vablueyes

Just wondering: Recently I had an issue with Pharmacy sending my supervisor a Pyxis log and stated that there was a vial of Fentanyl and a vial of Versed missing from our return drawer. I have a hard rule with my nurses that after a sedation case, as soon as the patient is settled back in recovery, the drugs MUST BE IMMEDIATELY wasted/returned. I don't want any questions to come up as to our control of these drugs. When Pharmacy recovered the returned vials, there were these two missing. After three hours or so of me pulling charts, reconcilling the charts against the return logs, talking with my nurses, I gave up. Nothing found, except for those two vials, and I couldn't find where they would be missing from. I told the Pharmacy that I would be doing an Esrm and leaving it up to the powers that be to find what was going on. Imagine my surprise when I was told the next day that the vials had been found...in the return bin....go figure!! We have to have a witness to waste, but are allowed to return solo....but, who witnesses the Pharmacy Tech? They don't have anyone to monitor them, but if something is missing, the oness is on us to find it....not a good system, if you ask me! Are there just NOT Pharmacists who would divert meds? I don't think so!!

Really don't know where you all hang out, but my family AND friends, and most of the Doctors I work with are always complimenting us RN's as being smart, on the ball, having the knowledge and instincts to do a good job, and will actually come to us for advise, information. I would have a very hard time if I had to constantly defend my degree. I don't think I'd want to be around others who thought I was not very bright. In fact, I have my husband "trained" to tell others that his wife is "incredibly intelligent" and his whole reason for living. LOL....can't train everyone, but your honey and your family and friends should always back you!

Can I please interject something here? I was attempting to explain to a black patient yesterday who was complaining about having had an EJ placed by someone in the ED, and also had a peripheral IV placed in her AC. The AC line infiltrated and they proceeded to use the EJ. Afterwards, the EJ site developed dark scarring and a small keloid. While I tried to explain to this pt that dark skin is more prone to keloids, she rolled her eyes and said "Watch it, you are treading on thin ice" and then said "just leave it alone". I am NOT in any way a racist, and my feelings were hurt because she assumed that since I differentiated dark skin vs light skin, I was degrading her, or at least separating black from white. Finally, I told her that it was in the books, look up keloid and see for herself. Some people just want to be divas, and this was one. Did I say anything prejudicial? Nope, just giving her the facts, in as nice a way as I could. I did have a witness who totally agreed that this pt was looking for trouble..

So sorry you feel that way. But, it's reassuring to know I am not the only nurse who is sorry she took this path. I am sure there are many more out there as well. Not too much longer, then I'm outta here!!!

When questioning a patient about previous illnesses, she said she had the "Smiling Mighty Jesus" when she was younger. It took four nurses to figure out she meant that she had had spinal meningitis.

A cut that won't stop bleeding will stop if you apply fresh coffee grounds to it. (this one really works) Cut onions in the babys jammies will take away the fever. (this one always made me crave a hot-dog with onions when the moms brought them to the ER) Place an aspirin on a tooth that aches.... Rinse your mouth with Bourbon if you have canker sores in your mouth... This is a great thread...I'm loving the remedies, even the ones that don't work.

I am so sorry you all had such a difficult time with the HR person. I will forward this to our higher ups and hopefully this won't happen again. I wish you all the best in your job search, and again, am so sorry about the trouble you had. I hope it get resolved soon, good nurses are hard to come by, and to treat them rudely is so sad. Best of luck to you!

AAshley, I am wondering who the people you talked to are. Would you be kind enough to provide me with names? IF not names, then what departments? If you want to email them to me, that would be great. I don't think posting them here would be beneficial. My email address is [email protected]. I promise to keep it confidential. Best regards!!! Merry Christmas!!

AshleyA, I am so sorry you had such a bad experience. Please know that this is NOT the norm here. I work with just the best team ever, and we will all go out of our way to help eachother, we DON'T have tight little groups, and when a new person comes our way, we are excited and eager to welcome them in. I wish I could cause a "do-over" for this and direct you to someone who would make your interview a pleasent experience. I know this has left you with a less than positive opinion of our facility, and believe me, we have our issues, but it is a great place to work. I wish you luck on finding a job in the very near future, and with a facility that appreciates the experience you will bring to the table. Good luck, and have a great holiday!

Well??? How'd the interview go?

A toe ring that was too tight, but it wasn't a solid circle. I just opened up the ring a little and it slipped right off. Amazingly, she was sent to the ER from her doctors office. Go figure!

I work at Piedmont, and didn't have any problem getting interviewed a year and a half ago. Recently, they have let some employees go, due to budget issues. I would call and speak with the HR person, and if you know where you want to work, perhaps call that department and speak with the charge/nurse manager. They can usually put a bug in the HR ear and get things moving. Good luck...

I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to the islands, sipping cold adult beverages, and enjoying the warm sand between my toes, no malls, no barfing or pooping patients, no administrators dictating my every move....just peace and quiet. It may not last long, only until the $$ runs out, but I can hear the azur seas calling my name!!

OK...it WAS my dad. I was in nursing school, and my dad had recently been dx's with lung CA. During a blizzard, in early January, Dad passed away at home (2 bedroom house, 15 people in there waiting for the inevitable) and the stress level was through the roof (which by the way, had six feet of snow on it, and was sagging, making it difficult to open and close the doors). Well, when he passed away, mom and I knew it would be a while before he could be taken out of the house because the roads were impassable. We didn't have anything to keep his mouth closed (to prepare him for the undertaker), so we used a knee-high hose, tied at the top of his head. After we tied it, we looked at eachother and burst out laughing, he looked like he had "bunny ears" on. We laugh to this day about it. We know that if he could, he'd be laughing right along with us. We have to remember as nurses, there are a whole lot of things worse than dying. Levity and humor keep us going, and the ability to laugh instead of cry makes our job just a bit easier. I don't think anyone could love their dad more than I did, and still do, but we just had to laugh... :chuckle

Reading notes from local doctor on a patient from nursing home, who had had a right mastectomy several years earlier..." patient alert x 4, appears well fed, right breast still missing." (like it would grow back like a lizard tail???) This same doc a few years ago admited a patient to the floor with "pork chop enteritis"...hmmm...