okchug

had a CNA take a temp on a new admission. The second I laid a hand on him I knew it was not 97.6- he was burning up!! She argued with me that the tympanic was right and I was crazy. I checked it orally- low and behold! it was 102. Remember to treat the patient, not the machine.

it's sad to hear that intimidation and guilt are being used under guise of "baby friendly". This is no better than in the 70s when my mother was given no choice to BF- her breasts were bound with Ace bandages...babies were taken away directly to the nursery.....they also didn't ask for consent to circumcise my brother. Times have changed & they haven't. Before becoming a nurse, I was a doula. I've worked with many women and some really wanted to BF but even with support and time, it just didn't work. They already feel like a failure, the last thing they need is more guilt! I have two kiddos and BF both, actually the 2nd til he was 3 yo!! AND my first baby kept her "wooby" aka pacifier until she was 4- & now has naturally beautiful teeth without braces. I support each mom's choice on feeding, pacifiers, sleeping, diapering. You do what works for your baby and family. Education NOT intimidation should be the approach here. We want people to make an informed decision, but it's their decision. I also agree with many posts about extended families. Geez, moms and babies used to stay in the hospital for a week for a vag delivery! Then they came home to a MIL!

It's the OU School of Nursing. GRE is required for some programs. MCAT is only for medical school. OU does offer a PA.

at my old job there was a STOP LIGHT at the nurse's station .....demeaning as heck You think the Docs were held to the noise level rule- hahaha. they turned the stupid thing off. the stop light is used in elementary school cafeterias for goodness sakes!

true...it just seems a little "off". BTW, my flyer lists Taralynn Mackay, BSN, JD as the speaker. Where did you find Cathy White? That makes it weirder. Thanks for the suggestions :) I'd like it to be legit because it sounds interesting and useful.

Thanks! In OK we are not required to do CE....but I think it's good to have anyway. the flyer states that the activity was approved by the Texas Nurses Association, but I will call and find out about the ANCC.

Just got a mail-out flyer for a seminar covering "Nursing Documentation, Law and Ethics" from a company called Healthcare Enrichment Institute. It sounds very interesting, gives 6 hrs CEU, and is inexpensive. The speaker is a Nurse Attorney. I checked out the website but it is very simple with no "about" section or affliations for this group. It just explains that they produce these educational conferences and such. In their "event" section, the ONLY things listed are the 2 seminars in September, also listed in the flyer- is that odd? shouldn't there be more events at least in this region? Just wondering if anyone has attended a seminar put on by this company? Was is legit? If so, was it worth the time and $$. Thanks for any feedback.

Not to argue a point but the Pass/Fail pressure is still there, except as the nurse, the test is a living person. Everyday is a constant P/F of knowledge and skill. Nursing school is a different animal though, nothing like any other courses i've taken. People are generally shocked once they're actually in the program.

let's see.... school is stressful due to tests, reading, careplans, etc. You are responsible for yourself. & real nursing is nothing like it- no more tests, reading, careplans- yeah. BUT now you've got 8+ total care patients, meds, treatments, charting, docs to answer to, managers breathing down your neck, customer service issues......etc, etc. & YOU are responsible for all of it. school vs job is like comparing apples to oranges..........the stress comes from different sources.

A friend works for an insurance company, 8-5, m-f, no holidays, no wkends ! she makes really good money. With your 8 yrs experience you should be able to move into another area from bedside. good luck.

If the OP has such overbearing parents and is non-social, they may seek anonymous support elsewhere- like AN. they may also need to hear that it's OK to move on. There are many paths in life....my SIL has taken a very different one. She spent many years struggling and trying to fit into "normal" society with college and work- this caused a lot of mental health issues. Finally, after letting go of the pressure to conform, she is healthy and happy. She and her husband live in Europe, work with organic farmers and sustainable living groups. They get to travel all over and mostly do that on bikes! They have no kids, take no govt assistance, and support their own needs. You seem to have an idea of what you want...live the way you want to as long as you don't expect for someone else to pay the bills :)

thanks everyone! I have to agree with the lack of clinical instruction. Many times our instructor was nowhere to be found and we had to rely completely on the RN we followed. Some were not comfortable with giving us patients and tasks. I can't blame them. Also, the nurses are overloaded and stressed and then expected to teach. As a new nurse, I was assigned 2 students during my first week off orientation which was only 5 weeks anyway. It was stressful but I loved working with them and tried to give them an actual "day in the life" experience. Made a point to show them real stuff like organizing pts, taking report on 6 or 8 pts, assessments, talking to docs, etc. Things I wished I had seen in clinicals. All the feedback is great!

wow! thanks everyone for the insightful discussion. I appreciate all the perspectives and honesty.

