redknight

I have been a paramedic much lionger than I have been an acute HD nurse. But I apply the concept that we always had said. A wound is like a women, keep it dressed you never get in trouble. Leave the 2x2 gause in place and more than anything hold or have pt hold it. I ve always follwed this and have no prob with it. Its when, just like a women when you don t pay attention to it that you get in trouble. Dialysis pt s have a lot of co- morbidities, goes with the turf. The number 1 concern/ prob. is infection. Always a culprit.The other thing that I would ask of my fellow nurses with in hosp. to understand is DAILY WEIGHTS. I can never stress enough of the HD pts wt.

:yeah:Nice, it still leaves the fact that and LPN CAN NOT be over an RN.I work for the big F and iy dosn t matter who you work for in the private side of medicine. THEY ARE OUT FOR THE BUCK. They will use and abuse. The most secure job in this Co. is the trainers, because they always have new employees. I once said to a VP that if they spent the money in ways to reain people that they might be surprised as to how much they would save in training new employees. With that said I asked how much dose it cost to train a nurse. He did nt know. and they come at us in Acutes and say we need to cut costs? They now want us to report our hrs every day to keep it in line and when we are close to our 40 take a part of day off and be on stand -by with no call pay. Ya right, and thats gonna happen. I like doing diaylsis, but I m getting close to getting out and find something more secure. Can t deal with this corp. bullsnots any more.

OK Im gonna shoot me self in the foot for this comment.1st off where Im from by state lic board a LPN can not be over a RN. 2nd no way would I let that happen and I would call the board of req. on that one.3rd had the same situation of the girly buddies thing with male bashing the usual subject. Put an end to that one when I filed a complaint with corp. with the note that I would go to the state if not address. So here is the shoot the foot comment GUYS as a rule don t put up with that female BS as a rule.Most of the guy nurses feel the same way they can t be bothered with that gossip girly bull crap.

Where I`m at with a FMC unit in NH. They have just told the techs they have to get cert. by a certian time frame and this is being req. by medicare. Now the part that kills me is that the gov . comes in and req. these techs to do this, BUT they want them to be tested and cert. for the job with out any more money, BUT they could care less about safe ratios.I dont get it. How did that one get by. SO LADIES in diaylsis when do the RN`S get hit with that? I don`t want to hear the cramp of being a better prof. because you can pass a test.THEN DON`T GET ANYTHING FOR IT BUT A BUNCH OF LETTERS AFTER YOUR NAME. No you won`t get any more money nor will the ratios improve. There needs to be a nursing front held to this. That if medicare wants you to have this cert. then they have to have ratios. So if we see this happening to us WE NEED TO UNIT.They want something we what something. Fair trade?Who in medicare sets these ruling and how do we find them? Nursing board sure dosn`t do anything to help protect you. How do I find thesepeople?

