ndynrs

wow, i think i would have lost my mind if that happened to me in nursing school. the stress level is already through the roof to begin with....

so after being out of nursing school nearly 3 years, i have just experienced my very first patient death. i've been there to assist other nurses during their patient deaths but this was the first time one of my patients died while i was on duty. death and dying doesnt bother me and im definitly not squeemish about dead bodies...but i dont think i was fully prepared for what i would feel. so this had me thinking that this could be a good thread, to hear about other nurses' first patient's deaths, as i am sure that we will remember them forever. so i work mostly night shifts part time in a long term skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, so im not on duty too often...i also float so i dont have the pleasure of working with the same ppl every shift. i do, however, still manage to develop very good relationships with my residents and the families. this past, week i was taking care of one of my "easier" residents....(he's bed ridden, does not speak, has a peg, o2, colonostomy, foley, and a slew of ulcers, Q6h accucheck, Q2h turn schedule, but doesnt EVER complain or use the call light:yeah:) and in report i got that he hasnt been soing too well since the last time i had the pleasure of taking care of him. a few days prior he started to run blood sugars that were off the charts and had no hx of DM.....well to make a very long story short...it became very clear to me that he was just about ready to depart, considering he's been at the facility longer than i've been a nurse and had even been on hospice once before but was taken off. so he's febrile with a temp of 104 all night and has tylenol ATC, which is doing nothing for his fever, his blood sugars are so high that my glucometer cant read it, and his respirations have increased significantly. needless to say i spent my 12 hour shift trying to keep him as stable and comfortable as possible (DNRCC) and on the phone with his very concerned wife. just about an hour before its time for me to go home his respirations have dropped very low..4-6, i have him on ice, room cool, cant give any more insulin.....i go in to change dressing and he takes his last breath.... ofcourse i feel so relieved that he doesnt have to suffer any longer but i would have given anything to see the rise and fall in his chest. was soooo sad for his wife, who couldnt be more involved in his care and super concerned about him this night. so this becomes the difficult part for me...calling her after just speaking with her a couple hours before to tell her that she needs to get there as soon as possible. the doctor was a dick:banghead:, i called to notify him and hes says..."k, bi" and hangs up on me..but wut more could i have expected, right???? the best part was hugging the wife and seing the relieved and appreciative look on her face when i told her that i was there with him when he passed and that i did my best to be sure he was comfortable and didnt suffer...she told me i was a credit to the nursing field:saint: the worst part was going on with the rest of my responsibilities, counting narcotics and going home as if this never happened. everyone seemed so impressed with how well i was taking my first death. it felt very normal to me...i know i chose the right field. i just hope i feel just as touched by all of my patient death experiences and never become desensitized....thanx for reading my very long post and i would love to hear your stories.........ndynrs:nurse:

i personally think this is a really good option. i started out as a nursing assistant then moved on to LPN and now working on RN then to BSN and then hopefully CRNA. this was best for me because i wanted to be able to provide for myself and my son, and it offered me a chance to get to know nursing from the inside out and the bottom up. experience that cant be bought. i've seen so many people jump right in feet first and run right back out with a green face. just pace yourself, u will definitly find what works best for you. goodluck and welcome to the wonderful world of nursing. i promise this will be one of the best decisions you ever made.

hi all. i am currently an LPN (working on my RN) and i have found that one of the wonderful things about nursing is how vast the field can be. i love that i am not limited to just bedside nursing although the experience there is priceless. i have a nice amount of long term care experience but since i've come out of school two years ago most of my experience has been in the hospital working with nursing informatics and IT to help facilitate the change from paper charting to a computerized charting software. i basicly train and provide technical support as well as trouble shoot any issues that may come about from physicians, nursing, secretaries, radiology, lab, etc. for awhile i thought that i was working to become a CRNA but then someone mentioned to me nursing informatics as a good choice. strangely- i never considered it (or knew it existed for that matter.) so how did some of you decide that this was the career for u? or did just find it calling ur name as it is calling mine since nursing school??? what are some of the best parts about the job (besides the absence of scrubs:yeah:)? how competitive is the market. it's amazing that i've always felt like i had a pretty good idea about where i wanted my career to go, but this is the first time EVER that i feel drawn to a specific specialty. how often o u see LPNs in nursing informatics and are theses realistic aspirations or should i continue working along side informatics and the analysts and find a job after RN school????

hi all. i am currently an LPN (working on my RN) and i have found that one of the wonderful things about nursing is how vast the field can be. i love that i am not limited to just bedside nursing although the experience there is priceless. i have a nice amount of long term care experience but since i've come out of school two years ago most of my experience has been in the hospital working with nursing informatics and IT to help facilitate the change from paper charting to a computerized charting software. i basicly train and provide technical support as well as trouble shoot any issues that may come about from physicians, nursing, secretaries, radiology, lab, etc. for awhile i thought that i was working to become a CRNA but then someone mentioned to me nursing informatics as a good choice. strangely- i never considered it (or knew it existed for that matter.) so how did some of you decide that this was the career for u? or did just find it calling ur name as it is calling mine since nursing school??? what are some of the best parts about the job (besides the absence of scrubs:yeah:)? how competitive is the market. it's amazing that i've always felt like i had a pretty good idea about where i wanted my career to go, but this is the first time EVER that i feel drawn to a specific specialty.

I Work N Ne Ohio. The General Pay Rate Here In Ltc Is Between $18 And $23 (newgrad) Depending In Shift. Many Facilitites Offer A Weekend Program Where U Would Work 12hours On Sat And Sun And Get Paid An Extra 8 Giving You Full Time Pay For Part Time Hours. Hospitals Are Considerably Less But The Least I've Seen Was $16 Once Again Depending On Shift. Agency Is The Best Ofcourse, With Pay Anywhere Between $22 And $30. Whats The Pay Looking Like There?

THIS IS MUCH MORE LIKE WHAT I'M USED TO! $10.00 AN HOUR?! YEAH RIGHT!!!!

I LOVE THIS!!!! AGREED

i agree with most that was posted here. my first job out of school was at a LTC on a "Weekend program" and to be honest i still had lots of orders to take off but not nearly as many as during the week on days. sundays are usually quieter. bow im addicted to the week end program. you can make full time pay working only two days a week. LOVE IT! then i can still have my mon-fri for myself and classes. also, my very first facilty was just in a word-TERRIBLE. sounds like u should just find a better one. i literally had to take my lisence and RUN.

this post makes me feel alot better about a very similar situation that happened to me at work where the on coming day shift nurse (who is older might i add) proceeded to lecture me about why i shouldnt have given lantus to a pt who had a BS of 64 at 0600. she seemed so upset and made it seem like i was so incompitent for not holding the lantus. needless to say this bothered me forever- being a new nurse.but i could have sworn lantus was long acting and basal. this happened literally 5months ago, i an finally let it go now that i've read this. SIGH. lol

funny i was just thinking the same!!