Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    Nursing loans really that bad? 120K

    Meriwhen replied to nursequery1's topic in General Students

    My first degree was from NYU. That was back in the day where tuition was only 18k/year, and I was poor enough to get decent financial aid. I only had to take out 14k in loans TOTAL for the entire...
  2. Meriwhen

    Psychiatric Medication Nurse

    Meriwhen replied to fawnsternurse's topic in Psychiatric

    Facilities usually not let an agency nurse act as Charge. It doesn't matter if you have all the experience in the world behind you or you've been visiting that site forever and a day--the Charge role...
  3. Meriwhen

    hydroxyzine HCl vs hydroxyzine pamoate

    Meriwhen replied to Findingmynitch's topic in Psychiatric

    Technically, yes, it's a medication error. Both are hydroxyzine but different formulations and therefore different drugs. It's like the three Wellbutrins. A provider would probably not spazz if you...
  4. Meriwhen

    Suboxone side effects

    Meriwhen replied to iluvivt's topic in Addictions

    Plain buprenorphine, a.k.a. Subutex (Suboxone but without naloxone) is often used for chronic pain. It works very well. But there is still the potential for tolerance, addiction, abuse, difficulty...
  5. Meriwhen

    What is the easiest way to get ACLS certified?

    Meriwhen replied to celtickimba's topic in General Nursing

    As this is your first time, you will have to take the two-day AHA ACLS class. Be sure that you take an AHA-approved class (go to the AHA website to find approved providers) as hospitals usually...
  6. Meriwhen

    Student nurses and deposition

    Meriwhen replied to stargurl2006's topic in General Nursing

    Yes. Being a student doesn't protect you from legal action; hence why most nursing programs require their students to carry malpractice/liability insurance. If you happen to be the student in...
  7. Meriwhen

    Shift change rant

    Meriwhen replied to Nurse Molly's topic in General Nursing

    Two ways to handle this: 1. Go up to your relief at 0600 and say to them, "hi, ready to receive report?" Then start giving report. If they balk, tell them that you have to leave so if they're not...
  8. Meriwhen

    Engagement Ring help!

    Meriwhen replied to a_nurses_bf's topic in General Nursing

    I don't wear any rings, not even a plain band, while I'm at work. Too much risk for both myself and for the
  9. Meriwhen

    Nurse of the year

    Meriwhen replied to BonhamsGhost's topic in Men in Nursing

    You should come to psych. We have a lot of male nurses here--there's been shifts where I'm the only female on staff--and such sexism/drama has been absent, at least as far as I've
  10. Meriwhen

    How to eat on night shift

    Meriwhen replied to Birdy2's topic in General Nursing

    I work 23-7. "Breakfast" is at dinnertime with the rest of the family, around 1700-1730. I'll have a light snack of cheese or nuts before I go into work. Lunch is around 0200-0230. "Dinner" is...
  11. Meriwhen

    Dreadlocks

    Meriwhen replied to PauperRN's topic in Men in Nursing

    In psych, I've have coworkers--of both sexes AND of various races--with dreadlocks of varying lengths. As long as the dreads were clean/hygienic and kept out of the way (tied back, under a head...
  12. Meriwhen

    Nurse of the year

    Meriwhen replied to BonhamsGhost's topic in Men in Nursing

    Do keep in mind that the number of male nurses in a facility is usually significantly less than the number of female nurses, so it makes sense that there would be fewer males winning the award....
  13. Meriwhen

    How's training/orientation for a regular RN job?

    Meriwhen replied to NightWatch's topic in General Nursing

    Orientation depth and length depends on the facility. The fact that you're a new grad applying for a non-new grad position may or may not result in a longer orientation. You're not likely to get the...
  14. Meriwhen

    Do nurse managers and recruiters actually listen when an employee gives a verbal referral

    Meriwhen replied to blah_blah_blah's topic in General Nursing

    Actually, I never answered this question...and yes, it did work for me. Twice, in fact. Once was for the first nursing job I ever had (i.e., my gateway into psych). The second was for a PRN job for...
  15. Meriwhen

    What have you learned about Death?

    Meriwhen replied to g2255lw's topic in General Nursing

    OP: from the psychiatric perspective...what I have learned about death is that is someone truly wants to die, they will find a way to do it no matter what environment they are
  16. Meriwhen

    Recovering opiate addict accepted into nursing school; Can I attend while prescribed Subox

    Meriwhen replied to MaleLPNStudent2's topic in Nurses Recovery

    I'm guessing that is a typo. The generic name of Suboxone is buprenorphine/naloxone. Subutex (just plain buprenorphine) is often used for managing chronic pain, but that is almost never used for...
  17. Meriwhen

    Abandonment question

    Meriwhen replied to Valeriejean2105's topic in Nursing Career

    I would double-check with your BON and/or a lawyer versed in nursing law just to be safe, but abandonment can only occur when you have accepted a patient assignment and then left in the middle of it...
  18. Meriwhen

    Is psych nursing usually this eventful?

    Meriwhen replied to golson's topic in Psychiatric

    OP, what you describe is the exception and not the norm. Psych nursing can be very lively, but usually not THAT
  19. Meriwhen

    Nurse of the year

    Meriwhen replied to BonhamsGhost's topic in Men in Nursing

    I've seen quite a few male nurses win Nurse of the Year at my
  20. Meriwhen

    Nursing Dose

    Meriwhen replied to guest449786's topic in Patient Medications

    I do work in such an environment: psychiatric ICU. No, my patients are not likely to die in the next 5 minutes as they might in a medical ICU, but they certainly do require being brought down very...
  21. Meriwhen

    Nursing Dose

    Meriwhen replied to guest449786's topic in Patient Medications

    OP, what you describe is illegal. Involve a controlled substance, and the trouble increases threefold. IMO, I would not put my license on the line by engaging in this practice, even if it were...
  22. Meriwhen

    Recovering opiate addict accepted into nursing school; Can I attend while prescribed Subox

    Meriwhen replied to MaleLPNStudent2's topic in Nurses Recovery

    A good way to get info anonymously from BONs: 1. Go to Gmail. 2. Register for a new e-mail address. 3. Do not pick a username remotely close to your real name. 4. In the account settings, use a...
  23. Meriwhen

    Recovering opiate addict accepted into nursing school; Can I attend while prescribed Subox

    Meriwhen replied to MaleLPNStudent2's topic in Nurses Recovery

    I agree with the majority of the posters here: it would be best for you to get off of Suboxone entirely before applying. However, you also need to balance that against your recovery. Your recovery...
  24. Meriwhen

    To email or not to email the NM, that is the question.

    Meriwhen replied to blah_blah_blah's topic in General Nursing

    That is because in some cases, that is TRUE. A lot of facilities frown upon applicants who circumvent the hiring process by skipping the website/HR and instead ambushing NMs in person/by phone/by...
  25. Meriwhen

    To email or not to email the NM, that is the question.

    Meriwhen replied to blah_blah_blah's topic in General Nursing

    An email would probably go over a lot better than ambushing her/him with a floor visit. I'd try it, you'd have nothing to lose. But I'd also just send the one email and that's it. If they're...