KenCCRN

I am not an APN, however.....1 month is sufficient notice to give. Its not like they made you a partner or something. You have to look out for your own interests...no one else will. Good Luck! Ken

I agree with Dixielee.....Paramedics are being cautioned to avoid going right for the ETT nowadays. I am a critical care transport nurse on an SCTU and am housed with the medics. We frequently discuss patient care from each of our perspectives. If the airway is manageable with a bag valve and you are 2 minutes away...why would you spend those 2 minutes trying to secure an airway that can be managed....once in the hospital setting and c-spine is cleared...then you can have the ER doc or anesthesia intubate for airway protection......just my 2 cents. Ken

Hey....only 7 months....I would stick it out and get the experience you need in ICU. Agency nursing...I did that fulltime for 2 years and its not all gravy. I was constantly farming every week for new shifts. You can be cancelled up to 2 hours before the start with out pay. My agency was a 1099 so no benefits. You get the crappiest assignment because regular nursing staff resent the fact that you are making top dollar to come in for the shift. If you can deal with that...then you will still be unhappy and feel that you dont belong on top of that. Good Luck! Ken

Hospitals hire new grads cause they are cheap and want to save money. That is all they care about today is the bottom line. So dont worry.... Our hospital is even hiring new grads in the ICU and ER....management says they are tired of butting heads with experienced nurses who speak their minds and want new grads that are quiet and can be molded to management specs. Ken

I remember one night working in the ER of a busy hospital and we had em lined up in the hallway. We had an elderly female nursing home patient who fell out of bed and was brought in by the squad. I didnt triage this patient but after all the xrays and a few hours later the doc told me to get this patient up and get her walking. Her xrays were negative and the doc wanted her to walk before we sent her back. I didn't know her well so I went over to the stretchers in the hall and tracked her down. I told her that I was going to get her up and get her walking so she could go back to the nursing home. " I said, oK let me help you up...you are gonna walk...your xrays are fine and nothing is broken." She said in a broken shrill voice, "I'm gonna walllllkkkkk." I said, "Yes, you're gonna walk." She said in that shrill voice, "wowwww, I'm gonna wallllllkkk." I said it again, "Yes....you're gonna walk!" She said, "This is greatttttt...I haven't walked in 15 yearssss." Oh my god...I held back the laughter and told her to stay there till I come back......LOL....I went right back to the doc and repeated the story....we laughed so hard we almost wet our scrubs.....what a night to remember! Ken:lol2:

I agree on a suit...unless you currently have a job and can arrange to go right over after finishing from the primary job. You can feel comforable in scrubs and can show a real work ethic by scheduling right after a long worked shift. Good Luck! Ken

FirsYear: I think WOOH is right....it could have backflushed into the piggyback bag. I frequently run the piggy back dry and then open the pump chamber and the primary fluid back flows all the air and bubbles back out and up into the piggyback....sometimes I let too much in and it looks as though there may be some med left over. I would not report that especially if it was a day from when you noticed it....way too long. Ken

Sherry: Yes...u can get a job...they can not discriminate against pregnancy. However, I would hurry....you have 3 months probation before your benefits kick in....and you will be covered most likely 100% if you deliver in the hospital you work in. Cost a lot to deliver nowadays... Good luck! Ken

I would try to get a refresher course as well ...and try to get back into the same specialty you left. You were nursing for 16 years or so and most of it is like riding a bike. You have the basic routine down...Some nursing fields have very little updates over the last 6 years....and some have extensive changes...so it depends on your specialty. But after 16 years of practice and a 6 year break...I wouldn't hesitate to ease back in. They may want you part time or fulltime though...they may feel that PRN would be too hard for you to get into the swing of things if you were only doing say 1 night a week as a PRN. Good luck! Ken

FirstYear: The reason the other nurse was able to be supportive even though she didnt like the husband....is because...she was able to remain objective and unattached to the family member. It takes time to just accept people as who they are and not be too judgemental. If I become judgemental then it stays inside my head and I deal with the patient and family as an impartial outside observer and care giver. If I were to get attached to every patient then I would be so drained everyday that I would have burnt out years ago. So basically, the idea is to be sincere and helpful, but not emotionally attached to any patient or family member. Ken

Ed: Just do some google searches for hypoxia and the other key words...the net has a vast amount of pics and info. Ken

First of all....going for your BSN is a mistake for a returning student. You should be going for a 2 year degree and here is why. 1) The 2 year program has a night schedule and is flexible and easier to get into. 2) It is mucho cheaper. 3)You can become the same RN and get the same pay in half the time and less headache and studying. You have a family to take care of while you study. 4) You already have a degree and most of the prereqs will count towards the 2 year degree....they used mine back 15 years. 5) You will get to work 2 years sooner an begin earning serious money. 6) The hospital you will work for will help pay for part if not all of the other 2 years when you want to go for your BSN or MSN.

Cheno: Wow!....thank god for self scheduling....hehe....no just kidding....working around her would be too easy. You definitely have problem if management doesn't support you. I would answer the call bell by intercom and if its not directly nurse related...I would say the the aide will be right with you....then I would tell the Aide that room 219 needs help and if she doesn't answer...I would help the patient make a formal complaint and state that the aide did not respond to the call bell. That is how you start....if managment doesn't answer the patient complaint about the aide....then you are really done. However, I would think that the patient carries more weight than us nurses. Seeing that those surveys are always floating around. Once you get the aide answering the call bells....that will free you up to do the other tasks that need getting done. Ken

Sassybottom: Dont take it personal....because they don't....They are lashing out due to their illness and it just happened to be you there. If I were standing there I would have taken the abuse. If you continue to work and show the patient that you will be there regardless of the abuse...then he/she will begin to respect you and you will see the change in that patient by the end of the shift or the next day. The key is to have no reaction...they are testing you to see how you will react...play it kewl....and things will be fine. Ken:idea:

Should be no problem....but I am taking a BSN/MSN with the Masters in Education at http://www.tesc.edu . The price is very competitive and its totally online with discussion boards and papers only. If you are an RN already, no clinical is needed and no tests. I am on my 3rd class with A's so far. Its for teaching and not Nurse Practitioner. However, when I am 55 or 60 I want weekends and summers off....and rather be teaching than at the bedside. Ken