diane227 LPN, RN

If you have a lot of surveyors in your facility, some are probably in training.

CMS and the QIS process sets forth very structured numbers for review. Residents are pulled at random into the sample based on the MDS data and other things depending on our observations of the facility. It always disturbs me that surveyors are rude...

I am a surveyor. The advice that I can give you is be honest in your answers and if you don't know, it is OK to say so. My role is not to pick on the staff and when you are asked a question it is not because you did anything wrong. Data gathering ...

You should use sterile technique. It is the best practice. You don't want to introduce bacteria into the trachea and thus the lungs. Who ever thinks this is a non-sterile procedure is mistaken.

It is going to depend greatly on what your conviction was for. I urge you to have legal representation and try to find an attorney who is a nurse or who has had legal dealings with the board previously. You need an attorney who understands the boar...

Moving to another state will not help you because your background check will still show up. It also depends greatly on what your convictions were for. If you have convictions that have to do with domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault or mi...

First of all, do not lie on your job applications. Be up front about the conviction. Was it a felony conviction? If it is off your record, why do you think you were not hired because of it? Battery is an offense that can keep you from getting a jo...

First of all you have to know exactly what is going to be on your record and if it will be considered a felony or not. If it is not a felony (and usually it will not be with first offense if no one is harmed) then I personally would not disclose thi...

First of all, it depends on the time frame of when you got the felony conviction and what is was for. There are certain felony convictions that will absolutely prevent you from getting any job in health care and those have to do with any history of ...

I had a few classmates like that. Some were really book smart but could not do anything at the bedside. Some were just stupid. But they were weeded out on their board exams. One guy in my class got the lowest recorded score on a nursing exam in t...

And speak to the patient again and ask if she would mind if you have the social worker come and speak with her. Social services often have resources for victims of abuse that we as nurses may not know about. In the future, try to take a bit more ti...

It totally depends on the area, your experience level and the requirements for that facility. I just started working for the state last November as a nursing home complaint investigator/ surveyor and my orientation period will be one year. And they...

If you don't like people, you won't like home health because you WILL be dealing with people. Social workers, case workers, doctors, family members. It can be intense. You might think about trying a job like being a nurse in a short stay area wher...

Spit does it for me... mouth care. I just hate it when people spit into a cup or into an emesis basin. I can take vomit, GI bleeds, gun shot wounds, open fractures, poop, people vomiting into my shoe (or into the handbag of the social worker), pus,...

I must have missed something in nursing school back in the dark ages because nursing school was just not that hard for me and I am not super smart when it comes to "book learning". I am a hands on learner. I rarely picked up a textbook and never re...

It is important to assess the patient. If the nurse was not willing to come in and take a look at the patient, you should go and get another nurse or the charge nurse. A breathing treatment may not have been exactly indicated for this patient and a...

Listen to what people tell you. Try to just observe behavior and interactions. Be on time and prepared. Don't get to friendly with people until you get to know them. Sometimes the most friendly ones are the most dangerous. Eyes and ears open. B...

3-11. I am not a morning person. But now I have a 9-5 job, Monday through Friday, what others consider a "normal life". Not for me. I HATE working these hours (but I like my job) because the only time I have time to get stuff done is on the weeke...

This has happened so many time. So many wonderful patients and families relying on your expertise and compassion to help them. That in itself is a reward and honor. Flowers, small gifts, cards, candy... it is so wonderful when someone thinks of yo...

This is very sad. Being a surveyor, I am always sad to hear when a facility does something like this. But just get your resume up to date and go for it. I guarantee that with your expertise in this area you will be able to find a job.

Frankly I would start looking for other employment in another field. A felony conviction, especially related to diverting medications away from a patient (narcotic or not), will keep him from getting a job in nursing. I can almost guarantee it. Wi...

Instead of fixing the system problems, they terminate someone so they can say they did something about the "problem". The really good facilities don't practice this way. They have learned that the long term retention of staff is good for business.

I am a nurse of 33 years, ER being my past speciality and I have been having a debate with several people regarding this issue and I want to get the opinion of the school nurses on this forum. An article posted on Newsvine is in regard to a 6 year ol...

It appears that you guys have been discussing this on another post and I did not see it. Thanks for the input.

It is a sad fact of health care but managers usually don't make much more than staff. I can tell you from vast management experience, even when I was at the director level with 7 departments to manage and over 300 employees, the night shift nurses m...