kathc

I don't know of any workplaces in the Rochester, NY area that require caps. BUT I just graduated December '04 and we were required to wear them for our clinicals at the hospital. I think they still require it since I heard some students grumbling about them the other day (they do LTC clinicals at my workplace).

You are exactly right. Federal resources were lined up prior to the hurricane to be ready to go. My Dad spent many years with the National Red Cross in the disaster control center before he retired - he now does consulting. It is such an enormous task to take on. Those that had the means and could have gotten out - should have. It will be hard enough to get those out that had no choice to stay. And I'm not trying to be nasty. Just trying to point out why mandatory evacuations are declared. It lessens those that need saving and it lessens the danger to rescue personal. Those that are victimizing those already affected should be ashamed of themselves. I can't imagine how anyone could be that low. That being said, my prayers to all those affected and to all those who are helping. This is the time to pull together. I don't think I have much in the bank right now until pay day, but I'm going to make a donation to help out. God bless all you who are going to help.

I bet we have..

I personally wouldn't....but I don't have a problem with those that have the proper support and backup systems in place. The ones I have a problem with are those that want to do it unassisted - and believe me there are women out there that have no problem with that.

I totally agree and don't forget the 3 checks. That has saved my behind more than once. I check as I pull them and I check as I put them in the cup. I guess in this day and age its hard to check the 3rd time before you give them. And don't get caught up as the older nurses in my unit do with not reading the MAR and going from memory. Read every page of the MAR for changes and additions. I've seen this too many times to make me feel comfortable. My other favorite is those that leave the meds on the bedside without watching to see if they are taken. PLEASE don't use this as a reason to leave nursing. If anything I bet you will be a better nurse because of it. You know what you did was really wrong. What the RN did was wrong too and I hope she learned from it also. I trust the people I work with, but I also know they are human and make mistakes. I would never give a med that I didn't pull myself. We have all made mistakes and if we are honest and caring, we learn from them. I wish you the best.

This is a difficult issue - especially for those in the health care industry who are caring individuals. BUT if we can't afford to take care of our own, how can we take care of others? Its pretty sad that those that work and pay taxes do not have the same access as those who come in illegally. I'm sorry buy illegal is the word for it. I'm sure if I enter a country without proper paperwork, that gov't will label me illegal too. It's not a slam, but a term used to describe what kind of alien they are. We do need to give credit to those that come in the proper way. The solution? Part is to allow more people to come in on legal work permits since many of the jobs they take now are not desired by those her already. Those that come into work, will hopefully pay some taxes and help support programs here. They will also have some protection against those that abuse them and/or take advantage of them. I agree we also need to protect the border better and I also agree that we need to focus on those that hire those here illegally. It is sad that we need to limit those that come in, but unfortunately reality is that we can only support so many people. I wish I had a better answer.

I have not heard anyone having trouble in my area. I know several who have finished the program and are working. BUT it is recognized by NYS. You need to check your nursing board. I thought about going that route, but decided I wanted to go the traditional route. I am using Excelsior to do my fundamentals and maternity since my local college accepts that for LPNs. That will save me $$$ and time. Good luck!!!

Same thing here...I just graduated from LPN school last December and we had 3 tries to pass with an 85% on our pharm calc test. It was 100 questions. 1/3 of the clall failed the first time. Not only that, but I had to take a pharm calc test when I got hired at my job. I'm glad I still could retrieve this stuff from high school (mind you I'm 42 and its been awhile) because I don't think the school did good job teaching it. BUT, had I needed to, I would have hired a tutor to teach it to me. Bottom line - which others have stated - math calc are VERY IMPORTANT and can cause death if done wrong. I work in LTC and still have to do calcs. Sometimes they are done for me, but I still double check them. That being said, please keep at it and try again. Maybe you had test anxiety, maybe you need some tutoring. Whatever it is, stick with it if you really want to be a nurse. Good luck!

I've worked in many different areas..the military, McDonalds, Kodak, etc. The same complaints..low pay, too much work, administration/management woes, customer complaints. You can't imagine the stink someone can raise over a hamburger :chuckle. At age 41, I became a nurse and have only been one for 9 months. I work harder and I get paid a little less, but I love being a nurse. I leave at the end of the day knowing I did something worthwhile. I've had bad days sure - one day I was sure I was going to court after my first LTC resident died that and the family was sure I did it. After the doctor talked to them, they were ok. There were days when I first started when I went home and cried - how can I do this job? But I've had residents tell me how gentle I am and how they are happy when I'm their nurse. I've had several tell me I'm a really good nurse. Yes, you will see me complain on this site also, but only nurses understand nurses and their woes. We need others to vent to, because we have a very emotionally draining job with a LOT of responsiblity. I ignore my negative co-workers and I give respect to the older nurses whom I learn alot from. Don't go by this site as a judge on whether or not you should be a nurse. Look inside you and decide if nursing is for you. No it's not for everyone, but for those that feel its calling, no other job will satisfy.