OK. Can I get some advice as to what to do with myself. Here is my story. I`m`in my late 50 `s any I had always wanted to further my medical career. I`ve held a parmedic lic. even before they were issued when I got out of the Navy in 72.I had returned to home in 1980 from Fla. due to a family illness.Igot married and have stayed here since. Had children and nursing school got out off. I work as a phleb for a large co. for 18 years and the last three while doing nursing school on a weekend/night program. I finished and passed my boards just about a year ago. My first job was a Sub Acute unit with 28 pt. and it scared the crap out of me due to having to pass meds with in two hours. As hard as I tried mistakes were made due to the over whelming time frame. Now mind you the mang. their never beat me down and was very supportive, saying that it would get better. It was me who had issue with it. I was scared for that lic I worked for so hard and more importantly the Pt. So, I got an offer at a local Hosp. to go to the ICU and that I would get a great prec program. Well did that crap in my face. I get prec. from a school of nursing and all they can do is treat me like I`m a nursing student and complain about my time priority of making pt. beds and bathing. Then wounder why I can`t get done on time. I have them cont checking on me and then when it came to the end of the day and I`m doing document work they`ve bolted out the door. So the deal that sealed it for me was when I`d be staying like an hour later to finish the documentation. They would not pay me for that time with the mang. saying that I need to finish with in my 8 hour shift and she dosn`t pay for overtime. So I left after only 2 1/2 months. We both agreed that it was not a good fit, and there was no bad feelings My next venture was that I found by chance a diaylsis clinic 5 min. from my house and that they were looking for nurses and very willing to tain. I took the job and spent like 3 weeks in a class room setting. The instructor was very nice and supportive. Did nothing but, talk of the support that you would recieve and the time that the clinic would give you. OK now this is working for me. 4-10 hour shifts no Sundays every night off. 5min. from home this was souding sweet. Finally get to my home clinic and I`m hooked up with a sr. PCT who`s been at this since dawn. But, after about a month and a half she transfers to another clinic and now its fend for youself. The techs were great at helping me with all the tech work that is done, but remind you have`nt touched a single nurse job and its been over 3 months at this point.Well the mang lets go a PCT who has made a HIPPA violation and now the clinic is down two PCT`s. You got it who stays on working as PCT? Me! Here comes my first written warning for missing a safty lock, with also, not being up to speed with handling a full team of 4 pts.So I`m extened an other 30 days from my 90 day eval.Well, it becomes a joke with the other techs as to me being called into the princeples office. Well the I get written up for not maintaining a prof. distance with the staff because I discuss with them what I had done wrong. I know keep your mouth shut, but I`ve got nothing to hide I make a mistake, Imake a mistake. I`m human. That brings us to this point and time. Last week I get a final written warning because 1. I had laughed when a pt. who has mental issues made a coment to one of the male techs about having sex with him. Now a couple of things here. I was working as a tech. and there was a charge nurse.next I was laughing because I could not believe what she had said. I was not the only one everyone was laughing the whole clinic had been. When I was at the nurses station the charge nurse said she neede to speak with the mang. as to the pt. inapp. comments. Never did she say anything to me as to me laughing. I had expressed to her that due to the pt mental cond. it was difficult. I had also, spoken to this same charge nurse as to when I had made the mistake of using white out on a flow sheet and I knew better and that I just goofed. And I do know better. It was one of those days.Well, I got called into the princple`s off. and thus got my final written warning. I questioned was I the only one and was quickly told that this is about me and that this is a problem with me about being defensive and not taking resp. as a nurse/leader.This past saturday I was to work , but had been up all night with back door syndrome and was just wiped out. So I callled in sick. I called the mang. at home at 5 am and recieved an adittude as to why did I waite till now to call.I apoligized, but I could tell by the tone that it was not recieved well. So now I`m off today and start a 4 day run tommorrow. I sure I`m gonna wind up being kicked out.I had just started working with another nurse for the last two weeks to learn the nursing role, but he was not much for teaching. I had the mang. for one day and did learn a lot that day.I had done med passes with out much fan fare and was very diligent to care, but its the day to day operations that one needs time to polish. I just crossed 7 months here and its another failure I`m facing in my very short nursing career. I`ve been looking and applying on line for jobs all week end and hpoe to hear from some. I`ve expressed to the mang. and her dist. mang. that I really like this job, but feel that I`ve been used to fill in for the shortage of PCT`s and that there was no structure to the transition of being the nurse on the floor. I even said that I don`t feel that they want me there. I was put in my place by the dist. mang. that that was the nursing job to work where needed.I so wanted to tell her that I thought she was a nasty person, but I kept my mouth shut. I found them to be very non-supportive and noting even making a responce as to, How can we help you. So if you made it through reading my story. Can any of you well seasoned nurse help this old guy stay in and not through in the towel. I do love working with pts. and helping them and of course the pay is much better that a phleb. I need to find the right directin to go. So help me out kids!!!!!!!!

:oIwork a reg.sched as a tech. and I`m an RN. I work 4 - 10 hr shifts and on averg. I work 2 shifts as a tech. Talk about role confusion.

I hear you there girl and treat you like one also

Thank you, I need to clear that I`ve been a nurse for only a year. I have been doing diaylsis for 7 months.Iwas at my other Co. for 18 years as a Phleb.

