Pamelita

hello my dear nurses... I am a Grad student and I am doing a paper on computerized charting and nurses attitudes.. I wanted to get some feedback and what you guys think of computerized charting. If your hospital still on paper would you like to use computers instead and if you are already using computers what do you like and don't like about them? I would appreciate any input, thanks :)

hey guys.. well, this is maybe a typical story. I've been an RN for 3 years and I love it. Even though the first 3 years of my nursing career I started at the toughest hospital, with ventilators patients w/multisystem failure, etc, you named it they had it. Well, I realized that I wanted to get more acute experience since the patients were long term and I wanted to get the big hospital experience... oh BOY!!! how hectic it is!!! first, the patients are in and out, I am still getting used to discharging and admitting patients like 3 a shift!! because now I work in a telemetry floor with very high turnover.. I am so overhelmed.... I only have one more day of orientation and even though I know the paperwork, etc I still feel "lost".... I realized that sometimes you spend more time doing the paperwork and calling doctors, than with your patients... I hate that.. I am loving the experience but deep inside I am asking is that what I really want? I am looking forward for grad school... in the fall, until now, it's just working.. thanks guys for letting me vent :)

I totally feel you when we as nurses have to deal with mean, selfish, ignorant people. I don't understand why people even bother to go to the hospital. We are keeping them alive for god sake?!! The other thing that they never prepares us in nursing school was how to deal with the families! I mean, gosh, I think I got burned out in the other hospital because the families were just impossible, so demanding, SO UNREALISTIC! I mean, I know it hurts to see your love one in bed, in a vent... I think its a lack of education. First, I don't think society know how much school it takes to be a nurse, one time they asked me if it took me 6 months or 8 months to get my license!???? I am like?? do I look like a waittress???? I was soo mad.... I don't put out with rude patients, i have learned how to deal with them. I can be the nicest person but I can rude also, I found out that for those rude patients, if you are rude to them, they became nicer for some reason. I hate being rude sometimes, but I cannot tolerate people being mean and disrespecful towards nurses.

First, try to get report on time, ha,ha then assess your patients, get with your CNA for a mini report between the two of you, make sure you have an RT assigned to your section. Get your antibiotics and put them in your med drawers, while checking all your patients are breathing and all the tubes are still in place!!! Pass your meds, hang antibiotics, fight with therapy because they will be on the way in the morning. Of course there is always the help me pull a patient up, he needs a fecal bag, family is on the phone at 08am for an update, etc. Then go on break for the daily morning coffee... after that, wound changes, CVL dsg. changes, labs, doctors orders to change fluids, put new mattresses, CT scans, new admission maybe??? at 11 start accuchecks.. also don't forget your tele checks! at 12 go to lunch and feed yourself... then pass 13meds and antibiotics, new orders, check your vital signs, clean more poop, deal with family members they are probably in the room until the end of your shift. At 1630 start accuchecks again, start meds again, deal with the cafeteria not bringing the right dinner, what there is no butter for the bread????!!!! by 1800 make sure all orders are done, check your bags are all full of IV, TF, etc for next shift. collapse while you wait for report... ha,ha this is a typical day without a code, or patient falling, or family yelling, or administration doing rounds, without admissions when you have 7 patients already..... its great!

I would probably be a teacher in some type of medical field or have my own beauty salon w/spa!!! maybe i'll do that instead!!ha,ha

what I love about nursing.... I love when patient you are taking care of, smiles, holds your hands and thanks you. I love when family members get to know you and treat you with respect. I love it when what I did, truly makes a difference in people's lives and those patients and their families come back to give you a hug :) I love it when regardless of the long hours, the sucky pay, the horrible management, the poop, the pee and blood, there is that patient who needs my care in order to live.... I love it when nurses stick together and speak up to stand up for understaffing and unfair treatment. I just love it!

I feel your pain... I cried several times when I lost a patient that I got attached to or the family. I've taken care of patients for months and I see them die all the time. What I tell myself its that they are not suffering anymore and they are in a better place. A couple of weeks ago, I had to start a terminal wean, gosh talk about emotions, you have the family there, the wife and kids, and the patient was alert and wanted to be taken off the ventilator.... it was a hard time, but you get stronger with time. I think after ony 3 years of nursing I have learn a lot of how to control your emotions, but still we are all human and its always good to cry if it helps you feel better :)

My mother works at the same hospital but she works the nightshift. She will have 1:8 or even 9, its horrible. On days since we complained so much to administration that the nurses should never go up to 8 patients, since our patients are ventilator dependant and the acuity is so high they will keep us to 7 unless an emergency will happen, like a nurse went to the ER the other day very sick I was up to 8. But, nights needs to stand up and say to that 8 its too much, because it hurts the care. I hate coming in the morning and finding my patients a mess, the rooms trashed and fixing all the things that nights didn't do because they have too many patients. Lately the charge nurse is taking 2 patients plus charging for 19. They have 2 aids like in days which I think its bad too because 80% of our patients are total care. one thing I hate about floor nursing is unfair staffing and I am SO known at the hospital to fight for fair staffing... I am going to get fire one of these days!!! for protesting so much!

