five_apples

Where I work there actually a few "fresh" docs who do a very focused, "custom build" workup for pts. I like it b/c it saves time, but I keep saying - they practice like s/o who's never been sued...

On the question of how long, I would give it at least 6 months, if not a year. Where I work: 2 triage nurses if fully staffed, with EMT if fully staffed. If not enough staff might have 1 nurse 1 EMT or just 2 nurses. At worst, just 1 nurse & no o...

I was a new grad when started ED. Had a 6 month orientation and still didn't feel ready when I got off it. Only way to learn ER is do ER. Books will only take you so far, but this is on the job training. The biggest challenge was prioritizing, and th...

Where I work, it really varies, depending on the charge. Some are better in helping you when you have a critical, 1:1 pt, some are not so great. With some you don't even need to ask, others if you don't ask for help they'll just assume you got it (wh...

We have a holding/obs area and use it for both medical pts waiting for results & dispo and for psych/ETOH waiting for placement/sober. Each have their own room & sitter. If no beds in this area pt has to stay in big ER. Stopped having hallway...

This used to be the practice where I work before I started there. They stopped doing it and switched to IV since foley comes with risk for UTI, and you're just creating a whole new problem for your pt. Some pts still ask for it, it's their right. BTW...

You could kindly hint to the person that they're probably not getting a Dilaudid & a script for Norco for their CC, and that their CC isn't really an emergency, and that there's a 3 hr wait time. Be like "choice is yours"...

Oh, I saw what you added at the end of your reply to everyone - what to call on: your floor experience is valuable! Trust your gut. If a person "just doesn't look right" to you, go get the doc. If it's been 30 minutes with this pt and you still can't...

One foot in front of the other. There's only one you and you can only be one place at a time. Speed comes with experience, as does the ability to quickly assess someone and decide if they need you right now or can wait. Work a patient up start to end...

Well, we already know that some bosses are jerks. Your story just stresses that point even more :) I hope you found a better unit w/ better attitudes in the management level & that you're happy!

It depends... After working in the ER for a few months I can tell you, the answer for you Q has to do a lot w/ the specific place you work at & the organization's culture. You're right, there are other people that can help you get IV access, but ...

I've been in the ED for a little over 3 months now. I had the same thing happen to me, when I hanged the ABx before culturing the pt. It was when I was in orientation for less than a month, and like you, I felt my heart plumet. I felt so bad!!! I hav...

Hi, I'm a newly licensed RN. I graduated 9 months ago abroad and came to the U.S. b/c of my husband's studies. I was licensed 3 weeks ago, and started looking for a job in our area a month ago, but have failed to get ANY call-backs. I'm really trying...

Hi guys! So I finally took my exam today at 12:00 pm. Finished with 75 Qs at 1 hour and 20 mins approximately. It was sooooooo hard! I think that almost 50% of the questions I got was SATAs. What's up with that? So I decided not too try the PVT and j...

thank you all for you kind words! as I'm time passes and the stress defuses, I'm starting to remember more and more questions and I think I did pretty well (knock on wood). I now remember I had lots of Qs on infection control, too. I would say around...

Yes - SATA means select all that apply. Didn't take a course, just used the saunders review book and the CD that comes with it, plus nclex 4000 & Kaplan Q-trainer.

Hi y'all! I'm taking my exam on Thursday. I did the second 150 questions practice exam in the Kaplan CD today and it was HELL! I'm telling you, half the time I felt like I really didn't know what I was doing. At the end it turned out fine, I scored 7...

Hey y'all I'm just reviewing a practice exam I took with NCLEX-4000. I had a SATA question about a female client who's labor isn't progressing so she has a c-sec. the question asks what should the nurse assess for in this client, and the optional ans...

I'm taking the exam in less than a week - next Thursday. For me, this is my plan for relaxing in the time left, a day before, the day of and during: 1. I go to a yoga class every other day this week. Helps get my mind off studying for an hour or so, ...

Haven't taken the exam yet, but as logic would tell me, potassium has pretty "clean" values. I would say that anything under 3.5 is low, anything over 5.0 (or 5.1 in some cases) is high. clean cut, not reading into it for more then it is... that's my...

Hi y'all! I just finished a 100 question practice exam with my Saunders CD. I had one question about the daily maintenance dosage for Dantrolene... and I just had to guess. lucky for me, I guessed right, but - do they really get so specific? I know w...

oh my dear god! Well, all I can do is hope for best.

Hi guys! I'm taking my exam 17 or so days from today. Sounds kinda scary when I put it like that... So - on march 17 I started reading my Saunders review book, it took me about six weeks to finish that, including all the questions at the end of each ...

Cool :) I'm in MI.

Same here - I feel ready but can't shake the nervousness all together. ho well, they say that some tension keeps you alert, right?! Where are you taking you exam?