missionnurse

I am creating a new set of pre-employment tests for RNs & LPNs and also for CNAs. What types of questions do y'all use for the pre-employment testing? Do you just administer a math test, or do you include basic skills as well. I would appreciate any resources you use as well as any advice! Thanks!

Why is it that every department seems to have great intentions about orienting new staff members, but those intentions seem to float away in the wind? In our department, we start off in "orientation" but we are so overworked and understaffed that the orientee ends up doing half the work while the orienter does the other half. So much for a good orientation!!! I love to precept others, but we are not given the chance because we are so busy with so few staff members!!!! What falls through the cracks in you departments orientation? What could be better? Just want to hear what other people think....am I the only one who is frustrated?

I agree with DukeNurse. Find out what the floor is like. What the pt population is. What the ratios are. How many ancillary staff members they have. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received is to remember that when you interview for a job you are there to interview them just as much as they are interviewing you! Ask EVERY question you can think of! Then you may find your choice is a lot easier. Also remember that if you start on one floor and find you don't like it....there are thousands of other nursing areas to work in. You are NOT stuck! Just go for it! You'll do just fine.

Hey, y'all! I need your help. I'm creating a new orientation program for the ER where I work, and I want to get input from people about what needs to be included. So, tell me what you want from orientation. What things do you think need to be included? What always falls through the cracks? Thanks!

Im currently creating a new orientation program for our ER, and I'd love to hear what y'all think are priorities for new ER employees. What are some things a person must know before being released from orientation? This is for RNs, CNAs, and Clerks... Thanks!

Im currently creating a new orientation program for our ER, and I would love to hear any ideas on what y'all think are priorities for orienting RNs, PCAs, and clerks! Thanks

OMG!! That is so funny! I wish we could use that one!!!

I agree! In our ER, the smokers seem to get breaks all the time--no matter how insane a night it is! Those very nights are the ones in which I might not even go to the restroom for the first 8-9 hours of my 12 hour shift! Frustrating!

At 3:30am the other night, I triaged a beautiful, smiling, chunky baby girl. Parents complaint? The baby got upset about something. She cried really really hard--until her face got bright red, and her eyelids even got red. So they rushed her right to the ER!

Vent away, Littlewonder! I hear you and I totally agree!!!

Hey, are y'all out there seeing a lot of MRSA abscesses? We are seeing them constantly lately. They are sooooo bad and just full of pus. Some of us have even gotten them. We are having to culture them all and put people on 2 abx including Sulfa if possible. I'm in South Georgia. Where are other people seeing MRSA? And what are you doing to treat it and educate people without freaking them out?

My favorite lately was, "We were at Pizza Inn just now and my daughter ate this pineapple (mom has more pineapple chunks in cup with lid). I think it smells strong. She must be poisoned. She needs to be checked out. And don't htink about putting us over in the Fast Track. She needs to be taken straight back. I'm sure her stomach should be pumped." By the way, the kid was playful and happy and denied pain. Kid said the pineapple was yummy! And to boot, I love it when people know what the Fast Track is and waht it means about their treatment level. I live in the Deep South and deal with a lot of Southern accent and uneducated people. So, in my triage note I will often quote the c/o. I get a lot of laughs with my ebonics and bad grammar quotations. I use these only for the crazy people who really have no c/o at all. Who knows why they are there!

We self schedule on nights in our ER. Day shift is on a 4 on 3 off then 3 on 4 off rotation. For self scheduling, we must work 2 of every 4 weekends. Holidays are a sign up policy. We must sign up for 4 holidays, 2 majors (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years) and 2 minors (all the others). It all works pretty well. We negotiate for special days we need by trading around with others.

As already stated, every now and again, someone realizes they would have lost their life or their loved one and appreciates us. Please don't forget what you saw and remember when you take a short and to the point report from a very busy ER RN. And thanks for the thanks.

I'm in South GA, and tonight is a great example of our shortage. Our ER is down by one half it's nursing staff tonight. And that's getting to be normal!