arelle68

arelle68 has 3 years experience and specializes in Mental and Behavioral Health.

arelle68's Latest Activity

1. 

   How to bring in a nurses union in a non union state?

   arelle68 replied to sunshinepsychRN's topic in Union

   I live in a "Right to Work" state, where all employment is "at will". I worked a very (very) sub-standard nursing home in my small town. I spoke up and told the auditor what an abusive, dangerous, and exploitive environment it was. I got fired the next day for stuff management made up. When I pointed out to the executive director that they had violated their own policy in firing me, he read me this "Right to Work" and "at will" law. Yes, they certainly can fire you for any reason, or for no reason, and they do. Free at last! Free at last! Thank GOD ALMIGHTY, I'm free at last! I have a way, way, way better job now, and I am so, so happy! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I don't need a union. I've got HIM to take care of me!
2. 

   Would you suggest nursing as a career to someone considering it?

   arelle68 replied to jordanl's topic in Nursing

   I would have posted "No, don't do it" if I had been asked about 2 months ago. I had been in LTC from the time I graduated until then. I have worked 8 hours without getting to eat drink, or go to the bathroom. I have carried a load of 28 patients, some of them acutely ill, with state in the building. I have been abused in all kinds of ways from all different directions: staff, patients, facility. I can't count the times I cried myself to sleep over things I couldn't do for my patients. I have been perpetually understaffed to the point where I could not ensure that my patients were being changed and fed. I have been frightened that my enormous, ridiculously rushed med-passes could not possibly be safe for my patients or my license. I have been sick with stress, and felt like my nerves were wrecked. Thank God, after years of praying for deliverance, I have a job with a state hospital. It is very, very different form working for a for-profit corporation. The care is about the patients instead of about money. It is a different world. I could do psychiatric nursing for the rest of my life, and love it.
3. 

   Reality check: new grad in SNF

   arelle68 replied to NotFlo's topic in Geriatric

   I got about two and a half weeks two years ago, then they told me to sink or swim. I swam, but only by the GRACE OF GOD!
4. 

   How Many Residents Do You Care For On Your Unit?

   arelle68 replied to Nurse!Nurse!Hello?'s topic in Geriatric

   22-24 very demented residents (heavy psych needs). 17 walk and talk (Think seventeen 5'8" two-year olds who are not potty-trained). One nurse, two CNAs, and one shower aide for 5 hours of the shift.
5. 

   MA's in hospitals, replacing RNs ?

   arelle68 replied to time4meRN's topic in Nursing

   Is this happening in your area? Please report. It will soon become the law in my state that facilities may use QMAPs (Qualified Medication Assistive Personnel). They are being hired for a few dollars less than nurses are paid. They will undergo 4 months of classes, and 40 hours of clinical time to be qualified. The facility will then employ fewer nurses. I would like to hear how other nurses feel about this.
6. 

   At what point is it not worth it?

   arelle68 replied to ONCRN84's topic in Nursing

   You need to get out of there at least for a while.
7. 

   not sure when to tell nm..prego?

   arelle68 replied to erin01's topic in Nursing

   Are you handling any antineoplastics?
8. 

   I work in a hell hole!!!

   arelle68 replied to LilNurse2b143's topic in Nursing

   If you can stick it out, you are going to be one fantastic nurse! I don't know how you are doing that. You must be some kind of miracle person.
9. 

   help!! very frustrated

   arelle68 replied to grlsct37's topic in Nursing

   My Alzheimer's patient yell "Waitress! Waitress!" at me. They come up to the nurses station thinking they are at a bus terminal. They want a ticket out of there, now! Nothing these dear people do bothers me. The phone calls from families who call me to relieve their guilt at not coming to see their mothers bothers me though. They seem to think that visiting me on the phone is good enough. I really try to be polite. I have a MILLION things to do!
10. 

    Are there jobs in California?

    arelle68 replied to Katie5's topic in Nursing

    All the jobs in Califoooorinaa, are filled by happy nurses with ratios who are getting really good pay. It's becaaause theyyyy had the guts to walk out. We'd all be employed, and the hospitals, annoyed, if we all joined the CNA! California Nurses Association, that is!
11. 

    Are we experiencing mass burnout in healthcare?

    arelle68 replied to SheaTab's topic in Activism

    I would have to agree with him. They are piecing our skills out to other professions one at a time. I'll have an individual with 40 hours of training passing my meds by this time next year...for cheap.
12. 

    Are we experiencing mass burnout in healthcare?

    arelle68 replied to SheaTab's topic in Activism

    I couldn't begin to tell you. I don't know if I could unite the nurses at my facility. For one thing, it would have to be done on the sneak. The first problem is just what you mentioned, nurses have to eat, and pay the bills. I would lose my job so fast, it would make my head spin. One nurse or two speaking out, or saying the "U" word, would be fired summarily. The second problem is that trying to unite nurses is like trying to herd cats. Everyone has their own ideas how it should be. It would be a challenge to get nurses to work together. It would be like trying to get Lutherans and Pentecostals together on a Sunday morning. (Not at the ball game.) See how nurses treat each other? Unity would mean that nurses were out for the best interest of other nurses. People would have to put themselves second, and the good of the profession first. The problems with unions is that nurses have hired business people to run the unions, and the unions have sold the nurses out to the corporations. I don't know what the solution might be. Let me pray about it a while.
13. 

    Are we experiencing mass burnout in healthcare?

    arelle68 replied to SheaTab's topic in Activism

    We are powerless ONLY because we are not united. We think that we can't do anything about any of this because the corporations have all the resources. Nurses have forgotten that we ARE the resource. If nurses would unite, we would have safe ratios, better benefits, higher wages, and less abuse to put up with, and our patients would only benefit.
14. 

    Medication Aids; What will this mean?

    arelle68 replied to arelle68's topic in CNA/MA

    So what you are saying is that the one Medication Aide replaced two licensed nurses. They hired the med aide, and laid off to LVNs. With nursing jobs already so hard to come by, are we just going to let this happen to our jobs? Is there any way to stop this from happening? The nurses lose jobs, the residents lose the safety of having a licensed professional administer their meds. The nurses and patients lose again. The corporations win again. When will it stop? :angryfire
15. 

    Medication Aids; What will this mean?

    arelle68 replied to arelle68's topic in CNA/MA

    This is what I'm asking: When you have a medication aide, do you have more patients? Do you have fewer nurses? Do the nurses have fewer hours? What does this mean for our jobs?
16. 

    Medication Aids; What will this mean?

    arelle68 posted a topic in CNA/MA

    One of my brightest CNAs came to me excited about how the facility has already offered her a job as a Medication Aide. She is about to start a four month program of training, along with 2 other CNAs at our facility. Our facility has not used Medication Aides up to this point. The nurses pass the meds. This is my question: What will it be like working in a place where UAPs pass the meds. Will they try to stretch one nurse over the whole facility? I would like to hear from people who have had experience with this. Will nurses lose hours over this? Will the facility lay off nurses?