RNFROG3

Here's one -I reported a nurse for doing some action I felt was inappropriate. I was charge and so shocked by what I saw I didn't react right away other than to take over the care of the patient myself. The incident was investigated, somrthing was done(I'm not privy to that part because of the other nurses rights) then she's back on my shift and I've been "temporarily" relieved as charge. Now I went to the manager before the investigation was done and told her what I would have done differently because I felt I could have handled it better. She didn't say anything to me about being relieved. I got told the next night by a non-manager that I wouldn't be charge when the other nurse was on-I didn't really like the way I found out considering I stayed after working 12 hrs to meet with the manager., but okay I'll be able to deal with that. 4 weeks go by with 3 weeks of those shifts not having the nurse on and I wasn't charge. I went up the chain and noone knew I was relieved until I got to the asst manager. He said the temporary assignment change was from the manager and he had no excuse to me not being told. But all of them said I did the right thing by reporting it. Now I'm not allowed to talk about this and the doc's and other staff keep asking me why I'm not charge(non- paid- mind you). I feel like this sent a big message to the staff don't report or it will come back at you-look what happened to so and so. The Doc's are so confused because I've been charge for 3 years and I'm respected by them. What it has caused me to do is look for a new position away from this manager.As for the other nurse we were never buddy buddy but after several weeks we have no problems doing our jobs. Though I'm sure she would rather I was gone she isn't the problem. So how is that for an ethical dilemma?

Eng_nurse When I was younger and the hospital I worked at had and gym a block from the hospital I woould work the 12 hours, workout for 1/2-2 hours, drive home (an hour away) and sleep until 4 pm when the kids got home and then go back to work at 7 pm. I worked 3-12 hr shifts a week usually picked up an 8 hr shift per pay periodand rarely got sick. I know I was really dedicated back then and I know I always felt pretty good. I walk with my hubby now in the evenings. It's not nearly enough excercise and I sleep a lot more now-I got the Ti-bo tapes and keep telling myself to get back into the mode.

19 y/o no hx constipated for 1 day! No sh&* and no tx from OTC

I'm w Craig b and P RN. I was a emt first, now an RN. I've stopped at many an accident and attempted to help. If there was more qualified people there than I took direction from them. I carry a fully stocked aid bag that I had in the Army. I don't do IV's but I have a mask and bandages and splints and a universal c-collar. I did cpr w/ a MD from Tulane on a highway in TN during a blizzard when a car rolled over in the median. The lady probably had a broken neck but we used all the skills we had to try. Her too friends walked away w/ scratches. They were extremely grateful we kept trying since it was almost 1/2 before the ambulance could reach us. I would never operate out of my scope of practice but I also don't worry about a lawsuit. I think most families are grateful that any one even tries to help. I'm also the team nurse for my kids soccer teams. Parents aren't unhappy that I give their kids ice and ace until they can be taken to a MD which is what I always recommend. I feel obligated to stop and at least offer aid. Noone has ever done anything but be grateful.

Jetta- I agree with the advice of Smilingblueeyes and LydiaGreen. I'm a weekend option night shifter so during the week I'm up w/ my kids(although I admit I'm a better person if left to sleep till 1000AM) During the weekends I go to work from 7p -7a. I work ER so rarely on the weekend do we have time to be sleepy. But on the rare night if I can take my 15 min break or my 30 min lunch-I'll have someone come get me when time is up as a safety back up . I'll go prop up my feet and close my eyes sometimes 15 min can be just the reenergizer I need. No caffeine after 3 am or I'm still wired when I get home(I have an hour drive home)If I am really having problems I'll take a 3 mg melatonin. It's a natural sleep aid no narcs or drugs to get me kicked out of nursing -we worked too hard to get here. I also sleep with a fan in my room , windows closed, A/C on. I find ear plugs annoying and got my first ear infection since childhood wearing them. The fan makes a soothing white noise and I love the breeze on my face. Hope this helps. I love night shift and think I couldn't work days the people are more laid back, we work better as a team and I like the dark--what can I say some of us are just a little bit nitey(or nutty) Healthy snacks are a must or you'll find yourself gaining weight. For some reason if the body can't sleep it wants to eat. Plus you'll gt more energy from carrots and dip than that candy bar.

I come froma a level II trauma in Indianapolis. We aren't downtown so we pick from the community and I think half of the USA(maybe slightly exaggerated!) I work 7p-7a on weekends. On a good night I have 4 RN's till 7 am and 3 RNs till 3 am. We have 7 monitored beds and 3 shock rooms , 3 suture/minor injury rooms,19 treatment rooms. On a bad night I have had 3 till 7 am and 1 till 3 am. I personally was charge nurse (what a joke it was balls to the wall and don't stop to breath), the 10 treatment rooms and the 3 suture rooms. Plus triage and help anyone who had questions or needed sombody to assist, the telephone and whatever crops up as it always does. After 200 we only have one doc. It was very hairy and I wondered why I do this? Fortunetly I have the week to recover and it isn't like that every weekend or I would be fried.

