breaktime

I agree with limaRN. I see this as no different than extubating a pt when withdrawing care. You are stopping a medical treatment/intervention that a pt no longer wants. It's not like you are smothering a pt with a pillow (in the case of extubation). ...

I work in pediatrics so I can only comment on that and not adults. Further, my ICU handles all types of patients with the exception (generally) of cardiac patients as we have a separate ICU for that. We are a well known hospital when it comes to neur...

I live in the southeast and make a little over 50K per year as a relatively new nurse (been working here for 1.5 years, first job out of school). That is actually a bit lower than the other hospital systems in my immediate area but I work at the hosp...

I agree with both of the above posters. I think people should be educated about their options in end-of-life care and death should probably be something we think about more in our society. However I also agree that changes need to happen elsewhere be...

Just another example of how nursing has become a cash cow for so many schools, and they are milking that teat for all it's worth.

I keep reading how the people complaining are Martyr Mary and yet generally it is within the same post people say you can find time to take a break. No, YOU can find time to take a break, that doesn't mean every other nurse out there does, as people ...

In several of your posts you state, where do you work that _____. I work in a PICU, and 2 minutes with no one watching my patients is absolutely enough time for them to decompensate and die. Besides the fact that it is our unit policy you don't walk ...

I did my preceptorship on nights and loved it. It is true things are a little different on nights. You will probably get fewer admissions on average than if you on dayshift. You'll also see the docs a little less (on the floor, the other services if ...

Our usual gtts are also fent and versed, with precedex often being the next added agent if needed and of course the pt doesn't brady on us. We don't have a 24 hour rule with precedex, only with propofol for the reason mentioned above so it is only us...

I agree with all of you, family members, friends, and whoever else we talk to who doesn't work in a similar field just don't get it. Luckily for me my family doesn't ask too many questions, and can handle a short, unspecific description of a bad day....

I agree with the above posters. I think you might be surprised at how medically complex some of these kids are today, and yet they are managed primarily outside a hospital setting. Seeing kids like that who do a lot of their own care (e.g. a 7 yr old...

Personally anyone who thinks an ambiguous med order is OK scares me a little. "All nurses" know Bactrim is Bactrim SS? If both medications (SS and DS) are in the formulary, I would want to know which one specifically was ordered. I'm a nurse and woul...

I would say go for OB if that's what you want. For one thing, after spending more clinical time there you will have a better idea of whetehr or not it is really what you want to do. Also, as someone else mentioned, with new grad jobs being so scarce ...

It's actually even possible to test for a license in another state, while you're still living in CA. Just call the BON for the state you plan on moving to and they can explain the process. It generally takes slightly longer than testing for your home...

Good advice, all of it. I would add that it is important (and difficult at first) to make an effort to remember you are taking care of pts, not just performing a series of tasks. What I mean by that is when you're very task-oriented, as most new nurs...

I definitely prefer 12 hour shifts. I usually set up my schedule so I work 3 in a row. How many I have off in a row depends on what else I've got planned. It's definitely doable to have 8 days off which is nice and saves vacation time for the longer ...

We talk about pretty much anything. I really haven't heard anyone gossip about any of our coworkers with the exception of occasionally when we get a new resident who is a little scary. Even in that situation it is more to let other coworkers know wha...

Thanks for posting this. I think we can all agree that unity among nurses would be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately it is the nature of our society for people to raise themselves up by putting others down. I think being aware of the problem, and doin...

I work in a PICU, so a lot of it depends on how many of our patients are 1:1. Lately we've even had a few that are 2 RNs to 1 pt (amazing that an assignment like that can still manage to kick your butt). We have 16 beds and if full we would likely ha...

I think most of the general public still has no idea what nurses really do, and so just color-coding uniforms or having badges with RN on them doesn't really solve the problem. A good portion of my friends still think the major responsibilities of my...

The definition of the word moron is: a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment. I think your behavior has demonstrated quite clearly that you are lacking in good judgment, at the very least when it comes to social interactions. Despi...

I almost spit my coffee out! I have found myself doing this on numerous occasions in numerous locations. My wife is afraid of needles but has GREAT veins, and the other day I told her, "I wonder what it would be like to start a scalp IV in an adult, ...

Congratulations!!!! Not only congratulations for passing, but also for having the courage to keep trying! All of took that test and know what an emotional experience it is. I truly and honestly admire you for not giving up! Congratulations for sure!!...

I'm a pretty new nurse, so I don't know that I could accurately answer your question about what personality traits/personal qualities are needed for the areas you listed. My general impression based on my own experiences would be the same things nee...