Maco

Do any of you feel that you've been working in your current position/field for so long,your almost scared to try anything new because your sooo comfortable where you are at? I feel that sometimes. Ive been doing floor nuring now for 5 years...now grant it 5 years isnt very long (it really is in nursing years lol) I thought about er or icu but feel I scared to make that jump because Im just "comfortable" where im at. Has anyone else felt that way?

If you want to be an RN ,I feel that you should go straight for it. I'm a Rn but I used to be a LPN.I went into the transition class also. It was almost like going to nursing school twice..... Depending on how long the med aide class is...if it isnt very long -like a few weeks, I might think of doing that, it may help you out in school and Im sure you will get a little bit of a raise with that. Just get in the mind set before you start nursing school that it is extremely hard and time consuming. You'll need to set priorites in your life in order to make it, but you can do it.Just remember why you are doing it...for you and your child!!!.Good Luck

Ok ..did ok last night at work had cucumbers,tomatoes and pickled okra for dinner but 20 min later i was starving.I did grab some graham crackers that held me over til i got home, which have more calories than I would like but I think I did good because someone brought in a red velvet cake and even though i was tempted...I stayed away. My weakness is junk food...especially at night while watching tv...tonight I was doing good,of course I got my craving but I ate some sweet pickles.I thought ok I can do this...but then my son grabbed a little debbie's brownie...i only had half though...

Im going to start using the gym,since I do have a gym membership.I work nights and have 3 kids so it is hard to go to the gym but Im going to try and make it a priority.Im going to try to go 2-3xs a week.Im also going to eat healthier and stop eating junk food...which I love. Im going to make it my new years resolution. I would like to loos 20lbs by May-which will be my 40th birthday.I may not beable to check in here everyday but can def do it weekly!!

I know how you feel. It seems like management pushes pt care, always thinking of the pt but when it comes to the nurses thay can care less. I called in one for close family member was very sick in the hospital and we as the family were going to talk with the md about making him comfort measures. When I called in I explained the situation to the supervisor about what was going on( the family member was actually my father) she got a attitude with me and told me she really needed me there. I understand the the first priority for management is the hospital but at least have some sympathy for the ones that hold the hospital together (us nurses). it is awful that it all comes down to the almighty dollar sign.

I can remeber when I was in nursing school and the first day of orientation. My instructor, which was an awesome instructor, told us that everything thing else in our lives will have to take the back seat, including our family and our jobs. She said we would never make it if we didnt put nursing first. She was right. I put many hours studying ,not just weekly studying but daily...you will have to study everyday day. Most of the students couldnt work if the had jobs because the program is just so hard. I did graduate and it was worth it!! If she can just make it through school, she will be ok. If she works in a hospital even though it is 12hr shifts,it is only 3 days aweek, or maybe 4 days everyother week.Personally I don't think I could go bask to working 5 days aweek again. Also even though she may have to work some holidays, the managers are usually pretty flexible, you should't have to work every holiday and also the holiday that you do have to work, she maybe adle to split a shift. Also I know alot of the nurses that arent married or have kids like to work the holidays because of the money(time in a half) I dont think she will regret it...just make it through nursing school :)

I worked as a CNA Before I was a RN and while I was in nursing school.The pay is low but you will get used to working with patients and feeling comfortable with patients. If you work in a hospital or a nursing home,you will probably have a job there when you grad from nursing school..at least you'll have your feet in the door. Also being a cna makes clinicals in school easier because you will be more comfortable working with patients...Good Luck!

His morphine is only prn and they haven't even been giving it to him. I asked if the md could order toradol sch...and it worked for a while but he couldn't keep getting it because of the damage it could cause. I asked he could order ultram and have it sch...he started getting it yester every 8 hrs i believe but today when i was doing rom he started grimacing....do you know of anything than can be given sch that would be effective?

