BuffaloLPN

You can work here and live there, you just have to explain that you are going to work everytime you cross the border. My family does it, but they are Canadian citizens and work in the US. The Passport thing won't take effect for another year or so. Hope you live right in Fort Erie! Can I ask (out of curiosity) why? Do we US nurses make that much more?

I have been working as a nurse for ~8 yrs and I just cried the other day (starting a new job)! I was so nervous, felt like I should know everything already- as did the preceptor- and I totally lost it. Cried like a baby! Hope you can picture me crying in front of my new manager and it helps to know other people get nervous too! Not just new grads! And not just RN's!

Yes, we were taken into the back. It's not a problem waiting to be seen by doc, I was just upset that nobody(nurses) ever came back to check on him. I couldn't have gotten a nurses attention unless I went strolling around the department, which I thought would be rude. I didn't realize you had to wait for a nurse to appear if you needed something. As we were leaving I could see them all sitting at desk, which before that I had no clue was there. Could I have asked then for help? Probably. Convince my husband to go back and wait longer- NO WAY. Result- he felt better after 2-3 days of couch, heat, meds. Primary said it was a muscle strain/possible tear. And not to go to that ER again.

Thanks for your response. I struggle with the fact that during resp season, I look at all the people coming into our ER and think- can't these freaks just take some tylenol and stay at home? It was hard to sit and think we were wasting their time and also think he really needed someone to check him out. There is no way he will go back to the ER now- you know how difficult boys can be!

I would love opinions on this one- Yesterday hubby wakes me and tells me he hurt his back. He is lying on the floor and can't move without 10/10 pain. How he got up the stairs I have no idea. This is unusual for my very stoic, it never hurts THAT bad kind of guy. I called his PMD who is away for the weekend. After a busy 12 hr the night before and less than 4 hrs sleep, I made the decision we were going to ther ER. He agreed to go which made me feel like it was warranted. I didn't want to seem silly using the ER for something nonemergent, but I couldn't think rationally seeing him in so much pain, and I wanted something diagnostic to tell me he hadn't broken his back. I admit to losing all common sense when a loved one is injured. So we go, he is triaged(vitals taken, questioned about how injury occured). We waited only 5-10 min and were taken back into pt area. There we sat for 2 hrs. Not a nurse, doc anyone. Hubby had to use bathroom but we couldn't fllag anyone down. I asked someone? who happened to walk by for some hot packs and she asked me what I needed them for. I told her he had injured his back, was in pain and she replied - we don't have those and he needs cold anyway. Now, my restless hubby is trying to convince me he is not staying any longer- we must leave. I am trying to keep him calm and NOT notice that I have never seen him in so much pain and not get mad myself that not a nurse has walked by. This hospital is part of the system I work for. I realize that there is a priority level in Er, but they were not running around tending to other pts. When another pt did come in, they all flocked over and stood attending to her. I'm not saying I think hubby needed red status, but couldn't they have checked in to see how he was doing? I can't IMAGINE even with 10 pts at a time, ignoring a high pain rating. Even if I couldn't get a doc to assess I would offer hot packs etc. I'm sure we looked like we were seeking narcs, coming to the ER with something so silly as back pain, but at least LOOK at him. He could've had a tree limb sticking out of his back for all they knew. So, after a few hours of waiting I let no sleep and grimacing hubby get the best of me, and we left. I feel like trash that I would probably roll my own eyes at, but I just couldn't deal. So now he is staying on the couch/bed until Mon morning when we can talk to PMD. I don't know what else to do. He is certainly not going back to another ER- I suggested we go to another with a better reputation for seeing pts, but he will not go. It is probably just a muscle strain that requires rest but I am freaked out that it is something worse. I just cannot get over the nursing part of this. How can they just ignore a pt completely. Even running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I find time to stop in and see my pts. Sorry if this seems like ER bashing, I used to think highly of what they have to deal with and how they do it. Now I am just another annoyed consumer of health care.

Thanks for the laugh, I needed it today!!

I had the same as a 12 yr old, but it turned out to be stress related ulcers. I was always so nervous, shy, worried (over pretty much nothing) that it caused all the nausea. I took Zantac and Gaviscon for years, but finally grew out of it. I admit though that I still "get all GI" whenever I am nervous or anxious about something, I am just better able to deal with things and Sx subside quickly. Hope your little man gets better soon.

The problem with these guys is they will never change! Their mothers ruined them, and undoubtly they will find some poor, low self esteem woman to take care of them for the rest of their lives! :uhoh21:

We team also, and although we do not split assignments(as is done on other floors), the LPN is responsible for own actions under scope of practice, with RN responsible for 'overseeing' LPN. Ultimately the RN has to be sure the LPN is competently providing care during the shift for the whole pt assignment. This is why most RN's don't want to team. It does work well if you trust each others skills and know that communication is open. My favorite RN's to work with walk room to room while I do vitals and do a quick assessment on each of our pts. Of course, it is my role to report any status change to RN, as I am in pt room providing most bedside care(meds, vitals, site checks etc)

I had titres drawn during post needle stick workup- discovered i needed a booster... and so it continued. After my FOURTH booster, then titre, etc I gave up. The employee health nurse said it is possible that some people can have neg titres, no matter how many boosters, series etc. (hope that made sense)

all pts have a record number. it's what the hospital uses to id, bill etc. it is on every chart, sticker etc. Admission forms, instructions, anything with pt major info is stamped with the number. We have the same problem- some nurses ask for it, some don't. So a family member may call and get info a hundred times, until the one nurse who does follow rules asks for it and gets screamed at by the family

We require a medical record number when someone is callling for info. The pt/parent can give this number to people they will allow to call for info. Many parents have freaked when we won't tell them anything when they call after leaving, but we offer MR# on admission to parent (guardian) and usually not a big deal when you explain WHY we don't just give out info to anyone without that number

just wanted to say hi! and best wishes to another buffalo nurse. all the info is overhelming at first but you will get the hang of it. Best of luck

we have DKAs all the time. qhr bloods drawn and physically taken downstairs to the lab, with a full assignment!

Just as so many people say to me "when you have kids" ...it doesn't make you better nurse/doctor if you have kids. What about the ones who can't but love kids so much they choose to work with them as a full time job? Also brings the argument of having kids/being a good parent. Just because you created life doesn't make you a great person/parent. I think it has to do with personality, and understanding. Good peds people are open minded, easy going and empathetic. Fertility has nothing to do with it. I don't mean to sound rude, but I have a hard time being a 'childless' nurse. The GREAT docs/nurses I work with are in both situations. It's their personality that makes them excellent, not their tax claim status