docomo

Lets say you meet another nurse or a tech at your work that you really like and would like to date. But you can't just ask, because the other person is already in a relationship with someone else. What's would be a good way indirectly find out if she is interested or is she just being friendly without completely letting the cat out of the bag?

consider this your lesson learned. Don't work anywhere that you aren't in agreement with the quality of care being given. Move on, forget about that place and stop being paranoid.

Hey OP, no one can help you until you are ready and willing to admit that alcohol has taken over your life and your ability to make good decisions. As I read your post, it was clear that the person writing is very sad, very angry, and in total denial about how much alcoholism is adversely affecting every part of your life. If you do decide that it's time to get help, I suspect that one day you'll be thankful that someone intervened when they did.

I've been through classes on this, reviewed books, and still suck at recognizing cardiac rhythms on the fly. Any advice on how to make it easy to recognize specific cardiac rhythms quickly and easily?

NO! underpaid, overworked, expected to carry elephants on your back and stand on your feet for 12 hours, no job security.

if you are a new grad, take in everything you can, but don't presume to know enough to hand out criticism. You'll observe good nurses and bad nurses, this is the time when you'll decide what kind of nurse you are going to be. There is cutting corners for the sake of laziness and then there is doing the best that you can with a given situation. I've never met a doctor or nurse that is 100% truthful in their charting... They may think they are being truthful, but in fact there's usually plenty of wiggle room in the way things are stated in a patients chart. It's a often matter of interpretation and knowing which things are actually relevant to the pt's condition and treatment. If granny takes her pill for high blood pressure every morning, splitting hairs between 930 and 935 isn't going to matter one way or the other.

Why can't we have one national nursing license and still give states the authority to have their own nurse practice act? Isn't that what the compact state license is doing? We already have the NCLEX, so who is keeping this from happening?

Since ACLS guidelines now recommends hypothermia for stemi patients that are unconscious with return of spontaneous circulation, then shouldn't all emergency rooms have the capability to initiate therapeutic hypothermia ? Like many rural EDs, my ED is only 18 bed and doesn't have a hypothermic unit. That seems like bad news for anyone having a heart attack that gets transported to a rural ED.

is there a such thing as a "not busy ER"? take the two weeks, if you don't feel ready, don't be afraid to ask for two more weeks...

being a new grad in the ED is rough. That being said, I did it, and many others have done it. There are lots of hospitals that hire new grads, and contrary to what some people with over sized ego's will tell you, those EDs are just as good as those that don't do it. It all comes down to the person doing the hiring. There are plenty of nurses out there with good resumes and lots of experience that I wouldn't trust to care for cat. In my opinion, the things that ultimately make the difference between a good nurse and a bad nurse are the things that can't be taught in school or learned on the job, it comes mostly from who you are as a person. Being a safe nurse is all about doing your best to care for patients while knowing your limits and knowing when to ask questions.

other than the obvious, pens, stethoscope, scissors. 1. candy or granola bars. 2. "pocket pharmacopoeia for nurses". because 90% of what you do is giving drugs, and when it comes to questions like "over how many minutes should this drug be administered?" or "what precautions to be aware of?" this little pocket book will be the best $10 you ever spent. I never work without it! 3. fine tip hi-lighter, to hi-light things in your pocket drug book so looking up info on a drug you've already given will only take you 5 seconds.

nothing sucks more than a bad preceptor or being assigned a lousy nurse for new hire orientation...

Here's a my time tested IV insertion technique that rarely lets me down. Make the TQ on the arm very snug and keep arm lower than heart for the veins to puff up. (forget all that slapping and thumping, irritated veins are more likely to blow) When searching for a vein try to make your choice within 15 seconds. Remember that your sense of touch is far superior to what you see, (just like the Jedi say, use the force). If there is any doubt about what you are about to stick, palpate the vein and then release the TQ to feel the vein deflate. When you do poke, keep level of the needle as close to that of the vein as possible. (if you come in at more than 30 degrees, you'll almost certainly blow the vein by stabbing through the back side of it.) Once you see the flash go forward a tiny bit and gently push the catheter forward with one finger. if you meet resistance back up a tiny bit and move forward or tape it down where it is if its at least 3/4 inserted. (for elderly with thin skin, avoid using a TQ if you can easily find a vein without one) Finally, be sure you are pulling the loose skin on both sides of the vein towards yourself with your thumb, by pulling the skin and inserting at a very low angle, you'll never have an issue with rolling veins.

