Kthale81

Perfect picture of a busy day. All so very true. Why can't family (when visit) help out a little. Think nurses have to do every single thing, even the smallest things. I had to assist a patient to BSC and after a bm, her husband was going to help...then the daughter told him to let me do it since that is what I get paid to do. How I wanted to tell her a few words! I replied no, I get paid for much more. Family members are a huge part of why I don't want to work the floor. Thinking about some things irritate me so much, I would have loved the chance to say a few words.

yes, that is so nasty....I don't understand what is wrong with some people

I bet he felt like an uncaring fool...but then again some people don't care nor are compassionate for others

Just love when family members demand for things before the nurse can even assess the patient. I cannot stand that at all. When I would get a post-op pt, after the patient arrived to the room I would close the door. No family would be in the room, I would assess and do everything I needed to do. I would let the family in only after I was finished doing what I needed, I didn't care how long it took. The best part is, all 30 members want coffee or pepsi. I have not worked in over a month and I still get irritated thinking about all the annoying family members.

I did travel nursing from June 05 to Sept 06, only stopped because of health reasons. I graduated in May 03, worked full-time for two years at the same facility. I worked post-partum/gyn surgeries first, then I went to a med-surg unit but I would pick up extra shifts on the gyn/post-partum unit. When I went travel nursing, my husband, two sons and two cats went also. It was great seeing new sites, meet different people and as a family got to spend more time together. There are so many travel nurse angencies out there andit is easy to get the type of benefits that is preferred. There are down sides to traveling such as: not being actual part of a team, chance of getting bad housing, traveling complications - breakdown, etc. Perks include new sites, new place, payrate, and if the nurse don't like the facility it will be over in 4-13 weeks or whichever the contract indicates. Many travel sites lists FAQs for more information.

I wished that type of tubing was illegal. I cannot count how many times I have went into a room and realized that I needed a blunt needle or one of those alligator clips. It is so annoying. I prefer the luer lock system, which those annoying little blunts and clips will be only a memory. Re: phenergan.... I have known it to be given IV/IM/PO/IVPB

completely agree with you. nobody should be treated that way and to act that way in preceptor role is beyond words. no, that nurse should have not been assigned to anyone at all. that nurse herself should have been monitored for a while for her behavior. a preceptor should be someone pleasant, professional, and willing to teach the routine, policies and others. i am always willing to help a new face on the unit, whether it is a student, new grad, new hire or a nursed pulled to that unit for a shift. i remember my orientation phase and i feel like as i was not oriented the way i should have been.

I am burned out now. Due to health reasons, I haven't worked in a month. During this past month, I have realized that I don't want to nurse anymore or need a break from nursing. I may not even be able to work as a nurse for a while due to health anyway. I think the burn-out is from: lack of staff, lack of support/help, working the same schedule over-and-over again, demanding patients and family members, sorry to say this - just ignorance in general, all the piles of forms/papers, it is just too much. Now I was happy working at one facility - but that was a travel assignment in AZ - and I so very much miss that part of my life.

I think you did the right thing. I don't blame you for being mad about the way that nurse "didn't" handle the situation and just went to the manager. I asked questions while I was in nursing school, I worked on a medsurg unit during school. Asking questions is an important part of learning.

I have heard of physicians being able to access pt records and give orders from home or office. Nurses and/or other staff I wouldn't think so, since that is not needed from home. Getting email, time stamps, paycheck info, etc is the most I have heard of employees being able to get online from home. I would think it is a mistake. I would contact the IT department.

I am so sorry about your father. Patients and their families should be taken seriously about the concerns about any changes. I would be very upset also, since sepsis is preventable and able to treat - if treatment is started asap.

I also have made mistake with medications. Also have had two patients different times that needed a dose of narcan. Nursing is hard work, mostly mentally exhausting more so than phyically. Mistakes teachers us to be more careful and nurses learn everyday from experience. I imagine that many patients make medical mistakes at home. Patients sometimes are not as fragile as they apear. We all live and learn.

Back pain seems to be very popular. I too have back pain/B leg pain. I just ove it when patients say that unable to move, walk, reach phone.... I often ask questions such as: do you live with family, do you have family nearby, how were you getting around before coming to the hospital. If I get answers indicationg independence, then I tell the patient to help themselves now to get ready for discharge. Why would I want to pull up, roll them over, practically carry the patient to the chair... I have gotten tired of patients acting so helpless and demanding, family members to drive nursing staff crazy. I will tell the patient that I am not able to do heavy lifting, pulling, etc. The patient will become more independent, family might help out. Just because one is in the hospital it doesn't mean that the patient needs to be completely helpless.

Yes, room temp is best. I am on Rebif, which can be left out of fridge for one month. I always take ibuprofen to help reduce side effcts. Heat is also helpful. I give manually, it allows me to control giving. OK, I have to give it slow or the med will hurt/sting, guess because I am a big baby when dealing with these injections.

