MedicalNerd

Thank you all for your input, I decided to talk with my manager and got it off my chest. Apparently this is not a new issue with the Neuro MD, it has been happening for a few months now. My manager did say that she would like a description in writing so that she can have more data to support the follow up with the correct management regarding this behavior. We will see what happens, but at least I know that I am not alone in this. Thank you all!!

I recently had a very uncomfortable situation with two MD's in my unit yesterday that has left me feeling hurt, angry and simply stuck in the middle of something that I have no control over and I cant get it off my mind. I have been an RN for almost 4 years now and I have dealt with some uncomfortable situations with co-workers and MD's but not at the level that I experienced yesterday and I really don't know how to deal with this both externally at work and internally within myself. Here is what happened, Please give me some feedback on what you think and how you would handle it. I work in a high acuity Neuro Surgical ICU, and we have very complex patients, we have neuro critical care intensivists who like to manage all aspects of the patient. They rarely ask for consultations for other specialties but some patients who become very complex, they ask for the consult. There are some known conflicts between our neuro MD's and the pulmonary MD's and I feel that I have been put in the middle of two of them, which is very unsettling for me. The Neuro MD (MD P.) told me that he knows MD B. from pulmonology was looking for things to bring up to discredit his work, I could tell by his tone of voice and his attitude he was very irritated at the situation. I tried to be a non-partisan to the issue and simply told him that I was sorry that it was happening. But yesterday MD P. accused me of going behind his back and asking MD B for orders on a complex patient that they happened to be consulted on. MD P told me that he would report this to my manager; that I was trying to practice out of my scope and that I was going behind his back for orders on his patient. He told me that I was a really great RN and that he really likes my work and care I provide and thinks I am very smart but that if there are things that need to be addressed with the Pt, that I talk with him about it. My conversation with MD B previously had been questions about what he thought about a specific situation regarding a Pt's DVT and he asked me for my thought on things that the Pt may need, I mentioned swelling in the Pt's extremities and that the right was more than the left (which I also told MD P. about but he was not convinced it was important to the current treatment at the time). MD B ordered Ultrasounds on all extremities for the Pt and told me that he would address it. I told MD P. that MD B. had ordered the US and he was irritated about it but told me he would talk to him about the situation and told me that his current treatment of the Pt would not change currently even if more were found. At that time he accused me of nothing until a day later when he spoke to me about it. I told him that I did not ask for any orders but that I simply told MD B what I saw and asked him a few questions about probability of additional DVT's. After MD P confronted me, I was very upset. I tried to act like it didn't bother me, but I do not hide some things well, I was very tearful the next few hours and his words kept swarming my mind and I couldn't believe that he was accusing me of this, His words were so hurtful to me. MD B ended up coming in to see the Pt later in the afternoon and he immediately told me that MD P spoke to him about the situation and was very upset about the order and his participation in the case. I was already upset and almost on the verge of tears and he saw it in my face, he asked me what happened and what was said to me. I tried my best to hold it in and I told him that I was told what was said to me and that I did not want any part in whatever the two of them had for each other. MD B was sorry that his actions caused this for me and he would talk to my manager. I told him that at this time I would like to say nothing to my manager about it and that I would approach the issue as I felt best, he then accepted that decision. For the remainder of the shift I was very not myself, MD P approached me and asked me if there was anything I needed to say and said that I was acting very snobbish. I told him that I had nothing to say, I just did not feel that I had the right words to explain the way I felt about this and I needed time to think about how to understand this situation. MD P asked to speak to me at the end of the shift on his way out, I agreed and he told me again that he really likes me and that I a great RN, but that if there is something that his patient needs, address it with him and not another MD. It took a lot of nerve to come up with any words that would make sense coming out of my mouth at the time but I managed to say that before he starts accusing people of things he needed to understand the RN role, that if a MD; any MD asks us what we see and what things we think, we will always tell them and report the information. He said to not take his previous words in the wrong way and not to get upset about them and that he did really like me and how I provide care to our Pt's. But even after the conversation I still feel so hurt by the words he spoke, they sting and that I am not able to get rid of. I feel that I am getting in between two MD's, one of which has been known to start drama and I want no part of if. I want to tell my manager about it but I am unsure if I should. I am only sure that I want absolutely no part in this squabble and drama because I am the one that got hurt and I am not ok with this feeling. This whole situation sounds like an episode of grey's anatomy or something and I want out!!

