Pepperlady

well, i don't think i deserve an attack on a comment i made that was imho ... however, as the thread is about sick time and why some facilities are unreasonable about it, if someone feels that this is an appropriate use of sick time, then one cannot complain about the facility monitoring more closely than seems reasonable.

I was not implying that you would not be very sad to put a dog down, I too have one ... but to plan to put your dog down over your work days as opposed to using your time off days, is, IMHO an abuse of the sick leave.

I am not an OB nurse but this topic was one discussed with friends recently. What I found disturbing was someone wanting a elective C/S because she wanted to fit it in around a wedding she was to attend and did not want to risk missing it. Very very selfish IMHO. Secondly I have heard of them being done to accomodate an OB/GYN schedule .... again very selfish idea.

What does the union say?? If they pay sick benefits there may be other language in the contract that pertains to sick leave. We are also union (albeit at a public facility in Canada) and if we are going to be sick for a third day the management MAY ask for a doctors note, but doesn't necessarily. Now, where I get annoyed with staff abusing sick time is when they use it because they are mentally exhausted because they made the decision to put their dog down (truely happened) or other such nonsense. If we are on vacation and get sick our sick time is reimbursed if there is a legitimate note from a doctor. Our sick time accrues year to year so potentially, as of today, I could be off for over 300 work hours and still be paid for it. Interesting how it works at your public facilities

I am morth of you mamafeliz but our bulbs are up too, no crocuses quite yet but they and the daffodils will be up in the next couple of weeks.

Of course you did the right thing, just the classic description of her pain was enough, let alone her hypertension and a known "funky ECG"

Its totally different from PALS and ACLS for sure . I have done a bit of reading on ITLS and to me it seems more similar to what we have here called ATLS, but it is purely for physicians and nurses can audit it only. I have just received the text for TNCC and it seems much more geared to the emergency nurses understanding and role in trauma cases.

I don't think the commute is too bad between the two, you definitely want to be in Saanich area and not out towards Colwood and Langford or you get caught up in the "Colwood Crawl". I have a friend I work with that worked Saan Pen and I will talk to her about best places to live. I will warn, Victoria/Saanich is expensive for housing.

I have answered the phone at home with "ER, "me" speaking"

I don't do it always, but I am hard pressed to find a cheque that I have signed that doesn't have the RN, have no idea why I do it when signing cheques !!!

LaurelRN08 ... I am not missing the point. I am currently trying to return to work because a patient assaulted me. She is awaiting trial, but is out in the community. There is an undertaking upon her by the police that she not attend to the emergency department unless its an "emergency". She has been to the ER (prior to the assault) daily for very minor things, to get fed and to get warm.... she had become a nuisance. So when I asked who gets to determine if she has a legit emergency I am told "she does" ..... haven't seen her (I am doing short hour shifts in an attempt to get back to full hours) in the ER since. So, I do get the point, its assault and we should never tolerate it. I have had staff tell me I am not doing the right thing .... "poor patient" .... and I say bullcrap, I am doing the only reasonable thing to do.

http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/bios/Dionne.html The Dionne quintuplets born in 1934 in Ontario. Its very sad what happened to them but what a marvel of miracles to have 5 babies survive.

I am confused as to why your NM would not allow you to call security. The 45 y.o. was way out of line, no matter what she was in with or what allegations her mother was tossing around. Personally I would have had psych see her mother too. We have a crisis intervention nurse in our ER and I have been known to call her and have her come talk to family saying "they are obviously in crisis, what else would drive such behaviour"...most back right down once the "psych nurse" comes in and does an "evaluation". Of course their role is to deal with patients in crisis, but hey, crisis is crisis.

I love 12 hours shifts . I (generally) do 2 days (7-7) and then 2 nigths (7-7) and then have 5 days off. It makes for uneven paychecks but I have long adapted to that. I find that, esp. on nights, the busier I stay the faster the shift goes. If I read (a novel or the like) on nights it seems to go on forever, so I will do some stocking if I have time, spend extra time with patients, do some research on nursing subjects. Generally our nights are busy enough anyway. On days, when there is down time, I try not to get involved in all the gossip and what not that happens. Its not unusual for several nurses to all sit at the nurses station gossiping and carrying on, I have nothing to do with i t.... my shift is more pleasant and the time goes faster (thats just my own little choice). I try to come armed with a project of some sort. Good shoes, as others have mentioned is a must. And, when someones asks me if they can "run and pee", I suggest that although I am sure they can, they may find it more comfortable to sit.

I really don't know about the HIPPA, sounds like you have gotten great advice from the others. I would take great exception to my boss telling others that I was terminated and I would most certainly be taking that to a lawyer.