Sorry about you having to deal with those health issues. other tests that can determine if it is MS or maybe something else is a lumbar puncture. Also what all had a MRI? MRI has to be with contrast and lesions can pop up anywhere. My first MRI in May 06 turned out the be ok.....but by Aug 06.. BTW insurance is also a pain, individual plans will be turned down due to MS. Getting a good neuro is the key!!!

I take Rebif and it leaves me red spots, sometimes I have side effects which is awful. Depression is common with multiple sclerosis and the meds can also make it worse. I was taking celexz, which was prescribed Aug 06 after my diagnosis. I fell so far down then it hit me what was going on and the major life changes. I had so much pain and depression that eventually I started emotionally changes. I would take meds all the time, pain meds/anxiety medication/sleep aids, I just stayed in my room, in my bed for a while. May 07 came and I did break down, I overdosed and was sent to mental health hospital for 8 days. Be very careful with medications, be cautious about side effects.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis Aug 2006, while I was travel nursing in AZ. I spent about 5 days in the hospital, getting tests and IV solumedrol, PT, etc. First sign was in May 06 when I woke up one morning with numbness in my entire left side. A few days went by, I kept the idea the it was just a nerve irritated. I went back to work about a week after getting out of the hospital, I had made big improvement. Well in reality I wasn't doing as well as I thought, I worked different hospitals till I figured out what I was going to do. There were many places to work within the same health system. I realized in Sept 06, that I just needed to go home to be with family to help us (husband, two boys) till I got stable. I started my last job Aug 07 and was doing really well, nobody could tell that I had MS. Then April 27 08 came, had some flaring symptoms causing me to leave work around 1 or 2pm Sunday. Next day I was in the hospital, MRI and Solumedrol IV to be done, also some PT. Gosh, what a mess I am. May 1st I had a Pain Treatment physician see me b/c of all the pain I was having in my lower back, hips, legs. I got a epidural steroid injection in the lower lumbar area. Return to visit the neuro doc, now a nerve conduction/EMG test (had one in AZ) well now I have neuropathy in both legs, great news for me. Also was diagnosed with a bad disc in that lumbar area, by next pain appointment I was to have another epidural steroid injection which during procedure scar tissue was found. I haven't worked since April 27th, I am getting disability through personal benefit through the hospital. I have stress about what job will I be able to do now and where will it be??? I am too weak and have pain that restricts me to work on the floor with patients. I also can't imagine the stress, walking, others to go back nursing on a unit.

I just learned them from nursing school/clinicals and also with experience on the floor. Usually '/. is one.....two ''/.. three '''/... of course that would be written with the dots on top of each other with the line not slanted. I dont know anything about short-hand symbols but it will be more clear to understand with working

some doctors will probably not use them b/c of potantial error, then there are those that will never change

what a strange order, that is just funny

Oh how wonderful to not have overwhelming sheets of papers. I get stressed b/c of all the paper, it is scattered everywhere so nurses can't find their stuff where is was left at the spot to do patient care. I missed the computer when I went back to paper world b/c of my illness.

When taking a verbal order or telephone order, it should have RB (Read Back) after the nurses signature. Most physicians that come to the unit will write orders, even though the nurse was informed verbally. Although there is a physcian that expects everything done for him, such as take verbal orders, write a progress note and call in RX) A nurse rounds with the physician, usually the charge nurse. At the facility I was working about a month ago, had standing order sheet for physicians. If the patient needed something (nausea, sleep) the nurse would just get the standing order book and initiate the order. Standing order would be SO doc/nurse sign the order. Also if a pysician writes an order such as mild ss log insulin, we pull the order sheet and select as ordered, then that was a WO doc/nurse to sign the order. Every facility is so different, even units in same hospital can be a little different.

There are many pregnant nurses that continue to work. I worked up till a few weeks I had my baby. There were two other that worked the floor that were pregnant. I had to work or I wouldn't have any money. The time off for recovering from delivery, the typical amount of time taken off from work, was my sick time and vacation time. It isn't easy. I just refused to do anything that would harm my baby, lifting, pulling, pushing, turning or assisting a very weak patients that needs to sit in chair.

When discussing this patient in report, nobody could keep a straight face. This man, around 50ish. He was making koolaid in his kitchen. He had just gotten a cup of ice out of the freezer, he dropped a cube on the floor. He sat the cup down to get the ice off the floor. He ended up slipping on that cube of ice and he slipped, then fell out of the window and fell a few stories. He landed on his back onto a concrete slab. He went to surgery and got sutures: top of head, neck, shoulder, leg, both arms. He broke some ribs, and ankle. We all wondered what really happened to this man, since his story sounded it might have been made up.

very true, who really knows how a person lives and what lives in the kitchen. some people are just crazy, plus we all wonder about the patients' family members anyway. i wouldn't trust a stranger, sort of the same as accepting candy from a stranger, not a wise decision. many times patients will be discharged with goodies brought in by visitors and the discharged patient offer it to the nursing staff, the stuff is obviously old or uncovered. that is just gross.