He hasn't been getting any morphine, it is prn and the nurses haven't been giving him any. I understand that when he sleeps it is the brains healing and I try not to disturb him when he is alseep...but im just concerned because he is sleeping so much, like i said he is sleepin like 95% of the time.Im not very experienced with cva but i was told when it first happened it was norm to sleep...but has been going on over a month now...is it still norm?

Please post a support group..ive tried and i couldnt find any.

His morphine is prn and he hasnt been getting it.

Zookeeper you are so right. I cant turn him and move him like he needs to be only because i cant stand to see him in pain. I can even stand to watch him being lifted in the hoyer lift from the bed to the chair..but i feel like i need to be ther to make sure they are doing it right and to make sure he isn't being hurt..but i just cant watch it.I cant do therapy on him like he needs because i don't want to hurt him....but i know he has to have it..thank you for making me see that.

The only other pain med/anxiety med he has it morphine in which i don't want him to have it because it will sedate him more.What do you think about maybe small dose xanax or do you think it would further sedate him. Before this happened he never took anything stronger than a tylenol.I also thought about he may be depressed. I read that pts with cva do have depression...but then I thought about how hard it is to find the right anti depressent and they also have alot of side effects...and it takes weeks for them to work.I always massage him and use warm compresses to his knee....but i can't stand to see him grimace when i try to move it.Ant advice on meds and also is it norn for someone to sleep 95% of the time after a cva. I was told that pts do sleep alot but it is has been a month now...I don't think he would want to be in a nursing home but I do want to give him at least a chance to regain anything be back.Im just scared one he gets in a nursing home he will give up.....

My dad had a massive cva a month ago. He is in pcu. He sleeps 95% of the time.When he is awake is does reconized family because he smiles.He has atrach and peg.He can't talk right now because of the trach...but he has tried to by moving his mouth to form words.The md doesn't want to cap the trach because of his secretions needing to be suctioned. He is total care.He isn't awake enough for rehab and he doesn't follow comands.The case worker suggest a nursing home.It breaks my heart to do this.Im a rn and i work fulltime, im married and have kids.I cant take him home with me because i cant be with him 24hrs a day...but i feel that i should because he is may dad and he took care of me when i needed him.He has no movement on rt side,he can't turn himself and he needs suctioning.I feel that the caseworker is wanting to make him comfort measures..she is a paliative care case worker...my dad had no living will...i don't know what his wishes are.I feel that i should give him every chance until hopefully we can cap his trach to find out his wishes.The md says that it will be a long road and that he doesn't know if he will regain anything back.I just feel that everyone is looking at me negative because i want to give him every chance even though it is breaking my heart to see him like this this.Is it normal for a pt with a massive cva to be so lethargic.He has lt side movement but since he has been in the hospital bed he is so stiff and doesn't move his lt side much..he has arthritis in knee and he grimices when i try to move it.He was getting toradol for pain but the md dc because it cant be taking for more than a few days. I asked for ultram to be given on sch for his arthritis pain.Does anyone know what would be good to give him for arthritis pain that isn't going to sedate him and wont cause liver damage? I though that if i brought him home with me i could have someone come in to my home and care for him some but medicare wont pay for it and i cant afford to pay some.Iv always said id never put him in a nursing home and now I will prob have to and it is killing me.My mom passed away when i was 7yrs old and he has raised me.I love him so much. Does any one have suggestions?

Thank all of you for the advice!!