We have a 500 bed LTC facility. We all rotate on a mandatory list for a week. You know in advance that you are on the list and need to make plans in case you have to stay. They first try and get volunteers and/or agency and then they mandate. Once mandated you are off the list until others have been mandated. You can refuse once. Everyone knows the policy when getting hired. I've been there since Jan. and have only been mandated once. I agree with you, in my mind manditory is for call ins - not because they haven't hired enough people.

Sounds like both were not just an issue of having no insurance...but I would need to know more. I wish I had more time to talk about both - but I have to go...I just wanted to say that the children should be covered by Social Security since they are under 18...I think it covers them longer if they go to college. They should be covered by medicaid. I'll be back!

Where do you all live? In NYS there is no reason why a child should go uninsured. We have healthy new york...doesn't matter how much a parent makes, they can get it. There are also plans for small businesses and adults who need health insurance. I don't think a national health plan is the way to go, but I would like to see other states take on what we have here to help those that need it or make NYS programs nationwide. Don't forget there are single young people that don't get health insurance - thinking they are young and don't need it. There are those that have money who use the visa plan. They pay as they go feeling that is costs less than premiums. There are others that just don't feel that health insurance is a priority and want to spend the money on other things. So we need to look at how many of the 16 million are actually those that fall through the cracks and fix that. There is probably no fix for the others until they see health insurance as a must. My family has always had insurance..it hasn't been easy. While going to school I had to pay $900/month for insurance - and that was with cobra. It would have been $1500 without cobra. We live in a small house, drive used cars and do without some things, but we have never gone without health insurance, no matter the cost. I'm lucky that at this point I only pay $60/month now that I work as a nurse. But at Kodak, I was paying $400/mth. That's alot for a family of five. We need to also look at why health care insurance is so expensive. One problem is all the lawsuits the health industry has to pay for. We also live in a high tech society with expense tests. We pay higher Rx costs to subsidize other countries. I could go on. Although I don't think national health care insurance is the answer (Canada has its own problems with thier system), I think we do need to make sure everyone is covered. I think sliding scale is the best because you pay according to income. And we need to look at other problems with our current system. There are other solutions that have been proposed, but I'm not sure how those would work. But I an wondering, where in this country are people who don't have insurance getting sick and dying? Who do you know of that goes without medical care? Ablility to pay does not mean you do not get medical help. Yes it might mean an overflowing ER, people with enormous bills or higher health insurance premiums for private payers...but no one is being turned away. Finally, do you know there are programs with the Rx companies to give free medicines to those that need them? I went to school with a lady that was getting free meds for her MS directly from the Rx company. There are programs at hospitals to "forgive" medical bills or give some relief? A very emotional and complicated subject...I think we can all agree on that.

They do hire LPNs here at hospitals too and they do the same job as an RNs..although that can't push IV meds. But it isn't easy to get a job in the hospitals, especially if you have limited experience. The CNA's at the hospital are actally PCTs (patient care technicians) and can do EKGs, BGs, foleys, etc. in addition to ADLs.

2 plus one charge nurse and a nurse manager on days. Weekends, evenings and nights we have 2 nurses. We have anywhere from 33-35 residents with most of them being respiratory problems (trachs, O2, etc). We have about 7 tube feeders. Most times we have only 4 aides on days even though we should have 5. 3 aids on evenings and 2 on nights.

Wow..that is a waste. Not that being an aide is a waste, but if you go to LPN school and can't utilize that education..it is a waste. You must have a lot of RNs in your state to not utilize LPNs as they are trained. We have a heck of a time keeping and hiring RNs at our place. Most nursing homes in this area only use LPNs as LPNs..mine is the only that I know of that occasionally uses us as aides if needed.

As an LPN who works in LTC, this is not true. I pass meds, do treatments, etc. Yes on occasion I pull an assignment (code word in our place for an aide job). But that is usually because we have too many nurses or not enough aides. I'm in a big facility so we have RN's on at all times, but in the smaller facilities, there are only RN's on in the day. Besides, what's wrong with being a glorified aide? I'd hate to be an aide under those nurses, if they feel that way. We all do bed baths, dress patients, feed them, etc. If that wasn't part of the job, why would we be trained in those skills? And yes those are skills. We are responsible for the whole patient. Next time you see those nurses, ask them to explain what they mean.

The nurses in our facility belong to a union..a county union. I really do not see the benefit to being in it. Perhaps at one time it helped, but the last contract we signed was not that great. 2% increase in pay that will be eaten up by an increase in union dues and health insurance premiums. We have manditory overtime and our pay is average for the area. There are pros can cons to be both unionized and unionized.

