ididitrn

Our agency has lab slips from the various labs in the area that have all the different tests listed . Usually these slips will say next to the test or at the top of the column which tube you need to use. If the test is not on the lab slip I will call one of the local hospital labs and ask...I've never had a problem getting information that way. Some basics (but double check your lab slip too): hematolgy related - lavender top PT/INR - blue top troughs for antibiotics - red top majority of labs (i.e. ACP, BMP etc) - gold or SST top

I second what Alexk49 says. I would like to add to that, please turn the TV off, or at least turn it down. It's can be really distracting for both the patient and the nurse when you're trying to do your assessment or do teaching.

Wow, I haven't heard that saying in years! My uncle was an undertaker and used to say that...and he's been gone since 1968.

I work for a northshore VNA and make a little over $30/hr plus mileage. I might make a little more working for one of the unionized hospitals around here but it's worth $1-2 less for me to work sane hours.

I've been doing HH for a couple of years now and would not go back to the hospital for anything. As an RN/case manager I generally see 5-6 patient per day. An average visit is 30-45 min. I occasionally get an admission and they usually take me 1 1/2hrs. I mainly drive 25-30 miles/day and how long that takes depends on traffic. Phone calls and paperwork can take about 2 hrs. I start at 8am. Some days I'm done by 2-2:30 but some days I don't finish until after 5:30-6. Those late days are pretty rare. Like: the autonomy, the chance to see do what I need to do with one patient before moving on to the next one, the relationships you can build by spending more time with each patient, the chance to decompress in my car between visits. Don't like: last minute changes to my schedule from the office, streets without street signs/houses without numbers, being the go-to person for all issues from the various disciplines for follow-up (lots of messages on my voice mail that must be dealt with daily). I'll be honest, there are days I hate my job but the days I love my job far outweigh the bad days. Good luck with your interview. HH isn't for everyone but it can be a great job.

The bag arrived this afternoon. It does not come with any equipment but there are enough compartments and pockets for all of my equipment. It does not have clean/dirty areas but I was my hands before going into the bag and clean the equipment with a saniwipe before putting them away. It's lightweight but seems to be sturdy. No room for the laptop but everything else fits. So far so good...

I decided to order it...it should be here in a few days. Hopefully it's what I'm looking for.

I'm interested in purchasing the Ultimate Nursing Tote Bag by Nursemates but I would love to hear from anyone who may have one now how they like it. The trouble with buying something on-line is you can't actually pick it up and look it over. Are there plenty of compartments so you can access things easily rather than digging through everything? Currently I carry a laptop bag and my nursing bag. I'm hoping to consolidate everything to one bag. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

I graduated from nursing school at 45 and worked nights for three years. I loved nights for the camraderie, the peacefulness (no phones ringing off the hook, no overhead pages, etc) being able to get up from documenting on the computer then coming back to where you left off without someone logging you off, no bigwigs...Unfortunately, the hospital I worked for did not give set schedules so you could work three nights on, one off, four on, two off. The only nights you could count on were your weekend nights otherwise your schedule was all over the place. I'm sorry but one night off might as well not be a night off at all. We used to call it a "fake day off". I always found that I needed the first day to adjust then I could enjoy my second day off. Maybe it was my age but I always felt chronically hung over or jet lagged. I always managed to pull it together for work but I was miserable at home. I finally took a home care position, M-F days with an occasional on-call weekend. Best decision I could have made. I miss my night shift co-workers but I don't miss feeling exhausted all the time.

I graduated from NSCC several years ago and felt I received a well rounded nursing education. They do a good job of preparing you for the NCLEX and preparing you to practice as a beginning nurse. There was a huge learning curve once I began working as an RN but NSCC gave me the tools to build on. Once you graduate, if you go to work locally, you'll find a large number of NSCC grads at Beverly Hospital, Salem Hospital, Union Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital. I've never regretted my decision to go there.