Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    I am a new nurse and I had a pt make a false accusation.

    Meriwhen replied to newnurse34's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Yes, psych patients do need to be held accountable for their behavior. That being said, any accusation made by a psych patient MUST be taken as seriously as one made by a non-psych patient, and the...
  2. Meriwhen

    Why can't CPI be 2 years like everything else?

    Meriwhen replied to adnrnstudent's topic in Psychiatric

    I have to go to a two-day training for another type of crisis management course. Two full days, so that's 16 hours in the classroom total. But at a pay rate of about $50/hour...IMO, I'd be a fool...
  3. Meriwhen

    Dealing with drug seekers without alienating them

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

    Then give the prescriber all that information and let them make the call about what medications the patient should/shouldn't have ordered for
  4. Meriwhen

    Do you need med surge for the first 2 years?

    Meriwhen replied to Samt9's topic in Nursing Career

    This this THIS! It's not where you work that makes you a real nurse. It's that lovely license indicating that you are a RN/LVN that makes you a real
  5. Meriwhen

    Why can't CPI be 2 years like everything else?

    Meriwhen replied to adnrnstudent's topic in Psychiatric

    At least the renewal isn't 8 hours like the initial class. The way I see it, If they want to pay me my hourly rate to sit in a classroom for a few hours, then bring on the
  6. Meriwhen

    Dealing with drug seekers without alienating them

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

    Agreed. It's not the nurse's place to decide who should or shouldn't have meds. That is the decision of the prescriber. Please don't fall into the trap that some nurses do and play God with a...
  7. Meriwhen

    Getting unemployment for called off

    Meriwhen replied to tiggerslilyrn's topic in General Nursing

    I'm no expert on employment law, but IMO I think there's probably a big difference between unneeded staff being called off for a shift, and an entire facility closing down leaving ALL of its workers...
  8. Meriwhen

    Obtaining Ca license as a Canadian?

    Meriwhen replied to yags's topic in Nurse Registration

    http://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/applicants/end-app.pdf I gave this a quick glance, and as you mentioned, it appears that if you do not provide a SSN, your application simply will not be processed. IMO, I...
  9. Meriwhen

    Getting report during change of shift

    Meriwhen replied to CTnewgrad826's topic in General Nursing

    Change of shifts...usually when the transfer/admission/discharge/code/AMA decides to happen :) Don't like to deal with it at change-of-shift, but it's going to keep happening no matter what we do, so...
  10. Meriwhen

    Do you need med surge for the first 2 years?

    Meriwhen replied to Samt9's topic in Nursing Career

    It definitely can't hurt you and does provide you with valuable knowledge, and it can make you competitive for many positions after those two years are up. But it's not mandatory for success. And...
  11. Meriwhen

    Fellow nurses, do you like your job?

    Meriwhen replied to danniekim's topic in Psychiatric

    This. As I often say, having dealt with their own mental illness doesn't automatically mean one will be a good psych nurse, nor more than my having given birth means I'll automatically be a good...
  12. Meriwhen

    Orienting on NOC shift - disadvantage?

    Meriwhen replied to GabesMommy2014's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Considering that for both of my labors I was up all night to end up delivering my children by breakfast time, I can vouch for
  13. Meriwhen

    Prep for NCLEX-RN.. Kaplan On Demand vs. Kaplan Classroom Anywhere

    Meriwhen replied to klc6's topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    Moved to the NCLEX forum to help you get more targeted
  14. Meriwhen

    New grad RN

    Meriwhen replied to Tbajeux2010's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Moved to the First Year after Licensure forum to help you get more targeted responses. It does get better, I promise
  15. Meriwhen

    Fell asleep at private case

    Meriwhen replied to emKayLPN's topic in Home Health

    Unfortunately, sleeping on the job can be construed as patient abandonment. Call your malpractice carrier and/or be prepared to seek the advice of an attorney versed in nursing issues, especially if...
  16. Meriwhen

    Fellow nurses, do you like your job?

    Meriwhen replied to danniekim's topic in Psychiatric

    1. Did you go into psych nursing right after graduation? Or were you in acute care for a while? Went right into psych. I chose it over a PCU because it had better hours to work around a toddler. 2....
  17. Meriwhen

    Staffing

    Meriwhen replied to imapsychrn's topic in Psychiatric

    That's how I felt when I first moved to California. Day 1 of inpatient: I had 3 patients. The next day it was 4 patients with the possibility of a 5th, and the charge nurse was apologizing for...
  18. Meriwhen

    ECT and memory loss

    Meriwhen replied to JonathanClouse's topic in Psychiatric

    I've seen short periods of memory loss...well, more like memory fuzziness...in patients post-ECT. It usually resolves within a couple of days. I've personally not known of anyone who has suffered...
  19. Meriwhen

    I am a new grad and hired with 2 nursing agencies

    Meriwhen replied to elomi18's topic in General Nursing

    There you go: that is all you can expect from them. Now whether you want to gamble on your license with that is up to
  20. Meriwhen

    New Grad - Please Help :)

    Meriwhen replied to ellienurse3's topic in Psychiatric

    Getting medical experience first can't hurt, but if your heart is set on psych, then go straight into psych. Lots of nurses have had successful careers starting out in psych. And you will have to...
  21. Meriwhen

    Staffing

    Meriwhen replied to imapsychrn's topic in Psychiatric

    Both. Acuity and census are both assessed each shift to determine how many staff we will need and of what mix, and if we'll need any dedicated staff for 1:1s. Acuity is determined based on their...
  22. Meriwhen

    I received this email from a professor. I was a little shocked. Opinon?

    Meriwhen replied to kdflet's topic in General Students

    I agree with your nursing instructor
  23. Meriwhen

    dischargin psych pts question

    Meriwhen replied to sassyann85's topic in Psychiatric

    Once the patient is discharged, all we have to do is get them out the door...and then our responsibility ends. We are not obligated to transport them home or anywhere else, though we prefer to...
  24. Meriwhen

    No shift differential during orientation?

    Meriwhen replied to leekaye's topic in General Nursing

    When I was on orientation, I received diffs. However, I did not have paid sick time/vacation until I came off of orientation: if I needed to call off sick or take a day off, I could do so but it...
  25. Meriwhen

    Feeling dumped on as new PRN

    Meriwhen replied to adpiRN's topic in General Nursing

    PRNs, per-diems, agency nurses...we tend to get the worst assignments. It kind of goes with the territory