I think it depends on the child. Some children self wean at age 1 or 2. Some need a little encouragement as the mother sees them moving to a new stage. It the same decision process that goes into any new stage for a child. When are they ready to get rid of the trianing wheels, when are they ready to spend a night away from home..etc. Only a mother and child can decide when is the time to stop. If a mother is uncomfortable going past one year, they she shouldn't.

There really isn't much more to say. It IS normal, healthy and recommended. It is only because of a cycle in our culture that caused it to seem "odd". I don't blame Sherry for thinking the way she does, it is a common thought in out culture, but it is getting better. BTW Sherry bfing was not for my benefit. I do not particularly enjoy bfing but wanted to do what was best for my child. It took me five kids and 18 years of child rearing to realize that this was the best. I wish I knew back then what I know now..but back in the early 80's bfing was rare. IF I had stopped bfing as you suggest at age 12, my daughter would have been in the hospital. She has a kidney infection at age 18 months and would not eat, only bf. The doctor specifically stated that my bfing kept her hydrated and kept her out of the hospital. IMHO sucking is a comfort measure not only for infants, but also for toddlers. Being a toddler is a frustrating experience. And yes my formula fed kids had bottles until they were close to 3. It is much easier to lose a bottle or have a grown up party than to try and break a thumb sucking problems...but that is my opinion. Pumping does not efficiently empty the breast and eventually will cause the milk to diminish. So it is a short term option, but not for the long haul. I'm glad you are asking questions. Keep them coming. :)

Forgot to add that I too co-slept. But I also sleep very light and stay in one position unless I wake up and move. BUT I don't think it is for everyone. I can understand hospitals being weary about it due to lawsuits and not knowing a parent very well. I agree with the others that education is very important if parents are going to co-sleep.

Nothing wrong with breastfeeding a 3 year old as long as both mother and child want that. Another part of parenting that our culture has damaged. I bf my last child until she was almost three. Sorry but whole milk is not as complete as breast milk is, so I don't get your comparision???? We need to be a little more understanding of the choices that mothers make with regard to thier kids. We all have different circumstances and lives and we need to pick what works for our children. Each child is different and not everything works for every child. As a mother of five I can tell you that I did not raise each of my kids the same...I had to modify and change as needed. I think bfing is the best, but if you can't or don't want to, they formula works. Just love you kids and follow your heart - as long as it isn't harmful. BTW please explain to me what is damaging about bfing a toddler? Why do you find it odd? Believe it or not I thought it was odd until I did it.

I work in a 500 bed LTC and we do use agency nurses and aides. We do float if possible, but there is a minimum staffing level on each floor. Unfortunately we don't have enough of our own to fully staff. I've found agency people to be fun to work with and very competent. Some of them work a majority of the time at our facility so they are familiar with our policies.

Exactly! I too hate to give my son a pill everyday....but I would hate more for him to continue to miss out on life. He has ADD (no hyperactivity) and lives in a fog at times. A few weeks after started his meds he turned to me in the car and said "Mom, I like school now..I feel included." Needless to say I cried. He went from failing to 80%. I can only imagine what it is like to live in his world - a world in which when you finally get what someone is trying to say to you, they are angry and frustrated with you. A very negative world.

Tom Cruise is just another in a long line of those that know nothing about medicine, but think they do. I've been told by numerous people for years that I am "drugging" my child because I put him on Ritalin for ADD. I heard Kelly Preston a few years back on a radio station with her anti-ritalin stance. Is it overprescribed?...sure. Is it a street drug?..sure - if used for purposes other than ADD/DHD so is the new cough medicine for HBP. If ADD is a learned behavior, explain to me why only one of my kids has it? I'm so sick of these so called celebrity experts and common folk trying to practice medicine, I could scream. They are causing more harm than good. Sure we shouldn't care what they think, but they are doing harm to those who will not seek help based on their rantings. They are causing stigma for those that really do need help. Why is it so hard for people to except drugs for the brain, but not for any other part of the body? It is beyond me to understand. Do they tell you that ADD/ADHD kids are at higher risk for suicide, drug addiction and basic self esteem issues? No. They do NOT understand true ADD, depression or any other disorder of the brain. Sorry to rant, but I'm so sick of these people.

Sheesh! No way would I do that. On occasion out night nurse has to work alone (2 aides) with 35 residents with 7 tube feeders, BGs up the ying yang and heavy meds. I think that way too much. It is fine if everything is quiet and goes the way it should. But how often does that happen? You get one problem then you are doomed. She started to get migraines - wonder why? It isn't worth my license or the lives of my residents to do that. I'd love to stick those (supervisors) that think it is ok on that shift for one night and see how they do. :chuckle