pmchap

She could get in trouble - signing something is sayingthat you have done it..... you wouldn't signoff on care for a patient unless you did it, you wouldn't sign a ed chart unless you gave it - same thing here - if you sign it then either you are doing it or supervising someone do it.

How tight is your facility? Ward/Floor stock is relatively available - and from someone who has, has helped give and watched DONs to the same - if a facility can't afford a couple nonscripted analgesia to help staff something is wrong. I would rather a staff member take something and stafyfor the shift then go home sick/in pain or with a headache and have the others cover the shortfall. A couple of tablets has got to be cheaper than a sick shift....

This question is a little like asking who would marry a drug addict? From friends I have watched it is not those with low self esteem who do it (not only them anyway)... it is also those who think that they can save everyone. One good school friend seems to continually have a trail of excon/addict boyfriends - she just thinks that she can save them. She is a great little nurse but performs only average at work because she is so busy saving her latest. The trouble with these guys is anyone can pretend/attempt/con (call it what you will) to straighten up but after a month or so - when she thinks that she is making a difference/ and they think that she will never leave them - they start to fall back into their old patterns - usually she tries to support and help them through it... but usually after 6 or so months she has hand her heart/sole /mind broken and they are off doing something/someone/ or more time...There is being a caring person and then there is going to far - she is a good friend but she seems to always just to that little bit to far.

Heck hop a plane and come downunder - I could use a good massage & I'll bet most of the girls on the floor could as well.... :chuckle :chuckle Seriously though - you may have issues with accessing databases of addresses - the whole privacy thing (I tried to do some research and the Registration board had a blanket NO WAY to releasing contact information)..... I would be approaching HR/Staff associations and or Unions with the possibility of a bit of either free or Paid advertising to their employees/members. Trial things like group bookings (ie - if a nurse organises x number of people interested from their work site then that nurse gets a discount eg 50% off or even free depending on the number they need to attract) Advertise 2 for 1 type deals (even if it means inflating your individual costs in the first place) a coulpe of people may be willing to trial your service quicker than a person on their own, final idea offer some gift vouchers to wards for baby hampers/wedding boxes/christmas bonuses etc. if you got one hospital to pay for a 15min on ward shoulder & neck massage as a gift you would be a busy girl if the hospital was big enough....& relatively cheap for the hospital at 15min per nurse (just 100nurses would have you working for 25 hours ). All the best.

How often are you all giving 5ml + for an injection? Most I have needed to give in ages is 2.5ml. I find that all the above works - but I do use a pinks finger as a distractor. As I am injecting the pinki of the hand on the skin lighty moves - this caures the patients to notice that sensation and they hardly ever even realise that the needle has entered. Give the injection steady enough and often I have taken the syringe aware and the patient is still wondering when I am going to give the injection. Please note that there are some medications that no matter what you do a sting will occur - until the chemists can come up with a way to make all medications of a similar osmotic property of muscle then we will always have some medications that sting a little. Cheers

Just remember if you do it in High School, then in College you are seeing info twice - it'll be so much easier to remember the second time.... Triple hit of sciences.....Biology (of a human nature ie A&P, body function), Chemistry (I did it & it made my first year of nursing so much simpler) & Physics (working things like IVs, pumps and even drawing up needles is oh so much simpler if you understand some physics principles) Maths (you don't have to be a whiz but some solid basics including algabra and fractions will never hurt), English (nurses have to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently, no good taking a patient history then being unable to effectively record information for the next shift coming on duty) Note - depending on where you are a second language (it can only help if there is a large population of patients with english as a second language) Cheers & Good Luck

Last Place I worked had VIP treatment. It was a public hospital so all people got the treatment they required, if a patient came in that was a 'VIP' they had priate insurance and where contributing to the cost (meaning the hospital coffers grew when they where there). They VIPs where treated differently in a number of ways - first the towels they used where a different color, second they got real coffee and third they got the cups of tea & coffee in china cups. :chuckle That was the total difference in treatment. I pitty the foolish patients that voluntarily said yes when asked if they where a private patient on admission - little did they know that there was no real difference in the quality of care they recieved, and they paid a gap cost for every day they stayed in hospital. In theory they had their own choice of doctor - but in practice only specialist or VMOs practiced at the hospital so typically the patient got the same doc regardless..... Sort of reminds me of when I had the snip... went to the specialist for a consult... had two choices - private hospital that week for 1,000 + dollars or go to a small community hospital about 50 mile out of town the following week as a public patient for $0. Same doc, same procedure.... the maths just didn't make sense - hence in Australia the lesson is - unless you have some real medical issues the public system is the way to go - you will save a small fortune.

