Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    Two job offers, which one to choose?

    Meriwhen replied to krazievi3t6url's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    Consider three very important facts: 1. You knew (or should have known) when you signed the service agreement that the time would come where you'd have to honor your end of of the agreement. So it's...
  2. Meriwhen

    Living in Iowa and thinking about moving to California Nursing?

    Meriwhen replied to gehrtsa's topic in California Nursing

    The CNA salaries are not much better than Iowa either: think $12-18/hr for a hospital. Given the job competition out here, you're more likely to see salaries on the side of $12 than $18....
  3. Meriwhen

    First LVN Job

    Meriwhen replied to nurseguy213's topic in California Nursing

    I get OT if I a. go over 8 hours a day or b. go over 36 hours a week. I work for a unionized hospital, so your facility/agency's policy may vary from mine. Generally, if you have an hourly salary,...
  4. Meriwhen

    Narcotic free areas?

    Meriwhen replied to wish_me_luck's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Depends on whether your restriction is just for narcotics/pain pills or involves all controlled substances. Chemical dependency and acute detox will have limited access to controlled...
  5. Meriwhen

    Not a real nurse huh?

    Meriwhen replied to kkrlaa5512's topic in School

    Don't let it get to you. No matter what nursing specialty and setting that you are in, there will be someone on this earth who will declare that whatever specialty/setting it is is not "real"...
  6. Meriwhen

    I got fired today, how will that affect my chances?

    Meriwhen replied to Nurseadam's topic in General Nursing

    I don't think things are THAT bleak for you that you need to resort to peddling French fries for the rest of your life. This can be overcome...not necessarily right away though. Unfortunately,...
  7. Meriwhen

    Charting

    Meriwhen replied to red2003xlt's topic in Psychiatric

    It should be no different than what you'd chart in any other nursing setting: subjective and objective data and interventions (if any) that are done. What's the patient's mental status (AOx4 or...
  8. Meriwhen

    Glucometer to use on multiple patients

    Meriwhen replied to CrunchRN's topic in General Nursing

    That's the type we use (Accu-chek with the single-use test strip, used with the single-use disposable lancet), yet they still make us scrub the machine down between each stick. I'm inclined to agree...
  9. Meriwhen

    Need Help ASAP California RN'S

    Meriwhen replied to Frank91898's topic in California Nursing

    I agree. My ADN was under $10k total at a community college. The BSN would have run under $30k, but it wasn't an option for me at the time for several reasons. So nearly $60K...it's either a...
  10. Meriwhen

    Best complaint you've heard?

    Meriwhen replied to ColleenJune's topic in School

    Oh dear. The questions beg: HOW did he manage this, and was it in his
  11. Meriwhen

    Need Help ASAP California RN'S

    Meriwhen replied to Frank91898's topic in California Nursing

    It's not impossible to get hired in a CA hospital with a ADN: I did. I'm also not a new grad, but specialty certified. The reality is that most facilities-hospital as well as otherwise-do prefer...
  12. Meriwhen

    Trying to get over a haunting first med error...

    Meriwhen replied to LVNgiraffegirl's topic in Patient Medications

    You are not a bad nurse--you are merely a human one. And many nurses have been where you are...probably more of them than would care to admit. Your honesty and effort to make things right is...
  13. Meriwhen

    I got a job.

    Meriwhen replied to nitasarn's topic in Nurse Practitioners, NP

    Congratulations!
  14. Meriwhen

    Good states for new grad nursing jobs and bad states?

    Meriwhen replied to CNA1991's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    Unfortunately, this answer changes rapidly. Right now it's supposedly North Dakota. Not too long before, it was Texas. Before that, the Southern US Tomorrow...who knows? To make things worse: for...
  15. Meriwhen

    UTA NURS 3425 Health Assessment to start 1-14-2013

    Meriwhen replied to ScarletFire's topic in University of Texas Arlington

    No assessments :) But you do have to conduct a life review with an elder (over 70) who isn't a relative. Well, it could be a relative, but they strongly prefer that you not use one. If you really...
  16. Meriwhen

    Best complaint you've heard?

    Meriwhen replied to ColleenJune's topic in School

    I've seen sounds during migraines...kind of like nonspecific visual distortions. Sound has unfortunately been a major trigger for my migraines since age 7. Never heard any colors though. I...
  17. Meriwhen

    How long before you were able to get a position as a psychiatric nurse?

    Meriwhen replied to bellabarbiegirl's topic in Psychiatric

    Some pressure but not as much as you'd think. I agree with you: in this job market, a new grad can't be very choosy or they'll be an unemployed old grad before long. Also, if your interest is in...
  18. Meriwhen

    2nd shift vs. 3rd shift

    Meriwhen replied to kennybania's topic in Psychiatric

    I personally love second shift: I don't have to be up at dawn for work, I still have several daytime hours to get stuff done, and I'm a night owl so after work I've still got a couple of hours to do...
  19. Meriwhen

    advice needed.. LVN or RN

    Meriwhen replied to AlexSolano's topic in LPN, LVN Corner

    Advantages to LVN: faster way to become a nurse and more ways to get there (though for some of those ways you'd be limited to working in CA only) and generally less costly. Disadvantages: more...
  20. Meriwhen

    New LPN Advice

    Meriwhen replied to studentmare2012's topic in LPN, LVN Corner

    My first job was per-diem...however I was able to get enough hours to easily make a full-time schedule. A year later, I accepted a full-time permanent position. Granted, it wasn't in LTC but in...
  21. Meriwhen

    Need job advice

    Meriwhen replied to rummy2's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    Moving to Job Search Assistance for a more targeted response. Best of
  22. Meriwhen

    How to prepare for JCAHO survey

    Meriwhen replied to scorpio82's topic in General Nursing

    Best piece of advice that I can offer you: answer questions honestly--including saying "I don't know" when you truly don't know--but don't volunteer extra information. If they want to know...
  23. Meriwhen

    4 weeks notice?

    Meriwhen replied to eileeny21's topic in General Nursing

    Depending on your facility's policy, it is possible that you may have to give 4 weeks' notice. My last job required 3 weeks' notice for a staff nurse position. The standard "2 weeks" is usually...
  24. Meriwhen

    Glucometer to use on multiple patients

    Meriwhen replied to CrunchRN's topic in General Nursing

    Actually, that is the policy at my facility too: we use prepackaged disinfectant wipes after each patient. Granted, I'm not in LTC doing 10-20 readings a shift...so your mileage may
  25. Meriwhen

    Student HIPAA violation question

    Meriwhen replied to studnt's topic in HIPAA Challenges

    Even though it's your own PHI, you still need to follow facility P&P in order to access it. Just because you work there/have access to the records doesn't mean you have carte blanche to look up...