cm8816

Thank you so much for this advice. I will follow it.

Thank you.

I work as a float RN at an acute rehab hospital. I have worked there for 7 years. Two days ago, I had an elderly patient who had had a stroke. He had multiple co-morbidities. The son was in the room. They had been admitted the prior day. In report that morning, I had been warned that family was very difficult. I found the son to be suspicious. He demanded I explain each medication and why I was giving it. He chose the meds to be given or held. I complied with his requests. My patient load was demanding. From 0630 until 1350, I never hit the restroom or took food or drink. We have Spectra-link phones. At 1350, I did go the restroom and then spent 15 minutes in the breakroom eating. Shortly after 1400, I finally sat down on the unit to chart (since I had not had a chance to chart all day). At 1425, I heard a shout from my patient's room. The son had come into the hall shouting, "I need help, he's turning blue". A tech ran in the room, hit the code button. I was in the room within one minute. As the room was filling with the code team and additional staff, the son kept shouting that "I kept calling the nurse and she would not come". The pt was in full arrest and a code was conducted with eventual ROSC (about 15 minutes in). He was transferred to ICU. I was so horrified by the son's false claims that I had a charge RN look at my phone, both missed calls and received calls. There were no calls from that room to me between the time I was last in there (noon meds) and the code. I also took pictures of the missed call and received call lists on my personal phone. This has made me very nervous. I have malpractice insurance. What steps should I take now?

These ******** must all use the same playbook. I had a similar (actually almost exact behaviors) done to me as a new hire in an ICU. I literally tried everything. I was being set up on routine basis. I went to HR finally and HR turned it around on me. I found a new job and left after 2 weeks. I felt that had I stayed, I would be set up in a way to possibly lose my license. I think age has something to do with it. I was older than most of them and I was also better educated. I had heard them berating an older nurse when I first got there and soon, she was gone. I didn't know it then, but I was next. NEVER, and I mean NEVER go to HR. They're not there for you, they are there to prevent you from suing the hospital. My advice, find another job NOW and get out.

Just be thankful you're not one of those who is praised to the sky for bedside manners. I float, throughout my hospital, so eventually I "follow" one half of the entire nursing staff. The WORST nurse I follow is a relentless self-promotor who likes to yuk it up with the patients while giving them the worst care possible. She is praised by patients and administration. When I follow her, I find the fragmin in its package, ungiven. I find the antibiotic hanging and not infused. I have reported all of these incidents to the Charge RN, but because she is so good at B------t, nothing is done. I too am quiet and thoughtful and am never complimented by patients because they only go by the dog and pony show at the bedside. They have no idea who is giving good nursing care and who can possibly be killing them. Keep doing a good job.

Thank you for this information. I didn't know this.

The example I typed is just an approximation. Believe me, there was no way one could deduce the answer without determining several other positions. I would like to know if anyone has seen such questions and if they know how one should best approach solving it. I'm thinking some kind of diagramming might be used.

Help! My head hurts. I applied for a position at Kaiser and had to take an online assessment. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before (and I've been around). The test went like this: The manager calls her six employees every Monday. Lisa can be first or second. Jane cannot be last. Dan must be called after Fred. Tom is called before Jeff. Which statement is true? A. Dan is called 5th B. Jane is called 2nd C. Fred is called 1st D. Lisa is called 2nd This is an approximation. There was a 2 minute per question limit. Surely, there is some way to do this test, maybe with Venn Diagrams? Can anyone give me some input on what this test was and how to succeed at it? I found a similar example online which is why I think it's called a Psychometric Verbal reasoning test. Apparently, it's the rage in Europe. Any input is appreciated!

Thanks, that's what I thought.

Hello, When changing a dressing (and cap) on a Groshong, if there is no "clip" to close the line to air, when one removes the old cap, isn't there a danger of air embolizm? Should one take a kelly clamp to the line before changing the cap, or will that damage the line?

I could not have said this better! I, too am a former IT professional. Have been an RN for 5 years. EVERY DAY I work, I am SHOCKED by the disrespect that nurses show each other, the doctors show, the families and patients show. When one is used to respect in a professional workplace, the change is jaw-dropping.

This article is very oversimplified. In my previous job, I was targeted because 1) I had a BSN where most of the RNs did not 2) I am a second-career nurse 3) I am over age 50 4) I have a fairly ugly burn that covers one hand leftover from childhood. Because of the scar, I'm familiar with schoolyard bullying. But I worked successfully and bully-free for 25 years as a computer analyst. It was only in nursing that the same bullies from my childhood reappeared. When my direct and polite confrontation of the bully did nothing, I took it to my nurse manager. She was able to turn the situation around on me. I was relatively "new" (one year in the job) and the bully had worked there for many years. I ended up finding another job within 2 weeks of that ordeal. By the way, the same group had just bullied another over-50 RN out of that job. I won't wax poetic about justice or injustice. But I can tell you, when nurses wonder about their declining status and their ever-worsening work conditions, they should look at themselves and consider where this lack of respect originates...it's coming from the way they treat each other. Until that improves, the nursing profession will not improve.

Anyone who has ever reared a child or trained a dog understands that kindness works better than the hostility and anger you seem to value. I have mentored using kindness and I can assure you, the preceptee is educated BETTER than when having been beaten over the head with a stick. No, I don't discuss recipes or go for drinks, I am just plain kind to the learner.

Thank you, I'll read these books. Unfortunately, the doctors in my hospital put off the DNR conversation until it's too late or just never have it at all. Recently, an RN was reprimanded for suggesting to a family that it might be time for the DNR conversation with the MD.

The place is one huge clique. The manager is the one who reprimanded me for "not wanting to take direction", and since that time (my last day of orientation), she has clearly expressed her dislike for me. But, I see my main two errors of the case, first, failing to ask why the daytime dopplers and second, not calling the MD immediately when the Charge Nurse started interfering in the care of my patient. The Charge Nurse would have reported me for again, "failing to take direction" had I tried to stop her on my own, without backup from the MD. Thanks for you advice. I need a sane sounding board. I hope to be gone from their very soon.