Kashia

Believe in both....

Here is Wikipedia on Nightingale Pledge history. I said it in 1999. It is beautiful traditional and of no cause to offend anyone....after all , the dollar bill still reads.... In God We Trust Nightingale Pledge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I found the great Allnurses forum when I was a student, before I graduated. It helped me so much! And has helped me throughout the years. But here I am posting this....I am leaving nursing. I am a LVN. Shortly after graduating, I landed a full time job, not once but twice! First on acute care ortho/surg floor full time then I moved and received the gift of a great job on a med-surg acute care floor, float to ob/gyn, ICU and ER. The experience I was getting was awesome. I enrolled in the RN step up program, but for various reasons, I dropped out. No, it was not that I was incapable....my GPA in school was 3.85 which is do-able. And I really like studying. It was due to reasons (then) that have grown into being even stronger in me to the point of I am done. Simply put............I decided I can no longer work against my conscience. As a nurse there have been to many occasions where I have been "required for the sake of employment" to perform, participate in things that are just so wrong. Its not relativism that should be guiding us .....for whats that? A guideline made up in your head, "whatever works", "whatever you decide is right, is right?" "whatever the popular consensus is, oh, then it must be ok?".......no, I see just so much wrong in this thinking. It is wrong. To have a medical system that is driven by profit and greed, where we can see, for instance- in long term care, the elderly have become a commodity. Where in acute care patients are sometimes sent home way before they should be, where drug companies are handing out and FDA approving drugs that are doing more harm than good in way to many cases................and the worst is that the very systems put in place at the beginning of our US history are no longer, due to government restrictions, able to perform works of charity. Well, maybe one more reason I am done is I am older. The new nurses have the energy and drive to work in environments that will demand all of you. And perhaps my contribution now can be to write. So I will end with this.........for new nurses........... 1) know history. there is one, you may have to dig a bit, but it is still there. you will find so much wisdom and truth. 2) foster your compassion and find what helps you know there is a right and a wrong. Think of a river, whose sides are high and firm and how the water rushes past, because it is contained by edges. then think of the water flowing into a lake where there is no edge, it moves wherever it will and eventually weakens into shallow nothing. We must regain our moral edges.

Contemplating and came up with answer. We have a right to not be harassed in the work place, a legal protection. In that case, situation referred to employer who is responsible for protecting employee from harassment and for taking appropriate measures to insure this.

As a nursing instructor you can find out what faith related nursing careers there are. Google "Parish" nursing, or community faith based nursing, etc. and then let students know about these options. There are various faith related medical systems, many actually.It is not a secret. I recently visited a well known State University Med Center and in the hospital, next to the ER, was a prayer/meditation room. It was beautiful, it had a waterfall. It offered pamphlets- all designed the same, the difference being one Christian, another Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim. within each, their prayers. side note ...I notice many people responding to your post with a programmed response, something repeatedly said and heard in media, secular news, songs. But I think, as in example of the Med Ctr I just visited, people are finding common ground and this is a good thing. To get rid of the hysteria:-) Blessings

I would not think so ..if the Board of nursing was contacted every time a med error was made, they would have no time for anything else. We are all human and we do all make mistakes. If the hospital/facility was so unforgiving as to terminate over situation, perhaps better all the way around. The most important thing I see here is for your friend to reconcile within herself how she/he made this mistake and try to improve personally...figure a way to not let it happen again. we can only learn from mistakes and become better for it. and yes, anyone can contact the nursing board over anything, but personally I would not concern about that and rather consider how why I made that mistake and make a system- a habit of sorts- to always do....like the 5 rights is the nurses bible. good luck to your friend

I have really loved nursing when on full time staff. As agency nurse, I still love the patient/nursing aspect but the politics personalities of other nurses have made it little bitter. So I would say//I love nursing and look forward to compassion common respect helpfulness among nursing staff to make a come back

I just remembered! The place I agreed to work ( agency) next weekend has some hostile nurses. UGH! They work Noc shift, I am doing days. No problem except during report. A few of them who have no need to be in report, will sit there and taunt me. Try to bother me, insult me. Unprofessional. Disrespectful. So options are 1) make a written report and leave but this may be against hospital policy. 2) not an option to refuse shifts now that I accepted them. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago... Google it, see The Way

In small rural areas I think this is common or has potential to be. I have worked with doctor as coworker who was also my doctor at one time. It was fine, professional lines respected, relationships separated. Maybe a little more warmness from knowing each other better. Maybe try to stay in the present moment ~~~

Long ago, we did have a patient called Spiderman. He was the real deal. He had been bitten by brown recluse , delayed seeking treatment, damage eventually to bone.... and he ended up having total hip replacement. He was Spiderman! :-))

Now that is funny!!

good advice. here is what I discovered.....collect written references from nurses you work with who know you feel comfortable with you. you know, the old fashioned hand written on paper kind of reference. Go see, call, or hand write prior nurses you worked with as well...I did and they were happy to fill out reference form:-) Now I make effort to keep up, and just ask a nurse and hand them a reference form if they say yes :-) otherwise I found out like you our work history can go into the abyss. Best to you!

In report, as agency new on the scene, I care to know a brief but relative history if there has been change of condition in patient. Who is diabetic, and pills crush or whole. New admits, recent falls, isolation's for_________, any GT's, ABO's currently being administered for________. its OK to hear "OK, no changes" if all is OK and none of above. out of report... where things are located ( med room, supplies, drug overflow, etc) yes, always narc count on with nothing funny going on. Added note: I guess its like, if you know how to drive and drive on freeways regularly, then travel to an different town on a different freeway...you can still get around with a general sense of how things are .... but its always good to know where the exit is. :-} And thank you for your concern and questions...it really is about the patients well being...nurses that care are awesome!

