travel50

I have just quit my job of 10 yrs., and it was b/c of the harrassment from my immediate boss at the corporate level. If I can do so, I may never work as a nurse again. For 26 yrs., I've been the best nurse I knew how to be, and I am just tired of it all.

I had to try and help deal with that years ago when I was in nursing school and was just an aide. That wail is unbearable to me. I remember that we could hear her all the way down the hall. And they kept the poor woman on the OB unit. Her roommate had her healthy baby in the room. Seemed so cruel. They don't do that now. As a nurse I've always avoided OB b/c I didn't think I could bear to hear that wail again. I cannot imagine such pain.

I carry my own professional liability insurance. Costs $99 a yr and it is well worth my peace of mind. I went years without it, but I am seeing more and more lawsuits. Most suits seem ridiculous, but people are looking for ways to get money. They don't care if they sue you to get it. I don't feel like it makes me more apt to be sued just b/c I have the insurance. No one needs to know I have it. They may be less likely to drop the suit once they see you have insurance. But just in case, I am not opting to hand over everything I have to somebody looking for easy money. So I carry it.

Thanks for the response. I have the LL Bean catalog out thinking I might should invest heavily in it. I'm thinking the warmest boots they have, lots of wool, layered clothing, good warm hat, etc. I lived in Michigan one winter many yrs ago and nearly froze, but after outfitting my 3 little girls, there was no money for clothes for me. I liked Minneapolis when I visited, but I prefer to live in the rural areas. I'm a country girl. And yes, the scenery is beautiful. I've been as far up Lake Superior as the Split Rock Lighthouse which is almost as far as where I'll be going to live. Thanks again

I had never been a DON before when I was handed the job 4 yrs ago. It was certainly not my dream to be one. But I did the best I could with it. Dearly loved my residents, and the staff and I worked great together. Increased census from 50% to 85%. Went from losing $ to making $. Got a new adm not long after I took the job, and he was wonderful. Corporate could just not be satisfied. They just kept criticizing. I finally had enough. I resigned last month. The staff has been so upset that they are now leaving. That seems to be what corporate wants. Guess they want all new people. Now the adm has resigned. I don't feel like I failed. I gave it my best, learned alot, and my residents got the best of care when I was there. As long as you give it your best, that is all you can do. There are plenty of DON jobs out there if you want another one. You can do whatever you want to do, so do not give up if that is what you want.

I am looking to relocate in Cook County, Mn. We presently live in the deep South. My husband will be going there for his job. Does anyone know of job opportunities on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation? I just completed my MSN for teaching, but there are no schools in that area. Will appreciate any responses. And it gets HOW COLD there?!!!!!! I'm thinking I'm going to freeze!

Sounds like some of us need to start our own nursing homes! Great ideas. I have just resigned from a nursing home where I have worked for the past 10 yrs, most recently as the DON. We have had pets that whole time, big dog, lap dog, cat, birds, rabbit, hampster, etc. My employees were allowed to bring their kids to work if they behaved. The kids thought the nursing home was a great place to go to play. Some of my residents loved sitting in the hallway, however. Seemed to be their form of entertainment. I begged corporate to make a way for residents to go outside and be safe, even the most confused. They said it was too expensive. Maybe someday they'll be in a nursing home and remember that they said that. I have to have fresh air. And I hate all those medications. If there were more activities that the residents really enjoyed, they wouldn't need so many meds. As for staffing...I agree, lower ratios would be great. But my state pays so little for care that it is hard to afford. Corporate has decided to make the home less homey and more institutional. I quit because of that decision.

"Let's hope the caring ideal continues to seem like common sense to you -- and to many others. But don't forget the fact that it seems like common sense to you because somewhere along the line, you acquired that value and internalized it -- probably from Jean Watson or someone like her that taught you about the importance of caring." orig poster, llg Thanks for your post llg. Guess I sounded negative, but I didn't mean to be. But these things do just seem so basic to me. I did not learn to care about people from a theorist. My mother was an LPN, and sisters old enough to be my mother were a physician and a nurse practitioner. Caring was understood. It didn't matter if it was a patient, a neighbor or a stray kitty I rescued...you cared and were expected to always show that. Same as the theory of helping patients do as much for themselves as possible, same as behavioral theories, etc. It was just all part of my life. And I guess I have no understanding of the person who does not care. Yes, in reading some posts, and in being a director of nursing, I see nurses who do not seem to care. I wonder why they are nurses. And if they are working for me, they are quickly terminated. I think the only theorists I have enjoyed reading about were the very first ones...it was all new for them.

