Spritz

I use the formula drug ordered drug on hand Ex: 150 mg Demerol s/c Q2-3h prn pain. Amps of 100mg/1ml available 150mg = 1.5 ml of Demerol You will use 2 vials and waste 50mg of Demerol 100mg I always double & triple check my calculations and if I am not 110% sure, I ask a co-worker to check with me. I always get someone else to read insulin orders with me and confirm. I was a pharmacy tec before going into nursing and it's vitally important to be 110% with your meds. Yours in nursing

I have to agree. I will correct a patient by saying "This is a brief, not a "diaper"and will further explain that diapers are - as many have mentioned before are for children/toddlers/babies. A brief is a more respectable term - and that is huge to some patients. Even where I work in palliative care, I always refer to an incontinence pad as a brief. Further on that note, I always refer to "bibs" as "clothing protectors" as again, babies wear bibs :) Just my 0.02 worth Yours in nursing

Here in BC where I work (VIHA), there are student nurses (in the RN program heading into year 3) that can get paid student positions. I am not sure of the parameters around their practice or supervision required. I am an LPN and love it. I know the college I went to offered an RCA to PN bridge type program - perhaps as you already have some of the skills you could look at something like that - maybe the lists would be shorter. Good luck on your choices Cheers

HSA (Hospital Sciences Association) does not want the LPN's. They were approached a few years ago when HEU negotiated a 15% CUT to LPN wages. So those initial LPN's approached BCNU and it has been a work in progress for 3 years. BCNU does good work for their members. HEU wants to keep LPN's in with care aides - and negotiate as such. We want to be stand alone but the current union won't do that for OUR needs. It is frustrating. Thanks for the reply Cheers

Currently in BC, the majority of LPN's working in hospitals (and some private facilities) are in the HEU (Hospital Employees Union). This union consists of Support Workers. http://www.heu.org/ LPN's have mixed feeling about HEU in their history both positive and negative. LPN's have approached (this has been a 3 yr process) the BCNU (BC Nurses Union) http://www.bcnu.org/ and BCNU is currently offering LPN's and other health care workers an associate membership in BCNU for us to "check it out" http://www.bcnuassociate.org/ In the provinces (NS ? and Manitoba ?) that are in ONE union with the RN's - how is it working? Are you getting your needs met professionally? and supported? good thing? bad thing? what needs to be looked at? downfalls? Here in BC the RN's in BCNU are approximately 26,000 strong, LPN's around 8,000 strong. Personally, I feel a Union built by nurses, for nurses, makes the over all needs of nurses better known and understood. Being ALL together in one union makes sense to me as far as bargaining, contracts, education, support, training, etc etc. We have more in common with RN's than we do with housekeeping staff, kitchen workers, plumbers, electricians etc - as we have a licensing body, are professionally recognized, have a code of conduct, Standards of Practice etc etc. We are nurses and legally entitled to use the title "Nurse". I look forward to hearing thoughts from others Nurses for Nurses :) Cheers

I think we also need to consider the patients we are caring for. The older more senior population could/can be offended by your ink. I personally have 2 tatts and they are covered (lower back and inside left ankle). There are SOME cultures that see tattoos on females as offensive - just another area to think of when caring for people in our multi cultural society :) Cheers

I lived in PEI from 1986-1989 in Summerside - hubby was in the Canadian Airforce. The winters are brutal, the summers OK. Beaches are nice, lobster dinners fantastic (Mother's Day they start). You take a step back in time about 20 yrs - the island way of life is VERY old fashioned and laid back. We travelled to Charlottetown to have our 2nd child as the local hospital was VERY old and dated. On the base the wind was charted and recorded and in a year, the average wind was 30 km/hr. Our daughter had chronic ear infections until we left there which was partly attributed to the potato fields (caring of the crop additives) that fill the island and constant blowing winds (few trees). Remember, they base their entire tourist industry on a made up tale called Anne of Green Gables. We also lived in NS, in the Annapolis Valley from 1993-1997. Again - big time winters and you get the end of all the East Coast Hurricanes up the coast. Lots of no-see'ems in the spring - snow could fall in Sept and not be gone till April/May. WE lived in a very small rural community with a small hospital. Anything major was 1 1/2 hr drive to Halifax. Fall is beautiful in the Maritimes, the people are very welcoming and homebodies :) Having grown up in Victoria, B.C. the West Coast is home for me. Good luck in your quest :)

