geniann

Well I talked to some of the other nurses in the office and one jokingly said something to doc- He said " yeah I know"- he didn't leave any behind since. Thank you ladies for your insight. Where I work all the nurses including the medical assistants write AND call in orders all the time. My doctor sees ALOT of elderly people and they can sometimes be on 10-20 different meds including the holistic meds he orders. If he would have to write them all out it would take forever, so when the nurse rooms the patient she also writes the scripts and puts them on the chart for the doc to sign. If he doesn't wish to sign them, he just rips them up and thows them away.The electronic thing sounds great but I don't see it happening with us anytime soon. I just wish there was a way for the pharmacy to detect forged scripts. I know they can when it is obvious but what about the little ones- or even non narcotic ones. I have heard my doc give scripts for non patients- like other docs- and sometimes for narcotics. We don't get our scripts back ,or at least I don't see them, so I am just gonna have to hope noone has forged any. I am sure I am jus stressing. I was just reading a post about young addicts and we see alot of kids- you know how sneaky they can be. Ok I will relax now- it is out of my hands. Thanks to you all for your help.

I work for a VERY busy family practice. My doctor is great but he is WAY to trusting. I walk into rooms all the time and find his script pad on the desk- I am afraid to leave them around for fear a patient would swipe it. How would the doctor know? The bad thing too is that his signature is VERY easy to duplicate. I grab the pads up as soon as I see them but I am afraid to say anything to him- afterall HE is the doctor. With the vast amount of patients we see, how would we know if the pharmacy filled a forged script? I write out alot of scripts(then he signs them), and I worry I would get in trouble. Anyone know how to handle this or should I check with the pharmacies- or am I just worrying for nothing? Thanks!

Just when I think I have heard it all!! I can't believe some of these stories- How on earth do some of these nurses sleep at night!!! I always thought nursing was just that "NURSING"- caring and taking care of others- What a sad world it is becoming when a nurse will see things like this and WALK OUT!! God help me when I get old!!

I am one of the most passive people around. I am usually proud of it but at work I had to be the "boss" and that is NOT fun. I had to tell women who are old enough to be my mother to do something- not tell at first, but ASK. I would ask and then I HAD to tell them- especially if it were really important. MOST of the older ladies had no problem with it but MOST of the younger ones did- and they let me know it. Just take it one step at a time- take a deep breath and say what you NEED to say. You will be fine!

I had this same problem when I began at a local LTC facility. I was WAY too nice and they took advantage of me. Finally I had to write some of them up and I also had my supervisor, the DON and myself talk with all the aides to find out just exactly what the problem was. The main thing is that your supervisor and your DON stand behind you and they let the aides know it. Whenever I had another problem with them I would get my supervisor and we took care of it together. It was harder for them to jump on me when there were 2 or us. After a while they learned that I was a good, helpful nurse and they became friendly with me. They would see that I would take someone to the bathroom or change a patient and not make a big deal of it- IF I had time. They helped me and I help them- I think in time you will have the same thing happen. Best of luck to you and just keep doing what is right- you will get through it!

Besides just pulling a resident off the floor and putting them back in bed after they have fallen, then acting like nothing happened because they didn't want to do the paperwork:nono:- a few other things come to mind. While in nursing school, a "future nurse" :smackingf was "taking" a blood pressure with NO stethescope. I asked her what she was doing and she said "I just watch the needle jump and when it starts I get my top number and the last jump is my bottom number":no: I almost died! ( and perhaps her patients will too with that genious taking care of them!) She didn't even say "diastolic and systolic" pressure. I have also seen 2 nurses give IV atibiotics 6 hours late and knew it and did nothing to rectify it- the one said "I was too tired" and the other said "I couldn't read the MAR". What is wrong with people nowadays!!

L5/S1 herniation and severe degeneration with cervical scoliosis here! Been living in pain for 2 years- I agree with PT- it helped me so much. I was completley off narcotic pain meds while I went for PT. If I could afford it now, I would be going 5 days a week. I know it will help me but I just can't afford it,plus I don't have the time. I know alot of people who had great success with surgery but that is very drastic and I guess it is a last resort. Even though I have low back injuries, I have ALOT of neck pain. I have not had a MRI of my neck yet and wonder what it would find. Hugs and prayers for you- it is so tiring living with chronic pain. Please address your depression as it will also make your pain more prevalent. PM me if you would like.