Thats the way I am too, Soul, I need to be light hearted with my days and enjoy them. This atmospher inwhich I`m in is just not cutting it. Way to anal. Its just not condusive for learning, you make a mistake and your written up. This is not what I had expected from the nursing world.It has been a hard transition for me. I was at my other job for 18 years and I regret at times of why did I leave a secure situation, but I did so wanted to be a nurse and I feel I`ve just hit one bad encounter after and other. I wounder if its because I`m older so there-fore the adjustments are harder. I have an interview with another diaylsis co. I like the work and chall.I hope they are more supportive.:bowingpur

Sorry if it came across that she stated a joke. What she did say was that she would have sex with one of the techs.Iwas across the room and heard her statement and could`nt believe she said it. But. as I said I got written up because I laughed and my Mang. thought I should have not done such and it raises her concerns for my leadership abilities.But, keep in mind Iwas working in the role of tech. for the day and the charge nurse went and told the clinic mang.But as far as I know no one else had been spoken to and the whole clinic was laughing. Thats OK. I`m sure that she dosn`t like me and I have had comments from other employees that how I`m treatented with indifferance.

I hear what you are saying. I`ve been at it as a new nurse for 7 mo. now. Iam an older person that took on nursing at a later time in life.But the situation that I`m in now is that, I do like the job. What I have ran into is that every mistake that I make I get written up for. The last one(which is a final written warning) was for laughing over a pt inappropriate comment. Now you have to know every one was laughing. It was more over that I could not believe what she said, that I was laughing over. It was presented to me that I need to show more control to the techs and not to lose control of the clinic. Also, Iwas working as a tech. that day and it was the charge nurse who turned me in.But, not a word was said by her to me nor any of the other staff nor to the pt. of what was said. The district manager sits in on these meetings and I tell ya she one nasty B-tch.I have not had a good exp. with Diaylsis due to these 2 women.I feel I have no recourse, but to try and stay out of trouble. So any advise from you more exp. Diaylsis nurse????//:bowingpur

This was before I went to nursing school and was working as a medic, and I still do.Its a vol. dept. fire dept. I and another medic had brought in a pt. who had a reaction to fish and had already gave herself a epi-shot. Well the other medic gave her and additional one, by which I had issue with. Being that her airway was fine and I stated that she should have given benadryl, but she was lead that day. So we get to the ER and the Doc flips on me yelling at me at the nurses station about giving the pt. the additional epi. Well I just turned around and walked away while he was yelling at me about walking away and who did I think I was. Well, the next thing I hear is one of the nurses who has known me for many years say to the Doc. I`d be careful if I was you doc, he`s a x- navy seal. The responce was " Oh ****". Been my buddie since. All he wants now is for me to tell him I got through Buds trainning.

Its great that you can get that job. I`ve been with FMC for the past 4 months. Be ready to be on your feet for the hole time. I`m not sure where you are working, but I`m in NH and first the pay is not as good as what you are talking. 2nd, I have been working as a tech. because they have been so short handed. No w mind you I have all the respect in the world for the tech`s, but I find them to over step their role alot where I`m at. Giving medical advice to pts. starting pts on O2 with out consulting RN, changing BFs. It makes me uncomfortable because it is our lic. they are working under.Had heard one tech. say to a pt. that she is not a nurse but acts like one.So like I said I`m not sure how it is where you are going to be. My wife is a nurse also and is very upset that they keep me as a tech. She says I should give them notice that I`m a nurse and should be doing such at this point and time. Hey I still get paid the same (nurse pay).

I`m a new grad and got hired by FMC. Its OK, ut the trainning I think kind of sucked. As soon as the class room was finished there was this almost expectation that you should hit the floor and be able to do this job.Ijust finished my 90 days and my boss added a additional 30, saying that I was fine, but needed a little more time. Now mind you I`m an RN and they are down three techs. (two walked out after 2-3days on the floor and all that time in the class room for not).So I believe she did the 30 day prob. add on, inorder to help staff the tech. side of sched.So with that said I do like the hours. 4-10hour days, just finishing a 4 day off. They are not open Sundays or maj. holidays, so there is the plus side. I don`t believe you can learn this job in 90 days and be fair with any type of review.There is just too much that as a nurse/tech that needs to be experianced. Its that ole statement that they eat their young. Its a face hard pace every day and I have yet to have a day that their was not a challenge. Wheather it be canulation or dumping in the end. (cramps,to much fluid pulled or getting ill.)So for those nurses that think its boring, well, I beg to differ.

Its that good old surg. get them in and get them out esp. on replacements. Those guys are slam bam thank you mam.You`d bleed too with the way I have sem some are.