I'm a male nurse, and believe it or not, us men encounter the same problems. Last year I took a job an ER. After only a few months on the job things were beginning to look grim. On several occasions, I'd observed the ER director, a woman, being verbally abusive and bullying her nurses. (yelling at people in front of others, scolding or talking to nurses like she was their mommy) It was as if her behavior hinged on her mood, also, her bad attitude seemed to bring out the worst in some of the other nurses and doctors. Once the situation became clear in my mind, I resigned and started looking for a new job. It's just not worth the stress that these kind of people will put you through if you stay, and nothing you can do or say is going to change them. I was unemployed for a few months, but now have a nursing job that I love and I'm working with great people. My advice is for you or for anyone in your situation is to walk away from any job where the doctors or supervisors treat you in any way that is less than professional. If you feel the need to let them know why you left your job, wait until after you have a new job somewhere else, and write a professional and informative letter to someone in the executive level of the organization.

Your post is rather incomplete in that very little of the information from your resume is provided. First let me say that I'm also considering a career in nursing informatics, though I'm a RN with no working experience as a nurse. I also have a degree in information technology, but no experience as an IT professional either. It's easy to see where my resume would show some weaknesses as an applicant for a nursing informatics job. I've got the qualifying education, but lacking the ideal work experience. Upon reviewing your resume, would you say you are more or less prepared than what is considered to be the standard requirements? Most agree that the requirements for a nursing informatics job are: a degree in nursing, as well as a degree in computer science or informatics, and a minimum of 2 years of experience as an RN in a hospital. If your resume is lacking in either education or experience, then you're at a serious disadvantage to those who have both. If your resume is lacking in qualifications, the obvious solution is to get the respective education or experience needed for one to be considered as fully qualified for the position. However, assuming that you are fully qualified, then most likely all you are missing is a little polish. That means more than putting on a nice suit and smiling throughout the interview. A polished appearance means having a resume that is very well prepared and arriving at the interview already knowing your answer to any question they could possibly ask you. It's probably time to invest a little money in yourself by hiring a professional to rewrite your resume and coach you on how to do well during the interview. Good Luck!

Hi, I'm looking for some helpful advice for developing a plan of attack. I'm a new grad BSN nurse, who also has a BS in information technology. Unfortunately, I don't actually have any IT job experience or experience working as an RN. My prior work experience has all been in the military. (12 years in various healthcare administration roles and working as a medic in Navy hospital emergency rooms and small clinics) I'm wondering, based on my experience and education, what are my chances of finding a nursing informatics position. Clearly, without specific nursing and IT experience, there will be challenges, but at 45 years old, I don't have time for taking the slow road. Right after I finished nursing school, I did work in an ER for about 10 weeks. I resigned after deciding I'd be much happier doing a desk job or something that involved more thinking and less sprinting. Maybe it's just my perception, but I felt like working as a nurse in the ER was like working 12 hours in a Nascar pitcrew. I'd appreciate any good advice or thoughts anyone may have regarding which critical components are missing from my resume and the quickest way to meet the requirements I'll need to have a reasonably good chance of securing a position in nursing informatics. Thanks.

I've got the same problem, little or no arch in my feet at all. I spent months talking to people about their shoes and even bought a few of the ones most commonly recommended. Here's the results of my research: 1. Arch supports are better than anything. I bought the ones from Walmart. You step on a machine and it scans your feet, then tells you which arch support to buy. 2. I was working 12 hour shifts x 7. The only real solution I found was to alternate shoes every shift. I also wore arch supports two days and worked without them on the 3rd day. The idea was that every distributes weight and pressure across the top and bottom of your feet differently. After a couple days to get used to wearing arch supports, my feet were still feeling OK by the end of the 7th day. Without the arch supports, my feet would be hurting like heck by the end of every shift. Alternating shoes as well as the arch supports just made things even better :)

Hi, someone pls give me their insight on Occupation Health Nursing. I'm a RN in Texas (new grad, no certifications, but I do have healthcare experience as a medic in the army for 12 years). I saw a job advertisement for occupational health nurse. Can I apply for the job or am I required to obtain certification as an Occupational Health nurse before the BON will allow me to work in that field ? The position says "Certified Occupational Health Nurse preferred", but I'm not sure if there are anyway BON rules that would prevent me from applying Thanks

