regnurse1995

Oh, tell me about it...half of them smoke and have the no smoking sign on their window. It drives me nuts! Yes, I was told the doctors are expecting us to get the patient to comply...I said "NO IT"S NOT" my job is to care, educate, be an advocate, and it's their job to make the choice. I agree!

The difference is that they are willing to sign a refusal, one already has....they both don't want it!

Because it's all a numbers game, when we lose an oxygen patient, they don't like it. I told them in my interview that I was honest, hard working, and a patient advocate, and that I am ethical. Yesterday I said "I realize this is a business and they are in it to make money, but as soon as you hired me and I tell my patients that I am a nurse, my hat changes from sales person to compassion, advocate, caring, etc. You see, even nurses in this job must call patients if they are not on oxygen, and see if they are having any symptoms that would give us a reason to call the doc for an overnight order...in hopes that we will get them on o2...this is the part I dislike about this company...but they want everyone to be a salesperson.

I just saw an email from my bosses boss that said "if a patient wants a pick up, you must inactivate them that day". She goes on to say "do not hold pick ups to keep your numbers high" I brought this to my bosses attention and he said "they are talking about pt's that are in nursing homes or on hospice" and I think to myself, then why does it say "if the patient wants a pick up"...I think I got fed some BS! and I looked at our bill of rights that we have the patient sign. It says they have the right to refuse treatment...there is nothing in there that says...after we speak with the doctor. I used to be a case manager at home health. when a patient refused our services, we had them sign a discharge, then sent a fax to the doctor that pt refused and had the doc sign the dc order. But here, I am being threatened that "we will lose business if we go behind a doctors back...our job is to get them compliant" this is coming from a young punk salesperson who is friends with my boss... and my boss has also done some other shady things. In my heart, I know they are being dishonest to keep their numbers up. The sales person gets paid $100/oxygen set up in our office.

I think it would be like a hospital pharmacist charging for a pill when the nurse wrote "refused" because they were waiting for an order for the med to be dc'd. The o2 just sits in the patients home for weeks. They refuse to use it and want it picked up, we haven't picked it up and still charging for it "because we haven't heard from the doctor" This isn't right is it?

I have thought about leaving, but it's the first nursing job that I've had that I actually like, minus the the times I run onto patients refusing o2 and having to deal with my boss on this issue. My boss is a nice man, but this company is only interested in getting o2 numbers which does bother me.

with the way our health care system is going, I'd be afraid to be a physican...JMO

I work for a company which I will not name here, but I need your advice. I am a nurse and I work for a DME company. I had a patient refuse their oxygen. The patient is a smoker, in his home, doesn't feel short of breath, yet overnight pulse ox shows less than 88% for over 20 minutes. I educated him on his low o2, and what effects this could have on him should he not follow MD orders. The patient still refused. I had him sign a refusal letter and was later told by my boss that we need to first talk to the doctor to see if the doctor wants us to keep it in their home until we get another overnight pulse ox. The patient told me even if it's low again "I DON"T WANT IT" I was told that "my job is to make the pt compliant" as "this is what the doctor is expecting us to do". I told them ABSOLUTELY NOT...that my job was to be a caring nurse, patient advocate and that I would inform the patient of their rights, inform them of possible outcomes should they not follow doctors orders, but that they have the right to refuse treatment. The sales rep at the company will set up oxygen in a heartbeat, because he gets paid for every o2 set up...but I have this one patient who refused it 4 weeks ago, they said the patient is to set up an appt with the doctor before we pull the o2...and guess what...this company is billing medicare for a service the patient refused...they are telling me we can wait on the doctor to tell us what to do...I thought the patient has the right to refuse regardless of what the doctor wants. Am I correct, or am I missing something? Is this a form of medicare fraud? I love the patients I go and visit and the stress is very low normally, so I don't want to quit... Help!

I am not a wocn, but have wound experience from a clinic. I am now the wound nurse at a skilled/hospital/rehab. I am seeing several patients with sores on the intergluteal cleft/crack. The nurses are calling them stage II when I am not sure if the cause is from being picked up by their pants to transfer. How do you know the difference from a stage II and traumatic. What do you all call an open sore to the crack. It looks like a long skinny skin tear just along the crack.

Hi, I am going to be helping out with infection control at our hospital. Where does one start. Are there any good books that cover most all I would need to know? Thanks a million!

Hi, Can someone tell me what wound care book has many photos of different types of wounds and treatment options? Thanks!

I just started working in a specialy hospital. You may want to try that. I have 5-7 pts. My first night was horrible because the charge nurse wouldn't lift much of a finger, but my second day, we had a very great and organized charge nurse and I actually look forward to coming back. There is a rehab side and a skilled side. The charge nurse told me that the rehab side is a piece of cake compared to skilled, so you may want to look into that as well. I love geri patients and if we don't help to make changes, nothing changes!

Where do you work...can you pm me?

CONGRATULATIONS on passing:) I am going to be new to psych, however, I am not a new nurse. Can you please share in details with me all about the job! I went for my first interview last week, but don't know what to expect.

What do you do as a psych op nurse?

I used to work 5 day night shifts and yes I too gained weight.

As an RN there are 16 in a unit that I am in charge of, but only 8 do I have to chart on. There is a Med Nurse and so I don't pass meds. The base pay is $27.50 plus night and weekend bonuses. How does this compare to yours?

What an awesome nurse you seem to be. You explained in detail what you do. I appreciated your response so much. I am looking into becoming a psych nurse. My niece is Bipolar and I've been trying to help her this past year.

I have scoliosis and a learning disability. I have a hump in my back, no rod. An old nursing instructor told me back in the early 90's that I wasn't cut out to be a nurse...she was wrong! Mine isn't as severe, but still I can relate a little. Hang in there. With the nursing shortages, I don't think they will continue to be as picky!

I've heard similiar sitations as this before... and it must feel bad...I totally agree! But if it bothered me this much, I would spend my energy asking to speak to the administrator to see if changes could be made. Like what? New admits seeing a video in their room of what to expect with a hospital stay. Just an idea.

I know of a white nurse who has yellow teeth, stringy hair, and acne scars misplaced for a "drugie"...she gets the same treatment. Should we start a new thread for her?

how do you know these forums are mostly "white nurses" is there a thread that states it? I am a white nurse with a learning disability. I wish my only troubles were people thinking I was a CNA when I wasn't. This thread offends me! This is allnurses.com not blacknurses.com

I was just wondering if you find it harder to remember things now.

Isn't it sad how we have to play hush hush games because we might need them to get another job? I worked for a doctor who touched a bloody gauze from a pt who was HIV positive, then he didn't wash. I reported it, it did no good, and now I need them as a reference. I understand we don't want to "burn any bridges" but at the same time, what if this was your mother who was getting bloody hands from a doctor who didn't wash...Are we really a "patient advocate" if we don't speak up? This doctors wife was "washing" the instruments and left bodily fluids on them? Get my drift? S A D !!!!

How much then for the RN's?