Dolce

Thats not right. As an agency nurse, I have been floated multiple times, too. Its usually not that easy to be floated and definitely isn't appropriate or safe for a brand new grad.

I am getting SO tired of hearing that there is a nursing shortage. There is NO nursing shortage where I live. My 150 bed hospital has 3 posted nursing positions. The next closest hospital laid off nurses recently and has 2 nursing positions open. The nearest trauma center about 30 minutes away is not hiring any staff nurses and also had to lay off employees. They have stopped using agency nurses as well. I am so glad that I am not a new grad because getting a job right now in my area would be a nightmarish experience. I wish these journalists would consider the current economy before making broad, sweeping overgeneralizations about the "nursing shortage" and how there will always be a job for nurses. They certainly didn't interview me for the article and if they would have I would have requested that they update their information and quit re-using the same factoids that they've been spouting for the last ten years. I'm sure that there are parts of the country that are hurting for nurses but not around here.....

Clinic patients are different than outpatient procedure patients. Some hospitals update the records on the patient monthly. They have an outpatient assessment (just the basics) which includes their meds, allergies, history, assessment, plan of care etc that is updated monthly. As we do computer charting and usually the patient's condition hasn't changed its just same old, same old and just takes a minute to update. As far as discharge teaching goes keep in mind that if it is medication that you are giving the patient (Procrit, Iron, etc) you can provide the patient with a medication sheet and teaching on the initial visit. After that most patients feel comfortable in their understanding although further teaching may be needed.

Its funny that you mentioned that its in your text book. I noticed that in one of the nursing journals I receive. I can't remember if it was AJN or Nursing2009 but one of them did the same thing. It stood out to me when I read it, too, and I couldn't figure out why the authors were doing that.

Yes I believe it. Your administrator is so out of touch he believes everything he hears. When the family says you are the devil than you are the devil. When they say you are Mother Theresa than you are Mother Theresa. Did he actually graduate from an accredited college? Is this how he makes all of his hiring and firing decisions? Based upon what crazed and fanatical family members tell him? Unlike other posters, I can actually picture myself doing similar actions to what you did that day--even though it might have made me want to throw up in the process. You were not just experiencing pressure from the family (which you handled very well the first time) you were experiencing extreme pressure from your boss. As a reliable employee and supervisor yourself you were trying to make the situation right by being forced to do the wrong thing. It saddens me to think that this is just a small picture of how messed up our consumer driven healthcare system is.

That sucks. The parking for my hospital is in the front and there is always plenty of spaces. I like walking out of the front of the hospital to get to my car at night--somehow it just seems safer than if the parking lot is in the back.

I doubt it. I can't tell you how many times I have heard people use that statement though. Usually very dramatically, too. Their temp reads out 98.2 and they exclaim with alarm that they definitely have a fever because they normally are only 96 or 97 degrees. I find it extremely hard to believe that a person could have a core temp of 93-94 degrees and not exhibit signs of hypothermia. Its possible that they don't have a working thermometer or are not using the thermometer correctly.

For the morbidly obese men I turn the urinal upside down--helps to prevent pee from getting all over the bed.

It really depends on the situation. I am country girl and now I work in a small town hospital so the feel is much different than at a large urban hospital. Most of the time I don't mind sharing about myself to the little old ladies and gentlemen who come in for surgery. Most people are completely harmless and are just curious about the person taking care of them and enjoy conversing with staff. Of course there is the occasional "whacko" and usually that becomes pretty apparent from the get go. I don't share personal information with psych patients, prisoners, and patients who are flirting with me. For the most part however people are generally just honestly curious and just like making conversation. Usually I will very briefly answer their question and then quickly redirect the conversation back to them.

I agree wholeheartedly. There is a lot to be said for learning from experience. This is what makes good nurses great. However, risking patient's lives just so that a nurse can get toughened up is not safe practice. Five patient's is too many for a new grad in the ED. Somebody is going to get hurt and it will be your license on the line. The physician's system recently had an entire overhaul of their work weeks and experienced doctors threw a fit that the new interns wouldn't get enough experience with ONLY 80 hours a week. However, studies had shown that the overtired, overstressed new interns were causing harm to patients. We need to really examine what is best for patients--not just what is a good experience for a new grad. Perhaps you could do some research to find studies on nurse/patient ratios in the ED and patient mortality rates. I wish I could offer more helpful advise, but I just don't know what to tell you except that I think that your hospital has a poor way of orienting new grads.

I wouldn't let a patient wander with a PCA pump. Way too big of a risk in my opinion. If they are feeling well enough to go outside and smoke they are feeling well enough to come off the PCA.

Your story makes me very angry. Your coworkers and the patient's doctor left you completely on your own, despite repeated requests for help and because of that you got hurt. This is unacceptable and inexcusable. This ER needs some serious re-training and you need to get a lawyer. Shame on them.

Nena, Thats good that you are wanting to study early! It is never too early to get prepared. However, you don't have to (actually you CAN'T) take the NCLEX until you have completed nursing school. So, your big focus now should be on taking all the necessary classes and courses needed to get into nursing school. Check with your college to see what their nursing program requires. You will need to take Anatomy and Physiology, English, Speech, Psychology, etc. Remember that it is very competitive to get into nursing school these days so focus upon getting good grades. A Medical Terminology class is often helpful even if not required because it introduces you to "medicaleze" and helps you to understand all the big words and terms in healthcare. Best wishes to you! Welcome to the wonderful world of nursing!

100cc bolus of NS? Is that supposed to really help a low BP? :uhoh21:

I agree. It is completely inappropriate for an agency to hire a new grad and throw them into a situation where patients and YOUR license are at risk. The agency doesn't have as much to lose as you do. You need a job where you can be trained and taught by experienced nurses. Work in one setting for 1-2 years prior to taking on agency work. :)