blue280

I am the manager of a Memory Care facility. I think I am burnt out. I have been on call 24/7 for the past 3 years. I have to cover night shifts if someone call off and its getting to the point that my health is suffering. We recently have had a change in leadership and I'm having a hard time supporting the new regime. I don't feel effective as a nurse and I'm sick of hearing all about what a "good leader" does. I'm nor sure if I even like nursing I want to find a way to get my passion back for patient care but I feel lost. Any suggestions

Wow, that's a new one that I haven't heard yet. Breaking down silos is big by me. Also the superlatives make me sick. Everyone is doing an AWESOME job

We have that problem by us also. Its ok to chart the residents actions as long as you chart what interventions that you put in place to try to reduce the behavior. If there are no interventions besides prn given, it may look like there was nothing done. Also, I'm not sure if I would chart any "possible" behaviors, only chart what actually happened

I agree, when I signed on to my management job, it was explainedthat I would be salaried. I carry a pager 24/7 and many times work weekends. Granted, I love what I do but the responsibility can be overwhelming at times

Hi Lexibear99, I find my residents LOVE to reminisce! Talk about anything from the past. Having babies and talks of weddings are popular. We have an activity dept that does alot with our residents. Many different kinds of crafts, knitting, ect. They also love to listen to music, we have muscians from the community come in and play. And every Saturday, they love to watch Lawrence Welk. As far as med lock up, I am in a large CBRF (114 residents) and we keep all the medication that we give in a locked room. Our state regs require any Scheduled II meds also be locked in a cabinet or a lock box that is permanently affiixed to a wall. Some of our residents keep control of their own medications and keep them in their room. I am the RN clinical health services coordinator (fancy name for nurse manager but nurse manager is too clinical sounding) I oversee a staff of about 45 people, nurses, caregivers ect. I wear a pager 24/7 and I absolutely love what I do! If I can help with any of your questions, just let me know

Hi, I am a nurse manager in a CBRF and we have approx 120 residents. during the week each nurse has about 30-35 residents to pass meds to but on the weekend they are responsible for around 60-70 BUT they have a med aide working with them. 60 by yourself seems like an awful lot!

Hi, asking the question to find out in your facilties, when a resident is on aricept and/or namenda and it is no longer giving the resident any benefit, do you taper the resident off or just quit cold turkey? Its a bif issue for us right now. One of our MD likes to pull both drugs and we see a HUGE difference in mental status/ physical decline. Any imput would be helpful! thanks

Congrats on sticking it out! I work in an ALF and I basically do the same thing, I never ask my staff to do anything I myself won't do. I have a wonderful boss and he is very supportive of the decisions I make. I think healthcare is a very hard field to be a manager in. You are dealing with staff and with the residents, family, doctors ect. Before I was a nurse, I worked as a group leader in a factory and I thought THAT was difficult! I really love what I do and your passion for what you do comes across well. Keep up the good work

Hi everyone! HAve not been onsite for quite a while but thats because I took a job as a clinical health services coordinator in a ALF!!! As you know, it can be very busy in these types of positions but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I manage 2 facilities, one is 16 beds and the other is >120. I would love to be able to talk with nurses in my situation. Most of my friends who are nurses just don't understand what I go thru. Regulation for ALF is SOOOOO murky. Well, hope to talk to some more of ya soon!

I used to work in a chemical factory and would get siver nitrate stains on my fingers and hands frequently. They usually wore off in a few days

Gosh, I feel bad. It's only taken me 5 years. My last 1.5 has been in hospice and it real just sucked the life out of me. Will take a job now with less pt care to see if that helps

Good timing on this thread! I had a pt yesterday with compartment syndrome of both calves. She was in the unit for a week, dx with rhabdo, 3bouts of dialysis. Labs are looking much better now. Big pain control issues! She has 2 facsiotomies on both legs, I never saw wounds like that! problem is, she has been in for opiate toxcitity in June and now her MD's are leery of prescribing too much for pain. Even with the facsiotomies she has, her legs are still very edamatous and she cries during dressing changes (which are Q4hrs) She has a fentynyl patch 75mcg and get oxycontin SR 20mg Q12hr. Any suggestions?

Is this strange! Just today I fanally told a co-worker that while I understand the stredd on the unit, whining and complaining about it just makes me feel worse. I told her from now on, if I can fix it then I'll try. otherwise all the bellyachin' in the world won't help and I know I can find more productive use of my time.

Today my homework from rounds was to find out from the MD why he did not order a psych consult on a ETOH withdrawal pt. MD was firm in his belief that the pt did not need a psych consult. My manager wanted me to report the conversation in writing (I guess she is following up on all the requests made in rounds) I suggested that she tells the docs that they should come to rounds. She said it wouldn't be convient for them! I told her that its not convienent for me to call them for things that could wait and I think it is irritating to them to get these kinds of calls. It definately is not fostering good MD/RN relations at this point. Now they are getting a new work group in to teach MD's how to write progress notes so they fit a pt's DRG. Guess who these docs are going to take their frustrations out on?

Just sat on a commitee at work cuz they want us to start this. None of us are comfortable but interventional radiology is always on hand to help. Its not a chest tube per se that we irrigate, there is a small catheter that is put in the pleural space with a stop cock attaches. You put in a small amt of saline and GENTLY aspirate out. If I have ANY questions, I'm on the phone with IR and they come up to do it.