Hmmm... I think I will never do NICU, or PICU, little babies sick are so sad... plus parents 24/7..to much... OR, I hate standing up and the whole gowning. I think I will try ER, OB and even pych. So far I have only done med/surge respiratory and I love it. Tracheostomies and vents rule!!

Yep, I've been a nurse only for 3 years and I feel burned out. Dealing with heavy issues like terminal weans, seeing death all the time, family members that think you are a maid, doctors that don't respect you, administration that only cares for money and don't give a crap about the patients or nurses. I think: is this nursing? why did I became a nurse to deal with this?? I feel so frustrated sometimes, in nursing school they never told me that nurses have to change mattresses, fix call lights, call back family members long distance because they want you to do it, I mean, its crazy. When I see new grads so excited I am happy for them but at the same time I think Oh boy... they don't know anything yet. I love being a nurse and sometimes I feel we do forget the good things that we do for others. I think that out of 30 patients I had maybe one will thank me for taking care of them, but I know that I did a good job. Its priceless when a patient that I took care months ago, will come back to give me a hug and thank me and I truly feel that I made a difference in somebody's life and that what makes nursing special. I think that if you are burned out of the hospital were you at, quit, go somewhere else, that's what I am planning to do, people get bored, burned out and change its always good and refreshing, plus is a learning experience. I am in school trying to get more education, that helps too. I wish nurses will stay more united and don't judge others or be mean to each other. I love this website because it gives us a place to vent our feelings. take care :)

yep, I am 5"1" with shoes! he,he and I deal with ventilator patients that don't move a finger! It was very hard when I first started as a nurse, I couldn't even pull one of them. But with time, I guess you get stronger. I learned different techniques on how to turn them , etc. I will NEVER pull somebody that is very heavy without assistance, don't you ever put yourself on that spot, you can hurt yourself and its not worth it. Whenever family members will be like" oh.. my mom needs to be turn" and yeah mama is like 400lbs.. I am like ok, let me get my cna or RT to help me turn your mother, I mean, people don't think that somebody can turn a heavy patient by themselves. take care and have fun!

hi guys.. thanks for all your advise Right now I feel that I want to enjoy my career, try different specializations of nursing before I enter graduate school. I've been working with ventilators multisystem failure since I graduated and I want to try something different, but taking classes full time holds me back because I cannot even attend orientation if I want to go to another hospital. I also want to travel to visit my grandmother for her 90 year old b-day in april and If I am in grad school I don't think I can get those days off. I think a break will really help me to refocus myself. I want to give my 100% in school and once I will start grad school I will not stop until I graduate :0 thanks again !! you guys are great. ps. I love to work out that's my coping mechanism right now:)

Hi guys... I am 24 years old and I have been an RN for almost 3 years. Right after graduation in 2001 I worked for about 6 months when I decided that I wanted to go on for my BSN. Well, after working full time, taking classes full time I will be done this dec. , I did it in one year. My next step is grad school because my ultimate goal is to be a geriatric nurse practioner. But I am BURNED OUT! I need to take the GRE exam in order to apply for graduate school, I want to change jobs and get more experience in the field, but at the same time I am afraid of letting go of school. I know I want to go on .. but maybe I will take a semester off? any advice? thanks

TGH is a great teaching institution. I am thinking about going there myself after I finish my BSN degree. They offer GN rotations and many internships most of their staff are GN's and the educators are great. Its a huge hospital I always get lost so finding myway its going to be the first challenge !!! good luck!

I had an awesome time when I was in nursing school. I took a picture after each clinical we had and I had them all in my album. I will never forget when I was in cardiac rotation and we were at post conference and my instructor told us that she had a serious announcement to say... everybody was worried... maybe something we did wrong.. she said. Guys, the staff and even family members have complained about one of you because you are WEARING A THONG!!!!! everybody started laughing nonstop! it was true, there was this girl a pretty girl that will wear her thongs and put her tuck her shirt inside so you could see it. It was so funny, all my male friends were like oh my God ! my secret came to light! making fun of the girl, but she was so embarrased because everybody new it was her. I have so many memories with patients, like when I was terrified of taking care of Vent patients, who would have known that I would be a respiratory nurse working with VENTS NOW!!!!! ha,ha