Ilithya

Im not sure. I don't even know what a health card is...

Alberta. They live in Grande Prairie

Thats fine and dandy but where my parents live in Canada they cant even get a family dr to accept them because they all have to many patients they have to PAY to go to the clinic $35, much like I would if I were to go to a clinic here. Where I live in Texas I can get into my doctor within a week. So the healthcare systems has nothing to do with it.

I disagree completely, if Australian nurses are getting better scores than we need to find out what they are doing differently and then teach our nurses whats lacking. It is imperative that our country hires American nurses for the survival of the country as a whole. I believe that we should not create any foreign dependence where it is not needed and as long as we have nurses here looking for jobs that who we should be hiring. Im not saying we should never hire foreign nurses. Hiring foreign nurses when there are American nurses looking for jobs increases unemployment which increases the amount of people on unemployment benefits/welfare which increases taxes and national debt. It may not be the frilly ideal "nuring school answer" but its the truth.

Hahaha we should have an "optimistic nurses" or "happy nurses" forum for all of us who need a break from negativity

One time I was at work and we currently do bar code scanning for medication administration so the nurses have computers on wheels that we use which of course are slow as molasses. So usually when avaliable I try to use the grounded computers (they are MUCH MUCH faster) the only problem is that if a doctor shows up you have to immediately back out of whatever you're doing and give them your spot. So one day I'm sitting and documenting when one of the doctors (who, luckily is one of the ones Im very fond of) shows up. I was just finishing anyway so I (who am known for my clumbsiness) am quickly exiting out of my program and trying to get up while telling the doctor that this computer is avaliable while at the same time the docor is going for the chair next to it while telling me he doesn't need the computer. Well I end up hitting my chair (while trying to stand) on the other one and of course tripping and falling INTO the doctor and the only thing I manage to grab onto while flailing on the way down is his lab coat. So them Im on the floor at his feet and he's laughing at me and grabbing the chair telling me to sit down before I hurt somebody. It was pretty embarassing and I still get flack for it!!!

I've been nursing since August and I went through a maybe month or two period around month 6 of hating my job, even to the point where I put in applications elsewhere. However, I am really glad that I didn't get hired because now I am at a point where I really love my job. Im comfortable with what I'm doing, I love the nurses I work with, heck I'm even fond of most of the doctors that I work with. It has its day and I think a good amount of us like our jobs and just need a safe place to rant when things get over-whelming.

Hahahaha we are so desensitized as nurses. My mother is also a nurse and at family get togethers we are often scolded for our choice of dinner conversation... and of course people are always amazed by the things you can watch/ say and then immediately go eat after. Ive often said "Im a nurse... there is little that disgusts me anymore" lol

Six to one, we are ALWAYS staffed for 6 to one. We all start the day with 6 if they can help it They do not call in another nurse where I work until not a single nurse can accept patients and if they can give one nurses patients to another so they can send somebody home thats even better. Occasionally even the charge nurse has to take patients.

We did have to memorize those in my program. I didn't write my cards though. I bought Mosbys drug cards off of amazon.com. Saved me a lot of time

My question is have the CNAs given you any reason to think that they wouldn't know when to report a vital? I don't know about your facility but at mine the CNAs are great. If your not sure than talk to them about parameters to report to you. You can't do everything yourself.

I would consider it the date I started working.

I would say no, the people who can work full time and make it all the way through are very special, although rare people. I would suggest getting a loan to cover finances, thats what I did. Of course my plan was get my LVN (done) and then go online through Excelsior to get my RN. If you can do online courses than you can move at your own pace and I'm working as an LVN and making some money while I do it because I couldn't afford to live off loans for 2 years.

My facility still uses Baxter... but lucky us were training to switch over right now...

I got the flu shot yesterday. My facility provides them for free, so really its a win win.

Firstly know your hospital policy, at my facility you pick up the phone in the room and dial 2 numbers to connect you to the emergency line of the hospital operator, who will then send in the appropriate personell so that you do not have to leave the patient. As far as what I would do it depends on how badly they are choking. If they can talk/ cough they can breath and don't do anything. But I would send someone to get a suction apparatus just in case it was needed

Firstly let me just say that I'm a day shift nurse so Im not exactly sure on what all of your duties are but I hope this helps anyways I show up at work at 6:30 (Im supposed to be in report at 6:45) This gives me time to organize my papers and my binder as well as read over my Kardexes and MARs, I have a chart where I highlight when my various patients have meds due. It also helps me to be a little bit familiar with the patient when I go into report, then I get report and while Im in the room where I get report (which has our charting computers in it) I check my labs, then do patient rounding. Be sure to lump things that can be done together. Like if you have a blood pressure machine than do your assessment while its reading her blood pressure. If you need to do a bath than do your skin assessment then. I don't know what your hospital policy is but we have an hour window for meds so I lump together like 7:00 and 8:00 meds and 9:00 and 10:00 meds. Think about why you are running in circles, are you not notcing your IV bags are empty until they need to be changed? Make a note to check how much is in your IV bag everytime you walk into the room. That way you can hang a new bag when youre going in with a med, instead of walking in to give a med, realizing the bag is empty going back to get it and heading back into the room to hang the bag. Also if you have an extra 5 seconds use that 5 seconds to chart SOMETHING. It adds up at the end of the day. If none of that helps keep a diary of what you do in the day and how long it took you, you'll learn fast whats eating all your time and what can be changed. Also organize your tasks into Gotta, Should, and Coulds do your gotta tasks first.

My only suggestion is to ask questions, even if it seems stupid. I usually ask the charge nurse, but everyone I work with is great about helping each other out and answering all my questions.

My year when had a student walk by a code blue, the doctor told her to get an IV pole so the student takes off finds an IV pole and runs back to the code with it, our teacher stopped her, took the IV pole and started cleaning it in the middle of the code while everyone stared at her in shock.

My hours have been cut, but we got hit by Ike so two of our floors are yet to reopen, all our shifts that would give us overtime are cut and given to the nurses from those floors.

Why are we pointing out things to spark more anger

You've had plenty of experience, not as an RN, but its really not that different knowledge wise.

I agree with interleukin. I often ask questions when they come up because if I don't I'll probably forget. I probably would ask you if the JP bulb had been changed, not to condemn you for not doing it, just so that I can start mentally preparing my tasks for the day. That way its no surprise when I walk into the room, I can come straight into the room with it and get it done because chances are if the shift getting off was really hectic, mine will be too. Now I don't think discussing your actions with her orientee was appropriate, but you can't win them all.

I got a loan for 1 year of school to get my LVN and I didn't work. Now Im working full time while getting my pre-reqs for LVN-RN transition, and when I finish them (this semester) I will continue working full time while I do the transition program online

Your tissues are still getting some sugar so you don't need to break down ketones. Your blood sugar gets so high because your body is trying to compensate and trying to compensate until it simply can't anymore