3Angels

Welcome to the HUMAN side of nursing, we all make mistakes..Should not cause problem with your boards...Just take a deep breath and learn from it, no matter how much of a hurry you are in take the time to review the wrights of administration each time. :saint:

I'm in south central Texas, we have already been declared a disaster area and our hospital is on alert for evacuees again. Hope this is just premature hype and turns out to be a waste of time.....The A&M large animal clinic had to be converted to take people last time.....we are more prepared this time, hope it is not as bad as before. LUCK TO ALL 'YALL in the direct path. :saint:

I have worked nights for 5 years. My trick is to take a 2-3 hour nap the first day I work then become totally nocturnal for the 3-4 shifts I work. On the last day I work I only sleep about 4 hours when I get home then I make myself stay up the rest of the day. I always work my shifts on consecutive nights--if this is not an option then I am nocturnal until I have a stretch of days off. Good luck :saint:

In the nursery we use baby lotion--works real good. :saint:

I have had pts who have an initial assessment charted and nothing else for the full 12 hours:eek:. I tend to chart everything and it has saved my butt many times. When in doubt write it out...but KISS--keep it simple stupid, don't try to use all your big words at once and be objective-no personal ..Check off can be good if used with a little common sense but I am finding that newer nurses are not taught that check-offs don't cover everything and sometimes a short blurb can save you in the long run. 1-2 yrs down the line you may need a reminder of what happened during your shift, I can barely remember last week much less 1-2 yrs ago but it will happen you will get that call not because you did anything wrong but because people in hospitals are sick and sometimes the outcome is not good. With a short note you can say without a doubt what happened and what you did. As for format I just give general narrative notes --when doing drsg changes I document wound appearance, drng etc..along with a list of supplies used so the next nurse will know what will be needed and have an idea what is under the drsg (if they read my notes.) Good luck and glad to hear you thinking about it ahead of time--shows you are concencious and will do a good job. :saint:

I went internal agency so I would not have to be part of unit politics. People are generally glad to see me(some abuse me but--next time they need help I won't be there, I have been at the same facility 5 years). I am an LVN and I have helped many RN's learn the ropes. I love being a nurse and find it sad when we "eat" each other, but I have seen it. Nursing is hard--We see people at their worst, I want them to see us at our best. So if you can reach out a helping hand to your fellow caregivers when they need it,DO IT. A little goes a long way and you can make someone's day. :saint:

Spend way to much but am in my 30's with silver streaks and tend to be paid better and have better reviews when my hair is colored:( ( I did not color for 1 year and my raise was about half as much as the following year when I did color ) the do it yourself stuff will not cover my silver.:flamesonb :saint:

Sorry to hear this is happening. If your hospital has the capability for you to look at your time on the computer and print it you may want to start doing that and then approach with print out in hand. If not then keep very close track of your time and approach the unit manager with paper in hand tell them that you don't know if it a glitch in the clock or what but this is whats happening. That will give them a "easy out" but also a heads up that you are watching your time. GOOD LUCK!! :saint:

You mean that caring for your sick/dying pts is more important than being a good waitress...silly nurse. Really people like that make me think evil thoughts must go channel happy thoughts now. And they wonder why there is a nursing shortage. :saint:

Night nurse here, yup worked last night and have to again tonight---can't sleep must check allnurses.com:D My hospital pays time and a half from 0500-0001 on the 4th--they just started paying holiday pay this year so though it favors the day shift it is still a step in the right direction. (most holidays are paid for the full 24 hour clock not sure why this one is different.) :saint:

So sorry for your loss, my prayers are with you and yours.:icon_hug: Sometimes it is hard for those of us who work to live,but don't live to work. Take care of yourself first, there will always be jobs out there but there is only one you. :saint:

none of the practices you listed are acceptable. on that note, mama always said "what goes around comes around" those nurses will be patients one day too...hope their pills don't fall on the floor, etc... :saint:

Sorry to hear they threw you to the wolves, but you are probably better off if this is how they are treating their staff members. As for the job hunt, just take a deep breath and know that you have learned from past experience (neatness counts, computer charting is better) As a new nurse you might consider a teaching facility if there is one near you, medical units are great for obtaining skills and learning with lower pt to nurse ratio's than LTC. GOOD LUCK!!! :saint:

My orifice clinches just thinking about it.:angryfire

I am agency and have a regular gig 1 day a week at a local B.H.U. most are in need of relief workers so go for it..You can specify the type of nursing you want to do when you sign up and you can start slow, stay healthy. Good Luck :saint:

You never stop caring..in high stress you may compartmentalize and not express your emotion until crisis is over and there is no audience but that does not mean you don't care. :heartbeat:redbeathe :saint:

sooo not cool !!!! please if not for yourself, but for the next victim report him. the hospital i work at has a program for reporting doc's because we had a few that thought nurses were there to be at their beck and call and were verbally abusive if we did not jump when they said jump. now because of nurses who spoke up we have a professional healthy environment to care for our pts in. please let us know what happens. you have my respect for your response--don't think i would have held it together so well. :saint:

So sorry that you had to endure that type of treatment--not acceptable at all. I have cared for multiple young men in my time and multiple older fellows too. I always provide the same coverage for them I would expect. Have had a few that had erections during care but could tell by facial expression this was not enjoyable for them--I just ignored it. I also placed a catheter in a male pt that had a penile implant-- I offered at admission but he said no despite explanation of necessity. I provided a urinal and offered assistance if needed and told him if he changed his mind about the catheter to let me know ( he did). When I inserted the catheter it had to be clamped twice (he had 2000ml of urine OUCH!!!) He then thanked me and said he wished he would have let me insert the cath at time of arrival but was afraid because he thought I would be offended by his implant--I felt so bad for him:o. The next day he thanked me again. I know that some people have a hard time with peri care on the opposite sex but I for one don't you can perform your duties in a professional manner always have a witness (doctors do so why shouldn't we) and always maintain your pts dignity, this can be and uphill battle with some staff but remind them that what goes around comes around. The nurse that mistreated you will someday realize the error in her ways--hopefully before she harms another.

Had a pt 2 weeks ago who picked up the phone in the day room and started to throw it at me..then picked up a chair...he went to seclusion escorted by 3 police officers for assault threat he had already been medicated x2 with no result, stayed in seclusion for 2 hours yelling and cursing then fell asleep..seclusion over pt then reformed his behavior as he realized he would have consequence for his actions. We are attempting to teach these clients how to function in society--it unacceptable to slap or harm another person. This is the first seclusion we have had at our facility in 3 years. Pts are aware made aware of consequence for actions when they arrive on the unit and we enforce them both for our safety and the safety of our other clients. Bet there would be a change in attitude if the person being attacked was the person making the decisions....So sorry you had this experience hope it does not happen again.

By stating you are going to be an LVN I assume you are in the southern states. I am an acute care LVN in Texas and truthfully there is very little difference in my duties as a floor nurse vs the duties of the RN's. After completing hospital certification I do IV push meds, insert new IV sites etc... All new admissions require an RN assessment but I always do an initial assessment anyway (how will you know if there is a change if you don't?) Will be upfront with you the hospital I work at quit hiring LVN's about 2 years ago, depending on what you want to do your choices may be limited. Good Luck in school but check into an RN program if you want to work in a hospital.