AU-RN

I was wondering if there is any way to find out a list of which hospitals use certain computer charting systems? I'm looking for CA hospitals that use EPIC in particular. Or how do you find out which systems hospitals you've worked in the past used? (I didnt think to write them down) You would think there would be an easier way to find out which charting system hospitals use! Thanks if you can help me out.

Since your info isnt made available...all I can say is that you are too sensitive. You cant be thin skinned in nursing....ever had to hold your own with a DR? Being blunt and telling the truth in a situation is more valuable than worrying about whether or not it might hurts someones fragile feelings. Medical professionals not mattter what kind that go to Haiti SHOULD be experienced and skilled...period. I do not live in a lala land....taking care of the sick and dying is a very serious skilled business....

Not being mean...just realistic....sorry but the truth hurts!

Exactly! Thanks for stating this.

Unrealistic......they need TRAINED professionals....it's not your local volunteering group...this is the real deal. They dont need people getting in the way that cant help in the critical time of life or death. Holding hands is NOT gonna cut it....sweet notion but completely ridiculous considering how horrible it is down there.

Any update on what happened with this potential strike? Never heard anything else about it.

I love being a thorn in their side too! Don't get me started on SEIU!!!!!!!!

Yes, you HAVE to be a licensed RN. What good would the inexperienced and unrefined skills of a nursing student benefit the Dr's and other medical staff down there? There are seasoned Dr's and Rn's that are realizing that even they cant handle the situation down there. How would a student help any patients? It's admirable that you want to help but completely naive and unrealistic.

