aboucherrn

I was in my very first semester of nursing school, and went to a family picnic with a guy I had just started dating. One of his relatives asked me to pull the loose tooth out of her screaming 4-year old daughter, thinking I would be able to do it without hurting her because I was a nurse.

I had a patient tell me he was allergic to suppositories because they gave him diarrhea. We REALLY need to be educating these people on the difference between a true allergy, an adverse side effect, an intolerance, and 'did not have the desired effect'. Just because potassium burns when it goes through your IV, does not mean you are allergic to it.

I put Carmex in my nose during my entire first year of hospital nursing... ha ha. It really does get better.

I was in charge one night and got a page for an incoming patient with "Shortness of Breast". Ha ha ha. I also had to correct a HUC who entered an order for "Due Battle May Citrate" instead of "One Bottle Mag-Citrate". Computer order entry has really ruined the game of trying to decipher MD handwriting.

You guys are cracking me up with your quotes... I don't think I have read one about "OldsTimers" disease (Alzheimers). I worked with a nurse once who pronounced it like that. A little piece of my soul died every time she said it.

That's actually very logical... lol

Vegetable surgery....That is hilarious!!!!!

I admitted a patient last week who said that the pain medication "Millonick" worked for her in the past. It took me a while, but I was able to figure out that she was talking about Dilaudid. I also had an elderly lady who was very concerned about her "Coodamin" being given on time. Then there was the lady who called her peripheral IV a PICC line all night. Of course, I gently corrected all of them. What entertaining mispronunciations have you heard from patients?

What about the federal government? They have a huge need for AP nurses for the Indian Health service. There are many remote places you could go that would fit what you described. Good luck, and congratulations :).

Ditto... I have a BSN, yet I feel exactly like you. I give 100% at work, but canʻt seem to keep up with the charting, the constant changes, and management down my throat to "do a little better". I keep asking myself, "whatʻs the point?". Getting that degree does nothing for your pay, your workload, or your sanity. Trust me. If healthcare is moving towards "customer service" and "patient satisfaction", why do we need degrees in the first place? We are just going to do whatever the "customer" wants to get that high score, right? Iʻd take a hospital staffed with ADNʻs and LPNʻs any day :)

I feel your pain!! And I think itʻs only going to get worse. Transport is gone... whatʻs next? Housekeeping? Weʻll have to clean and sanitize the rooms before the next admission. And then dietary... weʻll have to take custom meal orders and prepare and serve them ourselves. Itʻs getting ridiculous.

Much like the two previous posters, I am a longtime nurse with a longtime history of bipolar disorder and anxiety. Some days I wonder how I have made it this far as a nurse. I work nights for the anxiety, and stay on a night-shift schedule on my days off so I can get a proper amount of sleep. My husband works from home and we donʻt have kids, so it may be easier for me than many other people. I have had multiple conversations with my extended family about daytime events, and they finally ʻget itʻ. I did the best when I worked 3p-11p three days a week. This schedule is nearly impossible to find in the hospital setting, and I donʻt want to do it 5 days a week, so 3 12ʻs it is for me. Itʻs hard to function sometimes on my ʻlowʻ days, but I try to forget myself and remember I am there for the patients, and I just do my best. I rarely work overtime, and I seem to use up my PTO on mini-vacations when things get really stressful. I see a therapist and a psychiatrist occasionally just to stay on track. Thereʻs very little research out there (that I can find) regarding bipolar disorder and 12 hour night shifts. I donʻt broadcast my issues at work, but I trust a couple people that I can tell when Iʻm a little ʻoffʻ and may need a little extra help. I make up for it on my ʻupʻ days. Ha ha. Routines really help, and you will find your own! Having a good support system at work and at home helps a lot, too. Good luck, let us know how you are doing!

I have been a floor nurse for nearly fifteen years. It seems like the profession has turned from a mutual respect relationship between nurses and patients, to a demanding, kiss-my-butt-or-Iʻll-give-you-a-bad-score relationship, and I wonder why nurses even need a degree anymore. Why do I need a degree if Iʻm just going to do what my patients want anyway, regardless of what the doctor has ordered or what is good for them? I feel like management doesnʻt have our backs anymore, and itʻs all about "get those scores higher". Itʻs really tough to do your best every day, sacrificing your own health and happiness, only to be told itʻs not good enough. Wow, that was a little off-topic. Iʻm having a bad week! I relax on my days off, swimming, journaling, napping, reading... I tried management, and while my body felt better, my mind felt WAY worse. Travel nursing used to keep me from getting burned out, but itʻs not as glamorous as it used to be. Precepting helps me feel like Iʻm making a difference. Great posts, everyone, Iʻm always so relieved to come to this site and know that Iʻm not alone!