Greetings new nurse.....all nurses can be treated poorly so its nothing about being new. just a place to jab, but if it was not that, they would find another. well, I am an older nurse- And I see changes among people everywhere, but to stay on point....there is increased hostility meanness pettiness gossip ego competitiveness in nursing. There is also caring love support...a spirit of helpfulness with the focus on good quality patient care. So you have seen, or are seeing, what there is....its strange, you would expect nurses to care about people, to be respectful and professional. I did:-) I have worked in some pretty dysfunctional hostile environments and in some wonderful ones. Well....my whole point is to acknowledge your clear observations. Sometimes the only cure to dis-ease is a change of diet to a wholesome one. Best to you!

Could you just talk directly to the nurse offending you? If someone has done something that offends you, maybe just bring it up to them. In a calm way, you can state your concerns.

Girl, hear what Peter Paul and Mary are sayin about doing the right thing....If I Had a Hammer..... Thank you for doing the right thing and being a patient advocate instead of .....like the others:-)Peter, Paul & Mary - If I Had A Hammer - YouTube

Thank you for inspirational story. And reminder of Hebrews 13:2......:-)

I love patient care! and some nurses and other staff as well.:-) The hard part -it is oppressive and money profit is bottom line. working in non profit or church owned places tend to have better environment, more staff, more love of people. There is always missionary or organizational ( Dr Without Borders) work, actually those are mostly volunteer. There are many fields less stressful more rewarding and this is a good thing about nursing,,,,your options. If you are doing it for the salary, that is illusion. If you are doing it because there is so much job opportunity...this too can be called a fading illusion. If you are doing it for the caring of others and you find a place that supports this, you will be content. best to you all!

A follow up comment after reading more posts: Which states require a nurse applying for a lic to list medications they are on? California does not require this. On potential employers: OK, what do nurses do that are taking Xanax Ativan Vicodin regularly before a drug screen? The realistic situation is this. If you are on the job and get injured or ill- they will do a drug screen in the ER. If you are in a legal state and carry your script with you, you are at the mercy of the dr to either determine if you are under the influence at that time or it is just in your system due to long life span.

I am in agreement with Sasha, the poster of this thread. If a patient who happens to be a nurse, has a physician recommendation, in a state which allows for this, and it is not used while on the job, but is used in accordance with its intent, it is the same as any other prescription. Dare I mention.... do a search on here and find threads concerning the prescribed drugs nurses use while working,it is not uncommon at all. There are many states which do not have medical marijuana laws and this may seem offensive to some nurses from those states. And to them I would say marijuana is the least dangerous medicine one can take, certainly healthier than drinking alcohol, and safer than most or all prescribed med's that would fall in like category. As well, there are different strains of marijuana that produce specific effects. So one may be good for anxiety or depression having a more cerebral effect- the sativa's, and another strain- indica's- are excellent for chronic pain, more body effect. There are so many uses of marijuana. Marinol, a synthetic form, a pill, is not always effective for patients. We can thank the marijuana hysteria and drug war for pushing growers indoors where they fine tuned the cultivating of marijuana and have bio engineered it to a fine science ( The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollen) The BON in California, whom I contacted few years ago regarding this, said they did not have a formal policy but it would be reviewed on case by case basis ( if you were ever hurt on job for instance or injured a patient) all things would be considered. Good topic!

Just a short comment on what is where: I do agency work and work a lot of different places. There are wonderful long term, assisted living and acute care hospitals and there are the "others." I find federal and state survey ratings are fairly accurate and are posted online in your state...and it is public information. There are also online secondary organizations that post these same survey results and have added information. all of that will be helpful for you to know and help you decide. Liability is a reality and there is malpractice insurance through private companies not very expensive. but it seemed your main concern was your family and you bringing something home to them. Infections bacteria like MRSA and viruses are nearly everywhere, in acute care hospitals and LTC and probably the local grocery store:-) Scabies are not caused by dirt, they are a mite and could just as well be contacted directly to your skin in public hotels motels or a bus or airline seat or in a school. ekk! I have heard bed bugs are epidemic in some places and are found in some acute care hospitals, 5 star hotels, . and probably elsewhere. We live in a buggy world:-) I think your best protection is personal, hand washing and wearing gloves. When you get home, or before you get in your car, take off your shoes. scrubs off at the door or outside the door, and take a shower before hugging your family or babies:-)

When I first read the heading of your post , I thought it would be concerning the heart of a nurse, perhaps a mean spirited nurse or other behavioral control issues agendas. Ha ha Surprised was I to read you refer to your outer appearance, or actually how you perceive yourself. If I was a patient, the most important thing to me would be how a nurse cared for me, how well they performed nursing duties, knowledgeable, if they were clean and washed their hands... but especially especially how emphatic they were to my situation of being in a place I know not, fearful of what lies ahead for me, perhaps in pain.....(aside from the technical professional) aspects of your job, how you relate to their humanness and venerability and advocate for them in a medical system ( sometimes confusing or gone astray) is the most important number one thing.

If one plans on doing agency for awhile, like year or two or more, collect written references along the way- in case you should decide to apply for a staff position. My tip of the day! What I have run into is my 5 yr ago references - where I worked full time on staff- are to old to be considered now. So in hindsight I see much better if I had collected references from facilities I worked through agency along the way.

Low self esteem I imagine would stem from looking for natural "man" to provide you with something they can not. The more disillusioned we become, the more blind we become, the more lost we are, the longer we stay on the same empty road -the worse we feel...and are.