Including me..... Looking through the posts I see so many new nurses wanting to leave nursing. Now, one might chalk it up to "kids these days" or the instant gratification generation, BUT I am not of this young population. I am in my forties, held different professional positions, chaired organizations, dealt with life and death- not a spring chicken. Many of the posts from new nurses are career changers as well. So it is likely not a generational problem. Believe me, I have reflected on my situation over and over, trying to identify the issues. Was it me? Did I have unrealistic expectations? Did I like some aspects of nursing and gloss over the others thinking I'd get used to it? Or was it the job- short staffing, too many patients, lack of training, lack of support? So, My questions are: 1. Is this a new problem, or has there always been a group that just doesn't "fit" or has trouble transitioning? Maybe it's just the connectedness of the internet that makes it more apparent. 2. Has the shift in education toward NCLEX changed how prepared students are for actual work? You always hear "you learn how to learn" or "you learn critical thinking in school" and the other stuff you learn on the job. BUT 3. Is it the lack of training through preceptors, residencies, etc.? Many new grads are going into regular positions with very little orientation time and no support system. SO they aren't being "taught" but thrown in to learn on their own. 4. Have the conditions on the floor changed for the new grad> more patients, low staff, high acuity, etc.? How does it compare to conditions 5, 10, 15 years ago? 5. Has the average nursing student changed? Is the motivation to go into nursing different than before? I was not motivated by "a dream" but by the interest in science, psychology and working with people. Does this affect our ability to "stick with it"? 6. Has there been a shift of mentality? "life is too short" kind of thing. Are we more likely to change when things don't go as expected or don't meet our needs? This could be good or bad. There are probably many more things to ask. Any input is appreciated. Just interested, not writing a thesis. Although, it would be a good project topic.

so, how's it going? have you talked with the attorney? Hope things are working out okay.

Didn't say they were perfect....I was just commenting her experience as she told it & how it compared to mine. Yes- we also have many programs popping up all over the place- "be an RN in 10 months! " Regardless of their system...we've got problems of our own. outta here :) peace

Good points about access and liability. and yes, you are very right. There are huge discrepancies between programs across the board: in classroom, lab skills, and clinical hours. I don't know what the solution is. BUT, unless a grad is lucky enough to land a residency/new grad position- they're screwed. There's not enough time, staff or money to fully train a new nurse. Most are out there with only a few weeks of orientation and little support, having been hired to regular staff positions. We are seeing many posts regarding the lack of preparedness, increasing frustration, and new nurses wanting to quit. I would have given anything for an internship/practicum like that!

I'm sure there are issues. She spoke of the labor ward....large rooms with many pts, no pain meds, no epidurals, etc...I was just amazed at the things students were doing and it made me think about my own clinicals and how many new grads we have on here (me included) that are struggling in the transition. BTW, I would not want to deliver a baby just wonder how to better apply the book/critical thinking as a student to the clinical side of things.

Just talked with a friend who is a cardiac nurse. While she has lived in the US for 13 years, she was educated in the Philippines. WOW what a difference in our educational experience. In order to graduate she had to meet very specific hands-on standards along with the book stuff. And it was not a check-off in the lab on a dummy! For L/D they actually had to assist with 10 deliveries- labor, hands on the baby, cut the cord, suction, etc with help from OB. We were lucky to even witness a birth during our whole three days of L/D rotation let alone be involved. Her list went on...in every area they had to check off a number of times on real patients and take their own pt assignments. On many floors we were limited, like ICU- couldn't touch the pts, and Onc- couldn't even enter the room without the nurse! I just thought it was interesting because of a recent post regarding nursing ed....the more I think about it, the more i do see how they teach to the NCLEX. I know we all had a required number of clinical hours, but those are not always very well spent. there needs to be more balance of book & applied knowledge and more structure to the clinical experience.

Here is their website... http://www.okhealthlawyer.com It's under construction so it doesn't have any info but there is an address and phone #. In looking at the BON website and disciplinary info, it seems that your problem would fall under "unprofessional conduct". It is a general term and can be applied to workplace issues. Honestly, the situation was unprofessional on both sides....BUT that doesn't mean that you should bear the brunt of it all. You deserve to defend yourself and get fair treatment. Good Luck.

found an ad in "Oklahoma Nurse" newspaper today.... I do not know this group just saw the ad. It says they represent nurses before the board. Scoggins & Cross Attorneys at Law Not sure I can post the phone number on here though- maybe you can look them up

sorry- didn't mean to scare you with the attorney thing. It just seemed to go better with a lawyer because they understood what was going on and what needed to be done. people without lawyers got in trouble when they continued to talk in circles of lies and excuses. Have you contacted the BON about who you can take with you or how to get representation?

my mother inspired me....she returned to do a Masters in school counseling and graduated at the age of 51. She passed away at 54! BUT she was the best dang counselor for those few years! she loved it, felt fulfilled and made a difference! Who knows what lies ahead-

Yes & yes. When I was there as a student observer, the person being "charged" sat in front of the panel and answered questions from attorneys and others on the board. Most of the people were there for drug issues. The board had evidence against the nurses and it was very much like a court of law. BUT they also gave people many chances to admit their problem and seek help. The ones who agreed to go to peer counseling were treated fairly and got through quickly. The ones who continued to make excuses and deny their problem (even in front of solid evidence, like drug tests or Rx forgeries) ended up being suspended. I realize that your situation is different and doesn't involve drugs.....but don't try to hide anything. Just tell exactly how things happened. Reflect on the situation and be ready to admit how you could have handled it differently. I wish I had more legal type advice....the BON is intimidating and I'm sorry that you are going through this. I will say that they are not evil- they really gave people chances to work with them and resolve issues. Be open to working with them. Good Luck

check with the Oklahoma Nurses Association or the BON directly......find out what you can do for representation. Search for attorneys that give a free consultation. good luck The BON might not consider it relative because it was between two co-workers and did not involve patients or nursing duties. Not sure.