prudence09

Well, mine's a Beatles song and the year I graduated nursing school.

If you used a electronic dinamap I would be very careful in believing the results. If you took it manually I wouldn't worry to much. When in question do it manually always. Most doctors prefer a manual reading then a electronic reading.

Most the the time where I work if it is a completely different unit like ICU you are there to help not take patients. You may help pass meds and things like that. Where I work our nurses from the floor I work on are the only nurses that really get pulled anywhere else and we also have no protest form you either do it or be fired. It's your choice. I would just learn that particular floors routine if you get pulled it may take 2 or 3 times but you'll get the hang of it.

Welcome to the world of nursing!

When this years new grads are hired.

So last night I got a text from one of the nurses that I worked with the night before that one of my patients surgery was not scheduled. I have never in the year that I have been working have had to schedule a surgery. The secretary faxes the orders the areas they need to go to be scheduled. Well the secretary wrote that she faxed the order so I noted it. Well apparently it was never scheduled and I was written up by another nurse. The first time to my knowledge. I noted it because what the secretaries do is fax it to the supps. so it can be scheduled and she wrote faxed. My manager will kill me and I'm freaking out because I'm afraid I will lose my job. So any advice on how to explain what happened when I'm called into the office and asked what was I thinking?

I work med peds and our ratio is 7 to 1 with no CNAs. I mean no help at all. I have had seven patients many times and yes it's hard but you will learn time management skills. Just give it some time. Best advice I ever got was start meds early.

I go into work tonight get into my mailbox and find a nasty letter from one of my patients wrote and my boss copied it and put it there along with to good letters I got from 2 other patients. I just feel like we get told all the bad things most the time and never the good. It really ****** me off. The patient it came from is a known seeker and the thing is I think my boss believes the patients over her nurses and we never get backed up by her. I know she has a job to do and she wants me to improve but the crap the patient said is positively not true. I am dedicated to my job and take care of my patients to the best of my ability. The real reason i'm ticked is because she will never let me defend myself. I think my boss actually likes the way nasty comments make us feel. I know as nurses we cannot please everyone but when you try you get told you are a crappy nurse and should not be able to care for anyone. I just get so sick of all the bad and never get any of the good and when you do it's very little.

I found the best thing for me was buying a vest that had 2 pockets on it. I carry everything in those pockets. Alcohol pads, lancets for accuchecks, tape, pens, etc. When I started working I wondered why everyone else wore a vest. Now I know why. More pockets.

I have to agree with what student2registered posted we do get blamed for alot. My manager actually told me that we she started nursing was a profession that people respected but now no one respect nurses or anyone for that matter. She was right. Sometimes I do love my job but other days I hate it. Like last night we only had 2 nurses and 14 patients. 7 for me and 7 for her but I can't really complain because I agreed to it when I got hired. Last night was hell and was one day when I hated it. We have no aids no help at all.

What about the patient who comes in for chest pain even though the patient admits to snorting alot of cocaine. Wonder why you have chest pain now? The patients I honestly can't stand and do think are stupid are the frequent fliers who are always so sick but they can drive themselves to the hospital and ask for all the pain meds they want.

Go through NSO. They have great rates for new grads. When you do get covered just make sure that you don't tell anybody not even coworkers that you have it though.

I actually had a conversation about this topic with one of the seasoned nurses I work with. She was involved in a case many years ago. She has given me many help full tips. Like never write ERROR always write VOID and then initial the mistake. She said a lawyer told her that error always raises a huge red flag for them because looks ten times worse than void. She also told me never to chart in future tense. Ex: Will continue to monitor patient. Lawyers actually take this literally and think that means you will have an eye on the patient at all times. If you are supposed to be monitoring the patient and something happens then you will be held liable. She also said that she was also told that the rule of you don't document means you didn't do it is not neccesarily true because you can't document every single thing. We all know it's impossible. You should document the most important details. When you called the doctor, what interventions took place, etc.

I drive about an hour both ways to where I work. It's not worth it but it was the only place hiring new grads.

I feel the same exact way. I have been working for 3 months and it has got better. The best advice I got from one of my fellow nurses was start early. That crap they feed you in school about you can only give meds 30 mins before or after the scheduled time is totally bogus. That rule doesn't work in the real world of nursing. I realized that the hard way by always being behind. Now I realized that if I get my assessments done, my vitals done because we don't have any aids and my patient lode can be up to 7, then start my meds earlier than the scheduled time I have been able to keep kind of caught up. Meds seemed to always be what I get behind on. I chart after I give meds then start to verify my MARS because I work nights. My time management skills aren't great but are getting better. When I first started I cried a lot and still do but it does get better.