kohana

I remember during my 2nd year of nursing school I was caring for one patient in a ward room. Diagonally was a sick elderly woman with two family members at her bedside. They were whispering and telling her she could die now and to go towards the light. Meanwhile she is completely non-responsive. I cant tell you how creeped out I was then and I don't know how I feel about it today.

Yes, in a way. It was he said she said. The MD believed the pt and filed a report against me. Stating I let her off the unit for 4 hours, to use drugs, when she was literally gone for 2 minutes. I sat her at the nursing station waiting for security to come escort her. Call bell by the RN station rang. Told her to sit tight. Answered the bell. Turn around and she is gone. Literally 2 minutes she returns accompanied by a staff member. Needless to say I document everything from now on.

Injections ... we learned by reading and then injecting into oranges. IV insertion and taking blood samples ... I had to take a mandatory class, offered by the hospital I was hired at. We practiced on a model and then had to perform 3 successful attempts on patients before we were certified. Thank God we didn't practice on each other, that sounds frightening! I've noticed that patients do one of two things when you tell them its your first time doing a procedure etc. One they are hesitant and they might ask for someone else, or they might be very supportive and willing to be your "guinea pig". I have told patients before and sometimes after ...

I agree. Ultimately it is your license on the line and you are advocating for your patient. Try not to take things personally. Even if the MD decides not to take action, you chart exactly that .. "MD notified. No action taken". Now if you felt differently about the decision then you can go to whoever is above that person, which is a totally different story. And with time you will learn what can wait until the MD comes on the unit or what is urgent and needs to be dealt with ASAP. In the end I would rather be "chewed out" than leaving this nagging feeling I have about a patient inside. Better safe than sorry.

I am currently part-time so I work odd shifts and hours and I must say I do prefer 8 hour shifts over 12 hours. Its nice to have time after work to run errands and 8 hours aren't so grueling. On my unit, if you are working 12 hours you have to pick up an extra assignment during shift change at 1530 which puts you at 5 patients, which I really dislike as well.

My first thought was a stethoscope as well, but they can be pricey. Perhaps a stethoscope cover along with a planner or pocketbook of nursing notes (eg. meds, assessment technique, lab values).

Don't give up yet. Try another specialty or look for a new job in a different hospital that offers something more stable. You always have the option of going back to school and obtaining your Masters or PhD. There are so many opportunities out there. Or maybe you just need a break. Take a leave of absence or a vacation (if possible). Once you've exhausted all your options then quit, that way you'll know that you tried your best and it still didn't work out. And you won't have any regrets, hopefully. You sound like someone whose heart is in the right place, but are feeling a bit discouraged at the moment. Changing careers is a big decision and I would mull it over. Good luck in whatever you decide though. Just do whats best for yourself.

Honestly, I don't think it is possible to do well in nursing school and have a full-time job working nights. Either you focus all your attention on school or transfer to working part-time or working weekends. That sounds more do-able to me.