I just received an email forwarded by a trauma surgeon at WVU Med Center, from another trauma surgeon explaining his group's attempt to help. I hope this isn't too long to post- it was very interesting to me: "I believe we went in with a reasonably comprehensive service; we wanted to provide acute trauma care in an orthopedic disaster. Our plan was to be at a hospital where we could utilize our abilities as trauma surgeons treat the acute injuries involved in an orthopaedic disaster. We expected many amputations however came with a philosophy that would reasonably start limb salvage in what we thought was a salvageable limb. David Helfet put a team together which included: 2 orthopaedic trauma surgeons 3 orthopaedic trauma fellows 2 highly skilled anesthiologists 1 general surgery trauma surgeon 2 synthes reps who were also scrub techs 1 trauma nurse practioner to do triage 2 OR nurses Our equipment including a huge amount of anesth medications and equipment, ability to construct 150 ex fix both small and large, OR equipment including scalpels etc, OR soft goods, splint material, OR prep material. We also had a plan of physician and equipment replacemnt that was dynamic where w/i 24hrs we could bring in what was necessary on the Synthes private jet. We thought the plan was a good one. We were incredibly naïve. Disaster management on the ground was nonexistent. The difficulties in getting in despite the intelligence we had from people on the ground and david helfet's high political connections with Partner's in Health as well as the Clintons only portended the difficulties we would have once we arrived. We started out friday morning, got a slot to get in friday that was eventually cancelled when we were on the runway to be rescheduled the next day. We diverted to the DR and planned on arriving in P OP saturday. Once on the ground the hospital we had intelligence that was up and running with 2 OR's General Hospital was included severely in the earthquake and not capable of running functioning OR's as there was no running water and only a limited electrical supply on generator. We quickly took our second option Community Hospital of Haiti. We found approx 750 pt in the hospital upon our initial eval, the hospital had running water, electricity and 2 functional OR's Our naivette did not expect that the 2 anesth machines would not work, there would be 1 cautery for the hospital, autoclave that fit instruments the size of a cigar box, no sterile saline, no functioning fluoro and no local staff only a ragtag group of voluntary health providers who like us had made it there on there own. To summarize we had no clue the medical infrastructure of the country was so poor. As we got up and running in the OR and organized the patients for surgery we communicated our new needs back to Synthes and more supplies were loaded for a second trip - these included battery operated pulse lavage, a huge supply of saline, soft goods in the OR. This plane landed as planned sunday pm, equipment was loaded on a truck and subsequent hijacked between the airport and the hospital. At the hospital we had zero security despite promises form NYPD and NYFD to provide that to us. Our philosophy was to work like this was a marathon run the OR's around the clock with the idea that we would have a defined extraction time of 11pm tues. The plane that extracted us would come in with a new medical staff compliment to replace us. Equipment included urgent things to maximize issues that were nonexistent in the hospital that would enable us to provide better and more efficient care: 2 portable anesth machines 2electrocautery 2 portable monitors for the pacu 2autoclaves Replacement exfix Things that didn't arive with the previous flight That planes slot was cancelled by the military at 6am tues. We also previously had seen daylight in the remaining patients monday night haviving completed approx 100 surgeries. However on tues morning we found a huge # of new patients. The hospital was forced to undergo lockdown closing its gates to the outside and outside crowd becoming angry. We also noted tues morning that many of the patients we were operating on were becoming septic. We finished operating at noon tues, the last surgery our group assisting an obstetrician on a caesarian and resuscitating a baby that was not breathing. We decided as a group the situation for us at the hospital was untenable supplies were running out, team was exhauted, safety a huge concern, and no extraction plan with resupply. We decided to make our way to airport thru the help of a hospital benefactor. Jamaican soldiers with M-16 were necessary to escort us out with our luggage as the crowd outside saw us abandoning the hospital. We made it to airport on back of a pickup track, got onto the tarmac, hailed a commercial plane that carried cargo to montreal and had private jet pick us up there. The issues we were unprepared for and witnessed were 1. The amount of human devastation 2. The complete lack of a medical infrastructure in the country 3. The lack of support of the haitian medical community 4. The complete lack of any organization on the ground. Noone was in charge, we had the first functional up and running hospital in the P OP area yet noone and I me NOONE came to the hospital to assess what we were doing, what we were capable of doing and what we would need, to be more efficient. The fact that the military could not or would not protect the resupply equipment on sunday or let the tues flight come in says it all. 5. Lack of any security at all at the hospital I would take away that disasters like this need organization on a much higher level than we had with the clear involvement and approval of the military from the beginning. Currently there is Noone obviously running the show and care is in chaotic at best. MD's are coming in country with no plan of what the are going to do. Surgeons that expect to just show up and operate are delusional as to what there role would be as without a complement of support staff and supplies they would be of limited or no value. I hope this helps. We all felt as though we abandoned these patients and that country and feel terrible. Our role now being back in NY is to expose the inadequacies of the system to the media in the hopes of effecting a change in this system immediatly. We feel that the only way to really help now is an urgent programtic change and organization in the support of the medical staff on the ground and what is critically needed to expeditiosly bring in. Cherrios on the tarmac are not getting it done on these patients which clearly would be savable if good care could urgently be provided. Please share this email with everyone and anyone you find might help. Good luck Dean

Experience is the most valuable thing any RN could have in Haiti. It is a must.

You MUST be a licensed RN and experience is required. The situation down there is not suitable to those without extensive nursing experience-emotionally, mentally, and physically. It is hell down there and not the place for new nurses. Remember that there are thousands of very experienced RN's that are willing to go......they all would be picked first.

here is the latest from the fastaff website......sounds like they arent going to be sending anyone to haiti fastaff continues to be on "standby" with our contracted agency in texas. deployment is not imminent due to preparations needed for field hospital deployment and the increasing international management of the relief effort. this will be a long-term relief effort, so please provide us your information only if you are interested in possible participation in the future. registering with fastaff does not automatically mean you will be called for the relief effort in haiti, so there is no need to contact fastaff again once you submit the haiti relief form

Im surprised they would take a LVN with 1 yr experience. There are RN's with years and years of experience that even speak Creole/French, prior military, and have lived/worked in Haiti before and even they said they have not been contacted to go.

Your reply is typical of union arrogance....you believe that union members should get special treatment while everyone else gets taxed....again that is why union workers play kissy face with Obama....you pat my back, Ill pat yours.....