Not all people are any of those things- my drug of choice to treat my symptoms is Motrin. Who are you to judge anothers pain? Unless you suffer daily pain how would you know. Now I'm not a true believer of this diagnoses either but try to walk in anothers shoes instead of blowing them offas crazy, depressed or a drug seeker.

Hey-- I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I told the MD, I'm sorry I don't believe in that as a diagnoses. She was great. She said how about a symptom of an underlying cause? I said okay but what?? I have been having increasing symptoms of pain in my thumb joints, and extremely stiff legs all the time but excessively after my 12 hr shifts, fatigue (sleeping 16 hrs a day on my days off) oh I only work 2-12hr shifts a week (weekend option). She asked me if i was depressed, I said I don't think soo ..I just got married and my life is better then it has been in 15 years. Other milder symptoms included bloating and craving pasta/rice and slow weight gain. She thought maybe I had yeast overgrowth syndrome. I took a 15 question test and answered yes to most of them. She then gave me a book called the "The yeast connection" I think that was the name. It described a life style change to a Specific carbohydrate diet. A diet that ws originally made for people with Crohns, diverticulitis and similiar stomach disorders. Eight weeks on the diet and I'm not sore or stiff , losing weight, sleeping like a normal person and feel better. So maybe fibromaylgia is a quick stopping point for mds who don't know better or for patients who don't want to work for their health. I really believe that it is a symptom not a full diagnoses. But that's just my two cents. :balloons:

Our Ed just went to a PA(performance appraisel) that includes pt satisfaction. The only way to get a 4% raise is to have a pt write in that they liked the care they recieved and mentioned their nurse by name. Needless to say we are not ever epecting a 4% raise, in addition you must have your CEN and score all 3's (the highest score) in every other feild. You can't be rally good you must be perfect. As far as I know Jesus isn't working in our ED and He is the only perfect person I know! SHEESH! Fab4fan-- just curious what happens if they aren't triaged in 15 and seen in 30? You guys get sent to too slow prison or does the pt get a free visit? I've heard of this but it was obviously designed by someone who has never worked an ED. My thoughts are with you.

When I started in the ED 3 years ago we were color coded naturally I had every color ecept what was required. No clothing allowance, no help from the hospital. Two years ago the coded colors went away. Thank you Thank you Thank you. I think the colors everybody wears is moe cheerful and celebrates our individuality. The one thing our nurse manager stressed when she opened up the colors is be professional, clean and neat. If the staff couldn't meet her on that point then the code would be back. We still have our colors so I guess we are doing well.

Wow. I'm ever so thankful our Ed and Icu get along. We even have a code nurse and one of her jobs is to come down when we have an ICU pt and help us if needed or facilitate the trf by placing the pt. Bed control still gets notified but there is a direct link between our ED and the ICU. I treasure our ICU nurses and their abilities because while I'm perfectly comfortable stabilizing a pt. I'm not comfortable monitoring them forever. It's always nice to know there is help even just an comforting voice telling us hang in there you're doing good. We run into problems holding pt's in ED- ICU pts' nurse's have there own protocols as set by the internal med docs. We don't have that access and once pt is admitted the ED docs don't touch the pt. So the reletionship between ED and our ICU is close - we desperately try not to dump on them and they in turn are there when we need help.

Biorn- I hope you are still reading this since you signed off never to be an RN. Please heed the advice the others before me- DON'T QUIT. Sometimes we have to take a detour and find a different way to follow our dreams but it doesn't mean the end of the dream -just a change in course. There are nurturing schools I went to one Austin Peay in Tennesee. I flunked my last Med-Surg course. (Marrriage going bad , too many student activities, not enough $$,kids- basically too much to handle at once) I thought my carreer and life dream was over. My nursing instructors were supportive and almost demanded I come back and finish. I'll be stronger for my failure they said__They were right. You can do it.

Serani- Guess you now know what was causing her pain and problems. BLECK

When I was in the army and still pretty naive -18 yr/o new as an EMT we went out on a run that was at the far end of our sector. Turned out to be a German National that we aren't supposed to p/u. he was complaining of CP and told my German driver he was locked out away from his medicine. I'm thinking Nitro right? So we loaded him and headed to the nearest German hospital a good 20 minutes away. My ambulance chose that moment tohave a short in the wiring for the lights- I'm now in the back with this ol geezer, who is SOB and having CP. I hear him gasping for air then nothing....nothing for what seemed like forever. SOOO i find his face put my mouth over his to give two breathes and he sticks his reeking nasty old alcoholic tongue in my mouth and I was so shocked I couldn't move.... that is until I started puking. The MD at the hospital said he always pulls that on young cute nurses. But that earwax thing almost made me lose it here at the desk GROSSS!! These are thetype of things that keep me from watching Fear Factor. I hate bugs and loogies and chunks of vomit. Yet oddly I still love this job. RN now and loving it.

Goodluck with the move and Yeah!! on the new job!1