VivaLasViejas ASN, RN

LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych

Once a nurse, always a nurse!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide

All Content by VivaLasViejas

  1. VivaLasViejas

    Bipolar Nurse Hoping to Open Awareness of Mental Illness

    VivaLasViejas replied to HannaRNBSN's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    You know, that's been my experience as well---"You're bipolar?? I never would've guessed it, you always seem so calm", etc. etc. The truth of it is, I 'present well': meaning I'm able to conceal much...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    BPD

    VivaLasViejas replied to wish_me_luck's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Borderline and bipolar do overlap in a number of places, so it's entirely possible that you have some combination of the two, or you've flat out been misdiagnosed (like THAT ever happens, lol). Either...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Self reporting mental illness

    VivaLasViejas replied to sssT's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    That's one I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.......if you don't have to disclose it, for heaven's sake DON'T! I've seen nurses with mental illnesses get stuck in programs designed for those with...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Bipolar Nurse Hoping to Open Awareness of Mental Illness

    VivaLasViejas replied to HannaRNBSN's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Thank you for this. I remember being fearful of psych patients when I was in nursing school; now that I am one, the tune has definitely changed and I find myself reaching out to people I wouldn't even...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Bipolar Nurse Hoping to Open Awareness of Mental Illness

    VivaLasViejas replied to HannaRNBSN's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Hello, Hanna, and welcome to Allnurses.com! As a site Guide I especially want to welcome you, as I too have bipolar disorder and can relate to just about everything you've said. There are a few of us...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    You might be a night shifter if...

    VivaLasViejas replied to beeker's topic in General Nursing

    When you've gone back to a daytime schedule and STILL need a fan 10 years later for 'white noise' to help you go to
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Help! I have extreme compassion fatigue

    VivaLasViejas replied to Blue Roses's topic in Health, Stress Management

    Okay Blue, the first thing you have to do is BREEEEEEEATHE..........Your anxiety is palpable, I can sense that your thoughts and fears are tumbling wildly like squirrels in a cage, and there is no way...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    How do you support your immune system?

    VivaLasViejas replied to wooh's topic in Health, Stress Management

    So far I've been able to fight off all the respiratory stuff this year---it was the norovirus that got me. Hopefully that's all the sickness I'll have to deal with......I usually get bronchitis and...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Over bearing DON

    VivaLasViejas replied to sbergmann17's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    What Nascar Nurse said. ^^ FWIW, I don't think most DONs mean to be overbearing or intimidating. We are nurses who started out just like you, fresh graduates who had heads full of book-learning and...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    ER RN's with anxiety disorders?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Energizerhoney's topic in Emergency

    No, you are FAR from being the only nurse, ER or otherwise, with mental health issues. And you are spot on with the diabetic analogy. :) I wonder if you know that nurses like you are going to be the...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    A Call to Action from the Nation's Nurses in the Wake of Newtown

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Improving access to mental health services---especially for our youth---and taking psychiatric disorders at least as seriously as physical disease would not stop violence, but it might help prevent...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    A Call to Action from the Nation's Nurses in the Wake of Newtown

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Agreed!
  13. VivaLasViejas

    RN's with Bipolar and Anxiety/panic

    VivaLasViejas replied to Energizerhoney's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Hello, and welcome to Allnurses! I'm a fellow BP'er and can relate to so much of what you've posted. As you get to know people here, you'll find that there are many, many nurses with mood disorders...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    False accusations.

    VivaLasViejas replied to Capp's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    As Esme12 quotes: "We can all agree to disagree without being disagreeable." I like that quote and find it very appropriate under the circumstances. :) Now.....I've been in this LPN's shoes as the...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    A Call to Action from the Nation's Nurses in the Wake of Newtown

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Beautifully stated. Thank
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Is their wisdom in becoming a psych nurse if the nurse has his own psych history?

    VivaLasViejas replied to j_tay1981's topic in Psychiatric

    You two make excellent points. I'm looking at the topic as a patient, not as a nurse, and you are both right. Thank
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Is their wisdom in becoming a psych nurse if the nurse has his own psych history?

    VivaLasViejas replied to j_tay1981's topic in Psychiatric

    As a patient, I think I'd feel more comfortable with a psych nurse who could empathize a little with what I was going through, than someone who learned everything from a textbook. A lot depends on...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Today's Dr. Phil shocker: Nursing home abuse

    VivaLasViejas replied to GLORIAmunchkin72's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    This topic makes my blood boil!! I'm a DON in assisted living and I deal with these prima-donna families all. the. time. They are the bane of long-term care, and in AL especially, these people expect...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Critical Thinking: you have it or you don't. Agree or disagree?

    VivaLasViejas replied to LTCnurse11's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    I believe critical thinking skills are those we develop as we learn to think at a higher level. An example of this is root-cause analysis---for many of us, it's not enough to document that our patient...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Who Cares About Us

    VivaLasViejas replied to mid2348's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Get well soon, OP, and don't let the jerks force you to take risks with your health (to say nothing of the PATIENTS you'd be exposing to your germs!). It's not worth
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Thinking about taking some time off, after my experience. new nurse life crisis.

    VivaLasViejas replied to gloryfied's topic in Health, Stress Management

    If your employer has an EAP (employee assistance program), you may want to take advantage of it, as it's free and confidential. The last time I worked in acute care, I hit a wall just like you did,...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Never Interrupt Mom While She's On allnurses.com

    VivaLasViejas replied to Joe V's topic in Nursing Humor

    OMG, this is so 'me'!!! Ten years and my family still has to put up with my AN
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Nothing wrong with fruitcake...

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in General Students

    I have a theory about fruitcake. See, about a thousand years ago, a thousand monks made a thousand fruitcakes and sold them from their monastery to raise some money. Some of these fruitcakes made...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Recovering opiate addict: In need of advice

    VivaLasViejas replied to GA_RN2006's topic in Nurses Recovery

    You know, when I started exploring nursing as a career early in my college career, I'd been sober for about 2 years. I remember asking the faculty member who addressed our group if the BON would have...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Nurse with Cyclothymia?

    VivaLasViejas replied to _jackburton's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Just out of curiosity---are you seeing a mental health professional for this as-yet undiagnosed condition, and how long have they been trying to figure out whether or not it's cyclothymia? For what...