I would have to say that I have been in your shoes. My 1st semester I was 110% focused on school and only thought about schoolwork and clinical work leading to anxiety attacks in the middle of the night. Towards the end of the semester I had to wear a Heart Monitor because my heart rate was out of whack.( going from 40 to 140's) Most of the semester I never felt hungry so I wouldn't eat. I was only getting like 600 cal a day and I knew that it was not enough to be able to exercise. I wanted to badly but I felt that I would make myself sick if I over did it and I did not want to set myself up for failure. After the semester was over I was able to reflect on how I handled the 1st semester and I have made some changes to how I am living as a nursing student. I still get anxious from time to time but it is much better because I talk myself out of getting all wound up in the first place. I am eating better and was able to start exercising again which for the last new months now I am working out consistently 4 days a week. I Think of it as "me time" and so I treat it will the respect that it is "needed mental time" and it makes me feel so much better. So far my heart is doing great, I am feeling much less stressed and I am still focused but I am more balanced than last semester. Think about your lifestyle and how you cope with your stress. Make time for "YOU" and you will appreciate that time spent; looking forward to it more and more. Good Luck and if it still seems to persist, let you doc know. He/She will give you more guidance.

I know that they give Iron that way

I have my final on the 15th and that evening I am throwing a end of the semester bash at my place!:cheers: I am so ready to have my life back... I can cook, go to the gym and enjoy talking with my family and friends! I might even get to take a mini-vacation! :omy:

This is what I know about the Chem classes. 306 is the 2nd half of the college chem courses including some o-chem. 309 is both 305 & 306 together in 1 semester. If you want to use the x-fer to Sac State then you can take the 309 and it should qualify. Last time I looked it was. If you have a strong chem background... save yourself the time and energy and do the 309. It goes fast and you will be done in 1 semester. Good luck :typing

LOL, Yeah I do the same thing. I think I have 2 10ml syringes for SL flushes and 2 Saline locks. It seems to pile up over the semester doesn't it. I am just going to throw them in my skills kit bag. I have collected a few things over the semester. I have an unused NG tube that I measured on a Pt since she had hers down 12 inches too far. Yeah that was an interesting day! You can use these things to practice when you feel the need and they are the same thing that the hospital will have to use, so in my eyes it is a win win.

Any time I have flushed a SL I used the 10ml syringe and was gentle with the pressure. If I met resistance I would apply slightly more pressure but if there was still resistance I would call the RN or my instructor. It is hard sometimes to know how much pressure is needed VS how much is too much. I think it will come with experience.

UGH... The ATI is ok but way overpriced for the product. The books basically give you in a nutshell what the textbooks do so it is a great review but at this point it's just ok. This semester we had to pay $120 and the remaining 3 semesters we have to pay $83 each semester for the materials.

This is an incredible story Thank you for sharing!

Yes I tutored through the LRC as a Beacon tutor for groups. I really enjoyed it and it has really helped me stay up on the material that I spent long nights learning! Marsha Reske is the coordinator for the Beacon program at ARC and she is always looking for individuals to tutor students. I tutored specifically for 2 instructors (Liz Torrano and Marcie Woolsey) so you may want to talk with the instructor that you had and find out if they are interested in having you be their tutor. Genarally they like you to have a specific instructor that you tutor for.

It is unfortunate but I think that it is an average of 20% drop the 1st semester and another 20% drop the 2nd. Most of those that have dropped have had problems with family or their health. Some did really find out that nursing was really not for them. It is really sad to see someone drop after they waited 2-3 years to get in and they drop. What is even more frustrating is that there are others out there like you that are ready and waiting and now that spot is empty. My advice is while you are waiting, volunteer, take additional classes and keep yourself immersed in the subject so that you really know and you are even more prepared when it does happen. It really does, just keep applying because you cant win the lotto if you don't play. It took me 2 years but I spent the time taking the extra classes like pharmacology and dosage calculations, medical terminology and I tutored A&P students for 4 semesters. It was well worth it because I was much more prepared for NS than many others.

They only accepted 50 for Spring, 3 are returning from the previous semester. Our class accepted 63 total, 5 were returning. Now at the end of the semester we are down to 51.

I had my 1st OR experience today in Clinical today and it was really great. I am a 1st semester ADN student doing a Med/Sug rotation in a post-surg unit. My pt today had needed to go in for a cystoscopy, retrograde pyeloragram and a ureteroscopy. I was just curious to see what others had for their 1st OR experience and did you think it was a good experience for you? Thank you for your thoughts!

I can totally relate to the excitement of getting something done to yourself when you are learning about it. I had a EKG done yesterday and I am currently on a heart monitor and I have been a little curious about what my results are related to the norm and abnormal. So far I am just showing a sinus arrhythmia but they are not sure if it is also a flutter. It's kinda stressful at the moment because I am not sure what the survey will be but it is interesting to see on myself. I hope all goes well for you on Friday!