I work at Saan Pen - we live in Brentwood which is less than 5 minutes from Saan Pen. AND I also work at RJH and for a 0700 shift, I leave my house by 0620, and am parked and on the unit by 0650. Coming home can sometime take 40 minutes depending on time of day etc. Check usedvictoria , craigslist victoria and Kijiji for accomadation. Hope that helps Cristina Cheers

http://www.viha.ca/careers/job_postings/nursing/ That is for the public job postings. Once you are hired - likely casual at first? then you can apply for the internal job postings http://www.viha.ca/careers/internal_opportunities/ for all the other opportunities Wishing you the best :) Cheers

downtown victoria proper does have people on the streets but nothing like the east end of vancouver. the mild climate brings transients to the west coast. we are on the peninsula and you don't have that homeless quota as the facilities are down town as is the traffic for the begging. a survey was done by the local tv station and even with victoria having the lowest unemployment rate (more jobs than people) - that population would rather beg as they make more money - what does that tell you? the facilities in victoria for housing and caring for the homeless/addicted is growing however, it's all about choices and we know that everyone has the right to live at risk, right? email me at and i can give you the managers name at saan pen to contact - if you are interested. cheers mod note, please do not post email addresses as per terms of service, please use the pm system

Congrats

"We have a long way to go with this in Canada" To add to that comment, each province and then within that province, down to each hospital there are HUGE differences. Example - As an LPN in BC, in my scope, I can hang a bag on NS with KCl - that KCl being in the bag at time of manufacture HOWEVER. the health authority where I work say No No, you can't do that so I must get an RN to hang this for me - which is rather ridiculous - there are many "little" things like that where LPN's can be better utilized if the health authority would wake up. In another health authority in BC, LPN's may be fine to hang that bag of NS with the KCl. Everyone needs to get on the same page and be consistent now just for those in the work force but patient care as well. Just my 0.02 worth Cheers

I agree with you Pepper. We loved our time in Comox. Two of our 4 children were born in St Joe's. My brother & family live in Black Creek (between Comox and Campbell River) and it is lovely. I didn't like the thermal inversion that sits in the Valley in the winter but it's not like you don't get use to it - and when it's clear - the Glacier is splendid ANY DAY. I found there was lots to keep our children busy with for activities but that's the type of parents were are - everyone has different wants and needs in a community. We moved every 3-4 yrs with the airforce and I have my own thoughts about moving and getting active and into the community. Hope is still that there will be a new hospital built between Courtenay and CR - but it appears on hold for the time being. Who knows with the current gov't budgets and such. I love the island very much - born and raised in Victoria myself. Comox area does hold a soft spot for us, along with lots of great memories of our time there, it's a lovely spot. I work at Saan Pen as a casual and find it very supportive! Not as modern in some ways but very community oriented in all ways. Cheers

We had a fair dump of snow this year but for the most part, normally, Victoria does not get much snow. IF we get snow, it usually melts within a day or two. RJH is having the new 500 bed patient tower built, to open in 2010'ish (so they say). The cardiac unit is amazing and is in the new diagnostic centre. The Cancer Agency also has a large centre on the RJH site. Victoria General is a great place too - they take all the major traumas, maternity, neuro, paeds etc. Look forward to hearing what you find out of your venture to the island. Take care and all the best Cheers Teresa aka Tee

Hi CristinaUK - Not wanting to bash the Island as I am an island girl born and raised - but the interior - Kelowna/Penticton area is really nice too - some people feel *trapped* living in Vancouver Island - just an fyi. As I said, born and raised Victorian here - love it. Up island - Courtenay/Comox/Campbell River is very nice area - smaller than Victoria or Nanaimo. We lived in Comox for 4 yrs with the airforce. I quite liked it and hubby would eventually like to move back up there. You could check ou the VIHA site for jobs in the local area hospitals. We live outside of Victoria by 30 minutes or so - on the Peninsula and like it very much - more rural - great schools (infact one of the reasons we bought this house was so our kids to attend these particular schools - mother of 4 speaking) Message me if there is anything more I can help with. I work in town at Victoria Hospice (30 min drive) and our local little hospital - 7 minute drive. Cheers