All this $/hr stuff is just downrght confusing... I cound say I make 30/hr - but that means nothing if it is not in real cost context. 5 yrs ago my wife & I bought a nice 4 br house dbl garage and lovely yard - it cost us 3 times my annual gross salary. We sold it & went into business - thinking we would become rich - NOT..... business bellyflopped and we startted at square one last year. By living on Air & water we madly saved & bought a house again end of last year - smaller house older than original and nowwhere near as nice... and it cost 5 times my annual gross. Considering my salary was originally a 4th yr nurse when we bought the first place and now as a clinical nurse educator I am making the upper limit (Australia has unions that have got annual increases up to 8 yrs of service) of what I can hope for.... Ignoring actual dollars we are much worse off then we where 5/6 years ago. I know house prices are only one part of the picture - but they are by far the biggest part - the mortage takes over 50% of my net pay (heck the government is pretty good at ensuring they get their cut first). What sucks for us is that if my wife stopped work as a teacher (earns roughly the same as I) and we seperated so she was a single parent then she would qualify for government support and total dollar difference would be about 200 per fortnight to what we make now as two working married adults with two kids (and this is a country trying to encourage family development???). Also - I think it is wrong when as nurses we say - look at the great money we are earning WHEN we do overtime. Last year I earnt about 20% more than my wife did - but I also worked on average 10hrs overtime every fortnight, worked permanent nights and every weekend to maximise penalty rates - thats like an extra 6/7 weeks work - it is only fair we should get more if we work extra hours. I also have a brother - who with no formal training has a job in IT and is earning the same money that I am - he stuffs up and someones computer takes a little longer in the service department - I stuff up and the family go to a funeral or a nurse leaves the ward with unsafe practices. Where is the sense in that. I pay an accountant 100+ dollars per hour to look after my taxes - but in Australia it is expected by the majority of the population that the government foots the bill for health so you can arrive at hospital - get your life saved and get charged $0 for it..... what worth does that put on health and life? I had one of my workmates say it this way - the further away from the patient bedside the higher the hourly pay.... sort of makes sense. Cheers

While there may still be some managers and individuals with hangups - a place of business would be hard pressed not giving a qualified person work based on the colour of their skin (natural or otherwise). I would argue that as someone who has sat on selection panels seeing some ink on an individual is less of an issue than how healthy the individual is. I am generalising here but often people I have seen with tatts - at work or otherwise - typically seem to have a little more respect for their bodies - their bodies are there canvas and work of art afterall. A mate of mine has sleeves following time in the services and other areas, he has no issue working in our facility (small community hospital). He at times can communicate with some patients better as they open up and ask questions which provides an opportunity for him to build on communicating with them. I have also worked with individuals with face art - it took a second look to acept it but then it was about how well they did their work. I wouldn't stress about the issue. If you present and act professionally then it is had to dispute the fact that you are professional. If you are self concous about your ink and 'cover up' for interviews or ask if they are alright it gives managers the chance to input their own ideas. I would say don't bring it up unless they do.

:balloons: How could you be defending anything..... over 16,000 posts in 3 years... thats 5,000 a year aprox 15 per day.... do you have time to do anything else???? :rotfl: Cheers Peter

Eegads... I have been either really lucky in my work - or have been blissfully unaware of everything except the face value of what is done. I have worked in 7 different hospitals some as the only male, others where I was in a small minority. I have never experienced a 'man-hater'. Sure I experienced individual nurses who hated me - but on observing them they also hated all other new staff/ or staff that challenged their way of operating/ in a nutshell as previously mentioned any negativity has been from individuals who for some reason or another have a hefty plank of a chip on their shoulder. The fact that these individuals where woman I believe has only limited relavance - of more relavance is your own ability to work professionally and not let personal bickering impact on how you perform your duties. A 'man-hater' will not rally much support or amunition against you if you are professional, ignore whimsical attempts at discreditting you and only show professional courtisy in response to their actions. I am also a teacher and from classroom experience it is amazing how quickly sarcasm stops if the individuals saying it think that you dont get it or understand. (A quiet word with the student out of earshot after class also helps!!!) Cheers Peter

Ever wonder why in most places a shower is good if the poatient is back in their room in 15-20 minutes.....in rehab we have to ask what is wrong....

While not in WA I must say that if portfolios are in - then just remember to keep documentation of EVERYTHING you do.... including that incidental little chat with the new team member about the ward proticol or thath 15minute refresher from pharmacy.... In terms of portfolios you can never have too much documentation - the next challange is how you sift through it all - but I would quess thats why there is a templet..... Cheers and good luck - can I ask how many extra staff the Board is employing to go through everyones portfolios? Peter

And the wife & I where thinking about heading north :chuckle :chuckle NSW doesnt sound like it is the only place having trouble with politicians sprouting forth wisdom & health services doing backflips pretending to solve problems. The latest in NSW is 'all TENs will be employed' - nice concept but try making it happen when skill mix issues are creating some interesting discussions between NUMs, DONs, Educators and HR. I think I might have to stay put.... Cheers Peter

Check out some religous organizations that run missions/hospitals - you may not get exactly what you are looking for but I know of individuals who have been posted as volunteers to mission posts (but they had already completed their studies) Cheers Peter