MelBel

MelBel

Geriatric, Medical/Surgical

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All Content by MelBel

  1. Team Nursing?

    MelBel posted a topic in First Year After Licensure

    What exactly is "team nursing"? From my understanding, an RN, LPN, and aide will take a group of patients and split the tasks...but what would the LPN do vs. the RN? On my floor, we just evenly split...

  2. Just need a little emotional support this morning!

    MelBel posted a topic in First Year After Licensure

    It was one of those nights where everytime you walk into the room, SOMETHING is wrong! I won't go into details...but ugh! And tonight will be worse I'm sure because of the staff I'll be working with....

  3. Poll: What size angiocath do you usually use to start an IV?

    MelBel replied to mikethern's topic in General Nursing

    Usually 20 or 22....24 if they have small veins, and I don't want to ruin my last shot with a big one! But I work geriatrics...with lots of dehydration and renal patients with crappy veins! I've...

  4. Thinking about trying night shift...

    MelBel replied to LadyPhantom's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I oriented on days, and work nights now. A lot of my coworkers have kids, and it works out really well for them. Switching to nights was a LOT easier than I thought it would be, but maybe because I...

  5. Giving meds.

    MelBel replied to meditate's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I think documentation is incredibly important in preventing errors! Ever been told in report that a PRN narcotic was given just prior to you getting on shift, but not seeing it signed off in the MAR?...

  6. Hours

    MelBel replied to BiologyNerd's topic in First Year After Licensure

    When I started, workin my 3-12s tired me out! And I worked full-time while in nursing school, so it wasn't like working was a shock to my system. It took about 3 months for me to really get used to...

  7. Hours

    MelBel replied to BiologyNerd's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Do you mean 96 hours BI-weekly? Or 36 hours a week? Because if you really mean 96 hours a week, I'm just going to ask if you are

  8. Just need a little emotional support this morning!

    MelBel replied to MelBel's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Thank you all for your replies! My night was MUCH better. Not 100% better, but definitely an improvement. I couldn't fall asleep after I got home yesterday morning, and had a hard time getting out of...

  9. advice books

    MelBel replied to labrador4122's topic in First Year After Licensure

    A friend of mine has the "Everything New Nurse Book", and I've peeked through it and it looks helpful! I bought "A Cup of Comfort for Nurses" and it is one of those tear-jerker kind of books, that...

  10. Have you been charge yet?

    MelBel replied to JadeNurse1980's topic in First Year After Licensure

    10 is a lot...our union contract is getting re-negotiated right now, and I HOPE we will get better staffing soon! I'll tell you a little bit about my 10 patients, you will get a better idea of how it...

  11. Have you been charge yet?

    MelBel replied to JadeNurse1980's topic in First Year After Licensure

    No, I work on a med/surg unit. According to our grid we should have had 5 nurses that night, but our facility is a little bit

  12. Safe Nurse:Patient ratio

    MelBel replied to hoopette34's topic in First Year After Licensure

    At my facility we have a staffing grid that does not take into account patient acuity. On nights, we get 2 nurses up to 18 patients, 3 up to 25, 4 up to 28, and 5 for 29 or 30 (or max...I've never...

  13. Have you been charge yet?

    MelBel replied to JadeNurse1980's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Since being off orientation, I've been in charge about 50-75% of the time. (SCARY!) It has made me seriously consider looking for other employment, but I have GREAT staff to work with, and don't want...

  14. Finally feeling better about this

    MelBel replied to LadyPhantom's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I feel the same exact way, and it just hit me right at the 6 month mark. I really thought I would be quitting my job....and now I'm beginning to ENJOY it, not just survive

  15. "1 Year" Anniversary in Two Days: My Experiences

    MelBel replied to EnigmaticParadigm's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I just passed the 6 month mark at my job, and I was thinking about posting about it, and I read here. I still have days where I feel insecure, and like I know absolutely nothing. And I know in...

  16. Relocating to Texas

    MelBel replied to MelBel's topic in Texas Nursing

    Thank you for the helpful information...I live in upstate NY, not near the city, so I don't have much public transportation here anyway...and wouldn't use it unless I desperately needed to! I have...

  17. Relocating to Texas

    MelBel posted a topic in Texas Nursing

    I will most likely be moving to Texas in a couple of years, and am wondering about working conditions and pay at the hospitals there. I know an LVN there who makes great money at a great job....but...

  18. Recently graduated, failed test, can't find a job

    MelBel replied to marciella's topic in First Year After Licensure

    In New York you can work as a graduate nurse ONLY until you either pass or fail your NCLEX...after that you are either an RN or lose you graduate nurse status (which is why you can't find a job). Take...

  19. 4 weeks with preceptor?!?!

    MelBel replied to Lee2584's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I'm in New York, and got 2 weeks of classroom orientation, and 10 weeks with a preceptor. It seems about average for around here... I know the ICUs in my facility give 6 months for new

  20. Think I'm on the road to burnnout already... VENT... sorry so long

    MelBel replied to PatricksRNMommy's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Your night sounds a little bit like mine...and really, I seem to only have bad nights when I get left with a mess from the day shift. Yesterday day shift had 7 nurses...6 on the floor and a charge....

  21. Charge Nurse already

    MelBel posted a topic in First Year After Licensure

    I graduated this past May, and started work in June on an Acute Geriatric medical floor. I've been off orientation for a month now, and have been in charge 2 nights so far. The first night wasn't too...

  22. Anyone regret starting in the ER or ICU?

    MelBel replied to CrazyPremed's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I didn't start in the ICU, and am VERY glad that I didn't. I had considered it, and in talking with experienced nurses, decided not to. Reasons I'm glad I didn't? 1) As a new nurse, one or two lines...

  23. Help!

    MelBel posted a topic in First Year After Licensure

    I posted a few weeks ago about how I've had to be in charge some nights (I started in June on an acute geriatric medical floor), and at that point, things were okay...not great. Last week, I worked...

  24. Normal Pt Ratios - ack!

    MelBel replied to ibambamama's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I work nights on an acute geriatric unit, and our ration is usually 1:8. My last shift, however, we were 1:5 (yay! someone made a mistake!). I would much rather have 8 patients at the beginning of my...

  25. U.S. Citizen staying in Canada and working in Buffalo?

    MelBel replied to NewYorkRN2B's topic in New York Nursing

    I went to school with many Canadians who live in Canada and work in the US (Buffalo area). My fiance is Canadian and I am American, although as of right now, he is planning on coming here after we...