Fantastic post!!!! Hear Hear!!!!!! Btw, you forgot to mention how the unions are nothing more than an extension of Obama.....and look what happened tonight in Kennedy country!!!!! People are fed up and unions shouldnt be in the back pocket for politicians or steal union dues to give to liberals who will pat each other on the back. Does no one want to talk about all the back door secret meetings that have been going on in the WH with Obama and the union bosses? They made a deal not to get taxed for the cadillac healthcare...how convenient for them.....they donate millions of $$$$ to Obama and he makes a back door deal with them to give them a tax break. Union members are too brainwashed to see that they are used for their money and nothing more than a political puppet by the Dems.

They are only accepting RN's to go to Haiti....the experience and credentials is what is required and needed.

This was a HOAX people.....there is a link about it on CNN posted on one of the other threads in this Volunteer section.

From everything I have seen....you MUST have a valid and active RN license in hand in order to go to Haiti. Not to mention a Passport, and like 10 different kinds of vaccines that the average US RN would never need or be required to have received. It's sad that they make it hard for RN's to get to the disaster areas in time of need. You would think the State Dept would grant quick temp Passports only to licensed medical personel that are going to Haiti.

Btw, speaking of unions...does anyone know the current status of the california strike that's supposed to be occuring next week? Ive heard conflicting stories on whether or not its going to happen? Thanks.

Hey, Im super curious as to what "self contracting" actually is and how in the world does that work? That sounds awesome. I would appreciate any info...if you would like please send me a private msg....thanks!

maybe the ER is great but ask anyone what they think of Med/Surg and the nurses being "verbal" will tell you how "unhappy" they are with that particular area of the nursing field.................

Ive noticed most of the younger nurses know nursing is a good career if you want job security and money....just ask nursing students or new grads what their goals are and they will most of the time say "travel nursing". Why is that? B/c of the freedoms and money you have with it. B/c as much as the public and some few fairy Godmother-type nurses want to believe that every nurse does it b/c they want to make a difference in the world....to be honest ALOT of nurses do it frankly to make ALOT of money.......period! When you: 1) get talked down to all the time by patients 2) get yelled at by the family members who are "so" caring that they dont show up to "check" on their beloved mother until the last 30 min of your shift and then want to try and degrade you as a person and a nurse by talking about stuff they know nothing about and did NOT observe first hand, have family members that push the call light and ask for the nurse who stops what they are doing to come in the room and find out that ALL they needed was for the oh so capable RN to help their sweet mother/grandmother/father/grandfather up to the BSC or to the bathroom b/c even though the family member is young, alert, coherent, physically able and breathing they for some reason cant seem to get off their ass and do it themselves while they sit there staring at you-criticing you 3) have doctors that dont tell patients everything thats actually going on with them but leave it up to the nurse to get bombarded by the pt/family, doctors that think ALL nurses are idiots with no common sense, doctors who care so little about their career that they continue to order narcs to a known DRUG ADDICT!!!!!! 4) have management who smiles and asks you about your family and makes you think they care and tell you "oh, your such a great nurse, you really are an asset to our floor" but then the first time a pain in the ass pt/family member wants to talk some smack about you, the manager just "reassigns" the nurses that take care of that particular pt by telling them "dont worry, you will not have that nurse again"....when the nurse DIDNT do anything wrong and never bothers to ask the nurse what the real story is 5) have smartass comments thrown at you all the time by pts/family about how their sisters husbands 3rd cousin is a lawyer or doctor...blah blah blah and tries to intimidate you which I find abusive....even to the point of one pt's family memner who placed a video camera in the pts room to secretly record the nursing staff! 6) show up to work and step off the elevator to find out that not only do you have 5 patients with 1 coming at shift change from the ER and then get told you are getting a 7th pt when your fat charge nurse sits at the station eating and searching the internet and you try to tell them that you are stressed and cant take another pt and the response is "deal with it" 7) get paid in the low-mid $20's/hr 8) have nursing assistants/CNA's/PCA's, etc who give you total attitude and dont care about how important vital signs, weights, blood sugars are b/c they honestly think that you are for some odd reason "picking" on them 9) dont get a chance to pee, eat, check in with your family via cell phone/voicemail, or sit down for 5 minutes with NO one offering to take your pts for a little while to let you go breathe 10) are crying or about to b/c your insanely stressed and again....the charge nurse could care less even though you feel like your drowning 11) have to handle the drug addicts who know exactly how to manipulate, take advantage of and lie so I can legally help them get their "fix" (even though I have a huge ethical issue with facilitating an addicts habit) 12) have non english speaking patients who expect you to learn their language to accomodate them 13) I could go on and on......... You know what all this brings America at the end of the day????? TAKING CARE OF YOUR OWN ASS AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ASS B/C YOU HAVE PUSHED OUT ALL THE GREAT NURSES IN AMERICA TO FIND ANOTHER PROFESSION!!!!!!!

