NurseSDP

I don't have a good answer for you, but I will definitely be watching this thread. There has been talk at the office I work at (large doctor's group practice) about just this thing. We've not gotten a good answer back from the state board of nursing yet. Will be interesting to see what they say.

Your brother was very fortunate to have you in the right place at the right time. Kudos for you for keeping calm and doing what needed to be done in a very scary situation. You and yours are in my thoughts and prayers. Wishing a successful recovery to your brother.

I would second a lot of what fizz2Nurse has to say about Wyoming in general. As for Cheyenne, it's not a terrible place. Yes, the hospital and their administration is questionable (to say the least). However, if you are looking to work as a nurse outside of the hospital, there are some pretty decent options. I work as an RN in a large multispecialty doctor's practice. The pay is very competitive and the work is great--I utilize many of the skills that I would in a hospital environment without the politics and poor work conditions. We also have a VA facility, some LTC, and different clinics/doctor's offices. However, it sounds like you would like to be off of the beaten track so you may have a preference for some of the more outlying towns in Wyoming. Hope this helps...feel free to PM me anytime with questions.

So sorry to hear of the loss of your coworker. In my thoughts and prayers....

That is absolutely horrible! At the hospital I was working at we received post-hysterectomy patients on our floor with either an epidural running or a PCA started (sometimes both). They were also started on routine doses of IV Toradol day of surgery and first day postop and went home on an oral narcotic of some kind. Sounds like this hospital needs a little education on appropriate pain management--a hysterectomy is a major surgery and appropriate pain relief medications are vital to the recovery process.

Like many folks here I like the name I gave to my son--Ethan Nicholas. I liked Nicholas for a name, but didn't care much for most of the nicknames for it so it became a middle name. When I was pregnant I just really liked the name Ethan--thought it wasn't incredibly common but also not completely "out there". It ended up being one of the most popular boy's names for 2002 (the year he was born). I did consider Brendan Joseph and also liked the name Jaden. Should I ever have a girl I've considered Madelyn Cherisse. I have a cousin named Charis (pronounced CARE-is) and it's a pretty name. She comes from a big family and all the names are Biblical derivations (Jared, Josiah, Gabriel, Hannah, Rachel, and Jacob are her siblings' names). They're pregnant with #8 now and it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Another vote for the Cherokee brand scrub pants. I wear them, and they're almost TOO long. Unusual for us long legs folks. :) Try Allheart.com, they carry them and at a pretty reasonable price.

Having worked on a general surgery floor in the only hospital in our town, family members as patients was relatively common. We tried to keep it as appropriate diagnosis oriented as we could, i.e. fresh postop patients, but due to high admission rates to our facility and the overflow issue, it wasn't always possible. My dad has even been on our floor as a patient when he had his hernia repair surgery, and it was no big deal. I just refrained from being his direct care nurse, limited any extensive visiting to when I was off the clock, and kept out of his chart. He didn't ask for any special treatment and felt that overall his care was good. I don't think it was uncomfortable or became an issue to anyone.

I have to ask--why would you put an applicator in someone's rectum when inserting a Foley? You know it's not going to go in there. Now I could possibly see using something to differentiate the lady parts and urethra on a female when inserting a Foley cath. They're a little easier to mix up.

Hi all...I currently work as an RN at UMC on the surgical floor. Starting wages for a brand new grad run at about $19.75/hr. Differentials are 8% of your base rate for time worked between 3-11 pm and 12% of your base rate for time worked 11p-7a. You also tend to make raises fairly often (at least annually) in my experience. If I can be of any more help, just ask!

Perhaps a gift certificate to a good local restaurant...good way for her and her husband to have a night out. Or offer to take her out to lunch one day.

Great suggestions so far....may also be worth spending some time in a uniform shop if you should have one nearby to try out several different models/brands of scopes. Take someone with you to try finding heart/breath sounds on. There really isn't one set brand of "good" stethescopes; each person has a preference on what works for them.

I love knowing that I have touched the life of another human being and have made their day a little bit brighter. I love just being there to listen to those I care for, or to hold their hand and know that it helps in some small way. I love being an important part of the care provided to those in need. I love it when I have taken care of someone and they come hunt me down to thank me and to hug me when they leave the facility. Most of all, I love providing care for and protecting those in need. We as nurses are some pretty amazing people.

On our badges here, we have our picture in the upper left hand corner, then our first name on the right hand side with our title beneath it. THe bottom of the badge has the name of the hospital. The only badges that stand out are those of staff who work on our locked L&D/mother-baby/peds unit (they have red badges while the rest of the hospital has white).

Thank you for the post, burntout. I had no idea October had been designated the month to remember "lost angels". I will definitely light a candle in remembrance for them. I cannot fathom losing a child, and my heart is with each of you who has gone through such a devastating loss. God bless.