Penelope_Pitstop BSN, RN

Penelope_Pitstop has 13 years experience as a BSN, RN.

Penelope_Pitstop's Latest Activity

1. 

   First Job: Rehab or Homecare

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to tatyfreedom's topic in Nursing

   When you're a new grad, you don't know what you don't know. In home care, you're a bit of a lone wolf. A visit may be only thirty minutes or so and quite possibly just one or two visits per week. Not like a shift at a hospital or facility that is eight hours long. In home care, you can't go back and recheck your assessment, you can't ask your charge nurse to check on the patient if something is off. And when people are in their home environments, they a lot of times simply do not look nearly as sick as they are. They may appear within normal limits, but the problem is that when you're a new grad, "normal" isn't something that is carved out yet. I started homecare after nearly 11 years of nursing and I see new things constantly!
2. 

   First Job: Rehab or Homecare

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to tatyfreedom's topic in Nursing

   Rehab. I'm in homecare now and I don't think it's really appropriate for a new grad. Rehab is closer to "hospital nursing," also.
3. 

   "My doctor told me..."

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to angeloublue22's topic in Nursing

   "My doctor told me I got diabetes from not eating enough sugar. That's how it works."
4. 

   You just can't make this stuff up!

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to hppygr8ful's topic in Nursing

   A woman took scissors to her Clintron bed because she thought her dog was trapped inside of it. (I'm glad I wasn't on call that night. This was in home care).
5. 

   Memphis RN wears violently racist t-shirt to polling place when voting on Tuesday

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to klone's topic in Headlines

   The first amendment does not protect the use of "fighting words." Furthermore, an employer may have a policy dictating public behavior. This isn't even necessary for dismissal in an at-will state. I don't know which states are at will.
6. 

   Old Threads

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to Davey Do's topic in Nursing

   Yes, did that woman end up wearing a bra to work? Did the deers get that nursing student? WHAT ABOUT THE PARABENS, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD???
7. 

   What actions give you a discipline type on your license?

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to Red_Diamond's topic in Nursing

   The vast majority of actions in my state involve controlled substances. This includes diversion, intoxication and/or recreational use of non-prescribed substances, forging scripts, count errors or charting errors involving said substances. Another one is not having enough CEUs, but claiming you have them and then being picked for an audit. It's probably the least severe disciplinary action but it still counts. Lying on an application about criminal or substance history, or if you've had discipline in another state is one as well.
8. 

   Are you a "Sister?"

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to MikeyBSN's topic in Nursing

   **sniffles** No, I'm not a sister. I am an only child, I always wanted **sniff** siblings. **Sob** My husband is also an **hiccup** only child so I'm not even a **sob** sister in law **bawls**
9. 

   Increase in Ehlers-Danlos (especially hypermobility type) patients?

   Penelope_Pitstop replied to ArtClassRN's topic in Nursing

   I... Um... uhhhh.... Yeah, I got nothin'. And I NEVER have nothing...
10. 

    "You made a mistake."

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to CharleeFoxtrot's topic in Nursing

    Yes, I've also had the dream wherein a patient is forgotten all shift. My favorite, though? Well, okay, not really...but it certainly stand out! In my dream, there was a patient sitting in the hall in a geri chair. I was charting, nothing really was going on at all. Then...a tall, thin man wearing all black appeared and stabbed the patient in the jugular. I ran to get help, but discovered all of the other nurses were on the porch (riiiiight), smoking. The patient died. And when I woke up, I realized the murderer was a surgeon I knew.
11. 

    What is a sentinel event?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Jaellys's topic in Nursing

    Root Cause Analysis
12. 

    Hospital nursing or bad management?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to JocelynM's topic in New Nurse

    Remember that in every line of work, crap runs downhill. Chances are, your management has received negative feedback pertaining to these issues, so of course, your managers let the crap slide down the hill to the floor staff. I had a manager OBSESSED with bed alarms. Everyone needed one, even a young person who wasn't a falls risk and was otherwise independent. Turns out she'd been chewed out by her boss because we had a spike in falls for a quarter or something like that. To me, this doesn't sound like a deal breaker. But that's me. Everyone has a different deal breaker.
13. 

    "My pain is about an eight and a half"

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Emergent's topic in Nursing

    I have seen him live four times. If he comes to your area, he is well worth the ticket price.
14. 

    Coworker violated HIPPA

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to AsanRN's topic in HIPAA

    It's very similar to the concept of "leading the witness" in court.
15. 

    Coworker violated HIPPA

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to AsanRN's topic in HIPAA

    Yes, that's the right way to answer! I agree completely. But what answer did you expect or want, OP?
16. 

    Coworker violated HIPPA

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to AsanRN's topic in HIPAA

    There's a number of things going on here that concern me, but mostly I agree with JKL. If you wanted to keep your distance in a professional sense, why bring him up when your "friend" was using her computer? What did you want her to say? I mean, you put yourself in her place, how would you have responded?