Devil_Duckie

There are plain fabrics as well. (The "classic" line.) And personally, I think the blue sky ones are ALOT more professional looking than some of the other "bouffant" scrub caps on the market. As far as the "ditsy" comment, well, I see some medical professionals (MD's, PA's, CRNA's and nurses!) wearing a LOT worse around the hospital... ...the "cute is for bedside" comment was a little out of left field, by the way...there is nothing "ditsy" or undignified by wearing a patterned scrub cap, so long as it is professional looking and not too over the top.

I chose the option "we have IV therapy," because we do have an IV team at the hospital. However, we are required to try twice to establish IV access unless they have a history of being a difficult stick (dialysis patients, for example) and only then are we allowed to call the IV team. This is the protocol on night shift, at least, it is slightly different on days. The IV team also is merging with our former PICC team and does PICC insertions Monday through Friday, day shift only. They also do the dressing changes on the central lines. So, my "vote" was only partially correct, while we do have an IV therapy team, we also have the opportunity to start IV's as we almost always have an new admission, an IV needing rotating, or a confused patient yanking theirs out!

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/ Cute fabric collection, well made, but a bit pricey....

I took Leslie's advice to heart and did a little reading...and found this. A mother's account of raising a transgendered child. Heartbreaking and poignant, it lends a whole new perspective to this issue for those of you who believe that a having a transgendered child equates to a raising a little girl being a tomboy. Not all things are so absolute, so black and white. Please read the following: http://www.transkidspurplerainbow.com/pdf/nurtuting.pdf

Park Ridge has its pros and cons as with any hospital. Mission is far and away one of the best in WNC. Best advice I can give you however is to stay away from Pardee in Hendersonville.

Commuter, I am certainly feeling your pain...I've suffered from the worst phobia of snakes and other reptiles since the age of 3 when I saw my dad kill a snake...even typing the word makes me shake. I've experienced all of the symptoms you described, and in the sixth grade a jerk found out my fear and threw a HUGE picture of one right in my face and I had an awful panic attack. A few weeks ago, I was in Best Buy pricing out surround sounds (yikes!$!$$$) when (Planet Earth was playing) a snake popped up on EVERY screen around me...I almost passed out and literally RAN out of the store shaking and crying. The poor sales guy probably thought I was a looney. Needless to say, it's an irrational fear but one I've had for as long as I can remember. Numerous people have tried to "cure" me of it (surprising me with rubber snakes, showing me pictures, trying to get me to walk past the reptiles in a pet store) but it has always ended terribly. Sorry to go on so long, but this has affected me for so long and is a sensitive topic for me. Thanks to Arwen by the way for the warning above the link you posted...I was about to click the link until I read closer. Calamity avoided. :icon_roll

You're absolutely right Steph....I should have been more specific; nurses are at a high risk for injury but it certainly isn't the most dangerous job out there. According to one article I looked up, logger and Alaskan crab fisherman are the two most dangerous jobs. Anyways, we went on a tangent, back on track.

Thanks SICU Queen, I was about to point that out. Nurses are unfortunately at a greater risk for injury than other professions...nearly 40% of nurses sustain serious back injury at some point in their career. Me: back problems (herniated disc, slipped L4-5) depression (nursing school related, genetically predisposed) headaches ...and I'm only 22. Trying to take better care of myself to prevent further injury. This is the only body I've got!

Hello all, have a question but let me give you a little background first: Received a new patient last night admitted from the emergency department. Her presenting complaint to the ED was left leg pain and after labs came back it was determined she was also in metabolic acidosis. She was admitted for the metabolic acidosis and also to rule out a DVT. Anyways, the patient came up with orders to type and cross and tranfuse 2 units PRBCs. The patient had an extensive medical history and had received blood before but I still did the education on the different types of adverse reactions to transfusions and began the blood. The first unit went fine, vitals all AOK, patient remained afebrile, no complaints of pain or rash, etc. Started the second unit. Again the patient was fine, no reactions noted, patient remained afebrile, etc. Protocol is to check vitals before initiation, 10 minutes after initiation, thirty minutes after, and then every hour until completion. Almost 1/2 of the way through the second unit, I checked her vitals at 0330, planning to come back in an hour and recheck vitals. During a routine check at 0415, she told me that for 'about an hour, my jaw has been hurting.' Immediately, I check her vitals and pause the blood. Her lower left jaw was tender and warm to the touch, and she even recoiled when I felt the area. Her vitals were fine and her temp had on increased 7/10's of a degree to 99.3. Baffled, I kept the blood on hold and got her a percocet for the pain and paged the doc. He came up to see her and was completely at a loss as well. The patient, while she had poor dentition said she rarely had toothaches and that the pain was in her jaw, not her teeth! The doctor saw her and after some consideration, he asked if I was comfortable re-starting the blood. I did and the rest of the unit finished without a problem and the patient's pain went away within the next hour and a half. Now, sorry for the long, drawn out background, but do you think the jaw pain was unrelated to the blood? I'm aware of all the common reactions to blood like flank/back pain, fever, rash, chills, syncope, hypotension, and hematuria, but jaw pain? At a loss here..... :uhoh21:

Grody!!!!! Out of curiosity, I did a google search and lo and behold, there are even websites out there about popping zips...even I felt like tossing my cookies and I have a pretty strong stomach. http://www.popthatzit.com/

WOW, I went and looked at it and what a killer zit! This thread is great as I too am a compulsive 'popper.' Only on hubby though, as I'd never cross that line with a patient.