haha, a true reply to this would be 2 pages long. Just read and browse through the hundreds of threads and responses on this website and you will see why Nursing is so frustrating and the numbers of nurses are dwindling. If I had to sum it up....the fact that patients and patients families expect us to treat them as if they are in hotel and demand the right to "customer service" and that the management backs them up. Thats the number one thing I hate about being a nurse especially since nurses are overworked, underpaid and treated like crap from the patients/families. It will NEVER change and will only continue to get worse as our society in general continues to become more and more selfish. But....you can always find a job and you make decent money if you do it the right way....so for those reasons I would mention it to people trying to figure out a career but in general nursing isnt the fairy-tale Florence Nightengale crap you thought of before you started working the real world. Its not about actually helping people b/c half of the patients could care less about you and if you dont kiss their ass then they report you to the managers who "take care of it"...instead of growing a backbone and telling the "clients" that we are NOT the Hilton Hotel and that we are not Burger King and you cant "have it your way!"...haha

i cant even begin to get into a discussion on how much I HATE druggies and how they along with doctors and nurses who give them their fixes are running our healthcare system into the ground. I was shocked the other day when i mentioned to an (apparent) new nurse that he should give 12.5 mg of Phenergan instead of the ordered 25mg b/c phenergan is so sedating, irritating to the veins and the pt would be safer on starting out on a lower dose (and also b/c they werent showing any symptoms of nausea) and then if they still really needed the other 12.5mg ...well it would be there to give. The guys looked wide eyed at me and said "you cant do that...oh my gosh you HAVE to give what the dr ordered!"....I turned my head so fast almost like the girl in the Exorcist and said "of course you can give less...you just cant give more....there are several factors involved in deciding to give a pt less narcs/phenergan thats ordered." I worked on an infection floor for years and saw more druggies their then on any floor EVER! They know exactly how to make themselves more sick so they can be admitted into the hospital for ABX and of course....dilaudid/phenergan. B/c you cant argue with a fever and a high WBC right? Had one FF that was such a you know what that the ENTIRE hospital knew her by name and everyone HATED her guts b/c of her rudeness and extreme drug seeking behavior. Every infection DR on the floor over time refused to be consulted to treat her b/c she would yell at them and argue for more narcs. Well, guess what happened to her....found dead in the the hospital room with syringes/vials next to her where she had OD'd through her central line. In a way alot of people were well.....relieved. She was the rudest pt ive had in my entire nursing career. She stood yelling at me during a situation where another pt was about to code b/c "im a pt too, and i shouldnt be made to feel guilty b/c i need my meds!" As shes instructing everyone on exactly which meds "work" and in which combination and even as far as "how" to give it...you know the old "oh, you have to flush behind the meds!"......... So, I have NO compassion or time for druggies....im so straight forward with them and the stupid dr's that keep prescribing the narcs to them that the pts end up requesting for me not to be there nurse...which I find hilarious b/c I wont give in and give the narcs "early"...when its not time yet......or b/c I give them the smallest amount able to give...and guess what...they dont know the difference.

ive only floated once, and it was the best day Ive had yet on my assignment. but I do m/s and was floated to ONC, dont know about L/D. I wouldnt let the chance of maybe having to float keep you from traveling. And Ive never heard of an L/D nurse being floated to a M/S floor. But honestly, they should be very civil to floaters and helpful to you when you do.