serenity1

serenity1 has 7 years experience and specializes in labor & delivery.

serenity1's Latest Activity

1. 

   Anyone know of any hospitals that do tuition reimbursement in Arizona?

   serenity1 replied to krefeld12's topic in General Students

   Banner used to have a program that you had to apply to and be accepted into before you started classes. You were under contract to work for them for 3 years upon graduation. They did away with that program about 5-6 years ago. I have worked for Dignity and Banner, and you have to be an employee to receive tuition reimbursement and it is for classes you are currently taking. I do not know of any that pay for loans you already had before becoming an employee. Good luck, I will be interested in the answers you find.
2. 

   Scheduled to Work A Holiday Not Assigned

   serenity1 replied to purplegal's topic in Nursing

   On my unit we have assigned holidays in order to make sure there are enough staff on those days--usually we are overstaffed due to the holiday obligations. So, unless they are understaffed all the time, it makes no sense that they would already be understaffed that day, especially since they scheduled you and it is not your holiday. Did they let someone else out of their holiday obligation? I would not work it. It is not your problem that the scheduler messed up. It seems like they already know you prefer Tuesdays and are taking advantage. Sorry, I'm jaded at this point. And I do not feel obligated to fix someone else's mistakes/oversights.
3. 

   Responding to annoying co-worker who asks you to work for them every week?

   serenity1 replied to NurseUnforgetable's topic in Nursing

   Had this problem. The same RN always asked me to take her holidays because she had to go to church. She had already run through the other staff when I came to the unit. I did it a few times, but then told her I make my schedule based on my needs and cannot switch anymore. She still texted me, but I stopped replying. I figured I had already told her I was done covering her holidays, if she didn't get the message, oh well. Eventually she stopped asking, and we are still great co-workers. Set your limits.
4. 

   Direct entry NP, switch to bedside RN?

   serenity1 replied to LSNP's topic in NP

   I'm a former labor & delivery RN, and I am almost finished with my FNP. I can tell you from my family clinical experiences, I am not interested in taking a family position because of all the reasons you list. I thought I would be so over women's health, but I find that I enjoy my OB clinicals more than any others so far. There is still a lot to know and do, but it is more focused than family. Most of the OB offices in my area hire FNP's as well as WHNP's. Labor and delivery burned me out in about 2 years. Very high stress at my facility. Maybe you could shadow a nurse practitioner in an OB office? Or any other type of NP? I agree that you probably need a vacation/break to catch your breath. With your FNP, there are many other areas you can try. Hang in there. :)
5. 

   C Section Post-Op Rx

   serenity1 replied to Kooky Korky's topic in Nursing

   Our C-sections get the 1 gram of Ofirmev and 30 mg of Toradol in the pacu. They usually get Toradol every 6 hours and Percocet every 4 hours for the first 24 hours and then switch over to Norco and Motrin until discharge. The only time our mom's get a PCA is if they have general anesthesia or are opioid dependent, and they usually only have it 12-24 hours.
6. 

   Seriously?!?! You gotta be kidding me!

   serenity1 replied to ~Mi Vida Loca~RN's topic in Nursing

   A patient came in through triage for her scheduled 7am c-section and could not believe we bumped her surgery because her hubby stopped at McDonalds on the way in so she could eat breakfast....her response was "they told me not to eat anything at home before surgery but I ate it in the car". You seriously cannot make these stories up.
7. 

   Difficult Patient/Family

   serenity1 replied to JayneC84's topic in Pediatric

   You did everything you could have to make this patient/family happy and provided excellent care. At the end of the day, that is all we can do. We cannot control other people. Thankfully, your manager knows you did your best and that the mom was lying. It just sucks because that mom is going on with her miserable life thinking nothing of what could have happened to you and your career, and you are dreading going back to work. It has been my experience that when I bend over backwards for someone like that, the outcome is positive. Now and then there are just those people that cannot be pleased and want to make everyone suffer. I hope you feel better. I would love to have you as my child's nurse. :)
8. 

   Postpartum Magnesium Sulfate

   serenity1 replied to Lindeern's topic in Ob/Gyn

   We get mag pp patients all the time.....like we are running a special on hypertension. We get them from L&D on it, and we also start mag on our unit. We do q4 vitals, reflexes, clonus, loc, i&o on our mag moms. And they do not care about acquity...we can have 2 moms on mag or 1 mag mom and 3 couplets. It's all about productivity. It must be a regional thing. I'm in AZ and all the hospitals I have worked at sends mag moms to PP.
9. 

   lying about clinical hours

   serenity1 replied to astrn's topic in NP

   This is crazy. I am beginning my final rotation in my FNP program. I get nervous if my preceptor leaves earlier than scheduled because I have to figure out how to make up that time. Yet this person could care less if he is completing the required amount. Unbelievable. I have to log all my patient encounters into a system, but the only thing that counts is my total hours with patients--not the amount of patients I see. My program requires site visits where they observe us with patients and talk to our preceptors. I find it sad that his preceptors are passing him if they are doing site visits. If he cannot finish/understand his homework, how is he passing exams? Hopefully, it catches up to him before graduation.
10. 

    Too soon to ask about going part time or to day shift?

    serenity1 replied to newnurse085's topic in Job Hunt

    I work mother-baby and we just had this exact thing happen. We were terribly short on night shift and hired a few nurses. One of the new nurses that was hired for full-time nights asked/demanded to go days, part-time, or prn as the full-time, night shift did not work for her family. She was 2 shifts from being off orientation. She was let go half way through her shift that night. The manager reasoned that if she was already not happy with the position she was hired for, she would be a difficult employee or quit as soon as she found something else. It was all in her presentation, though. Had she waited until orientation was over and just asked to be put on the list (we have a list for days and part-time), she would have been fine. And it would not have taken long to get what she wanted. I would wait until orientation was over, too. Just my 2 cents, though. :)
11. 

    What is your nursing "joy?"

    serenity1 replied to jamisaurus's topic in Rock

    Ditto on payday. And 3 shifts per week. Only joys I get from nursing.
12. 

    Exhausted Med-Surg Nurse

    serenity1 replied to Soliloquy's topic in Med-Surg

    Labor and delivery is fast-paced and stressful, too. The 3 different units I worked in have all been crazy busy and, at times, unsafe. I left L&D for that reason. Felt my license was always on the line. We have had several tele nurses transfer to L&D, and they were shocked that it was as busy and stressful as it is. I'm back in mother-baby which can be busy, but much more manageable and less stressful. I did a stint with the work-from-home case management which was absolutely not for me. I hope you find an area that you like. It's not a good feeling when you dread every shift. Best wishes!
13. 

    Esme Needs Your Prayers

    serenity1 replied to ixchel's topic in Nursing

    Sending prayers your way, Esme, for a speedy recovery.
14. 

    I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray

    serenity1 replied to trinitymaster's topic in Nursing

    When I was labor & delivery, I always had "push it" in my head.....go figure :)
15. 

    Passed!

    serenity1 replied to klone's topic in Ob/Gyn

    Woo Hoo!! Congrats! Not easy to do after being away. :)
16. 

    7 months and I can't do this anymore.

    serenity1 replied to nursetobe2013's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I agree with previous posters....if you do not love labor and delivery, get out. If you do love it but not the high risk, try to find another job in a lower risk unit. L&D is rough. I did it and left then went back because I wanted to give it another try. I left again. It is not for me. I am in post partum and like it much better. Still busy and have stressful situations, just not the same. I no longer have knots in my stomach walking into work. Case management, health department, school nurse....those are all good options to consider as well. I feel for you. Wishing you the best. :)