Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    Need opinions

    Meriwhen replied to blams2004's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    If a patient states something that I think is important enough to chart, I chart it exactly as the patient stated...this includes any vulgarity. I make it very clear that the language is a direct...
  2. Meriwhen

    What do you think of 11 am- 7 pm shift?

    Meriwhen replied to Seas's topic in General Nursing

    1100-1900 doesn't sound too bad for a single and/or childless person. You get to sleep in and still have some of the morning, and you're not out of work terribly
  3. Meriwhen

    "Diverting" medications

    Meriwhen replied to KJoRN81's topic in Patient Medications

    There's no magic number. However, if the BON isn't notified about something they can't act on it. So a person could be fired from a ton of places yet keep their license because no report was ever...
  4. Meriwhen

    Entire card of narcotics missing!

    Meriwhen replied to Rachel512's topic in Patient Medications

    Everyone's pretty much whatever I would have said, so I'll just say that I wish you the best of luck and hope you get through this
  5. Meriwhen

    need advice from you all I've been charged with a felony but not convicted

    Meriwhen replied to BAP2013's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    Why did you have to get cleared through the BON in the first place? AFAIK, you don't have to go through the BON if you are taking a leave of absence from nursing school for medical reasons...though...
  6. Meriwhen

    need advice from you all I've been charged with a felony but not convicted

    Meriwhen replied to BAP2013's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    Moving to the Nursing Licensure with a Criminal History forum. Be advised that this forum is moderated, meaning that all posts are reviewed before being published...so it may take a bit for responses...
  7. Meriwhen

    How to make holiday fun

    Meriwhen replied to Mishelly's topic in Psychiatric

    We've been doing Thanksgiving lunches and dinners for our patients, and not just by putting some turkey roll on the menu. We've been doing serious food and dessert spreads and getting the patients...
  8. Meriwhen

    Working Agency at my Place of Employment? Is That Allowed?

    Meriwhen replied to jejunebug's topic in Agency Nurses

    IMO, I don't see a hospital that you are currently employed at letting you work agency there, even on another unit. Agency nurses cost a facility more than staff nurses do, and unless your facility...
  9. Meriwhen

    the dreaded needle stick....

    Meriwhen replied to kacs13's topic in General Nursing

    Your story is an excellent reminder to both old and new nurses to ALWAYS follow standard precautions. Just because a patient isn't known to have HIV, Hep, etc. or isn't at high-risk for these...
  10. Meriwhen

    How Is this handled at your workplace?

    Meriwhen replied to Caffeine_IV's topic in General Nursing

    If I am cancelled but not given sufficient notice (at least 2 hours before the shift's start time), I get four hours' pay regardless of whether I stay and work the 4 hours, or turn around and go home....
  11. Meriwhen

    Scared of not finding a job.

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

    I agree with the prior poster. In most facilities, this week is pretty much a write-off as far as administrative stuff is concerned, so you're probably not going to hear anything. That being said,...
  12. Meriwhen

    UA/drug test failed

    Meriwhen replied to neuron's topic in General Nursing

    That I would ask a lawyer about. Though IMO, I'm more inclined to agree with Red Kryptonite--let the matter go and start planning your escape. I can guarantee that if you were to test positive...
  13. Meriwhen

    Cali new grad RN

    Meriwhen replied to UltraT's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    It's very bad for new grads here. Both hospitals that I work for had to turn away even internal applicants because there just weren't enough new grad residency slots to go around. I would make it a...
  14. Meriwhen

    UA/drug test failed

    Meriwhen replied to neuron's topic in General Nursing

    Agree with the above posters: if a rapid drug test is not read in a certain amount of time, the results are not valid. Leaving the test for several hours for your DON to read almost certainly...
  15. Meriwhen

    Inpatient Psych - Ever call the police on a patient?

    Meriwhen replied to imapsychrn's topic in Psychiatric

    Yes. The patient had become agitated and refused to leave the premises (he had been discharged). He started threatening staff and others, then barricaded himself in an exam room. We tried...
  16. Meriwhen

    Are there 10 hr shifts in Nursing??

    Meriwhen replied to firstinfamily's topic in Nursing Career

    I have seen 10 hour shifts in our intake department
  17. Meriwhen

    Is this a needle stick injury

    Meriwhen replied to desertstar6's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    It does not sound like you were stuck. Also, you'd likely have felt pain, even for a moment, if the needle pierced your skin. That being said, I second the PP's advice: if it makes you feel...
  18. Meriwhen

    Relocation to a family friendly livable city with warm climate

    Meriwhen replied to wasup's topic in General Nursing

    You definitely want to cast your net further than just California and Florida. The southeastern states have warmer weather (VA and NC even have colder weather in the winter) and have a better...
  19. Meriwhen

    Staffing on the inpatient adolescent unit

    Meriwhen replied to PeacockMaiden's topic in Psychiatric

    Before working in California, I worked for a facility that staffed like yours did. If there were under 16 patients, it was frequently just myself as the only nurse. I would have one tech for the...
  20. Meriwhen

    Fix me NOW (but on my terms or I'll leave AMA)

    Meriwhen replied to HikingEDRN's topic in Emergency

    If a patient tells me they want to leave AMA, I reply "fine by me, I'll call the doctor and we'll get the process staretd." More often than not, I've just called their bluff because they change their...
  21. Meriwhen

    Crowd funding: Yay or Nay?

    Meriwhen replied to roser13's topic in General Nursing

    This online solicitating doesn't bother me. No one is holding a gun to my head forcing me to donate, so if I'm not interested I just ignore them. Also, if you don't ask you don't get...so if...
  22. Meriwhen

    discharge/admit nurse

    Meriwhen replied to ambitiousblonde's topic in General Nursing

    The units in my hospital have admission nurses that work 1100-1900. They primarily do admissions, but will help with discharges when things are
  23. Meriwhen

    Having to count Risperidone

    Meriwhen replied to NurseJamie8's topic in Patient Medications

    Yesterday, my Pyxis made me count
  24. Meriwhen

    Is it okay to decline a job after accepting a contingent offer?

    Meriwhen replied to nurseK1212's topic in Nursing Career

    Sure, you can decline a job after accepting a contingent offer. However, I would not decline anything with job A until you hold an official job offer from B (in writing from HR) firmly in hand. Many...
  25. Meriwhen

    Having to count Risperidone

    Meriwhen replied to NurseJamie8's topic in Patient Medications

    Besides controlled substances, some random meds that our Pyxis makes us count are ones the seemingly innocuous ones that might be nipped by nurses for their own use, such as nicotine patches and...