Delirious

BTW Candice, once you've written your paper, do you think you could post it for us all to read? I think you've chosen a wonderful topic. I'd love to opportunity to read it. Thanks.

I haven't been on this website in several months. I just thought I'd follow up and let everyone know that I lasted 5 very long months at the VA Hospital. I felt like the stress of the high patient loads and grueling schedules were killing me literally. I have always had low blood pressure, but for the first time in my life, I learned that my blood pressure was rising to near hypertensive levels. The money and benefits were good, but I realized that I could never put a price on my health. I was blessed to receive another job outside of the federal government that practically fell in my lap right about the time that I didn't think I would last another day. I absolutely love my new job. The VA hospital just wasn't for me.

"I think this recent trend towards "customer service" instead of patient care is toxic to the nursing environment." I agree with you 100% Fungez. I think hospital administration should spend less time working on trying to accumulate great patient satisfaction surveys. At the end of the day, all that really matters is that I gave great patient CARE.

I am there, for now. Not a day goes by that I don't consider going back to the private sector. I miss my co-workers and old way of doing things so, so much. The economy is such that I don't want to give up the security of a decent paying job. And there really aren't many nursing jobs to be found right now in this area. All I can say is it's a different world in the VA system.

I also remember my first weeks as a new nurse having to go back in the rooms to check on specifics as I was charting on my patients. I created for myself a detailed spreadsheet which I would be glad to e-mail you (or post to this site if someone can explain to me how :)). I actually haven't looked at it now in months because I'm familiar with the computerized charting which we use at our facility. Yes, you are normal and it will come with time.

Thanks's so much for the information. My interview is today. :)

I know your post is old but just saw it. Did you find anything out about this facility? I have an interview coming up there--currently working for a local hospital--and I could use some first hand knowledge before I go in for the interview. Thanks for any info you can share.

Mountain State University, Beckley WV. If I'm not mistaken they offer the non-traditional program in New Martinsburg, WV and somewhere in Florida also--but don't quote me on that.

Where were your fellow nurses when all of this was going on? The thing that I love the most about my Med/Surg floor is the other nurses I work with. We all look out for one another and one another's patients. We were just talking this week about how nurses "eat their young" and it can be soooo true. I've told the nurses I work with on night shift more than once how much I appreciate them. I've been an RN in Med/Surg for six months now and have wanted to quit more than once; but they have encouraged me to stay and grow. After weeks of all of us having really terrible patients (similar to what you described--(I can even identify with the GI bleed pt--who went on to ICU and passed away the next day--that's the first time I cried on the job) ) I have finally had a week of truly manageable patients. If this is what you want to do, then hang in there. If it's not, your heart will tell you.

I also already had a bachelor's degree (in business). I actually chose a nontraditional cohort program which was called a BA/BS to BSN program. It took me 19 months to earn my BSN from start to finish. It was intense, but also worked full-time up until the final semester when we started into critical care. The classes were offered nights with clinicals on weekends. If you are in a hurry, you might look around for something like that. We had a student in our program that commuted for 2 1/2 hours each way. All but one of us passed the NCLEX on the first try, and each of us found employment immediately. Again...just something else to consider.

As a BSN I have been nothing but impressed with the LPNs with whom I work. Their skill levels are often much better than those of many of the RNs where I work. In hindsight I wish I had gone the LPN to RN route. The length of training is essentially the same regardless of which route you choose.

I am in med/surg, not hospice, but I do have an interest in hospice down the road. I'd like to add that I occasionally have alert and oriented med/surg patients with respirations in the 30's who deny pain. They just have shallow and rapid respirations. I get my fair share of COPD patients...and...with me being a relatively new nurse, whenever I assess anything that appears to me to be out of the norm on a pt, I always have a more experienced nurse come in to check the pt for my peace of mind. I had a pt a few months a go who was lethargic with respirations in the 40's. I called the pulmonologist because I was sure she needed to be transferred to ICU. He ordered stat ABGs and a CT to rule out a PE. Long story short, she never was transferred to ICU and went home looking like a completely different woman the following week. I personally feel that you were much too critical of the OP. Tachypnea is not always an indication of discomfort.

Thanks to all of you for your input. The universal precautions comment makes perfect sense. But when I floated to ER I didn't see anyone wearing anything more than gloves. We had a young man who was blowing, not spitting, but blowing hard (thought for sure he would hyperventilate) while he was lying on the bed in one of the rooms. I think he tested + for alcohol and marijuana. Anyway, one of the nurses put her hand above his mouth so that he didn't spit on her and the rest of us and her glove turned bright yellow. I guess that's what started me thinking about all of this. Right now, I'm putting my time in in Med-Surg because that's where everyone told me to start out. I've learned soooo much in the last 5 months. But I really can't think of anywhere in the hospital I'd rather be than ER.

Ever since I floated to the ER as a nurse extern I've wanted to work there. But here is my concern...ER is the first line of defense for everyone coming into the hospital. You are exposed to everyone and everything before they are admitted to the floors. Do you ever worry about what infectious diseases you are coming in contact with before you even know what they have and what you might be taking home to your family? Do you ever think about bioterrorism? I can think of any of these things to worry about and it's keeping me from following my nursing passion. Is this realistic?

I hear what you're saying Jo Dirt. I wonder if it's because we get walked all over by our patient's at work knowing that we are not allowed to say anything back to them. So....when we are out of that environment and someone steps on us...all of those pent up frustrations just start spewing out. I've had a patient for the past 4 nights who hasn't slept in spite of his receiving Xanax and Benadryl at bedtime. He has been on his callbell every 10-15 minutes each and every night and has worn me and the other staff out---not to mention that he is on the far end of the hallway. And I can't just tell him to stop ringing the blasted callbell. I've tried everything suggested...promising him I'd be back to check on him in an hour, telling him I needed to go chart, whatever. He called me in 4 times tonight to fluff his pillows for crying out loud. So yes, when someone outside of the hospital environment steps on me I SNAP!