Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. While I don't agree with your coworker playing tattle-tale with your boss...you did put information about what you were doing out there for people--including the coworker--to see. And you can't...
  2. Meriwhen

    Best way to quit?

    The best way is to do so in writing (i.e., a letter) and with you giving the required amount of notice (whatever your company's policy is; if your company has no policy then give at least 2 weeks)....
  3. Meriwhen

    new grad, multiple offers,

    Take Hospital B. It's a definite job, while there's no guarantee that Hospital C would ever make you an offer beyond per
  4. The order means that I can give either or depending on the patient's condition, and if one isn't working I can augment it with the other. In this case, since the morphine isn't quite doing it, then...
  5. Meriwhen

    my first C+ :(

    I'm sorry you didn't get the grade you wanted. I know how much it sucks to get that first bad grade...but as you'll soon find out, the world doesn't end, people don't think any less of you, and the...
  6. Meriwhen

    Errors that you caught...

    When preparing a patient's HS meds, one of my orientee nurses thought Lantus and Regular insulin were interchangeable. Thank God she asked me to do the double-check before she gave the patient the...
  7. Meriwhen

    Do you take Ativan ?

    Another non-benzo anxiolytic to consider is Vistaril. You don't need to take it
  8. Meriwhen

    Do you take Ativan ?

    I don't because the few times in my life I've been prescribed a benzo (pre-operatively or before dental work) I didn't like how it made me feel. Instead I've just learned to deal with my anxiety...
  9. Meriwhen

    Excited for psych clinical!!

    Since you're students, pretty much all you will be allowed to do with patients is interact with them. Lest you write this off as "just talking" to the patients, therapeutic communication skills are...
  10. Meriwhen

    I finished the BSN.

    Congratulations!
  11. Meriwhen

    asking for meds?

    If a patient is continuously requesting PRNs for pain, a critical thinker would realize that there is likely an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. The patient requires reassessment by the...
  12. Meriwhen

    Amount of debt upon graduation?

    I had zero debt when I got my ADN: I went to the local CC for my degree. It took a lot of budget tightening but it was possible. And it was a big relief not to have debt, given how crappy the job...
  13. In government jobs, being prior military can give you an edge. In civilian jobs, however, it could be anyone's
  14. Meriwhen

    asking for meds?

    Let me think about it while I get my prn cup of
  15. Meriwhen

    asking for meds?

    Only 5? Man, I want to work where you are :) I have 6-12 depending on the day and the staffing pattern. Don't worry, reality shock will educate the students. They will learn the realities of nursing...
  16. Meriwhen

    asking for meds?

    You just reminded me of a few of my patients who are convinced that "as needed" means "on demand whenever I want it regardless of when I took the last dose." I had a patient who was on 100mg Tramadol...
  17. Meriwhen

    Promised job, now they won't hire me

    Since you didn't get an official deal/offer in writing, there's nothing you can really do about it. I think you should move on. Don't entirely cut off relations with this place because you never...
  18. OP: good advice and thank you for sharing your point of view. Everyone else: while I'm not knocking the OP, here is a grain of salt to take with her point of view regarding doing LPN first. I went to...
  19. Meriwhen

    how do you deal with disappointment?

    I try to learn from my disappointments. There's a lesson in every one of them, even if it's a small one. I also take the attitude of "what was meant to be will be." If something happened--or didn't...
  20. Even if he had given me written permission, I would not ask about him in the community. That is just begging for trouble for you, especially when the question comes up, "so, how did you meet/know X?"...
  21. Meriwhen

    What is your hospital doing for Christmas?

    Every unit gets some money to spend on stuff for the patients. They'll also have visiting on Christmas Day and a special
  22. Meriwhen

    asking for meds?

    The first part...that's ridiculous that nurses do that. Most places have a window where they can give the PRN up to an hour early depending on the facility policy and what the PRN is. I agree, to do...
  23. Meriwhen

    asking for meds?

    You forget that the patient has the right to refuse the medication. It's all matter of saying, "Mrs. X, I have your next dose of Percocet, do you still need it?" If they don't need it, the patient...
  24. I would go to clinical, especially if there's a chance that you may lose points and jeopardize passing the class. However, if you are going to take that excused absence, I would be honest with her...
  25. Meriwhen

    I'm no Dr. but what is your opinion ??

    According to my drug guide, for a kid you can go up to 200mg daily of Thorazine and up to 30mg daily of Abilify. That doesn't necessarily mean those doses should be given. Also, my guide doesn't...