LadysSolo

Some patients can put on a "good act" at times, there was one person in a nursing home that I take care of other residents in that I thought was a visitor. But when I talked to her more on one day, it was obvious that she was far from 100% competent ...

If someone doesn't want to participate in their own health care to improve their health, it is much cheaper to go to a hotel to get customer service, room service, clean linens, room cleaned for you, etc. Then they can take what meds they want, whene...

What everyone else has said - you absolutely do NOT know enough fresh out of school to handle home health. You do NOT have the nurse "gut feeling" yet that tells you when the person is going to "crash" even though the vitals still look good and there...

In the area where I live they just look at whether or not you are certified (passed NP boards,) I can't speak to other areas of the country. Also, if you are an experienced RN with stable work history, that also enters into it. If as an RN you have "...

I took care of a patient a while ago who stuck in my mind. She was to be going home that day, and I was assisting with her AM care. I was still in her room, and she asked me to do some of her care for her. I asked her if she was able, as she was goin...

Since no one has answered your question, ANC is Absolute Neutrophil Count, has to do with your ability to fight infection. I would hazard a guess that the child in question is receiving chemotherapy and so needed the antibiotics to make up for the de...

A key to what my suspicions are is "I did what the hospital asked of me." I was thinking the hospital may have asked her to leave things out in the code report, and then "threw her under the bus" when the family filed a lawsuit. That is why I recomme...

Good luck to you, and if you go back into nursing, PLEASE always carry malpractice insurance (an "occurrence" policy,) it is CHEAP compared to what you have gone through, they will provide you with a lawyer to protect YOUR interests!

I had a relatively low GPA in my undergrad studies, I had a BS in biology and a Diploma in nursing. I had exceptionally high GRE scores, and applied to one NP program, I was over 20 years out from my BS, and they were going to make me repeat almost m...

When I did agency for awhile, I was asked if I was willing to work as an LPN for RN wages (I am an NP and was working agency extra to pay student loans.) I was willing, as I am capable of working as an LPN, and was not taking any reduction in pay.

I work different place on different days, minimum 30 min and longest 75 min. I don't think I could regularly do longer than the 75 min.

I am an adult NP, and was functional from day 1 (but have improved over the years,) but psych meds are a whole other "can of worms." I would completely feel unprepared to decide on what psych meds to use, although I am completely on board with decrea...

I have the same problem getting fingerprinted - So far I get away with just lotion, I too cannot use sanitizer, just soap and water.

I don't have an answer for you, maybe they don't care? It has been going on as long as I have been in nursing (35 years) at least.

Just looked up IV poles, poles can be had for around $20.00 0n ebay, and a controller was $55.00. Not that extravagant, think I will keep an eye on these for my plants!

I love the idea of old IV poles for watering plants (I have a collection of some orchids that would appreciate drip watering.) Maybe I will see if I can get a few at a reasonable price (better than them ending up in a landfill.)

No, you are never supposed to be busy with another patient, you are supposed to make your patients think you have all the time in the world for just them. Some of my nursing homes that I go to DO post the number of nurses and STNAs on per shift. I th...

pamstogner, I m glad you put "nurse" in quotation marks, I can't think of a REAL nurse who would vote against safe ratios. She is shameful!

Nurses are always expendable in the name of CEO bonuses for cutting "expenses." We are not necessary, we are an "expense." I have heard an MD state that "trained monkeys can do the job of a nurse." (yes he is an a**.) But some CEOS seem to think this...

I am sad to see it hasn't gotten any better since I left the floor after becoming an NP. I worked oncology, giving chemotherapy and blood every night. 5 patients was best, 6 was doable, and if I was day 4 of my 4 day stretch and had already had the ...

Re: patient deaths, I had a medical resident tell me one time confidentially that hospitals have panels that decide based on usual lawsuit payouts how many nurses they can cut and save salary versus what they would have to pay out in a lawsuit. It is...

State of Ohio says 1:50 is safe in LTC, I disagree. I did some agency for awhile, it was me and 2 STNAs for 48 residents, there was a 3rd STNA in the building doing laundry so they were allowed to count her. I believe 1:24 is safe if you know the res...

The organization I work for has a lot of trouble recruiting employees. We have not had a pay raise in 3 years, and a competing company starts new grads at $25,000/year plus the same benefits. Guess why my employer has difficulty recruiting? I would l...

Being a nurse and now a NP, I will say I like the patient care/contact and the intellectual challenge of helping people, but I detest the paperwork (which only gets more and more ridiculous,) and the constant pressure from TPTB to do more and more wi...

In KatieMI's example, what happened to "common sense?" If you are too weak or it's too cold/slippery to walk outside safely, DON"T DO IT! Everyone seems to want someone be responsible for thinking for them. When I worked in the hospital (on an oncolo...