Hi, someone pls give me their insight. I'm a RN in Texas (new grad, no certifications, but I do have healthcare experience as a medic in the army for 12 years). I saw a job advertisement for occupational health nurse. Can I apply for the job or am I required to obtain certification as an Occupational Health nurse before the BON will allow me to work in that field ? The position says "Certified Occupational Health Nurse preferred", but I'm not sure if there are anyway BON rules that would prevent me from applying Thanks

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I loved your tip julianne.00 about spreading the word so people will think of coming to get me if they are doing an uncommon procedure or have an interesting case.

please give me your advice. I'm on my 10th day of orientation in the E.R. as a new nurse. I'm feeling like there's very little support or guidance available to me because the person training me, and most all the other nurses are so busy trying to get their patients stable and out of the ER that they don't have time to teach me. Maybe I'm just not a fast enough learner or I will never be able to juggle four patients and provide good care while charting at the speed of light ? Should I stick it out or throw in the towel and look for a job that isn't as fast paced as the emergency room?

Have any of you ever known male nurses that work in OB / Labor and Devliery?

I've been reading a lot recently about people who claim 12 hour shifts are not safe because nurses are over fatigued in the last 2 hours of their shift, and they don't get enough rest when working back to back shifts. How many think that's a valid argument for doing away with 12 hour shifts? My counter argument to that point is: 1. Endurance varies from person to person and with age. Nurses should know and respect their own limitations. 2. Most errors in patient care occur during turn over. Communication of any kind, but especially verbal communication, is very prone to errors. Having 3 turn overs per day instead of 2 would raise the chance of patient errors much higher. Frankly, I'm surprised that patient turn over is still done verbally.

To all who are in this position. Perhaps the best thing to do is to realize that you might have to wait out the job market. All things change, and eventually nurses will much more in demand. In the mean time, it's ok to keep looking, but for your own benefit you should accept that you are better off taking another path for the mean time. Pursue another degree or try your hand in another job field. Just because you can't do exactly what you want to do at this exact time does not mean that you will be unhappy. Embrace this as an opportunity to try something new. Change your attitude and your outlook. Consider that having the wrong perspective may be what caused you to get into trouble with drugs in the first place. Don't feel obligated or determined to hang on to a pessimistic point of view, instead, look for the unknown opportunity that all of this may lead to. There's nothing wrong with looking to god for strength, but don't do so with one breath and in the next breath claim that you, not he, knows what is best for you. If you truly are able to admit that you are powerless to control you addiction, and you need god's help, then you must be willing to walk the path he puts you on. If I were addicted to drugs, my first priority would be to having a drug free and happy life. Neither of those is dependent upon working as a nurse or any other specific job. However, both are dependent on your perspective and your determination to remain happy and thankful for what you do have, rather than overwhelmingly dissatisfied about what you don't have. When I have trouble remembering this, I often go online and read stories about people that have been dealt a worse hand in life than myself. How quickly it reminds me that I didn't have it nearly as bad as I thought I did, and that my best days are ahead of me. For all of you addicted, who think they have it so bad, if you have family, you have more than me. If you have more than $100, you have more than me. If someone in your life is there for you, loves you, cares for you, you have more than me. My life has been like this for the past 5 years, but I don't give up. Sometimes I didn't eat, sometimes I walked in the rain, but I kept on believing and kept on walking. That is what you have to do also. I just passed my NCLEX last week. I got a job that starts in August. I live in what is essentially a wooden box just big enough for a bed, a chair, and a lamp. I wouldn't hesitate one minute to give up nursing if I felt like it was causing me more misery than happiness. So give your best, do what you can, and leave the rest to god. If he wants you to work in a coffee shop, then do it. You'll be so much happier than if you are trying to move in any direction other than where he wants you to be.

If you are still working as a nurse, then take this opportunity to quit now and take a job working in a coffee shop while you sort our your priorities. You clearly see that you are out of control and heading for a huge train wreck. I'd say, even if you feel powerless over nothing else, stop working as a nurse until you know you can do it without drugs. This will protect you and those who might be harmed by the influence drugs have on you. Even though you think you are cleaned up enough to work, it takes the mind several weeks to return to normal functioning after taking serious mood altering drugs, perhaps not from a single time of using marijuana, but definitely from anything as hard as cocaine. You probably can't quit all by yourself. Few can. You need to be in a program, or at the least have lots of support and a strong will to stop. But foremost, remember you duty as a fellow human being to not make others pay for your own problems. If you must be drunk or high, at least limit the damage to yourself and those that who will suffer because they love and care about you. Don't make an absolute stranger pay the price for your weakness.