Spiker

You're so right. I'm an RN since 1979. Responsibility and honesty were definitely drummed into our heads, along with teamwork. Things have changed over the years....

While I would encourage any of our colleagues to continue their education, I'd say "why now" to someone in their late 60's & already drawing Social Security. As previously mentioned by John above, by the time you finish, will you be able to continue working in order to afford that NP degree? I was 64 when the pace & hours of the OR started to catch up to me! And don't forget about the Social Security income limit, since you're already drawing yours. Unless you've reached your full retirement age, you'll be limited to $24,480 annual income (2026 rate). Your benefit is reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn over that amount. It happened to me when I was 65, went part time in the OR, & started drawing my SS to supplement my lower income. Again, you may not have to worry about it if you're full retirement age. I wish you all the best, whatever decision you arrive at!

Thanks for the support; I'm afraid it probably happens more than ever now though. So many units are short-staffed. Even the OR has changed significantly. When I started in the early 80's, we had 2 RN's & 1 ST for each room. This helped with quicker turnovers, as well as help for more difficult cases. We also gave each other meal breaks (I'm a scrubbing RN, loved it!). Then as people left, so did the positions, for "budget" needs. Be strong, everyone. Do your best to learn as much as you can for each unit you may find yourself sent to!

I'm retired after 40 years now, but as an evening shift OR RN, & a Paramedic, I often helped out in the PACU, ER, & ICU during "quiet" times.....so much so that I completed unit competencies for all 3 units. However, I rarely had to actually work a full shift with a patient assignment in either of those units, mostly helping with VS, meds, starting IV's, helping with procedures, etc. One afternoon I was greeted by our OR supervisor in the locker room as I changed into my scrubs: she told me I was taking a 12 hr shift in ICU instead!! Not thrilled, but off I went. Only to find out I had a 3 patient assignment! A young kid, OD on a vent (pavulon!); a 55 yr old man, extending his MI (dopamine & NTG drips to seesaw back & forth), & a guy being discharged in the AM (mostly q2h assessments, & he slept all night). I'm thankful the CNA's were awesome, but I still ran my butt off all night. Don't get me started on charting. Anyway, while I didn't feel too "over my head", I felt pretty frustrated to have the patients I was given! I told my supervisor to never do that to me again..... I'll help where needed, but such an assignment for a 12 hr shift wasn't really appropriate, imo. Anybody else have thoughts about this? Am I wrong?

DNP for APN's is an option I can agree with, but just that: an option. For clinical practices, BSN/MSN-prepared RN's are fully capable of everything within our scope of nursing. As was previously mentioned, there are areas that already are pressed to find adequate staffing; there's no need to make it more difficult to meet those needs.

Bug Out is correct. Flushing the heparin with saline negates the reason for using the heparin in the first place.

Well, you've tried talking to your department managers to no avail, Maybe it's time to move up the chain of command and voice your concerns to your DON, patient safety advocate/ethics department. Your patients aren't only compromised, but your license could be on the line. Good luck, be strong!

Yes! I remember that formula! I always had a pad in my pocket to do bedside calculations.... Then I bought a watch that had a calculator below the dial! You just had to use a pen cap to push the tiny buttons! As for pharmacology classes now - I think my head would explode with the numbers of new drugs coming out these days!! We thought we had a lot then: aminophyllin drips, NTG, Isuprel, Dopamine drips calculated to patient weight & what effect was needed (dopaminergic, alpha, or beta effects). I ended my 35 of 40 year career in the Operating Room. My colleagues & I were approximately the same age group, & always said we'd go to the same nursing home, sit in rocking chairs on the porch together, & work on putting instruments sets together like doing puzzles ?

LOL! The most we used after I graduated college in the late 70's was grains: Morphine & ASA were grains, as you say, the "old" docs used it??

Does anyone else remember minims, drams, grains, gtts, etc?? ?

Right!! After using butterflies to start IV's, angiocaths took a few tries to get used to!

As an OR RN at a Regional Medical Center in NY, I worked 3-11, M-F. We were also on 11-7 call once weekly, & a full 24hr weekend call every 6 weeks. When hubby had an opportunity to move to Albany for his job as a Neuropsychologist, off we went. I got a job at an Ortho Ambulatory Surgery Center, & what a joy it was! M-F, 7-3:30: no nights, weekends, or holidays!! There were many times 1 or 2 surgery cases ran over, but I always took the OT for anyone who couldn't stay with their assigned OR - we had no kids at home anymore, & hubby was always late, anyway. So to answer your simple query: take the M-F straight hours! No-brainer!! ?

As an OR RN, I wear solid clogs (Merrell's are my favorites) that I can quickly & easily wipe down. If you're worried about stains & germs, sneakers are the worst shoes to wear, being permeable. And we leave our work shoes at work, so they don't bring blood & germs home. Get yourself a solid shoe.

This is the state of healthcare, thanks to insurance companies who dictate our care, & big Pharma who charge outrages prices for meds. It's sad when we're operating, & a surgeon has to choose a lesser implant, repair method, fixation method, etc based on the patient's insurance! I seriously have had to check the patient's chart mid-surgery for that!! Insurance also pushes patients out the door asap.....there's no "care" anymore, just $$$

I agree with all of my other well-experienced colleagues. It makes no sense to change where you work, especially if you'd barely be off Orientation. Be smart. Stay where you are, learn whatever else you can there; keep up with various online journals to further expand your knowledge base. In other words, keep learning, and when you move to the new state you can apply for a job then.