Ubernurse

:redbeathe At first when I saw this post I thought to myself...whats the big deal? I think the term is cute, but you're right. If the ANA had a problem before, i bet they still would, but might not be aware this term is being used.:redbeathe

:redbeatheI feel in a way that mandatory overtime should be against the law. I mean aren't there labor laws from abck in the day when child workers were working 80hrs a week making a dime a day? :redbeathe

:redbeatheI have come up with a doosy of a one liner. When I introduce my self in the AM I say hi my name is Tristan and I will be your nurse today. Well at times I happen to be watching other nurse's groups when they are at lunch and they get a patient from cardiology or ICU. I love to say to them, "Hello, my name is Tristan and I will NOT be your nurse today" They love it. Then if it is a post angiogram patient I tell him he's not allowed to laugh at any of my jokes because his groin might bleed (he knows I'm kidding). Haha :redbeathe

:redbeathe It was fine starting out on a CV step down unit. I externed there for about a year first and got hired right out of school. I have been working there as an RN since June 1st. So in almost two years I have yet to have a patient code on me. I have had one patient die, but it was almost planned d/t her pulmonary fibrosis so the family and docter were well informed. I just happened to work on that unlucky day. I would think that on an oncology unit you get to know the patients more than I would because they are there longer so I could imagine that it would be more difficult when they die. I hope any of this helped. I LOVE where I work:redbeathe

:redbeathe So when I first started some months ago I felt inadequate. I felt like I wasn't catching on to my patient's diseases and making mistakes. Another nurse told me something that really put me at ease. She said you can't do everything and at the end of the day ask yourself "is my patient still alive?" If the answer is yes, she said I should continue. Just shake it off and take your time the next shift. :redbeathe

:redbeathe This might be of some assistance to other newgrads like myself. I know this has helped me not freak out from every sneeze or cough my patient has. This only can apply if you trust the nurses you work with, or at least most of them. I always ask, if I'm not sure of something I've done or happened to my patient, or even just being a new employee at the hospital...it this a big deal? I make my fellow nurses rate it form 0-10. I love it! Because most of the time I'm flipping out 10/10 when it's really a 2/10:redbeathe

:redbeathe Now is there actual manditory overtime? I've heard of it, but I wonder if my hospital has it. Staffing usually asks if there are volunteers for people to stay over and your 24hrs, but they don't make us. I hope nursing starts picking up. This staffing shortage and out of compliance ratios are discouraging to me right now.:redbeathe

:redbeathe You may not necessarily need to choose an entirely new career, but do a different type of nursing job. My mom works in a Coumadin clinic where she calls the elderly and tels them their INRs and when to get new lab draws. She even makes a dollar more than me. How cushy of a job. I graduated in last April and got my RN license in June 2006. I love floor nursing. I work on a cardiac step-down unit. It has a 4-1 ratio and the patients are awesome. Maybe you just need to pick a different specialty.:redbeathe

:redbeathe Pet Peeve: Patient who complain of "Chest Pain" but don't want Nitro because it gives them a head ache. "So you are having chest pain? How would you rate it? OH a 3/10? (I think if I were having actual chest pain it would always be 10/10) Well let me get you some oxygen...you don't want it because it will dry up your nose? OK....well I need to give you a SL Nitro to get rid of it....No? It gives you a head ache? (I now wonder why they even pressed the call light). So all you want is some morphine??? Catch Phrase: Chest Pain....As real as Doctors who change bedpans.:redbeathe

:redbeathe I usually first thing in the AM when I assess my patient say, "Goodmorning! did you get much sleep?" When they answer me with a yes, I say, "Well then Night shift must not have been doing their job because they are suppose to wake you up every hour to see if you're sleeping! I get a few laughs.:redbeathe

:heartbeat For the best experiance work in the department where they send out their post angiogram patients. Priority is prevention of groin bleeds so then you can learn about them after their procedure.:heartbeat

:heartbeat I currently work in a CV step down unit. We get the post angiogram patients along with CABG, CP r/o MI, CHF, tele, etc. Our ratio is 4-1 which is great. it's 3-1 if we have an integrilin of insulin gtt. At the moment we are having severe nursing shortages though to where we are goin gout of compliance. In the past 4 shifts, three of them I had to have 5 patients at once. It was tough, but do-able. I love the floor. It was just really busy. but everyone is so supportive on dayshift so I always had a helping hand if I needed one. So, it is do-able.:heartbeat

:heartbeat I feel I'm a pretty funny person so why let it stop when a doctor who intimidates me comes around. Just the other day I told a doctor his patient's INR was 100, he giggled. I think my favorite joke to a doctor was when he was looking for an x-ray and ultrasound result from another hospital. I couldn't find the documentated paperwork, but wait! I realized that the other facility transferred the films over. The 24inch by 24inch films. I walked the big films over to him and said, "here they are doctor. I forgot that I put them in my back pocket". He looked at me confused...but at least I thought it was funny.:heartbeat Do you have any funny doctor stories?