I agree...and we had a RN here one time who was about to change a treatment order on a resident's bottom b/c "it doesn't look too good. It is purplish!" The resident had expired...and she didn't realize it...!!!

Here is my problem with nursing theory. Some nurse comes up with a "new theory", write books, teaches on it, lectures, etc. I look at this "new theory" and think, well good grief, who doesn't know that. For example, the theorist who came up with the idea of "nursing as caring". How is that new? Of course it is caring...that is one reason why we do it. And if you don't care, you need to quit. But yet she is famous for creating this "new theory" that is just common sense to me.

Do you actually have a patient with respiratory anthrax?

I'm with 3boysmom3, if I don't have the money to buy it outright, then I do without (Except for my house).That has been my motto for many, many years. I was raising 6 kids, and I could not afford to put myself at financial risk. Now even though I am okay financially, I need to leave myself open to be able to help my kids if they get in trouble. They adopted my habit of not buying on credit, but if they lost their jobs they might need help. So I still don't spend much. I don't know what the new health care plan will do to our pay. But something needs to be done. As it is, so many of my nurses and aides at work do not have any insurance and they are unable to go to the doctor or pay for meds. As for the student loans...there are many reasons when they will allow you to defer payments...loss of job, illness, going back to school, etc. As long as they know you are trying, they will work with you. I certainly wouldn't panic. It'll all work out somehow.

My son, when he was 11...I thought he had the measles. His MMR had been ineffective. He'd had the mumps after the shot, which is how we knew. I failed to revaccinate. So I thought the rash, the fever, eye pain, etc was measles. Then his little butt turned solid red from bleeding under the skin. I rushed him to the closest doctor. She insisted it was measles. I insisted it was not. She called the pediatrician. (an hour away). He knew me. Said if I was worried, then there was a serious problem, and for me to bring him in. I did. He turned the child's hands over. Then I saw it. The rash of rocky mountain spotted fever. Why hadn't I seen it? Got him to Vanderbilt per ambulance. (over 2 hrs away) The doctors were very kind, but not hopeful. He became grossly edematous. He became delirious and combative. Then he developed ARDS. They put him on a vent. He developed DIC. The doctors told me he would die, there was nothing else they could do. The students (it is a university hospital) stayed away out of respect. Only family was allowed in. I am white...they let my best friends in...they are black...the doctor pointed out to a questioning nurse that they were "obviously" family. I was grateful. A pastor came in to perform an annointing ceremony. All the family came in, even from overseas. And then...the boy made a response...a single solitary tear. Then I saw his finger touch the ventilator tubing. Another tear. I told him the tube was not forever, just until he got better. I promised we'd take it out then. The doctor was called. Slowly, as the day progressed, he improved. The doctor became hopeful. Every day he was better. The students started coming to see the child who had cheated death. 10 days later, he came home. It was the most amazing recovery I've ever seen. And I know it is so to me b/c it was my child. He completely recovered, is now grown and in the air force.

No, I don't feel one bit guilty. I do what feels theraputic to me when I am off. If I don't, I'll never survive when I get back to work. You can't keep emptying the glass and expect there to still be something there. You have to take time to fill the glass also.

if...there is anything else you can think of to do! Yes, I've had a bad day.

I would love to have given birth at home, but if I had I would have bled to death with # 1 and # 6. And then # 5 would have died b/c of some comps. My bleeding was very questionable with # 3. So basically, I would have been good to go on #'s 2 and 4. My odds would not have been good! But I think it is neat that people can do so. At least some prenatal care needs to happen, and if in the end there is a problem, I certainly hope my daughters would have the sense God gave a goose and go to the hospital.

Sometimes, I feel like I spend my days on the front line so to speak. Feels like I am fighting a constant battle. Corporate wants to cut back on my staff, then says there is a wage freeze. They insist that my nurses do more with less. We run a nursing home, and we need time to love our people, not just pop pills in their mouths. I often tell corporate, "no, we are not doing that", or "if you want that done, we'll have to hire someone else". Lots of days, I expect to be fired over it. I get tired of worrying about that. Just very tired...but I worry that my nurses are more tired than I am.

