phoebebrat

Opinions please. My husband is having increased hypertension. Taking metoprolol succinate 50mg and amlodipine 5mg. Diastolic has been staying 94-104. His primary (VA) instructed to him to add a dose of amlodipine at night too. This was ineffective. He called the office back to update the Dr. The drs nurse called back and said the Dr said to keep doing what you are doing. In other words keep doing what isn't working. My husband has also been symptomatic. He called the office again today to let the Dr know that his bp is still up and he was having symptoms. He asked for a Med change or increase. The drs new order, DC metoprolol, continue the amlodipine and he was adding HCTZ 25 mg qd. I was furious. Can anyone find the sense in that order? From everything I've learned my husbands bp will be even more elevated. I called back and told the office nurse that my husband won't be making that change. Is there something about amlodipine with HCTZ I don't know?!

I’m interested in private duty nursing but don’t know where to begin. What kind of insurance would I need? How would I function without working under a Dr?

Kbrn2002, All my concerns seemed to fall on deaf ears. I talked to the don about being alone and something happening with a resident. I was told to leave the resident and go call for help. When I said that a nurse doesn’t leave a patient that has fallen, or has chest pain, or can’t breathe, she said….get ready for this, it’s a brain cell killer…… the response was “Well where are they going to go? They are already on the floor!” I’m dead serious. That is what she said. I knew for sure then I was fighting a losing battle.

They are definitely a needy group. There were aides from another unit that were supposed to help me multiple times but they always refused. They were even instructed by management to help. Based on the number of smoke breaks they always take I know they had time to help. I hated to leave the residents but I figure as long as a nurse is willing to work like that the unsafe conditions would continue. No thank you!

They are putting patients lives at risk. These people aren’t in the hospital because they are healthy. Things can and do go wrong, vitals can change, pain levels can change, you may notice something with a patient that just seems “ off.” You are doing the right thing and doing what you are getting paid for. The nurses that aren’t checking vs and doing assessments are falsifying documentation and not taking care of their patients. They wouldn’t even realize if their patient started to show a sign of decline. I wouldn’t want their work ethic and I definitely wouldn’t want to be their patient!

Thank you for all the replies. I did decide to quit the job.

Overtime is only paid on certain calendar days because of the way the pay periods are set.

I would like opinions on this situation. Due to staffing issues it has become normal for me to be without an aide between 10p-6a. I work on a skilled unit with 18 residents. I think this is very unsafe and unacceptable. I have complained to management about my safety concerns but don’t really feel heard. How would you all handle this situation?

I too am in the same situation. I have never been comfortable with change. I usually fight against it instead of trying to go with the flow, which only causes me more problems. I currently work in LTC and hate it. I'm not learning anything, and feel I am losing what I have learned. I worked in med/surg for two years before the LTC and I was terminated. I want to go back to med/surg but really fear getting fired again. My self-esteem has really suffered, I didn't have much in the first place. I miss actually feeling like I know something, and actually helping/seeing a pt. get better. I also really dread that interview question of.....why did you leave your last job?, or have you ever been terminated? The LTC I work at now fires nurses constantly. I would think they would be happy to have them on staff. They don't seem to care about the bind they put nursing in with being short staffed and what about the residents? Lack of nursing affects them too. Good luck whatever you decided and let us know! Phoebe

My experience has been that the oldies eat the newbies. (I'm 45 btw, but a new nurse), Why can't we all just get along?!

I'm still so depressed. It's been 7 mo. since I lost my med/surg job and I still can't seem to move forward. I have a job now in LTC, been there for 5 mo. I strongly dislike it. I don't feel like a real nurse at this LTC job. (please nobody flame me, that is just how I feel) Also the facility I work for doesn't even have a policy and procedure manual to follow. I'm scared to do something wrong, which is what happened at my last job. A big part of me wants to go back to med/surg but what little bit of self confidence I had is gone. I had one interview at a hospital before I accepted this LTC job, and the interviewer only seemed to focus on my failure at the previous job. I thought I was doing the right thing by being honest during that interview. Any ideas to help my problem?

You didn't say why you feel your job is on the line.

I think the shortage is in certain areas of nursing. When I worked med/surg I averaged low census one day per pay period. Now I am working LTC (and hating very minute of it) and there is a terrible nurse shortage on the floor. There is a reason for that.

Would I be correct to guess you are working in a LTC? When I worked in the hospital my orientation as a new nurse was 3mo. In LTC it was 2wks and I was with a different nurse each time. A couple of times I was even with a QMA. There is so much that they did not teach me, esp. the paper work. I think orientation in LTC really sucks!

I have worked in a LTC for one month now. I almost always leave on time, although I don't know how. I always wonder what I forgot. I work nights though and it seems that the day nurses have so much more to do. There is one day nurse, who has been there for many years, and the earliest I have ever seen her leave after her shift is after one hour over. She is usually there for another 2-4hrs over her shift, and NO I'm not kidding. It sounds like you are doing fine! Give yourself a break. Phoebe