RNmom08

Hi there. Been a while since I posted here since I'm so busy with work kids etc. I am in a dilema right now and need some advice. Background: I am pregnant with our 6th child and this is the 1st one I'm working as a nurse. Our youngest is 5 yrs old. Working now for a couple of yrs and have always always been more than accommodating to work with staffing and will swing shifts irregularly working a day shift here then a night then 2 days and then a night etc without recovery time between and not complaining about it. I work whenever needed and I am the only one who will bend over backwards to help out. My husband and I both need to work and we make things work at home. Sleep has always been a challenge for me with this "flip-flopping" but I deal with it. Now: I am 33 weeks pregnant and my dr (and I) both agree that keeping my shifts more regular (ie either days or nights) will make things easier on me and my body to get needed sleep. Getting bigger and working these unregular shifts if making it very difficult to get rest. 3 wks ago he wrote a Dr. note stating that I need to be on "regular shifts". The note wasn't specific to days or nights, but was obvious that was either/or. HR and my nursing manager are both stating that it is not specific enough and my dr says that he cannot tell them what shift to keep me on. (my dr has talked to my nursing manager personally) My nursing manager won't budge and I feel that I am in the middle of this mess because my dr doesn't want to tick off my nursing manager because he has to work with her too. I also feel that no one is looking at the stress it is causing me. HR is not helping and I feel just stuck. Luckily, I have had no pregnancy problems aside from the fact that I have braxton hicks for 3-4 days straight when I get over tired. My dr nor I understand why this is such a problem as in the past with other employees who are pregnant they are pretty accomodating to keeping regular shifts for those employees. What do or can I do??

Yes, definitely. In fact, I'm quite hurt by it - but I have to ignore it. I used to cry all the time because of this particular family members antics. We used to talk ALL the time. Do things together, talk about things, etc. This person turned vile toward me about a semester before I graduated. Then 6 months after I got a job, we bought a house and it got even worse. To the point that she went to my mom's house, tried to prove to mom on paper that we couldn't afford to buy a house (even though she has no clue what our monthly bills are), and then proceeded to tell my mom that I shouldn't bother to have any holiday's for the family at my new house because no one would show up. She is a very jealous person who says some very mean things about people behind their backs and then is very nicey nice to their face. In the end, I'm glad this happened because now I know what she is really like - her true colors have shown. I do miss what I thought we once had and am still hurt by how things have ended up. It's been a yr and 1/2 now. Point is, there is just some people who cannot be happy for other. I really think she might have some mental problems - but I'm only a nurse, I don't know anything. (according to her) **sigh**

i was wondering this as well. we have formula companies give the hospital their formula (in an effort to get mom's to stick with it after they leave the hospital.) they are great and besides, the bottles (i have been told) are a perfect place for bacteria to grow - especially if some parents aren't the cleanest or even the way some nurses clean the bottles. unless you disinfect them every time...

My person favorite is AMMonia instead of PNEUmonia. Makes me giggle.

We are small and have no CN. This woman really thinks EVERYONE likes her. (Several parents have told me in the past that they were glad I was their nurse and not her.) As we are such a small unit, it's hard for me to say something as well as not wanting to be a "tattletale". One thing is for sure - if my kids would have to hospitalized, she is not to be our nurse. Medically, we would be taken care of, but I know for a fact she'd be saying things to tear us down - whether I heard it or not. It's really a sad situation that she does this and doen't think twice about the things she says.

Hi there. I have an issue that I'd like your input on how to handle it or ignore it. I work in a peds unit with a coworker whom is very nice. (At least that I know of.) She is more experienced than me but at times does not seem open to new ways of thinking and we have in the past had some tense moments. With her having more experience, she thinks she know ALL. Now, I am bullheaded at times but I will have the courage to admit when I am wrong about thing. My co-worker will get very defensive and take it personally when she is wrong about something. (Nursing school one of the first things we were taught was how to take criticizm[sp?]. Maybe she missed this in nursing school...) Not only can she not take criticizm, but she herself is extremely judgmental and critical of others. She does it in a way that is very unprofessional. At any rate, there was a situation this weekend where she was very loud about her judgements toward a patient and the parents. She was not quite, in fact, quite rude. I was embarrassed that another nurse would say things like this. For sure if she would have heard another nurse say those things - she would be all over them about speaking that way. (Pm me and I can explain further what happened) My coworker is very judgemental about all patients/parents. If a parent leaves for a moment - she's critical of them leaving. If they breastfeed in front of her without covering up - watch out! she'll talk about how gross it is. {This one ticks me off because we are peds nurses for gosh sakes, babies breastfeed - it's only a breast!} I find myself getting very annoyed with this coworker and there is no way not to work with her. Moreso, I find myself getting angry that she can say these things and the parents may be there - or her voice may travel down the hall to the rooms. This is so unprofessional and unkind. I really really am sickened they way she carries on about things. I would never dream of saying things about people the way she does. And then if someone says something to her - her feelings are hurt and she ends up crying... Anyways, I'm not sure if I really need a reply or if I just needed to vent. THanks!

We don't swab for RSV. We do a nasal washing where we use saline drops in the nose and then bulb suction the fluid out. I cannot tell you how many times that a patient came from the clinic with what they told us was a negative RSV swab and then we repeat the RSV only do a nasal wash and - they are positive for RSV.

On our peds unit, usually kids are coming in sick sick so that means dehydrated and veins blow easier it seems. We usually use 24G - always on babies, even on toddlers and sometimes small children. I usually have blood return and easy flushes. We use scalp veins a LOT on those under 12 mos. Gives them access to their hands and fists to mouth. We do use tape like crazy and armboards to protect the site. Also we have the lowest IV infection rate hospital-wide (I believe because we tape the germs out LOL) I guess the gauge of the IV depends on the size of the kid. There are some BIG 8 yr olds out there.

Bump into her after your nurse/patient relationship is over. I agree - DON'T talk to your ethics person. You never know if this thing with the girl DOES work out, someone at work may have it in for you and try to say you broke nurse/patient "rules". It could mean problems for you and your license down the road. Good luck!

Not that I think this is the case with you, Angelfire, but once when I was toward the end of my clinicals for nursing school, I had said something to another nursing student. It was about some papers that I had set down and then I turned around and they were gone. Just GONE nowhere in sight. I was concerned as there was patient information on some of these papers. There happened to be another nursing student right beside me (I'll call her 'Ann') and all I said was, "Where did those papers go? They were right here? Did you see if someone took them?" She said no and I started looking for them. (I found them in a residents hands with a patient's chart - how it got there ... He must have grabbed it all together off of the counter.) About 10 minutes after asking the nursing student if she had seen where the papers went, one of the other students came up to me and asked why I started yelling at 'Ann'. I said, "what on earth are you talking about?" Well, apparently 'Ann' had told everyone that I accused her of taking my papers and that I was very threatening to her. When I saw her later and tried talking to her she started bawling and ran away. I was totally baffled by this whole scenerio. Nursing instructors spoke to me about my behavior - which none of them were around to see - and it turned into a big deal. Interestingly enough, 2weeks later, 'Ann' met with the instructors again about some health issues she was having. After that meeting, the instructor pulled me into the office and apologized for the events in the previous 2 weeks. Apparently, 'Ann' had some thyroid problems that was making HER very volitile and emotional. At any rate, maybe somethings are a little 'off' in some people whether it be stress affecting thoughts or something else. Usually we don't know what goes on in someones personal life. That being said... There truly are some psych issues... Good luck!!

Hmmmm. Here it was an extremely quiet noc.

What can I say??? I'm a naughty nurse! LOL LOL LOL! :coollook: Seriously though... If my mind weren't always in the gutter I probably wouldn't have 5 kids. heheheheheeee:saint:

BinkieRN: Have you found that it works better or about the same as t-PA?

I have heard that using bicarb is a way that one of our docs prefer to declot central lines. Can anyone tell me or direct me to some articles about this and the safety of using this? Our hospital has no policy on using bicarb for this.