Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    Roswell NM???

    Moving to the New Mexico forum. Best of
  2. Meriwhen

    What should I try and learn in . . . ?

    IMO, you do not need a year of med-surg to be a successful psych nurse. Some of the best psych nurses I know went straight into psych or came from other backgrounds than acute care. They keep up on...
  3. Meriwhen

    Psych nurse problems

    I will admit, there have been patients that have drove me to the breaking point. But I know the last thing in the world I should ever do is take my frustrations out on the patient. My role is to...
  4. Meriwhen

    Seeing the person not the illness

    It doesn't help that we (generic) tend to be quick to label people by their illness. It's not the patient with bipolar disorder, it's the Bipolar patient. The Schizophrenic. The Psychotic one. The...
  5. Illegal? No Ethical? Big grey
  6. Meriwhen

    Job Opportunities

    If you are endorsed into VA, I think you should still be able to retain your NC certification. However, the best source for the answer to your question would be the NC
  7. Meriwhen

    What is the correct title?

    IMO, I'd err on the side of too polite (e.g, Mr. X, Ms. Y) until you find out how the nurses prefer to be addressed...but keep in mind that every workplace as well as every nurse is different. In...
  8. IMO you didn't ask too much. Heck, I would have loved it if the nurse I precepted with as a student gave me such "homework" because it could only have helped me during my
  9. Meriwhen

    CARN Test Preparation

    That's ok with me, the earliest I could take it is October anyway. But also good to know, thank
  10. 1. Experience gained from pursuing your psychology degree will NOT count as nursing experience. It may count as healthcare/related experience depending on exactly where you were and what you did....
  11. Meriwhen

    Certifications...

    My employer will cover the cost of the ANCC test. They're also trying organize study materials to be available at reduced/no cost. We do get a small pay increase for being
  12. Meriwhen

    CARN Test Preparation

    Good to know...thanks for the heads' up!
  13. I received a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago celebrating my being certified. I wasn't in work today so I don't know if there were any special events. I also don't think it's exclusionary:...
  14. Meriwhen

    Marymount University ABSN Fall 2013

    Merged the two Marymount Fall 2013 threads. Best of luck to all of
  15. Not every employer will see these students as being "new" grads again either. Many employers will determine a new grad by how long they have been licensed. So if that's the only reason a person is...
  16. Meriwhen

    Zyprexa and Ativan IM Compatibility - (Haldol Allergy)

    I've always kept them separate. Zyprexa needs to be reconstituted, so it's always been easier to just do that in one needle while drawing up the Ativan in another. Also, Ativan is very viscous and...
  17. Meriwhen

    Safe staffing levels

    I didn't work C&A routinely, but when I've been floated there, I've always had a minimum of 3 techs regardless of census: one to round on the children, another on the adolescents (we kept the two...
  18. The bad news: MJ is fat-soluble and tends to take a long time to clear out of a person's system. It's not unheard of for it to take a month--or longer--before someone's THC level hits 0. The good...
  19. Moving to the Nursing Student Assistance
  20. Meriwhen

    MSMC ABSN Fall 2013 Program

    Moving to the CA Nursing Programs forum. Best of
  21. Meriwhen

    What shift does the 7am med pass?

    My facility tries to avoid meds at 0700...or at any shift change for that matter. There's enough going on at shift change as it is without having to dole out meds. But sometimes it's unavoidable, so...
  22. I agree--it is a very odd question that in no way (IMO) could come off well when being asked. I would not ask it. Though if you really want to work with male nurses, come to psych. We seem to...
  23. Meriwhen

    are you happy in the state your in?

    Honestly, in whatever state that you can land a job in. The new grad unemployment rate in CA is horrible--40+%--and many are leaving CA to gain experience elsewhere. Check out the new grad threads...
  24. Meriwhen

    Safe staffing levels

    In CA, I have ratios on my side, so it can never be greater than 1 nurse:6 patients for inpatient. However, having also worked outside of CA...I'd say that a ratio of 1:8 max is safe. Of course, this...
  25. Meriwhen

    CARN Test Preparation

    Have you went to the INTNSA website and see if they have any recommendations? I need to get cracking on studying as well. I'm hoping to test this