Bettie P

There are many financial and legal ramifications for incorrect coding, if you are referring to assigning CPT and ICD-9 codes for patient encounters. I know, because I had to testify in front of a federal grand jury in a case where upcoding and mischa...

I live in Charleston, WV. My "commute" to class involved walking two blocks from my workplace to the building where the classes were held. There is no campus per se where MSU classes are held in Charleston. They hold classes in various locations in t...

Wait...you have your insurance until July 1st, right? And the hospital wants you to pay half of your copay of $540, which would be $270, before your test, right? So, if you could make this $270 payment you could get the test and work out payments for...

I did 2 years of the program in Charleston. Convenience has a price. Expensive, expensive, expensive! Some of our instructors were great, but a few were lousy, basically handing us the book and a list of problems. Having class one evening a week was ...

Agreed. For Heaven's sake...we're way beyond a mobility assistance issue here. She can't even manage to remain upright unsupported long enough to carry out one treatment. I'd hate to think of the increased infection and cross-contamination risks tha...

If this is the biggest problem the state finds when they come to your facility, your admins should throw a party. Relax. A minor error (and this is one...believe me!) that has been caught, addressed and corrected is no cause for alarm.

If you think going the LPN route is going to be easier, less stressful or involve fewer duties, I think you're in for an unpleasant surprise. If you find nursing to be overwhelming, but are interested in the medical field, you might want to look at o...

Then you're buying the wrong style or size. Go to a quality clothing store and ask for help. Buying a quality set of clothes that you feel and look good in is one of the best things you can do for yourself, but it's not easy! Don't give up after tryi...

That wouldn't have been good enough for my practical nursing instructors either! We were told over and over that it's not good enough to know what to do, you must know why you are doing it. Rationale was their mantra. I'm sorry that you ran in to a n...

I have a "desk job" and I am an LPN. I would suggest taking some classes in coding, medical record management or nursing informatics. Also, you could check with the medical records department of your hospital to see if they have any courses available...

Consider how you feel about dealing with families. Working with your older residents can be rewarding, but the "drive-by" families often swoop in on weekends to play 20 questions with staff. And they always seem to want to play by following you down ...

Maybe some become discouraged when they realize that after being in the biz for 19 years they still come across people who don't understand how their position can be important, varied, different than a CNA's and still very relevant.

Are you sure that these ladies don't have much experience? I'm only 37 but I've been a nurse since 1990... More important that their age is their knowledge, leadership and confidence. I've seen younger nurses who could take a doc full of bull by the ...

OK...these are CD-ROMs from the Prentice Hall "Real Nursing Skills" series. Titles and ISBNs: Basic Nursing Skills 0-13-191526-6 Intermediate & Advanced Nursing Skills 0-13-119344-9 Physical and Health Assessment 0-13-191525-8 Maternal-Newborn &a...

I got a whole bundle of DVDs with nursing procedures with my textbook package. They are excellent step-by-step videos. I'll check the publisher info and post it here this evening.

Staff meetings aren't for reflection or prayer. They are for conveying job relevant information. Please...they waste enough time as it is...don't add another minute and expect me to sit quietly through it. I've got stuff to do!

one thing i have learned...the inventor of powerpoint should be condemned to an eternity of watching foreign-language powerpoint presentations being delivered in a droning monotone whilst simultaneously having his or her genitalia chewed by rabid bad...

I am a WV LPN doing billing/auditing work for a hospital. I correct errors on bills before they are submitted to insurance, I audit charts for patients who have a question about something they were billed for, add missing charges or subtract erroneou...

Dear lord yes! I just keep reminding myself that it's a good review and that I have to jump through this hoop to jump up the ladder. When my eyes start to close in class, I think of what the poor regular RN students who have no experience must be goi...

I'm reading a lot of "Nobody has ever complained when I called them sweetie!" Just remember that many older folks look at nurses as something of an authority figure, and they were raised to not challenge authority figures. They also might not have th...

Never offer to waive legitimate, rightfully earned wages/differential/bonuses. Your time and training has real value, and you should treat it accordingly. Offering to work unpopular shifts is a different story. Once your foot is in the door somewhere...

No chirocracking necessary! :) You can get instructions on how the Epley maneuver is done online http://www.webmd.com/brain/liberatory-maneuvers-for-vertigo and help her do it at home. It's just a pattern of head and body movements. You could guide h...

Can't really say what might be going on with your mom, but I can tell you that I had a sudden onset episode of vertigo a few years ago that lasted about three days. If I were a boat I would have been "listing to starboard." I had to hold on to things...

AL is definitely less stressful than LTC/NH. The main factor is whether the assisted living facility admits appropriately. I enjoyed working AL, but we had a few residents who were more NH material, in terms of amount of physical care needed. The fac...

A few posters in this thread have mentioned the ability to protect their patients as a reason to have a handgun at work. Now, I have gone out of my way to do things for my patients, but risking my life in a gunfight is not in my job description. Whil...