Yes, there are several methods of chart auditing utilized at the hospital I work at. We have a clinical unit educator on each unit that is responsible for all aspects of nursing education, including charting, preceptorships, scheduling for classes, and communication with the nursing staff re: new policies, changes in procedures, etc. She also randomly audits computer charting, especially with the newer nurses (new grads like me, who welcome any suggestions when it comes to documentation!!!) and notifies them when an item on the chart needs to be amended. Personally, the only feedback I have gotten so far about my documentation (aside from the advice I received from my preceptor) has been regarding certain admission checklists and insulin co-signs. Our CUE pays very close attention to our charting and it's always considered a helpful and friendly reminder when she alerts us to a mistake. Also it helps that at our facility, we are allowed to chart within 24 hours. Additionally, each nurse is responsible for four chart audits per year (one per quarter) including computer and paper charts. I think the system is working very well however some of the other (know-it-all types) nurses on my floor think it's silly and get aggravated when they get alerts about documentation mistakes. Personally, I like the fact that someone more experienced than me is willing to help me with my inexperienced charting skills....

Congrats everyone!!! (especially you, Viking!) Best of luck on the NCLEX, you can do it!

:roll:roll:roll

Female, med-surg, one cat, and a bunch of fish!!!! We (hubby and I) were planning to wait on the whole pet thing until after we finally settled down (we're hoping to do some traveling, me as an RN, him a rad-tech eventually) and had the time to devote to them. That all changed last summer ('06) when this adorable little girl found us: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/star_tossed/Stellaresized.jpg She's a stray alright, pretty darn aloof, but cuddly when she wants to be. Stella is incredibly sweet and really low-maintenance, which is perfect for us. We're hoping eventually to get an Italian Greyhound (I need to pm Dutchy about that, that just reminded me!) but because they require alot of work (paper-training, obedience, etc.) and time, we'll probably wait til after we get the traveling bug taken care of! As for me and my hubster, we've both grown up around dogs all of our lives and having a cat was a pretty big change, especially one who's terrified of outside (her stumpy half-tail clues me in to why she's probably not too keen on cars and the like) but she's so easy and sweet, we kept her. I always wanted a kitty growing up but mom's terribly allergic. Now I finally get to have my Stella and wouldn't trade her for the world!!!!

Mmmmmm.... I voted! Best of luck on your project!

Jess, you'll be in my thoughts and prayers over the next few days...you will do just great, I have full faith and confidence in you! Or, as my mom said before I took mine back in August: "Go knock 'em dead, girl!"

I'm currently in nursing orientation (new grad here!) and have heard about the "TUGs" several times now....I haven't been oriented to the floor I will be working on yet, but I know they utilize one of these little guys to track and dispense medication. I was wondering...do any of y'all have experience with TUGs, and if so, what are they used for at your facility? Do they make your job easier? If you have no clue what I'm referring to, here's a few links: http://www.nursezone.com/job/DevicesandTechnology.asp?articleID=16163&page=On+the+job&profile=Devices+%26+technology&headline=TUGs+Let+Nurses+Spend+More+Time+at+the+Bedside%09 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=7803 http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2006/8/15/Florida-Hospital-Utilizes-Robots.aspx Looking forward to hearing your replies!

Best of luck to all of you!!! Be sure to take the day before your test and relax...that means no practice questions, no cramming, just do something for YOU! Get a pedi, go shopping, relax with a good chick flick, what have you! Keep that positive attitude and carry it with you into the testing center...you know this stuff! My mantra the whole time I was taking the NCLEX (for the second time!) back in August was "you know this stuff, you've studied your hiney off the last few months, and you CAN do this!!!!" I kept telling myself that failure is not an option and that God would guide me through. Keep all that in mind and you will succeed! All of y'all are in my thoughts and prayers; can't wait to see when you post that first "I passed!!!!" and "I'm finally an RN!!!!" If anyone has any questions/needs encouragement, don't hesitate to pm me...and remember you can do this!

I just did two days of general 'hospital' orientation earlier this week...and have computer training for the next two weeks, not to mention nursing orientation! Blaaah! Totally looking forward to being in the classroom for a few weeks....not! Anyhow, back to the thread...I agree with some above posters---jeans really don't make a great first impression, khakis or black slacks would be more 'professional attire.' After the first day, take cues on what others are wearing or ask what's appropriate attire for the rest of orientation. I'm definitely going to be wearing scrubs during the rest of orientation...a heckuva lot more comfy!

INFJ here. According to http://www.meyersbriggs.org INFJ's "seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision." Right on.

This thread is hilarious!!! Working in an ED as a registration clerk during nursing school, I saw my fair share of 'weird' stuff...the one that takes the cake however was the story I heard about a man getting a can of scrubbing bubbles stuck up 'where the sun don't shine'!

Whenever I was in clinical, we HAD to have our hair up and off the collar otherwise we were sent home. That said, it's a heckuva lot easier to just have it up at the beginning of the day otherwise I'd spend wayyyy too much time tucking it back. My hair is extremely thin and fine and it tends to look more proffessional and put-together when I have it up...so that's my 0.02!

I have definitely heard of her course and even took it this past May. One of her representatives presents the course once a year at a teaching facility in the area. As far as the course goes, yes, it is effective but it is definitely 'what you make of it.' I took it in May, did not put in the effort when I was studying for my NCLEX (I took it June 26th) and failed as a result. Only then did I get serious about studying for the NCLEX and went back over the Sylvia Rayfield books and completed the Learning Extension program. I passed on my second try August 15th. Again, it's all in what you make of it. Best of luck!

Was an only child, parents divorced due to father's alcoholism...I always felt responsible for my mom and very protective of her...as a result, I was always the caregiver and peacemaker of the family (especially after she remarried). Personally, I can see the correlation mentioned by the OP because of my personal experience. It would be interesting to find some statistics on that...