pwp1289

all the married women did the best in my nursing class--one woman even had 9 kids and was at the top of our class! ! ! ---you'll still be 10 years older in 10 years whether or not you go back to school--so go for it------good luck--I have been working my dream for the past 44years and wouldn't trade it for a second

it "pays" to work weekends where I work--not only do eves and nites get their shift differential but ALL shifts get 25% more for weekends:yeah:

we don't culture the nurses but ALL patients are nares cultured upon admission to any unit for MRSA (we have been doing this for the past 6-8 months) and we have been culturing ALL pts going in and out of ICU for both MRSA and VRE ( nasal, pharngeal,rectum,perineum) for the past 10 YEARS

I have told MDs to go and wash their hands, stethescopes etc--now with acute rise with MRSA --our infection control "spies" are everywhere and all staff members are being reminded to wash hands etc--and we no longer move beds from room to room when needed, we just move parients ! ! takes longer but our incidences of MRSA and CDIFF have dropped drastically

this isn't humorous but I'll never forget it---I work in a VA hospital and after 9-11, we were worried that all the TV coverage would affect some Vets especially those with PTSD--we had one vet, over 75 years old sitting in the hall and he stopped me and asked me to take him to see "the commander " so he could reenlist and "help the guys out", when I explained to him that he had passed the age of enlisting, he got this sad look on his face and said--"theres got to be something I can do around here for the guys"-----

I have been working at a VA hospital for the past 18 years--my nursing career has been in county owned, private and now a VA hospital--and I can say the Vets get the best care around--supplies are bountiful and the Vets get all they need--we have extraordinary ancilliary support and some go out of their way to help the Vets--its most rewarding to help those who have ensured us the freedoms we now enjoy and cherish----and ps the pay is comparable

we have 1 1/2 hr before and after window to pass meds--we have mostly LPNs pass meds and they have no more than 20-23 pts to do both po and iv meds--its especially heavy at the 10am ( our QD time) pass but they can start at 830am--with our computerized system, they can see on the screen the last time the med was given so spacing between meds isn't too close

hospitals are all cutting their ot budgets--so don't count on all that ot--and you'll certainly burn out with all those hours--find a hospital with good flex-time working hours and enjoy life now

I wear a good walking/running shoe/sneaker--I used to balk at the price of really good shoes until I rationalized that I do wear them 5 days a week--every week and I don't let them wear down- I get new shoes often--I also wear support hose--you can get some good knee-hi ones--I've been nursing for over 40 years and my feet/back and legs are still holding up pretty well !!!!!

the nurses can wear any color scrubs--i make my own tops and have some for all the holidays--even columbus day!!!! i have made and worn "costume scrubs" for halloween--

yup ==we've all done it--called a pt and he replied "don't worry my daughter works in a hospital and she took it out"---she works in dietary !!!!!!!!!!

there is nothing wrong with " butt wiping"--I have been a practicing nurse for almost 42 years and ALL of it has been at the bedside--I was never interested in becoming a "clipboard " nurse--I still thoroughly enjoy patient care that includes "butt wiping" --interaction with patients still makes me proud to say "I"M A NURSE"

i work in a veterans hospital and we are totally computerized--all orders must go into the computer. only in real emergencies are we to take verbal orders--med orders go directly to pharmacy, same with labs, diets, xrays, consults etc. we have a back up papersystem in place when computers "go down"--we give irm time to solve problem then we start "downtime"orders after go ahead from admin-- we also have totally barcoded med admin using computers--we have one designated computer that will print out med sheets ( the old-fashioned kind)-even when main computers are down-- and they will also print out pts history,current meds and recent labs as ALL pt info is in computer---we really haven't had any long time down time-- the longest was i think less than 24 hours-- i totally love these systems

we usually collect money for a gift, go to a hall, hire a dj ,enjoy a good meal with all that want to come--have had some pretty good parties, "roasts" and dancing--i have been to some where the DON comes and gives a certificate of "meritorious service" etc from director and gives a speech--each party tries to outdo the last one , so they are really something else !!! can't wait for the one next month !!!!!!

doing mouthcare on someone who is a mouth breather and you have to peel the stuff off !!! it gets me everytime

i guess i'm an experienced nurse because i laughed

had a young male pt dying with leukemia and just about comatose for several hours---all of a sudden he was trying to climb out of bed yelling--"i have to go see st peter--i have to go see st peter" AND HE DID !!!!

i work in a va med center and are totally computerized--mds order current meds and they are sent to pharmacy--nurses used to do the d/c med teaching but pharmacy wanted to do "what they do best" so pts now go to pharmacy for meds (the va supplies most all meds) and all med instructions--it really cuts down d/c time and many headaches we used to got through

we are totally using bar code administration for all meds--po iv and iv p/b--will tell you "invalid med/has already been given " you have to "zap" each pill bubble if dosage requires more than one, and it even tell you when you are past admin time--(you have to give a reason) and it will also tell you if the time span between admin times is too short !!!! didn't klike system when we started but now think it is terrific--i know it has kept me from making errors with meds !!

yes this has happened to me twice-----the 1st time was with a young man --his family was notified that he had expired and i asked how long it would take to come and see the body--since it would only take a few minuted i went right in only to find him breathing !! so what do you do?? call an "uncode" ??? pt lived for three more days----the 2nd time was just recently when pt "coded"---md only had 8 minute code before calling it but as we were getting body ready, we noticed him breathing with pulse--slo acting meds i guess---rushed him down to icu, family came in and made him comfort care--a little ms and he eventually died--- I saved the telemetry strips-amazing reading to say the least

have read all her books--fiction/nonfiction an dhave enjoyed them all ---check your local library

i work in a veterans hospital and as of march 1st--artificial nails must be removed--an edict from washington--it will apply to all patient care personnel (worker and supervisor alike ) who have even occassional patient contact.i have had art nails for over 20 years, always keep them short,my salons "law" is new sets every 2 months and each client has their own set of files,buffers etc that are kept separate from everyone elses and i have never had trouble with fungus at alll. not even the union could fight the big guys in washington--i will certainly look into all the helpful hints to grow strong nails--and ask my salon what they suggest

i find the premixed 10 meq kcl in 100cc d5w have all the pts complaining but when pharmacy mixes 100 meq in ns the complaints are rare--there is no kcl vials allowed on the medical floors, we can only run 1o meq in 100cc over an hour on the floors--if higher strengths needed, the pt must go to icu---maximun in large volumes is 40meq in 1000cc at not more than 125cc hour

have been nursing for almost 40 years and still remember this incident from my first years as a nurse---young fellow dying from leukemia, almost totally comatose, suddenly sat up in bed, trying to get out of bed ,yelling "I have to go see St. Peter--I have to go see St. Peter "" laid back down and he did go see St. Peter ! ! !

poor mom who was elderly and ready to go home with family--dgt A could no longer care for mom but held the bank books--dgt B would take mom home but now she wanted the bank books--not so said dgt A so they had YELLING-SCREAMING-CHAIR AND WATER PITCHER -THROWING match right over moms head who was oblivious to the whole thing--police were called and escorted the whole family out--mom and her bank books wound up in nsg home instead of with family