I need some advice on what to do about family issues, My dad had a massive cva 2 wks ago. He is in icu..has a trach and peg placed last Fri. From my understanding he is going good from a medical standpoint.He is flacid on rt side.He trys to talk but has trach collar on.I think over all he is doing well. I realize he may never walk again,but he can follow comands at times and he will smile when spoken to.My problem is my stepmom and her sisters.My dad has raised me since my mom passed away when i was 7. My stepmom and me have never gotten along..she is very controling over him and has always been jealous of me and him.When my stepmoms sister visits him she talks about how bad he looks and he would not want this.She feels my stepmoms head full of negativity and also my fathers.I know he can hear what she is saying...I try and give my stepmom advice and explain things to her because i am a rn...she doesn't listen to a thing I say.My dad has no living will or poa...im not sure my legal rights to make any medical decsesions on his behalf...im thinking that my step mom has all the rights. My issue is she doesn't understand any of what really going on with him...she is actually had part of him having this massive cva to begin with..}i don't wanna go into details}...today i went to see him and my stepmom and her sister and my daughter were in the room, I noticed his resp were up to 28...i started to worry maybe something is going on. Then when my stepmom and her sister left my daughter told me that my stepmoms sister was talking neg about him. I started wondering if he heard was she was saying and was starting to become anxious. Now it seems as if my stepmom is not keeping me informed of anything going on with him.I just don't know what to do.If my dad was suffering and i knew he wasn't getting any better i wouldn't mind letting him go..i feel he is fighting this and that if he didn't want this he would give up. The pulm and neuro say it is a wait and see as to what will come back and what want. I just want my dad to be given an chance.My stepmom has already told on md that she felt i was stepping on her toes...i just ask the questions about labs and resp...stuff she doesn"t understand...If it was me and i knew nothing about the medical field and if i had a nurse in the family..i would want their advice..she is just soo jealous of me and my dad.Its getting to where if i visit and her and her sister are in the rm...i can't take it..i have you leave.While im with him..im always massaging his legs and moving his joints...her sister will sit there and say im hurting him and he doesn't like.I just wanna know if any of you have experienced this and can give me advice?

Thank you all for all the comments.I wanted to just add that the position is flex-meaning I would be working all over the hospital except in the er or icu. I would can tons of experience. I'm hoping maybe eventually I could move to days but there is no promise I could move to days only if a position opened up on days.My manager now did tell me I could come back to days if I didn't like it.

I work dayshift and have for over 4 yrs now on a surg floor. I have tried nights and at first loved then but after several months started to hating to go to work.I was ok once I got there and actually loved the people I worked with but it was almost like I was getting depressed. All I wanted to do is sleep all the time.So I went back to days. Now there is a flex position open and pays alot more money-15 more on the hour.I would also get more experience because I would be working all over the hospital.The problem is it is nights. Im scared that I will get like I was before-depressed...but for that much more money maybe I can get over it..lol. Any advice!!

S.C. is $20 to $23HR.

The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking about going to a flex nurse at night.Alot more money.Tha problem is last time I did nights I didn't adjust to it.I wanted to sleep all the time.I didn't have a problem staying up while at work but I was almost depressed feeling while I was at home.I'm hoping I don't start feeling the same way again. Any tips?

Has anyone worked night shift just because of the money...not because you are a night person and if so how did you adjust your lifestyle?

ok..I'm gonna try nights again. I worked night shift for about 3mths and honestly couldn't adjust.I wanted to sleep all the time.I felt like I was sleeping my life away.I dreaded going to work although once I was there I was fine. So I switched back to days.There is a flex position open on nights and i would almost double my income, so I'm thinking of taking it. Im hoping I can adjust especially when I start getting my pay check...lol. I need some advice. How long does it norm take to get adjusted to nights?

I don't know what to do. I work on surg floor and have been for a couple of years now. I'm so burnt out...I did some part time work in the ed thinking I would like it and I did at first until my preceptor came down on me about by "time management" now I don't know if I want to stay or not...I do realize I have alot to learn in the ed, but i'm not sure it is what I thought it was gonna be like....any suggestions?

Does it seem that nurses in the ER are more for teamwork and working together than nurses on the floor? I work part time in the er and have also done floor nursing, it seems the nurses in the ER are closer knit and help each other out more then those that work on the floor. Does anyone agree??

I finally make a move to the er,only prn.There were no full time openings for now so I took a prn and I'm gonna still stay fulltime on the floor.I figured I'd try to work 1 shift a week in the ED.I was told by a nurse that works in the ed that is hard to do prn in the ed because there is so much to learn and that only working prn it will be hard to learn it all.....Ive never worked the er but have been a floor nurse for 4 yrs...does anyone have any advice??????