Thanks mamason- I did try that site but that info is not on there. I hope someone else replies- I am trying to find it but can't. I also wonder if I need to subscribe for a nursing mag- I recieved it automatically back in PA but not here in FL. Wonder why?

The Commuter did an excellent job of answering your question for double shifts- I work 12 hour shifts and do a few things differntly. I don't prepour my meds and I have 31 residents. I also am not required to monitor the dining room(which is great!). After the initial am routine (getting report,counting narcs, and stocking my cart) and then passing my 9am meds, which take from 8-10, I then look over my labs/x-rays and if the ARNP is not there I call the doc with any abnormals. I also answer the phone a million times and call pharmacy because there is always something someone is out of. After my 1100 accuchecks, I do any 12-1300 meds and then I do my treatments. I spend quite a bit of time talking with family either on the phone or in person. I try to squeeze my lunch in there but miss it quite often. After my 1600 accuchecks I pass my 1700 meds, which take me until about 1745. I then clean off my cart, wipe it down, empty the trash and stock it for the next nurse. Then I begin the tedious chore of charting.UGH:lol_hittiThen I pass on the madness to the next nurse!!

Since it has been a couple weeks since your original post, how are things going? Are you working for the agency? I worked for agency right out of nursing school and worked 11-7 at hospitals and LTC's. It was ok and I learned ALOT and made good money. I worked ONE 7-3 at a LTC and went home early- it was TOO much!! If you haven't don'e 1st or 2nd shift yet, DON'T! I went home crying that day and I will never forget it. I am glad I worked agency but it is just too unreliable. I learned SO much- even though I have only been a nurse 3 years I feel like I have been one 10! And I know as much as some nurses that have worked twice as long as me. Keep us posted!

I loved my old Rockers but after reading all the posts about Crocs, I must buy a pair. I have back problems and my Rockers were the best- then they wore out and I could not find another pair like them, so I went with NurseMates. They are good but I still have to try these Crocs- I know there are knock off's but where to buy the good ones? I normally don't care for clogs but don't these have a strap on the back? What are the price ranges?

Yes, yes and Yes. I think I felt most unappreciated when I worked in the hospital. There are always the great RN's, but the horrible ones sure stick out in my mind- thank goodness there were only a couple. Since we are unable to give pushes, I had to ask the RN's to- one in particular made such a big deal out of it. She would sigh and make comments like "LPN's should be eliminated all together!" How rude! She was the type who would come out of a patients room and find a cna to empty a urinal!! Again, I must say that the majority of RN's were great- But for those who are not- Please remember that we are NOT beneath you- we are BESIDE you and some of us know MORE than you whether we can legally do it or not.

I was wondering if there is a site to view healthcare professionals disciplinary actions? I know when I lived in PA, I recieved a newsletter every 6 months that listed various nursing information and EVERYONE who had ANY type of disciplinary actions against them. It was very detailed- told the nurses full name, address and action taken against them. I was just wondering if there is a site that gives this information, since I live here in Florida I don' recieve any newsletter. :)

I haven't had any patients tell me of their NDE but I myslef had one. July 7,2004, I went in for a hysterectomy. The doc wanted to do it lady partslly but found the 3 1/2 pound tumor too large- Duh! Anyway, she did a partial hyst and left my tubes and ovaries (thank goodness, no HRT). I lost alot of blood and required 2 units. About 20 minutes into my second unit, I began to feel "funny"- the next thing I know I feel all my muscles tighten and hit my call light. Thank God my DH was there- he ran up to the nurses station and told the nurse. By the time she got back to me, I was siezing. I remember bits and pieces- I remember them calling a code and ALOT of people coming into my room. I couldn't breathe and the pain was awful. I felt myself "floating away". I saw my husband's face and everything around it was dark. I DID see a "light"- I was being pulled backward into the "light"- It was very calming and peaceful. The next thing I know I was waking up in ICU with a NRB mask on and a ton of wires and lines. I used to be afraid to die- not anymore. Not in the traditional sense. Noone wants to die,but I now truly feel I am going to a good place. It has been 2 years and I remember it like it was yesterday. My severe back and neck pain are constant reminders of that day too- :angryfire I know working where I do would be the perfect place for these stories- I guess if I start asking, I will hear alot of them.

Sorry nd_mom- My bad- I misunderstood your question- I must have been half asleep when I read it. Hope things are going well for you:nurse: