pgotm

Fentanyl is used the most. We are teaching hospital, and they don't like propofol, plus there is a nation wide shortage. Precedex is rarely used.

I want to have a vent 1:1! :) Wow that is awesome!

I want to come work, where there are aides! :)

Cooling blanket. I had a septic patient that got up to 104. I was nervous but with tylenol suppository and cooling blanket, it took all shift for the temp to climb back down. I thought we wanted to bring fever down, so we don't fry the patient's brain.

They aren't discharged until they are out the door! :) That's my personal opinion. They can have their paperwork, but I still treat them as my patient. They get all the same treatment.

Time to put in some applications for somewhere else. Do you really want to continue to work for this company? Best not to risk your license for their stupidity!

Always assess, pt's can change at any time. You would rather know that you charted an accurate view of the patient's condition whether it be positive or negative. And of course if you ever have to go to court, your documentation will paint a pciture of the patient's condition. Remember each minute is promised to no one. Here now, gone the next.

Working in Risk Mgmt, I think you need to have your policy revisted. This is not ok in any US hospital in America. If it is, this is a crime! I would contact your administration or risk department for guidance. I think there is some ignorance on someone's part, just not sure who.

If something happens to you, you will not be covered under workman's comp. May want to check in with local labor board about working conditions. Attempt to find greener pastures if possible.

Be happy doing what ever you want. Just be sure to research your local healthcare market. Where I live in Vegas, most hospitals don't have LPNs. Not sure about outside of hospitals, also the job market is tough for new grad RN's. Some out of school for a couple years with no jobs. But congrats on going back to school! I stayed home with my daughter for 6 months, and wish I could of afforded to stay home longer. :)

It is always better to give than receive.

giggling in my office, nice way to start the day.

i work in risk management, and cringed the whole time, reading your post. unfortunately i'm sad to hear that you gave in and signed the consent. imagine a patient in the same position doing that, and along the way, communication was broken, and another patient became and rapid response, and your nurse responded. during all the chaos, of helping that patient, she forgot about telling you that a new consent would be seen. your wheeled in to the or, and next thing, you have a wrong site surgery. you signed the consent for the surgery, validating that indeed that was the correct surgery to perform. you were aware of the risks and benefits. the surgeon and the hospital have very good high priced lawyers, that will do everything to protect them. i would speak with the risk management office and administration at the facility you were at. there are serious issues. i would hope that the md had informed you of the risk and benefits, and that the anesthesiologist, had come to speak with you first, before consent was signed. then that the correct site was marked prior to any narcotic, or anesthesia. joint commission has checklists, that facilities should tailor to their needs, that were invented to prevent these type of incidents.

I work Risk. :) Our policy is to have the detective come to risk. We get a copy of their business card, and give them the information they need. They are in a way covered to get information depending on the situation. It's almost the same when the state comes in. We get their information and give them what they want. I have had a couple incidents where they (State or PD) called the hospital. At that point we have them send over their official letter head, and the information that they are requesting. But the best thing to do is to talk to your risk mgmt dept.

I need that kind of DON!

I earn about 7 hours a pay period. I have worked for this company for 1.5 years. I think I have about 114 saved at this point. I find that I do have balance, but wish I could have more time off!

I am not sure what happened in the OP's case. But I just want to say that I went to nursing school to acutally help people. I believe that 100% of my co workers also want to help their patients. But with staffing issues the way that they are. I will be lucky to actually spend any quality time with my patients. I work IMC, typically we have 5 patients. We have 2 CNA's split between 42 patients. They help when they come but for some reason, 75% of our patients are total cares, and are on drips that require titration, accucheks q4 hours, trached, vented. It is hard to do what you have to do in 12 hours, and make sure everyone is cleaned, and needs everything that they do. I don't believe that nursing is like it once was, people are sicker, and mgmt wants more work for less pay and less staff.

simvastatin. crestor . propanolol. tricor. lovenox. procardia. vasotec. stool softeners after CABG, as not to strain the heart, like MOM, colace, ducolax. dobutamine IV (adrenergic agonist) increases CO. dopamine IV (increase CO, treat low b/p).nitroglycerin iv (vasodilator).natrecor (for CHF)

Op that was very well put. I do try to do bathing before they sleep if I have enough time. My total care patients that usually sleep all the time I try to get them up at 5am and perform care before I leave for the day so that day shift has a little more time and that the patient should feel comfortable just in case say shift is too busy to clean the patient, before I come back the next night. I do make sure and do foley care for my patients, but the smaller stuff I try not to stress about. I always ask my patients, so that it is addressed, and that I can chart if they refuse. It seems to me that more people code on night shift. Also at night we don't have the luxury of having doctors that are awake. So we are at time having to wake doctors up for whatever should be brewing on the floor. There is a reason that night shift makes more, we are sleep deprived, have shorter life spans, and in fight against our body when all it wants to do is hop in a empty bed and snooze. If day shift should complain, they are free to come on night shift, there are always positions open.

K 10meq over 1 hour IV/Mg 2gm rider over 2 hours/Las Vegas RN

Finacially for me it made sense to go the ADN route. I started in Aug 07 and Graduated in May 09. Found a job, started working and will finish my BSN Summer 2011. It cost me about $5000 total for ADN. My BSN will cost about $5000. It made sense for me to start working in order to pay for my BSN, and all my courses are online. Also if you go the ADN route most positions will pay for advanced degrees. I will also apply to NP program, and get partial reimbursement through my job while gaining experience. Just a thought. PS. Curious as to the 2 degrees you have, are you wroking in those fields where you can make money while you go to school?

Butterfly needles usually take longer to draw from when getting labs. But great on people with small veins.

As a new grad last year I started at 27.00 per night + night diff and weekend diff. Tough market to crack as there are 6 schools putting out new nurses twice a year. Hospitals are wanting at least 1 year of experience for 99% of the positions. Patient ratios depend on speciality, at the hospital I am in tele 1:7 and IMC 1:5 max. Other hospitals I have heard up to 10 for med surg. Since I have only worked at one hospital I can't tell you what other hospitals are like but it's decent, no major complaints. My advice is to apply first, and see what kind of response you get, before moving, and then ending up with no job. Good luck!

Yes there is a shortage of nurses, but at this point in the market.....hospitals want nurses with at least one year experience. I am in Las Vegas and it took me 4 months to find a job, and that was because my friend knew someone in management. In Las Vegas there are about 6 schools that put out new grads twice a year. In this economy we are all fighting to get new grad positions which are limited. A lot of friends had to move out of state to find jobs. This meant uprooting where they had lived, and taking their children out of schools. Not only that people had to start in postiions that they did not like. (Yes we do have to start somewhere, but some places are downright dangerous for new grads that are learning) Also there are people that graduated before me, that are still looking for jobs, and working at their pre nursing jobs. It would be in your best interest to post a discussion to graduates in your area to get a feel for the job outlook. Not saying don't go to school, but maybe have a back up job to pay the bills until you are working as a RN. Good luck!

When I started in 09 for Valley health system at 28.00/hr.