Franksters

I had a bariatric patient complain that our B/P cuff hurt her arm. I wanted to tell her that it wasn't "our" cuff. I stopped by the zoo and stole it from the elephant's exhibit on my way to the doctor for the bulging disc I got just trying to kift her arm by myself. After all, her arm was as big as my waist.

Unfortunately, I would not. I have been a nurse for 18 years and if I knew how to do anything else, I would leave healthcare so fast your head would spin. The last 10 years of my career I have spent in leadership roles trying to make a positive difference. Ha!! I have seen patients, docs, administrators and other staff who don't even have a clinical background openly disrespecting us. The worst though, is when I see other nurses viciously attacking each other both verbally and nonverbally. I can honestly say I hate going to work. That is something I never thought would come out of my mouth. After all, I went to college so I could have a career I would enjoy. I am sorry to say, nursing is not it.

I am actually a nurse manager of a MS floor that provides clinical experience to IVT students. I gotta tell ya, you have picked a great program!! The RN students we employ from IVT are super!! They fly much sooner than the others. Good Luck!! Look us up when you graduate! CMH

AMEN!! I am constantly surprised at how many of my new nurses think I should work their professional schedule around their personal schedule. I find myself explaining over and over that it is not my job to find coverage for their weekend so they can go to a party or out of town concert. They do, however, bring an excitement to nursing that many of us lose as the years go by.

Hi. I have been in management for 10 years. Starting as associate nurse manager in a 24 bed ICU, house supervisor of a 442 bed tertiary facility that averaged a census of about 450 and now as a nurse manager of a 20 bed cardiac telemetry med surg, 14 bed oncology unit and IVT. One of my biggest challenges was learning how to communicate with MS team members. We too had agency, from 3p-7a 3/4 of my nursing staff was agency. We have been agency free for almost 2 years now. When I took over, I was the only manager for all 84 beds in MS. Shortly after I took the position, my director resigned which left me all alone in a new facility in a new position in a new area!!! My VP helped as much as she could. We now have a director, 2 managers, 1 ANM and 1 nurse educator. My biggest acomplishment is learning how to be a MS nurse. This is completely different than anything I have ever done. It is a challenge everyday and I love it!!!

Our med surg department has 85 beds spread in to 5 units. Navagant came and "suggested" we lower our hppd to 7.5. Of course we were held accountable to that number. Forget it!! By the time you enter all team members, 1 director, 2 managers, 1 charge nurse and an educator?? When we are full and running full staff, we can't hit 8.0

What's your ratio?

Glad to see I'm not the only one!!!

Don't stick an oblong paper weight up your rectum, then... Never tell your wife that you need to go to the ED because you are having an uncomfortable sensation... the guy ended up being transferred to another hospital for surgery.

Thought of a classic. I worked in a very progressive, groundbreaking tertiary facility in downtown ________ (hint-we are now the 16th largest city in the country...big whoop). We received a lot of patients from Appalacia (for reasons I will not go into). I was caring for a woman who ended up coding and dyng. Her husband arrived and stated, "I am ready to take her home now." I explained that we would take care of all the travel arrangments if he would tell me what funeral home he wanted. He stated, "Travel arrangments? I can take her home. That's why I drove the Flat bed." True story

I was a nursing assistant on TCU while in school. I was bathing a man who was unresponsive. The word was "He" was already gone. Things went great!.......Until. I began washing "P" and "The boys" when he got an erection! I was sooo excited!!! You see, at that moment I thought they were all wrong! He was alive!! Guess what.....He had an implant. I swear this is true.

No, Thank God!!! I hate those things. They are dangerous and make the situation worse. It is human nature to struggle when you are tied down.

Nope!!

I hear ya. The vast majority of my career, I worked in Critical Care. It wasn't until I moved to med surg that I learned "I hate people!!!". We also get drug seekers. Today, the PCA is rolling this guy down the hallway to his room. Before he gets to the room he yells toward the nursing station, "HEY YOU!!!! I need 4mg Dilaudid, 25mg Phenergan IV and a cheeseburger with fries and a large coke. I will be ready in 5 minutes." First, I looked at the orders. He was admitted with HA R/O TIA! HHAAAAHH!!! Second I walk to his room and try to explain to him why I could not give him narcotics. This went no where. After about 10 minutes of listening to him call me everything but a woman, I say,"Listen to me. You are not getting narcotics. You will not ask me for them again. I have educated you regarding narcotics with possible neurological etiology. I have Tylenol for your HA. Would you like it now?" He turned me into my director, VP and CEO. They made me apologize but they agreed with my assessment. He left AMA! I am here to serve the public, yes. I am not here to be a punching, spitting, foul mouthed, stupid, killer nurse. The patients and a lot of times their families, are verbally aggressive and borderline physical aggressive.

Good luck