K O'Malley

At my previous job we used femstops and as far as I am concerned they are torture devices. Some of the docs ordered four hr. fem stops and naturally the pts developed back pain from lying flat and urinary problems from not being able to void lying flat. Sometimes when we went to take them off the suction of the femstop being released would cause bleeding. Recovery time was much longer. Where I work now we never use them, the docs either seal after heart caths or we use Destat dry while holding pressure. Far fewer complications and the pts are up much sooner.

I work per-diem in a recovery unit and really like it. The pay at my facility is actually lower for per-diems, however. But I have grown children who are spread all over the country and I like being able to take off a week whenever I want to go visit them. Otherwise I would not see them except at Christmas. I don't regret giving up my regular position at all.

In most areas of nursing you will be on your feet all day, either walking, standing, or both, many times for 12 hr shifts. There are a very few areas which are not as bad, such as the NICU, doctors offices, outpatient clinics. But I would be lying if I said that hospital nursing will not take a toll on your body.

The most difficult for me was endotracheal intubation. We have to do it on dummies in order to pass ACLS. Half the time I would put it into the esophogus. I sure would hate to do it on some poor live person.

I understand that the pay in Huntington is better than many other places in WV. It really stinks in Charleston. I understand that CAMC is also cutting bennies.

Apparently Hep C is a big problem for health care workers. It can infect you without you knowing it and reside quietly in the liver for years. Sometimes you are totally unaware of any blood exposure but somewhere along the line it was inadvertent. What I was told by our education nurse was as nurses age, we will see more and more active Hep C cases because our immune systems aren't as strong when we age and the bug will flare up. And yes, I know of a few nurses who contracted Hep C. One was an OR nurse and she does not remember ever being in a situation where she would have been exposed. Though exhausted and not feeling well, she has been required to keep working. I guess that somehow workers comp weasled out of paying, using the excuse that it can't be proven that she caught it on the job. On a positive note, I read that they are close to developing a vaccine.

When I worked in MICU we had to end up putting a lock on the door. When open visiting became the rage it was a complete nightmare. There would be as many as 10 visitors at a bedside, hordes of people trooping in and out all day, visitors taking a "tour" of the unit and peaking in every room, visitors standing outside the pt's room and watching everything going on, not to mention standing at the desk at report time and listening to confidential information. And what we really loved was finally getting a vent pt settled down and sedated so he wasn't constantly fighting the vent and a visitor would come in and shake him and say "wake up George!" We were worn out from policing visitors and finally put a lock on the door. We did have fairly frequent visiting times. But it sure helped to make our jobs more manageable and the pts were able to get some rest.

I think that open visiting for a neuro ICU is insane! I have had neuro pts who would seize when stimulated. Sheesh! This customer service thing has gone over the top!

I think that open visiting for a neuro ICU is insane! I have had neuro pts who would seize when stimulated. Sheesh! This customer service thing has gone over the top!

I loved critical care nursing, particularly the Medical ICU. We had such a variety of patients and everyday I learned something new. It challenged both my mind and body because you have to constantly be on your toes and ready to jump on any subtle changes in your patient's condition and you do run non-stop. The one big drawback was that where I worked the nurse:pt ratio was 1:3. Over the years the patients were sicker and sicker and ever more complex and it eventually became overwhelming. It was a for profit hospital and short staffing was how they made their profit.

By all means, get a lawyer. It could be that the hospital is also investigating some other suspects and you will be cleared. I don't know if you are working where I used to work in WV but they watch any pyxis discrepencies closely. Even not having someone witness your waste. I know I have been guilty of this once because there was no-one around anywhere to witness so I stuck the leftover in my pocket to have someone witness with me later and it leaked out! Nothing came of it for me but a nurse I know did get fired for unwitnessed waste! So, everyone, be ever so careful when taking drugs from pyxis.

I have watched the positive attitude of so many new grads change to nausea and dread. I work with two young nurses now who were lucky enough to get a transfer into our vascular recovery unit. They say they will never again do floor nursing, they had no clue what they were getting into.

If it will make you feel better, my sister fainted about every other day at the slightest provocation. She even walked out of the hospital where she was supposed to have surgery because they required a blood test. She went on to become a medical technologist and then an M.D. So I think de-sensitization is the key. When you are exposed to gross things all day long I guess the old body gets tired of passing out.

I worked ICU until 3 yrs ago, only one nurse was older than 55. The past three years I worked cardiac telemetry, a unit with a very large staff. Again, only one or two nurses over 55. Where have they all gone?

Our state, (WV) is desperate for nurses, but not desperate enough to compensate experienced nurses in order to keep them in the profession. Instead the hospitals holler for the nursing schools to churn out more and more new grads.