nl2005

It sounds like the girl at the MDs office was very rude. You were calling with a patient update and she should have taken a message for the MD to call you back.

I recently received a letter from one of my Physical Therapist very angry about the "lack of direction" provided for pre cautions for a patient who has bed bugs. Apparently the bed bugs have spread through the house. I had all staff wear a gown, gloves, foot covers, and hair cover when caring for the patient. It is unclear whether the precautions were used consistently by the staff who wrote the email. She is refusing to see the patient and is discharging from PT. My concern is, I want to be fully supportive to staff, but I also want this patient not to loose services. We had a charitable giving that would once provide support for these under privilaged patients whith various needs, but it was ended by the company. I am not sure when it comes to bed bugs if all the precautions are enough, if staff feel safe, and I do not want the patient to go without care. Any advice?

We go by how many days a week the nurse works, for full time 25 is max

Is home health that bad? Do you feel you can make a difference? Also, I have an old car, a little beat up, but should I use that insted of my new car? I am starting a new homehealth job. I am afraid of loosing my skills and having a problem getting hired back on at the hospital in the future. I have 4 kids and thought home health would be great for my schedule?-lisa

It seemed like they really needed people when I went on my interview. Also, I will be with a preceptor for some time, they just dont put you on your own right away. Plus you have plenty of experience. I would give it a try!-Lisa

I too have 4 kids! I have been a nurse 3 years only. I dont know how you work nights?? I think I will try home health, i am getting excited and I think I will like it. From what all the nurses here say. I always come to this website when I have big descisions to make, and I am always being stired in the right direction. I remember feeling "stupid" before and somtimes thinking and wishing people would forget the little stupid things I have done and said. This lasted for about6-7 monthes, them I felt more confident. With home health I feel it will give me a more flexible schedule for my family and kids. I'll let you know!-lisa

It sounds like you really love home health. Is there any cons to it? Do you ever miss hospital nursing? Do you think you loose your skill in certain areas?

I just interviewed for a home health position, I was offered the job, but I am worried about loosing my clinical skills. I have med surg and er backgrounds. Home health seems really exciting, but I am worried that if I dont like it, I will have a hard time getting hired back into the hospital. Is there anyone out there with any pros or cons on home health that can hekp me, I am trying to decide what to do?

if this is your first med error they should not fire you!! that is crazy! i would call the union rep asap!-lisa

I am happy to read your response. I too have worked in the hospital and I have a interview for home health today. Do you think we loose our nursing skills? I am totally excited! Oh, I got pulled over for accidently running a stop sign 2 years ago, do you think that will be a problem? Also is the pay a lot less? Just wondering I have kids at home to care for. OK well, congrats on your new job!!-lisa

i think you are so right. one of the reasons i think they offered that to me is because i went to the meeting with the union rep, and he asked them why after the first write up, and when my manager gave me a bad eval they said they would give me more training and they never followed through. i really do not liking working hard for bad and dishonest people, and thats what the er turned out to have. now they transfered me to med surg which is better than being fired, but i feel like all my critical care training is going down the tubes. people who know me at the hospital keep asking why i went frm er to med surg, i know i will make the best of it and give it a good shot. thanks so much-lisa

i was about to do the same, that is what my husband suggested. the reason i did not is because of the union rep, he said he would help me through it. all of this has taken its toll on my self confidence. well, good luck to you.-lisa

just an update on how everything turned out. they offered to pay me for my days out without pay, transfer me to the ortho med surg floor, and give me my same day shift and hours. So I will have a new unit to work on next week. I am a little worried about loosing some of those critical care skills I have learned, but I am not complaining. They plan to train me for a month. Well, I just want to thank everyone at this website for your words of wisdom. I was begining to get into depression mode over all of this and everyone here has helped me more than friends and family getting through this hard time. Thanks, Lisa

the meeting went better than expected! They still feel that I am not right for the ER, possibly need more training. I will find out tomarrow if they will allow me to transfer to another dept.-lisa

I got some of the feedback stating that I should not be terminated over this, so I will briefly say that I have had two previous write ups. the first was last july. I was given a patient from another nurse that needed a cardizam drip. the nurse already had the bag from the pharmacist, and i ran it acording to the order, well the doctor had writen the wrong rate. I noticed it quickly and stopped it and questioned the dr, but since i ran it to begin with i got written up. since then everything must be faxed to the pharmacy, thus the nurse never went over the rate with the pharmacist. the second write up was before i went on materity leave in oct. this time i had a pt with dagerously low bp and i was next to her doing all i could giving fluids, ect. i did not want to leave her side, she was not stable. one of my other pts wa a 10 yr old who needed a lumbar puncture. i delagated that to the charge nurse (happened to be the same one) she assisted with the lumbar puncture, and gave a dose of versaid. the lumbar puncture was unsuccessful and th ept need to go to radiology to have the procedure done with an ultrasound. the charge nurse came up to me and told me that the radiologist wanted the pt to have another dose of versaid before the procedure. I gave it it was a small dose, just to relax, he was still a/o. later i was written up for assisting in a lumbar puncture with no consent and giving versaid without using the concious sedation speadsheet. I told them during the write up that i had been with my other pt and it was the charge nurse that gave it and did the procedure for me, i still was the one in trouble because i gave it at the end. i usually use the concious sedation spredsheet when i am using propofol or somthing to put a pt under, so i did not think to use it during givinbg the small dose, especially since the charge nurse who is also our nurse educater had not done so. i called the union to file grievence for that write up when i was on materity leave and i guess it was never done. he also told me that the first write up could be removed because it resulted in a policy change and that was never done. he will meet me for the meeting today at 2, but he is not really helping, he is just a bunch of talk. i will try not to cry today, i just want to be strong. human resources will be there too.

what happened when you went to the interview and had to tell them you were terminated? Also, I have always concidered home health. Is it fun meeting patients at their home? Everyone has told me you get paid way less than working inside the hospital-lisa

Thank you all for the feedback, I feel so much better already. With the ICU pt they were expecting me to know to call the dr to change the type of bed ordered. Also, i should have ordered a Stat blood gas, and been more on top of the admitting orders since the dr that wrote the orders was not in the ed. thank you all for your feedback!-lisa

I am a ER nurse. I have worked in the ER for a year with the exception of being on maternity leave for a short time. three days ago , I gave the wrong contrast to a pt going into ct scan. the conteast was supose to be water soluable. That perticular contrast is not carries in the ER and I had never used it before, but since the patient had a possible perliferated bowl that is the contrast I was to use. The pt ended up fine, but I made the big mistake. after that the next day we had a pt getting ready to head up the stairs to be admitted to the hospital. He was still in the ER waiting for his bed to become available. He was being admitted for DKA. I was monitering his blood sugar and giving him fluids that were perscribed. the charge nurse got ahold of the chart half way through the shift and asked why the pt was not ordered a ICU bed by the docter. I had failed the recognize how critical the pt was by his labs. I guess the ER is not cut out for me, I keep making these mistakes. now I am scheduled for a meeting with managment and human resources tomarrow. I know they are going to terminate me and I am so worried about how this will look to future employers, and if I will ever be able to get another job? I am so stressed right now, I am not sure what to do? Does anybody have any advise??