FullMoonMadness

We use the bar code system. At first I hated it, bulky med cart with computer and scanner that I push to each room. But it also gives me instant access to the patients chart and labs prior to giving certain meds that are lab dependant. I can also chart at the bedside. Its not perfect, but I like it.

Thanks Fran, you don't know how badly I needed that reminder right now.

Ah yes Emar. Actually, I hated it at first but have grown to rely on it. It is very nice to have lab values that present themselves when you scan say Coumadin or other drugs that are pertinent to lab values.Also nice to be able to enter your shift assessments from the bedside. But there are ways around all that scanning of the bracelet. I am not going to drag my computer cart down to the last room on the hall at 2 a.m. just to give a tylenol. If I was to use it as it is truely intended,Id never get out of the computer.

I took mine Tuesday. No calc questions either but a lot of prioritzing. It cut off at 75 and today I got results on State Licensing board. I passed. Im sure you did fine, but I was on pins and needles for 2 days. Let us know

Im right there with you.Took it yesterday and it also cut off at 75. I keep second guessing myself and can remember several that I know I missed. This has been the longest day,but results should be on line in the AM. Congratulations on passing yours.

I know I made an error here,but I was excited and it was around 5 a.m. I havnt signed RN on any document yet, but thanks to you all!!

Well, I did it. Graduated. Pinning was last night. My speech went well, they actually laughed when I hoped they would. AND, I got the award for Academic Excellence.Not bad for someone who quit high school and took a GED all those years ago. Yahoo!!!!!Im an RN.Who would have thought. Thanks to everyone here at Allnurses who gave me encouragement when I needed it. :biggringi

We use a system very similar to that at my hospital.All charting ,order entry and medication administration is done with the computer. Each nurse has there own mobile computer for there quad.The med part is relatively new but is pretty handy after you get used to it. For instance,if you are entering a med like potassium or lasix, the most recent BMP will be displayed as a reference guide. Same with any med that requires lab work.It has a few kinks, but they are worked out as we go along. All our training was done at our hospital in a classroom and on the units. We were a pilot/experiment with this stuff, and it will soon be used at every hospital in the company I work for. Good luck!!

reguarding the quote of sam walton who stated "you will never be laid off"...there are 4 walmarts within 40 miles of my house,the closest being 2 miles away. three of these stores laid off large amounts of employees just 2 months ago.the store closesest to my house let 40 people go. that kind of downsizing makes news and it was a hot topic of conversation around here.i live in a year round vacation destination, we have a huge and constant influx of tourists.you would think that would afford the employement of these people. all it means is there is an even longer wait at walmart to check out.and the posted prices at walmart are much higher than krogers,the only difference is that walmart says they will match any advertised price.who has time to bring in sale papers from 5 different stores?i no longer use their pharmacy and avoid stopping there at all costs.you will never be laid off

I went to school in Ga. Since nursing is a critical shortage field, the state had a work forgiven loan that paid for everything. Call a school and talk to the finacial aide dept for the specifics. What it did for me was pay my tuition and books straight to the school and after graduation, for every quarter that I worked in a critical area, they forgave one semester owed.Not bad, I didnt pay a dime. This is a state funded program with no financial restrictions, so anyone is eligable. Good luck and enjoy Atlanta

I remeber the days of LTC liscensure very vividly if not fondly. It aleays seemed that if you had even just one bad resident they would pick those 3 days to act out. One year we had a woman who decided to run about nude. We had to keep up with her holding sheets around her to provide privacy! My heart is with you, good luck. This came to pass, not to stay.

Woops. Sorry about the typos, I guess I'm just too excited.

I am so glad I can kiss care plans goodbye. Had my last clinical yesterday and have to do a concept map for my final clinincal grade. What a relief!! I thoight this day would never get here. I knoe I will be dealing with careplans for the length of my nursing career, but just the thought of never having a grade deadline... well words cannot express how that feel. 32 days till graduation. YAHOOOO!!!!

I am in Myrtle Beach, but am considering moving to the Charleston area. I was there this past week and fell in love. Currently brainstorming on a job. Don't get me wrong, I love M.B. but there is a different atmosphere in Charleston, and I am sooo tired of driving on 501!

Does anyone have any info,good or bad about this place? I have an opportunity to go their for Weekend Option with outrageous salary and benifits. Just wondering about the place because you know what they say about something that looks to good...... Thanks for your input

We have one nurse who is always late on the weekends. She calls every saturday at 6:50 and says"i'll be 30 minutes late". Well, we just changed our report system so that on time means 15 minutes till. I asked her,quite seriously what she was going to do then, as it seems she is always the nurse who follows me onthe weekends. She got real snotty saying "I am a single mother and they knew it when they hired me. I have a life you know." I know it may be hard for her, but I have a life too.

The EKG Made Incedibly Easy really saved my behind.

Is that a common ratio? I work 7p-7a tele and our usual load is 6, in some rare instances 7. We really complain when we have 7. But what I am hearing here indicates that we really have it pretty good.I consider myself a good, efficiant nurse, but there is no way I could provide care for 15 patients at one time.

My favorite instructor is the one I have for Med/Surg now.She knows the material back and forth, and never makes any one feel stupid if they have a wrong answer in class. Example: We had a drug calculation test that had to passed with 100%. One day, she said we were going to have a pracice test, just to get us used to what we could expect. No stress because it was only practice. After we took the practice test, and everyone made 100, she told us that it had been the real test, she just did not want us to be nervous before. Example: yesterday we had a very stressful test( nothing on her tests are strait answers, all very complicated scenarios). After the test, instead of making us sit through a long leture, we played jeapordy with the categories all pertaining to pancreatic and renal situations. It was fun, and we learned a lot from it. I usually make very high grades but this time I am sitting on a high C low B. But, I told her that even though my grades may not reflect it, I have learned more from her than any other instructer because she really makes us think.

Direct deposit is not mandatory at my hospital, but I can't figure out why anyone would choose not to. But, that said, we also have mandatory staff meetings the first payday of every month.

Routine or not,I wouldnt do it w/o a monitor. All of our pts. with IV cardiac meds are on a monitor,we let the tech know when the push is started,how much and when it ends,so that the push can have a monitor strip to corelate it.

We had a nurse do this. She logged out the prefilled Morhine syringes,withdrew the drugs and refilled with saline.She also had a bad habit of not logging out of the AcuDose.If you have ever been involved in an ivestigation reguarding missing narcs,the experience stays with you forever.Heads up.

Depenfds. I have worked at two HCA facilities. In Georgia my orientation was non existent. First night on the floor,eight patients. At my current facility,at least on the unit I work,if you are experirnced,you work with a preceptorfor 12 shifts. If you are a new grad its almost 2 months!!!They don't have the best reputation for orienting or retaining on a company wide basis.good luck

Franny,please,what is horlicks?

Very strictly enforced at my hospital. I think it is a good practice as I have seen several near misses averted due to the second pair of eyes.