PPHawk

When I took the test, and it stopped early, I was in a panic. Then I realized I wasn't stupid enough to fail that quickly. Neither are you. Relax...your congrats are in the mail (so to speak). There was a student in my class who went up to 240 questions...she had the habit of not reading a question before choosing an answer. She passed.

Not all women are willing to have male doctors. I think, at least in some cases, it's male vs female, not nurse vs doctor. On the other hand, I don't know what age group you work with, but we still have some people out there who see the doctor as the Male Authority Figure, a kindly father type. I know lots of male nurses who are called doctor until they straighten out the patient, who then can't understand why they'd be a nurse instead of a doctor. Personally, I like working with male nurses. Never met one I didn't like.

Before I post the silliest complaint, I want to assure you that I'm not joking and the complaint was completely untrue. I also had not had any trouble with the CNA who made the complaint. Nor had I ever discussed this subject prior to this incident. I was working at a christian nursing home and one of the CNA's, well known by everyone for causing serious trouble for co-workers, was having a conversation with another co-worker. She made the comment that all witches are evil. I laughed and said, "No they're not." Within days, my agency was told that I was no longer needed to fill that position. I knew later that the position remained open for some time. The reason I was let go? I was accused of putting "a spell" on that CNA and "causing bad things to happen" to her. I tried contacting the lawyer who had done my will, but she never returned my calls. This all happened in super-conservative Lancaster, PA.

LOL...I'm originally from Jersey and I was shocked at first too. But after dressing up in the beginning, I realized that "dressed up" and 110 degrees, dry heat or not, don't go together. Of course, you don't wear frayed cut-offs either. And personally, I never ever wear flip-flops for anything. Can't stand them!

I didn't realize that you'd hung it so close to your shift end. I still think you did fine and I wouldn't have called the doctor back that soon either. Maybe she just didn't sleep well.

Nightly chart checks never caught it. The order was hand written on the MAR at first and whoever prints up the new ones wrote what the nurse had transcribed instead of catching it on the POS. The inhouse pharmacy printed the order correctly on the label and that's the end of their involvement. As for non-compliant, I like to use it when a patient has the attitude that we don't know what we're doing. But I always add the nurses note like the examples shown.

We have employees who smoke and they will take residents outside which also gives them an extra smoke break. I'm fine with that, but I will not take anyone out to that area. I quit 16 years ago and I can tell you that I really hate the smell out there. I don't even like it when the employee comes back inside...smokers aren't able to smell the 'dirty ashtray' odor that follows them. I don't appreciate walking into a store that has people clustered at the door, smoking. Quite honestly, I wish there was no public smoking. But having been addicted to them, I don't want to be mean to others either. As long as no one expects me to go out there, I'll keep quiet.

I think you did fine. What you need to think about as your shift comes to an end, is that you're leaving any problems for a nurse who doesn't have easy access to help, other than 911. Most of the time, night shift is just full of paperwork, but then there are nights that leave day shift looking like a cakewalk. Just the other night, our night nurse had a patient go into respiratory distress and almost arrested, because of a new med. That was a 911 adventure. Shortly after, a patient fell out of bed. No injuries, but added work. Then a diabetic patient bottomed out. Not a typical night, but they can happen. And if she called the doctor, he just might yell at her because you didn't call him sooner. Maybe next time you could ask for guidelines about calling him back after implementing any orders. I've worked with some wonderful MD's, some stupid ones that scare me, and some really mean and nasty ones. And then the covering doctors that won't order anything because they "Don't know the patient." Then why cover? To them MD just means 'more dough'. Maybe that had something to do with her attitude. So at the end of your shift, may I suggest that you put yourself in her place and ask, what would I want me to have done. Or offer to do something before you leave, like, "would you like me to call the doctor again before I go?" You'll find you have enough stress without dreading the arrival of your relief nurse. On the other hand, don't go crazy worrying about pleasing her...she knows what the job is too.