The family members who would come in to visit the trached and vented patient and turn off their oxygen and suction so the patient would desat and they could try to sue us for negligence. Thank god vented patients stay hardwired to a monitor. Idiots. The woman that came in four hours after her 41 year old sister had unexpectedly died and asked about the $5 bill she saw on the bedside table the day before. The 21-year old who came in at 2:00 a.m. drunk and crying for "his mommy" who was a patient on the unit. Not sure who let him through the doors. Shockingly, no sex stories come to mind!!

I have been a med-surg nurse for almost fourteen years. I have done a lot of traveling and worked in different facilities and states... every place is different. Most places like to think they staff per acuity, but very few actually do. It seems like over the past few years med-surg nurses are expected to do much more, for way sicker patients, and the ratios haven't changed all that much. Last week I had five patients - three in isolation and confused, all five with central lines, one with epidural pain control, one on telemetry, one with Q2H IV pain medication, etc. Ten years ago I never experienced epidurals or telemetry on a med-surg unit. Some days I am running my butt off with four unstable or demanding patients, other days I can handle six or seven very stable patients, and still have some down time. That's med-surg... you never know what your shift will be like!

"Can you run over to CVS and buy me some razors on your lunch break?"

I love this thread. You guys are cracking me up. I am a med-surg RN and absolutely ADORE the elderly dementia patients. The amuse me, and I have infinite patience for them because I know they can't help it.

Thank you for your post. I am going on 14 years as a medical-surgical/progressive RN, and the older I get the more anxious, depressed, and cynical I get about the job. I have floated and explored other types of nursing. I have done staff, travel, and agency nursing. I have done nights, evenings, and days. I did one year of grad school to "move up" the ladder, and I hated it. I don't think I have ever been truly happy as a nurse. But on the other hand, I really don't know what else I would be doing if I wasn't a nurse. It is mostly stressful, thankless, and physically exhausting... but it is one of the rare careers where there are SO many options and the pay is good. So, to answer your question... maybe?

Many facilities have a physician reporting system. She has a boss, too... there is no reason she should be treating ANYONE like this!

I think this would really confuse the patients. Sometimes it's hard enough to keep track of RN, CNA, RT, PT, MD. No need to add more alphabet soup to the confusion!!

When I try to switch back and forth I get 'crazy'. Sleep is my #1 priority. Fortunately, my husband is a writer and a natural night shifter, so we live on night shift. I sleep 8 hours during the day, every day. My family doesn't understand it, but it's the only way I can function. I tried day shift for a year, and was so nervous about getting up on time that I couldn't sleep through the night. I have worked with people that started on nights, and instantly felt better the week they went to days. Night shift isn't for everyone, but neither is day shift!

No one sits 'til everyone sits!

1. It is about the patient, not you, your life, your schedule, your stress level. While you are at work, you are there to care for the patient, no matter who they are, what they did, or why they are there. Everyone gets a clean slate at the beginning of your shift, no matter what you were told in report. 2. You WILL make mistakes. You are a human in a high stress career. That's how you learn. Don't let it break you. Anyone who says they have never made a mistake is lying. 3. Be nice to CNA's, Unit Secretaries, and any other non-RN individuals who are part of the team. You are not above them, and you will learn a tremendous amount from them. 4. Always remain professional. You never know, that "lost visitor" might be the CEO of your facility. On that note, never assume the relationship between a patient and a visitor. That nice elderly lady may look like your patient's grandmother, but she could very well be his wife. 5. Terrible things will happen during your shift, but you have to let it go when you walk out the door. What a great thread!!

I am a medical-surgical nurse who is more comfortable with medical patients. I enjoy surgical patients for the reasons the other posters listed (I can't tell you a lot about ortho, though). I have a special place in my heart for geriatric and pulmonary patients, so medical nursing is a great place for me. Medical patients typically have chronic conditions, unlike the acute surgical patients, which means you will be giving them a LOT more medications. You will see patients with diabetes, CHF, COPD, cellulitis, renal failure, UTI's, pneumonia, GI bleeds, dementia, etc. Sometimes one patient will have all of these problems at the same time. Ha ha. In a large hospital you will find more specialized medical and surgical floors, but in smaller hospitals there is more of a mix depending on what units have beds available! Good luck with your choice :)

If you think you should call, it probably means you should....You are there for your patients... NO ONE wants to be woken up in the middle of the night but that is the price they pay for being the MD on call.