rlgiv

Sorry, in an earlier post someone mentioned joining military if I wanted to carry while working. Then went on to mention rifles and 203 grenade launchers. I have no need for that as the weapons I handled while on M1 tanks where 120 mm main gun and 50 caliber machine guns. I only carry for self defense at this point in my life so I carry much smaller. Usually either a 38 or 45 handgun. Always concealed.

Spent 8 years on M1 tanks. No need to play with the little toys the hospital people would be carrying. I only carry now for self defense.

Nobody stays late. I work in the emergency dept. We are divided into 4 sections with over 40 beds. We fill the the critical assignments first and close beds in the less critical areas or don't run fast track.

Thanks for all the replies. Not as upset as I was before. In the past being on call meant be available to be called in at that time. New manager means new interpretation of policy. She can do whatever she wants.

They wanted me in at 7. This is also a new manager. I am a 14 year veteran and I've never had a problem with this before. She wanted to write me up and I asked her to see the policy. She could not find it so after a few minutes she asked me to go get report from off going nurse then come back and we could finish our discussion. I used the opportunity to call human resources because I felt like I was being set up for failure. The HR person asked if I would like for them to call my manager. I said OK and after a few minutes returned. I came in just as she was finishing her call with HR. I could tell she was flustered and she told me that she would not be writing me up. But, as manager she could write a new policy and to expect it out at the next staff meeting.

What are your hospitals policy when it comes to when someone is notified for call? I was on call from 7a7p on monday. Was at work Sunday and was not notified about being called in. Went to bed and turned off my phone because I didn't want to be disturbed but knowing I was on call the next morning woke up at 0630 and my phone back on. I received a call at 0710 calling me in. Went to work in a timely fashion and when I got there was told dept. Manager wanted to see me. She wanted to writeme up because I didn't respond to a call that was placed at 0500. Keep in mind I wasn't on call until 0700. In the end we had a disagreement and I asked her to see the policy in writing and she couldn't find it. She asked me to step out for a few minutes while she looked for it and I took that time to call human resources. They asked if I would like for them to speak with her. They called her in her office immediately and a few minutes later I returned just as there conversation was ending. She then decided not to write me up and informed me that she was going to add an addendum to the policy. So, the new policy will allow them to call us hours before our actual call starts. This seems to be pretty extreme to me. So does being on call for you mean I am available to be called in from say 7am to whatever time or would you expect a phone call in the middle of the night hours before your even on call?

I doubt there are actually any statistics to back that up and I agree with the prison guards should not carry a firearm but in my situation, unlike if a prison guard carried a firearm. Nobody knows I have one. If my hospital would step up there security I wouldn't feel the need to do it myself.

Im a conceal carrier. I carry everywhere I go. I work in an ER and my hospital has a no weapon policy but I carry in an ankle holster and have for years. We have security but they do not have weapons and we occasionally have sheriff deputies doing security. Nobody has ever seen it and I hope I never had to use it but if I do just like outside of the hospital it will only be in a situation where my life or one of my family or co workers lives are in danger. The best defense is situational awareness and conflict avoidance but if that doesnt work then as a last resort I will use it.

I work there (careplex) and as far as I know there are not any agency nurses working in the hospital.

A few months back I had a pt we where giving TPA after a stroke. She bled out and died with a pressure that was 270's over 150's. She was completely alert and oriented when it happened and I was actually talking to her when it happened.

Here is an article that explains lactate levels in relation to sepsis. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1235253 The baby had been ruuning a fever, vomiting, and decreased urination for two days before bringing the baby in. The morning he died he was also having a hard time breathing.