Pass it on to the next shift!!!!!!! You haven't seen a dirty look till you've tried that one! Chasing your tail and never catching it. Too darn true!

I work in a SNF...I always have since I love the geriatric population. But I also have anywhere from 21 to 36 patients depending on which floor I'm on. I left one job because I got tired of the holes in the schedule that were never filled and you were told, when it was time to go home, that they couldn't find anyone so you'd have to stay for the double, and if you didn't you'd be reported to the board. They didn't care that a young child would be coming home from school to an empty house. Then your supervisor would add, "Bye, I'm going home now." That's a whole lot of disrespect, not to mention too much responsibiliy for someone who's tired and achy at this point and is expected back at 6:30am the next day. Then add the families who want their loved one cared for RIGHT NOW even though you and your aides are spread too thin to give proper care. And then there are athletes who make a whole lot more in a season than any of us will in our lifetimes...and we're responsible for people's lives. I don't expect 5 million a year, but a little more would be nice. And did you read the post about the Wisconsin nurse who's facing 6 years in prison for a med error? Whether she was right or wrong, we all face the same possibilities. And we work holidays and weekends. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't go into nursing. I'd stay in the medical field, but I'd be in a different part of it. Probably in some capacity as a patient advocate for the elderly. I know this sounds so negative, but after only 13 years as a nurse, I'm tired. And burning out. The only thing that keeps me going is when some little old lady grabs my hand and pulls me close for a hug and tells me how sweet I am.

I'd suggest street clothes reflecting the usual dress code of people in your area. Here in the southwest I've worn shorts to an interview and gotten the job. I've seen people interviewing with flip-flops and they got the job too. Back east, you wouldn't dare dress like that. I agree with neat and clean...no flashy jewelry, no perfume, little or no make-up and keep your hair tamed, even wearing a ponytail if it's long. Then dazzle them with your knowledge and personality...good luck in your new job!

I don't see any comments on Paradise Valley Hospital. I've never been a patient or employee, but everyone I've ever mentioned them to, says, "Just let die where I am...don't take me there." Is it really that bad?

I agree with emsboss and jill48 completely. The only other comment I'd make is that she can't be fired for abandoning her patient if she was sent home as the original post said. There are some people in this world who are completely intolerant of others' fears or prejudices. Until that changes, scared nurses like this one will continue to be sent home or fired. Let's forget about tolerance, and start embracing diversity.

If you don't like the abbreviations or terms, just stop using them. Eventually someone will ask why, and when you explain, you may convert them and you'll start your own revolution. As to expire, I assume it comes from the last 'expiration'. But when I have to tell a loved one this news, I just say I'm sorry to have to tell you that (Mom/Dad etc.), has passed over. Then I add that I'm sorry for their loss. As to the abbreviations, JCAHO doesn't allow some of them anymore. Let me tell you why I stopped using them years ago. As a (then) registry nurse, I had to be extra careful to do things correctly since it's often difficult in a new situation with no orientation. I had five different eye drops to give someone and could not find the fifth. I had the right bottle, but the order on the bottle, didn't match the MAR. I finally went to the chart. The doctor ordered all the drops 'OD qid'. Except the last one. It was 'OD OD'. The nurse who transcribed the order didn't, as is human, see the double. She saw OD and assumed apparently that the doctor forgot to write qid. So the patient received the once a day drops four times a day...for six weeks! No one ever spotted it, meaning no one ever did the 5 rights. I know we're all overworked, underappreciated, and exhausted most of the time...but think how many nurses that is. Well, that nurse got a transcription error, the family took the patient somewhere else, and me? Not even a thank you. So I thought that was a good reason to write things out. Now if we could just get the doctors to comply. Which, by the way, I do like the term non-compliant because of the refusal to listen to authority that it infers. If ever in court, I want the strongest words possible to show that the patient didn't listen to sound medical advice.