Well, before becoming a nurse. I have and continue to be a paramedic, so I still get my rush, but med/surg. Tried it and found that I ways dealing with to much female BS and how you women have allowed these doctors to become such morons, I`ll never get. My younger days in Nam if they talked the way they do they new that they`d get fraged. I could`nt make it on a tele floor because of all the gossip and kisss butt that went on. Who had time for the pt. spent to much time chasing MD`s who could do the job right and fixing it. I like diaylsis, there I get to know my pt. and make critical decissions in their care.

Well this got me 5min of fame with Jay Leno. I still work for a local vol.fire dept.as a medic. The call came in, in the wee hours of sat. mornin. the pt. presented to me with a pad lock around one of his scrottems that had swollen about 3 times in size and ugly lookin in color, with nasty discharge. To make this short it turns out he had this on for about two weeks and had broken off the key in the lock all the way up to trying to use a saws-all. Now here is the part I tried to find out and that was how much did the lock smith get for picking that lock?

Well, I`ve been in diaylsis now for 1 month, and let me say that prior to becoming a nurse last may. I was and still am a paramedic for the last 25years. So with that being said Ihad my first pt. today who crashed. So it was back to the street for me and I found the staff to be realy thankful for me being there. Its far from just routine, as today showed me how at a routine day can change in a second.You don`t have a code team to call down, you are on your own with very little till EMS shows up.So Here I was looking for routine and then I walk into this.I do like this work so far. It has control. I don`t half todeal with butt hole docs at the hosp. any more with their sorry ass aditude. Other nurse who screw you behind your back. Now thats not to say that I won`t have encounters with pts non-compliance, but they are every where In the hosp.,in the streets, Dr. offices and clincs. That will never change.So for me this is seeming a good fit.I like the idea of knowing I`ll be home for Christmas,Thanksgiving and New Years. I get to hang home every Sunday.and no long nights. So with that I think I`m here to stay.

I`m sorry kids ,but the reembursement just dosn`t cover from Medicare and such.BUT they have no prob. sending BILLIONS over to other countries. WHEN will the silent majority wake up and stop this and start taking care of those who have been paying that. It is a disgrace that I have to run my butt off to pass meds to 24 very acute pts. and I have a LPN who is doing all the treatments and two aids who you can`t find half the time. Then management can`t` understand why we have falls. Then comes up with this brillant idea that to have a contest to help reduce falls.HELLO, maybe more eyes and hands on the floor would help. I had asked for getting people to work as walkers, with their sole duty is that of just getting pts up and help them walk safely.I have come to discover that in nursing there is alot of higher educated (queen bee`s) talking about evidence based practice. Its simple girls! There needs to be more worker bee`s to make the hive safer. One of the mistakes that is taking place is this push to have higher degree nurses and thus there will be better care. DA-A-A, give me just simple help, to care for these pts. We need to get back to basics.

Oh how I`m with you on that. I`m with a new job as a diaylsis nurse. Now mind you I get offers all the time down south, (mass) D/T my strong EMS back ground, but you are so right about eval. your time. I`m liking the 4, 10 hour days with 3 off. and I`m in control of when I work. I`m even starting to ride my bike to work and enjoy the phys. encounter. You are so on track.Lets not even go in the high stress envioment that is down there. I`m really enjoying being able to talk with pts. and getting to know them.

Sorry you don`t get most of it back.Been working in Ma for over 18 years and they suck you just as anyone else. Live in NH so as far as land taxes at least its deductable on federal.

ok, Do you think that taking care of that many pts is safe nursing? You can`t tell me that you don`t short cut on nursing? I just get amazed that this is allowed to continue. This is shameful. That medicare comes up with such numbers. The pt.s are shorted everytime. This is not nursing this is cattle farm care!But lets speng billions of dollars on other countries who in the end could care less about us!

It was a SNF unit. The pace is alot diff.from nursing school. where you`d have 1 or 2 pt. as to 24 pts that you are expected to do all the meds. on time.Which I just can not manage to get done. Not with all the other interuptions that happen along the way.I think I am better in an area that is more controlled

I`m a new grad and have been offered a second interview with FMC.Now that I`ve read a few forms here I`m really concerned about going through with this interview. Am I putting my new grad butt in harms way?

So ho did you recover from that? How did you get to find where you fit?