Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    I always get called if someone is sick

    Meriwhen replied to Grogon's topic in General Nursing

    This. The last thing you want to do is tick off whoever does staffing, especially when you end up needing a day off at the last minute. Staffers have long memories.... Politely tell them No. If...
  2. Meriwhen

    Would you completely remove your staff from the duty roster/work assignment if they call in sick for a week?

    Meriwhen replied to hazyblue's topic in General Nursing

    I'm thinking that since you were sick and then specifically asked for days off for medical testing, your manager may want you to provide medical clearance from your doctor in order to return to work....
  3. Meriwhen

    Peer Review

    Meriwhen replied to sueoct79's topic in General Nursing

    I hate doing peer reviews. The positive stuff was easy to address. If they had any blatantly negative habits or deficits, as in stuff I had witnessed that could have caused patient harm, I would be...
  4. Meriwhen

    Useless Shift Report Information

    Meriwhen replied to Davey Do's topic in General Nursing

    I've dealt with one nurse--great nurse, BTW--who tended to focus on details unrelated to the patient's care. You would need to ask very specific questions to get the desired information, and even...
  5. Meriwhen

    Positive pre-employment drug screen! What will happen?

    Meriwhen replied to Pmb's topic in General Nursing

    If you tested positive, it's up to the potential employer as to whether they choose to hire you. You could explain that you took your child's medication by mistake...but IMO, it sounds like a pretty...
  6. Meriwhen

    Frequency of rounds

    Meriwhen replied to Non_nurse's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Come to a psych unit and you'll see our faces every 15 minutes 24/7, whether you want to or not ? Seriously, it depends on the facility's policy, the specific unit's policy, as well as the acuity of...
  7. Meriwhen

    My first medication error, I'm freaking out

    Meriwhen replied to FNPStudentLife's topic in General Nursing

    The fact that there was a different medication in the packaging is alarming. Yes, ideally you should have caught it...but you know what? The wrong syringe shouldn't have been in the right box in the...
  8. Meriwhen

    New Grad BSN, RN, PHN, EMT and can’t find work. Legality of working as a CNA?

    Meriwhen replied to oceanhugger's topic in General Nursing

    Another reason that you would not be able to work as a CNA-- even if the BRN allowed it--is that hospitals know that the minute an RN job opens up, you will be out of there. And hospitals don't want...
  9. Meriwhen

    Am I Too Old?

    Meriwhen replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Career Advice Column

    Two of my classmates were in their late 50s when they graduated from nursing school. Both got hired after graduation--one immediately as she did an externship where she was ultimately hired, the...
  10. Meriwhen

    Transferring positions prior to 1 year in first nursing job

    Meriwhen replied to 01.rn.10's topic in General Nursing

    I would go ahead and ask your supervisor--the worst that will happen is that he/she will say no. Another option is to break your contract. However, you would be on the hook for repaying that sign-on...
  11. Meriwhen

    Manager Retaliatiin

    Meriwhen replied to Djadia's topic in General Nursing

    Since I wasn't there to hear exactly what words you said and--just as importantly--how you said them, I can't say whether you were verbally abusive. You can certainly pursue the matter with HR if...
  12. Meriwhen

    math for prereqs

    Meriwhen replied to seericap's topic in Pre-Nursing Students

    Each school sets its own requirements, and sometimes there's no rhyme or reason behind the why. For example, my ADN program required everyone to take a very basic math class (along the lines of 1+1=2,...
  13. Meriwhen

    First nursing interview in Psych!!

    Meriwhen replied to bobannna's topic in Psychiatric

    Besides all of the above, clarify what your role will be should a behavioral code occur while you're shadowing. Since you're not an employee (yet), you'd be a liability during a code. More than...
  14. Meriwhen

    Any nurses that love nursing and love their job??

    Meriwhen replied to nets5010's topic in General Nursing

    I thoroughly enjoy what I do in nursing. I'm also lucky enough to like my current workplace, where I'm doing what it is that I thoroughly enjoy
  15. Meriwhen

    San Diego job market

    Meriwhen replied to Poo2334's topic in California Nursing

    Speaking from personal experience...it's not impossible, but a lot of places do want/prefer BSNs. All of the ADNs I knew who were able to get hired at the big hospitals were either internal...
  16. Meriwhen

    CPI certification needed / new grad

    Meriwhen replied to MiamiPsychNurse's topic in Psychiatric

    When I did registry in CA, we weren't required to have CPI to get hired, though it helped. They would let us get trained at the site we were assigned to for free. But I can only speak for that one...
  17. Meriwhen

    CPI certification needed / new grad

    Meriwhen replied to MiamiPsychNurse's topic in Psychiatric

    I (as well as a lot of other posters in this thread) find it very odd that employers want you to have CPI just to consider you for the job. Since employers require staff to have it, they will train...
  18. Meriwhen

    CPI certification needed / new grad

    Meriwhen replied to MiamiPsychNurse's topic in Psychiatric

    I work in CA and haven't come across an employer that wants MAB. They all want CPI. Perhaps it's a regional
  19. Meriwhen

    Psych Nurses. Do you hug your patients?

    Meriwhen replied to Yahni's topic in Psychiatric

    In 10 years, I've hugged 2 patients. I had a long-term nurse-patient relationship with both of them. Otherwise, no: as a rule, I do not hug. Fist bumps, handshakes, and perhaps a pat on the arm...
  20. Meriwhen

    RN Careers away from bedside

    Meriwhen replied to KYRNCA's topic in General Specialties

    Also nursing management (though depending on your setting, an MSN may be required), utilization review, nurse consultant, telehealth, and telephone
  21. Meriwhen

    Employment Gap - should bring up nursing school?

    Meriwhen replied to demeanor89's topic in General Nursing

    Agree with the previous posters. It's not as though you were spending your days on the couch channel-surfing: you were doing something far more productive with your time. And you wouldn't be the...
  22. Meriwhen

    What do you think are some of the best places to work in psych?

    Meriwhen replied to Naturally Brilliant's topic in Psychiatric

    As far as the best specific specialties within psych go, that depends on the individual person. What's best to one may be a nightmare to another. As far as facilities, I would advise against working...
  23. Meriwhen

    Back to Psych I Go!

    Meriwhen replied to futurepsychrn's topic in Psychiatric

    Funny you said that...I've had nurses come to psych because they thought it'd be easier than what they were currently doing, and they ended up crying daily in the med room when they found out...
  24. Meriwhen

    Patient fall

    Meriwhen replied to littlemissBSN's topic in General Nursing

    Unless your patient knows how to shut off their bed alarm. And you'd be surprised how quickly many of them pick up that
  25. Meriwhen

    Patient fall

    Meriwhen replied to littlemissBSN's topic in General Nursing

    As much as hospital administrators, insurance companies, and the CMS would like to think, falls are not 100% completely preventable. Yes, a majority of falls ARE preventable. But you can do...