Our doctor in the ER said it doesn't need to be a mec case. The family is requesting one but I think in that circumstance the family may have to pay for it on their own. Your right the mother especially is blaming herself. She said several times "If I had just brought him in sooner" She did not want to be in the rom during the code. After it was over she was in denial about what had happened and was upset that we had stopped trying to resusicate her baby. She came to the realization that he was dead and stayed with him for another hour or so and then went home. Our chaplain usually does most of the dealing with the family after a death. He told me that they didn't want an autopsy and we later called the family back to confirm and they said that they did want it. I probably won't hear about the results if it does take place but the baby had a lactate level of over 4. That was an istat blood level. I didn't see the other blood results but the chest X-ray was clear.

5 months old. Parents wern't divorced. I really got the impression from the parents that it was normally well cared for. Dad said he thought he was getting better because the morning he died he began to get his appetite back. I really feel like they just didn't realize how sick their baby was.

Had a very nice debriefing. The doc said we all did a great job and did all we could do. Chaplains where very supportive. I don't feel bad for our effort.

Two years and I have had four pedi codes. Tonite was the first one in which I was the primary nurse and we lost him. Mom said he had been running a fever for three days with a runny nose. Also found out from dad later that he had not urinated in at least 48 hours and he was almost two months behind on his shots. Day three he started having a hard time breathing and was turning blue. Mom brought him into the ER threw triage. When I got him he had a HR of about 200 and was breathing about 48-54 per minute. He was mottled and dusky. He just decompensated before we could get a tube down him. We got it but if we could have gotten to him just a little sooner he probably would have made it.

I work Weekends at Sentara and the shift diff is 8 bucks per hour for any off shift including weekends, evenings, nights. At least at the hosp I work at.

I am an ER nurse. MY dad is an ER nurse after I convinced him that ER is beter than PACU. My mom is a nurse. My dads sister is a nurse. My moms sister is a nurse. My grandmother is a nurse. My great grandfather was a pioneer doctor in West Texas. Last but not least my Great-Great Grandfather was a surgeon in the First Texas Infantry during the Civil War. Ironicaly his son was the commander of the First Texas at the same time. Family is huge in the medical field. I also have two brothers one is a paramedic/firefighter and the other is a police. Not health field but in the ER we deal with them so much there part of the ER. I was actually an air traffic controller in the Army couldn't find a job in the area I wanted to live so went to college to become a nurse after my dad had tried talking me into it for years.

It seems like her biggest problem is time management. IVs and NGs will improve with time as will her time skills as long as she is dedicated to getting better. Throw her to the wolves. Try discharging some of her patients from underneath her and that will force her to take a new pt when that bed is open. Get he admit ready for her and call report on the pt going upstairs. That is something you will see our charge nurse doing and we are a 43 bed unit that sees about 250 people per day. We also have a written policy to get a pt upstairs within 30 minutes once a pt has a bed. That is not achieved if we have a few critical pts that come in together but at least it is in writing and can be evaluated. For such a small ER ya'll are really busy as well.

I worked as an extern for a year in an ER before graduating. They put me with another RN and I worked there schedule for that year. IT was like a year long orientation. When I graduated I stepped right into a staff job and felt comfortably in that ER which was a small rural hospital. I worked there in a staff position for about four months before I moved into the second busiest ER in my state where I did another four month orientation. I'm fine. I work at just as high a level as other RN's with more experience. We have floor nurses who float down to the ER and are overwhelmed. We have ICU nurses that feel the same. IMO just come and jump in the fire. There is no better experience than just doing it. The learning curve is extremely sharp but if thats what you wanna do life is to short to be wasting time. Good luck in school!

No insurance or other benefits. Just Cash and other cash type incentives. Hosp is in Virginia.

At the hospital I work at we are giving non agency travelers in the ER 60/hr on 13 week contracts. None available right now but about 80% of our night shift are travelers.

They give us pens to........and badge holders.......donuts but, bannana bread would really be special.

WE probably have 7-8 big ED's in our area and none of us can go on divert.

We hire new grads with BLS only. You better at least get ACLS soon after being hired. PALS would be nice but not required. CEN will get you a one or two dollar per hour raise as will CEN.

I am using yellow Avelox shears and they are better than anything I have ever actually bought.