Our trackers turn off the call light as we enter the room, it's much easier than climbing over the bed to push the cancel button. We also use Vocera, like a walkie-talkie. It makes it easier when I have phone calls: the US calls me on Vocera, tells me I have a call, and can take a message for me if I'm in the middle of something with one of my patients. Ours do not work in the bathroom or break room, as far as I know.

If you are horrified at the thought of assisting an incontinent patient with skin care, you need to either deal with it, or rethink your career. I started out as a CNA and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. As a RN, I wipe butts on a daily basis--what better way to assess my patient's skin? CNA skills are quite valuable, and you will be a better nurse for having them! I work in a hospital on a telemetry floor, not LTC. As for L&D, you will still be dealing with incontinence.

Maybe she's just a really tired new mom and used her religion as an excuse so she wouldn't have to answer any questions.

First born. Dad's not an alcoholic, but he's a very sick man and has been since I was a kid. During his many hospitalizations, I realized that it was the nurses that really made the difference. My original major was electrical engineering; I changed to nursing after 1 semester.

Don't do it. You can't confirm that the pt took all of the pills, besides, it's illegal!

Get out now! Go get a job in a hospital where you'll hopefully get a better orientation, and have some support. I started out in LTC, went through their CNA class, then went to school and got my LPN, then RN. It was great there as a CNA, but as a nurse, I was in fear every day for my license. They had me spread so thin and in charge of too much. And when I expressed my concerns to the DON about being the only RN in the building after 5 pm, and therefore house supervisor by default, I was told not to worry about it, "You have good experienced LPNs here, so you really aren't house supervisor." But if DHS had walked in, they would have come immediately to me. I tell you this because your story sounds a lot like mine, and I was a new grad and questioning my career choice. I didn't truly enjoy my career until I went somewhere that supported me!

I started my prereqs when I was 26 and graduated 4 days after my 30th birthday. You're not too old. I was one of the youngest in my class.

I started out at a ECF and it was like that for me too. I was made an LPN charge nurse on a 38 bed unit after being an LPN for 1 month- all the meds, daytime skin treatments, all the orders, and the phones- all by myself. The day after I took my RN boards, "congratulations, now you get to be a RN charge on our medicare floor." It was also on the evening shift, and I was the only RN in the building, which made me house supervisor by default. And I had just taken my boards. I was hating nursing, my job, my life. And every day that I worked I was in fear for my license, because I was spread so thin no matter how hard I tried, I knew that a mistake was going to happen if given enough time. GET OUT NOW BEFORE YOU BURN OUT!!!! It sounds like the culture of the place is to overload the nurses. You're tap-dancing on a license you've just earned. Good luck.

oh that is so gross! how can a person live like that? even the pioneers used rags!

Sounds like someone I went to school with- she didn't pass! Go straight to your supervisor/ director. This is a health issue, and just plain GROSS:barf01:I can't believe no one has said anything to her yet.

We're non-union, but we're paid for staying late, which happens often to new grads and experienced RNs alike. Of course, it probably helps that we're a Magnet hospital. I even received the night shift premium when I was there 2 hours late one night. It was a really bad day.

I ended up with an epi though I was dead set against it originally. My water broke at 0430, and after using up all of my pads and towels at home, I went to the hospital at about 0700 (I was getting a headache and had been on bedrest for PIH for 5 weeks). I was only at 1 1/2. Because the membrane had broken I was admitted, I ended up walking the halls for hours until 2100, going back to the room for 20 min every hour to be monitored. At 2100, I was still only 1 1/2 cm! So then I started Pit, which I really didn't want, but then I didn't want a C-sect either. I was on Pit for 5 hours with contractions 2 minutes apart, and severe back labor despite counter pressure (she was posterior), when I looked at my nurse and said, "Drugs, get me drugs now." Of course, she checked me first, and I was only at 2 cm. "You have got to be *&%$ kidding me! So I got Stadol, which worked for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, I was in a drugged state with visions of blue gingerbread houses (on my RN's shirt, I later found out) and felt like I was floating, when all of a sudden- BAM!!! Contraction! It was worse than without the drugs- there was no buildup; I went from no pain to 10/10 in a split second. So, when the stadol wasn't working and I asked for more, she checked me again- 2cm! That's when I said that I couldn't take it anymore, please get me an epidural. When my RN put in the Foley after the epidural was in and running -4cm. In 2 hours I was almost complete, but was having couplet contractions. I felt those with the epi- it woke me up out of a sound sleep; my RN had me change postions and kiddo finally turned over in just a few minutes. To sum it up, the doc and I talked for a few minutes after Samantha's birth. At the rate that I was going, I never would have delivered without the epidural, my mind and belly were relaxed, but my cervix wasn't. As it was, Samantha was born 27 hours after my water had broken. I was really lucky that Dr Contant was on that day. Had my regular ob been there, I would have had a C-Section. Dr Contant and my nurses were supportive of natural childbirth and my attempt.

You're still a good nurse! You were feeling pressured and uncomfortable and you waivered, but you admitted your mistake so that the pt could be cared for. That's what counts. You made sure that your pt was ok.