Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    PO haldol

    Meriwhen replied to lottieloo's topic in Psychiatric

    Usually not, unless it's been ordered that way or the patient requests a PRN Cogentin/Benadryl along with
  2. Meriwhen

    Am I being naive

    Meriwhen replied to crazy4psych's topic in Psychiatric

    No. I thought I'd be a peds/nursery nurse when I graduated, but then I did my pediatric rotation and learned that working with kids got to me too much. I ranked Psych just above L&D...and I...
  3. Meriwhen

    Artane (Trihexyphenidyl) vs Cogentin (Benztropine)

    Meriwhen replied to electricblack's topic in Psychiatric

    It could depend on what drug is on the hospital's formulary. If Artane isn't on the formulary, they're not going to use
  4. Meriwhen

    How Did the Old Woman in a Shoe Do It?

    Meriwhen replied to OldMaleNurse's topic in Psychiatric

    You focus on the patient's needs and feelings and you try to see things from their point of view. You learn to detatch, not take it personally. You are kind but firm with the rules and boundaries....
  5. Meriwhen

    Psych RN Reading List

    Meriwhen replied to Krzysztof's topic in Psychiatric

    Get Me Out of Here by Rachel Reiland. Life with borderline personality disorder, straight from someone diagnosed with it. It's very enlightening and explains a lot of the why and how--at least from...
  6. Meriwhen

    Assistance needed! Feeling overly paranoid

    Meriwhen replied to worrywart01's topic in Psychiatric

    At this point, it's a few days past and notifying someone now might be pointless. So consider this a lesson learned for the future. If that detector beeps for any reason, even if you see the metal...
  7. Meriwhen

    Is it wrong to request PTO because you've been assigned a shift you don't want?

    Meriwhen replied to purplegal's topic in General Nursing

    Agreed. My state mandates 8 hours between shifts, so this would not fly where I work. But if each shift is from a separate job, the 5am job is in no way obligated to accommodate the 11pm job...so...
  8. Meriwhen

    Switching from NICU to Psych

    Meriwhen replied to Mindylane's topic in Psychiatric

    Going from NICU to Psych is quite the jump...not impossible though. You may not have psych nursing experience but the fact that you did work with psych patients in the group home is relevant...
  9. Meriwhen

    How true this is

    Meriwhen replied to Mandychelle79's topic in Psychiatric

    I spend a lot of time in the ED doing psych consults, and I find that the ED's definition of "medically stable" varies depending on how badly they want a patient out of their
  10. Meriwhen

    A safe nurse to pt ratio?

    Meriwhen replied to _zoubisoubisou_'s topic in Psychiatric

    True that. And that definitely can be said for any specialty, actually. Not just
  11. Meriwhen

    A safe nurse to pt ratio?

    Meriwhen replied to _zoubisoubisou_'s topic in Psychiatric

    I average 4-5 patients. But I am also in California where there are mandated staffing ratios. When I didn't work in California, I would have 8-16
  12. Meriwhen

    Nurse patient ratio

    Meriwhen replied to RebecaRN's topic in Psychiatric

    It can never exceed 6:1 thanks to state law. On average, I have 4-5
  13. Meriwhen

    Psych nursing is easy

    Meriwhen replied to studentnurse9806's topic in Psychiatric

    UHS and other for-profit facilities are horrible because they will cut corners every single way possible in order to maximize the profits. And they LOVE to take it out on staffing. Try to get out of...
  14. Meriwhen

    How long was your new employee training?

    Meriwhen replied to Marisette's topic in General Nursing

    I received usually a week or less of training--orienting at least once on each unit/shift--then I would be on new hire probation for 90
  15. Meriwhen

    Question for Day Shift Nurses Who Own a Dog

    Meriwhen replied to westieluv's topic in General Nursing

    I vote for having a dog walker/sitter visit. Care.com as someone already suggested, or ask your vet if they have any recommendations. You can also advertise at your local high school or college--I...
  16. Meriwhen

    Nurses smoking weed?

    Meriwhen replied to bunnynurse's topic in General Nursing

    Not my cup of tea, thanks--I tried it once, and it never did anything for me other than make me hungry. If others choose to do it, it's their choice...but it would be a foolish decision to show up to...
  17. Meriwhen

    The struggle from a student who's mom is the school nurse :)

    Meriwhen replied to loveschoolnursing's topic in School

    As someone whose mother worked in the school office, I can relate to your daughter's feelings :) It sounds like it went well. IMO, as long you treat her like any other student and don't use any...
  18. Meriwhen

    Any advice for a nursing student who wants to go into psychiatric nursing?

    Meriwhen replied to psychrnhopefully's topic in Psychiatric

    Try to get your preceptorship/practicum on a psych unit. Not only will it give you a deeper exposure to psych than just a clinical rotation, but it's also a great opportunity to network and make your...
  19. Meriwhen

    Creative Weapons

    Meriwhen replied to sarabellum1's topic in Psychiatric

    Bits of plastic from the top of a shampoo bottle. Kid shoved it into the self-inflicted cut (the reason for her admission in the first place) in her wrist. Guess who got to dig it all out :/...
  20. Meriwhen

    Potential to be rehired as an RN if I quit as a CNA

    Meriwhen replied to hannah53's topic in Nursing Career

    Agree with Rose: your HR department will have the most accurate answer. Though IMO, quitting a job after just 2 months does make you look like a flight risk to them. Plus the fact that if you...
  21. Meriwhen

    Kaiser San Diego

    Meriwhen replied to mrsbrightside's topic in California Nursing

    Kaiser pays well compared to the other hospitals and their benefits are the best in the area. Plus, the fact that Kaiser is all throughout California as well as a few other states means plenty of...
  22. Meriwhen

    Inova Fairfax Hospital drug testing policy

    Meriwhen replied to gtownhoya's topic in Virginia Nursing

    The only one who could answer that question accurately is Inova...and to be honest, I don't think they'd tell any potential applicant when and how they conduct their drug test. Keep in mind that the...
  23. Meriwhen

    Suggestions on how to pass med surg I??!

    Meriwhen replied to ital91's topic in General Students

    Moved to the General Nursing Student forum. One thing I used to study was to do as many NCLEX questions as I could get my hands on. This meant going to the library and checking out all the NCLEX...
  24. Meriwhen

    Nursing speciality for someone that hates people

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

    OP: at least you're honest. I can respect that. First, suck it up and get your year or two of experience in patient care, as it will help you down the road more than you know. Then look at...
  25. Meriwhen

    Lying in a pt medical record

    Meriwhen replied to jds87's topic in General Nursing

    First thing that comes to my mind is that the nurse, etc. is trying to cover up a