I just hired an RN who has an old felony charge of aiding and abetting. She had gotten attached to a prisoner when she used to work at a prison, and did something wrong where he was concerned. But she was honest on her application, which I really appreciated. She seems like she is going to be excellent. We all make mistakes. I don't mind the mistakes, just need the honesty.

I have seen one DON who was an LPN. She was exceptionally good. She'd been an LPN since Noah, and kept going like the energizer battery. Almost all DON's that I have known (Tennessee) have been ADN's. I have a BSN. My corporation has 20 nsg homes, and I am the only one with a BSN. All others have an ADN. I thought that in this state you had to be an RN, but they would grandfather in an LPN who was already in that position.

I argued hard and long to get nursing students to come to my nursing home. Corporate didn't want them there...liability issues they said. But I love the students. I also hire them when I have an available spot. From a nursing home perspective, I want the students to be kind and attentive to my residents. If they reach out to touch you, don't pull back as if you think they have poop all over their hands. Now on rare occasion they might have dirty hands, but you wash. It hurts their feelings when you pull away. They are old, not stupid. Smile genuinely. Make good eye contact when I am talking to you. And make good eye contact with my residents. Above all, be gentle with my people. They are fragile. Talk to them. Even if they are confused. Ask them about life a long time ago. They love to tell about it. Don't call everyone of them grandma or grandpa. They have a name. Do not look down your nose at my aides just b/c you are going to be a nurse. And then basically just what everyone else said. Be interested, don't sit around, don't talk about what you did last nite with your boyfriend, ask how you can help. We have had such good students, and are so grateful to have them. I don't think I have had one yet that I had to go to the instructor about. Good luck!

The "tv remote in the lady parts" story reminded me of the time a resident's son walked down to find a nurse rather than push the call light. He couldn't find the call light. We had to tell him where his mom kept the call light. He was totally grossed out.

Guess you could get a bachelor's in a science and then teach...biology, chemistry, etc.

You would think, but I swear I have seen adults less mature than my 8 yr old grandson, and I do not exaggerate. Some people, perhaps the OP, are just not comfortable disciplining other people, esp adults who should need no disciplining. I appreciate the instructor writing in who said she would hope to be notified if her students behaved so. I have LPN students at my nursing home, and fortunately, all have been very professional. If they opt not to be, then I would opt to do something about it.

My corporate office is telling me that soon we will be required to wear specific colors at the nursing home, different colors for different departments. They are to give us 2 uniforms each. Colors are drab. I object. My staff objects. At the nursing home, most of our residents know us on a first name basis. Those who don't are too confused to remember that everyone in tan is a nurse. Our residents like the different colors and patterns we wear. I think the colors help brighten their day, and lord knows when you are in a nsg home, you need all the brightening you can get. Furthermore, 2 uniforms just won't be enough. Most of my aides don't own a washer. They will not have time to go to the laundrymat every other day. And most don't have extra money to just go buy new uniforms (landau, not what is at walmarts). Corporate has frozen wages so I can't give anyone their raises, so they want to look good by giving them 2 uniforms? Our jobs are stressful enough. It is some little bit of control and independence that my staff have to at least be able to choose what they wear to work.

And then every now and then, we have a visitor or a family member who just makes our day so much better. 1. The daughter who is crying b/c her father just passed...and she takes the time to see that we are crying too, and gives hugs all around, thanking us for caring for him for the past 5 yrs. We loved him too. 2. The Sunday morning visiting church group who stops on the way out to tell us how much they like coming to see us b/c our residents are always clean...then she comes back and leaves a box of chocolates for each shift. 3. The child who comes with his grandmother to visit his grandfather, who tugs on my jacket and says, "When I get big, I want to do what you do. I want to make people feel better." 4. Mr. P's daughter who is always laughing, always such a delight...comes up and says, "Well, I hate to make your day worse, but Mr. C's is in the floor...again!" She is never critical, never grouchy...can I clone her??? 5. The daughter, visiting Mom, who says, "Daddy, get up and get out of that nurse's way. Can't you see that she needs room to work on mama?" 6. That same daughter, who when she sees her drugged up brother coming in, says, "You better get your stupid a** out of here, 'fore I flat tear it up...I ain't playin'!!! These nurses ain't fixin' to deal with you!" That is when I say, Thank you Lord!!! I've had all the obnoxious visitors mentioned. They are beyond irritating. But some are so good, that I wanted to share them too.