oopsimout

I have dysautonomia and tend to faint. Hence, oopsimout. This is why I had to give up direct care.

the difference with the patient being on the phone in their room is, oh, i don't know...could it be they are the patient? you are the professional and you are the one providing the service and being paid for it. i am all for technology, i love using the phone for looking up meds, dx, care plans, texting or paging the doctor. but not for personal business when the focus should be on the patient. i guess i have a problem accepting that because an unprofessional behavior continues we should accept it as the norm.

Having been a patient frequently and a nurse, I have to say, texting while actually providing patient care is a big no, no and pictures? Don't even get me started. OOPS too late. I did home health and a physician wanted a picutre sent to him of a patient's wound. I had to have a release form signed in triplicate. Our legal people were very hip on HIPPA. I'm afraid I would have reported her. Because, even if you work in the same facility you were not an employee at that time but a patient who deserved her respect and undivided attention. She could have stepped out and gotten a pen. Who's to say the next patient wont' get treated the same way. What if it was one of your parents or your child?

there is a serious difference between a patient that should not be held accountable and one that is just mean. i was given a left hook to the jaw and knocked a little kookoo by a patient having a seizure. one minute he was fine during his assessment and the next i was rocking backwards in pain. he wasn't drunk, had never been rude or even remotely appeared violent. upon first look he was a little confused and disoriented. i had already called an ambulance but i was checking his bp and bam!! the cops came because they always came to ems calls in the rural locations. asked me if i wanted to press charges because my jaw was already swollen and turning black and blue, my ears were still ringing too. i chose not to because as most have said, what point would that serve for a patient that was completely unaware of what he had done. now if it had been a coherent patient, raging family member or another staff member? you bet i would press charges. no one has the right to become violent with someone else. it doesn't matter if we have on scrubs or a three piece suit. just because we are nurses doesn't make us the whipping boy for society.

In college my biology teacher was a Dr. a DVM!! So, anyhoo, don't let her get you down. Believe in yourself and let your family know your fears. I bet they think you will not only succeed in nursing school but I bet they believe you will be the greatest nurse of all time. Who you going to listen to? Someone who has seen you work with a microscope once or twice or someone who shares their life with you? I got my BSN and never touched a microscope during nursing school. Do not let her dictate your self fullfilling prophecy. You create your own.

First of all..The nurse that was out of nursing for 11 years was, in the view of an employer, starting off on the same level as a new grad. If I were a potential employer, it would be difficult to hire someone out of the loop for that long. I would probably take a new grad first. Because I would feel that the one who hadn't been nursing for 11 years would need to go back to school for a few classes. More than CEUs can cover. Things in the medical field change so rapidly. So don't base your decision on her opinion. Yes, it may be difficult in some areas to find a job. Yes you will start out with lower pay as a new grad but what job have you ever had where you started as a new hire making top dollar? Just think, start low and you have no where to go but up. If you aren't in it for the money, there are areas that you find work. You may have to relocate. I went into nursing as a second career. I was almost 40 before I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I passed NClex in January of 2009 and have worked in 3 different areas. Found my dream job as a public health nurse. I would highly recommend a minimum of a BSN. This leaves you with more options. I hear Texas is always looking for nurses, new grads included. They still keep sending me requests for interviews. So, when all is said and done follow your heart. If what you want to be is a nurse, then be one.

I'm the mother of 3. My children were in elementary, middle and High school when I started nursing school. My first job was 730am to 5:00pm in a clinic. I did work most holidays but no weekends. My next job was home health, I worked weekdays 8-5, had call and worked holidays. The job hours were 8-5 but I wound up working an additional 5-10 hours a week on documentation. It was high stress. I left that and went into another area of nursing that didn't involve clinical/patient care..It is more policy and QI. I work 8-430pm, M-F, no holidays and no weekends. Nursing can be family friendly if you find the right area and the right employer.:)

I started college and Nursing school in my late 30s. When I went to nursing school I was 40. I thought I would be the oldest one there. I was very surprised to find that there were several students in my age group and we even celebrated on 50th birthday the first year. I found that age and maturity make a difference in the way you think and react to certain situations. You bring a differnt kind of experience to your classmates and the younger ones help you see a different view of the world. Nursing school in your 40s and 50s is challenging, thrilling, exhausting and invigorating all at once. You are never to old to learn something new. GO FOR IT!!!

Geropsych? Does this patient suffer from Dementia? If so charges or not, they may not learn a lesson. I don't think there is really enough detail there for me to tell you to file or not. I was a home health nurse and got nailed with a really good upper cut one time. The patient was having DTs and had no idea what he was doing. I did not press charges. I think alot would depend on the patients actual status and your hospital policy. If the patient is lucid and has a history of violence then go ahead if you feel the need. In the least the incidents should be well documented. I'm sorry that you have been assaulted.

I have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. When i stand up too fast I faint. Hence, oops im out. It proved pretty entertaining in school.