Miller86

Why are people focused on other people's goals? Let everyone be whatever they wish to be. Let there be dreams to reach. Not everyone needs to do bedside nursing!! If NP, masters etc is what they are after then what's the issue? I like bedside, I don't blame anyone for not liking it so as its difficult and draining. I'm pro-dreams. And if I hear a new grad dream big, I feel joy for them because that's what they feel will make them happier or richer. So what?

Yes this would be appropriate treatment for certain patients. They may not be eating adequately without a feeding tube so it would be added as a supplement, usually at a lower rate to run continuously. Some patients nibble here and there or have issues with absorption etc. The g-tube feed can continue at the same time as they are eating breakfast. Once the patient makes progress the need for a feeding tube would be reassessed.

Do not walk but RUN back to work and return it. Sorry this happened to you but I do have a few questions in general that anyone can answer:How can you take out a narcotic for a patient yet it's still sealed? Does that mean the patient never received it? Can someone explain it to me how that system works. I'm asking in all seriousness. Where I work there would be no sealed vial if the patient received it. And if it was supposed to be kept sealed then it would remain in the narc drawer. And how come it was not noticed during a count? Just curious. Thanks.

i would like to know: 1. how much extra do charge nurses make at your facility? $1.17 per hour extra. if you want to add in: 1. if they also have an assignment. charge has assignment for all shifts lowest patient load being on days with 3 and moving up to total of 7-8 on nights. 2. what type of floor it is. acute medicine 3. number of beds in the department/floor. 32 bed 4. your geographical location. ontario-canada.

So wait...Her being Chinese had what relevance ?How come the race/nationalities of the other nurses were not mentioned? Biased much? Did you expect people to say, "it's because she's Chinese?!!" Most of what your "Chinese" charge nurse did was relevant and expected. You get to sleep with a blanky at work and not check on your patients upon return. That's unheard of in most hospitals. She gave you the best advice, take it and learn from them. It's not because she's Chinese, it's because she's a nurse in charge.

We must know the same guy!! He even kicked a garbage can once because my patient was not yet on the stretcher....Sorry *angry looking* porter but I had a more critical thing happening.

You're a good and kind nurse. I hope you always stay that way. Your post was so refreshing to read. Made me smile at such an act of kindness that some tend to forget on those aweful shifts. :)

Lol you champ. You deserve a pat on the back.

Relax! it will indicate if it has been contaminated and will ask for it to be re-submitted. Just let your preceptor know and everything will be just fine!

Wow I wish we had aides on our floor:( Does each nurse have an assistant? or is it just one per floor!?

I was put being in charge when I was a new Grad and only 4 months of experience outside of school. All the new grads on our floor share the responsibility too. You'll gradually feel comfortable as you work being in charge. For me the only thing I dislike is being "in charge" and having a full patient load like everyone else and all the other little things that may pop up. Then people expect me to do certain tasks for them (ex. "my pt is poor can you call Dr.SoSo" which I have zero time for because my patients need me! It seems more tasks are added to the plate like being discharge planners too since they cut that role out. And no aides either. Just a little vent on my end I apologize but you will learn to adapt. Just take it one day at a time and be realistic to what you can and cannot do!

Yeah at my hospital they pay 20/21 an hour and more for nights! I make 30/hr but that's after 4 years of nursing school. Had I known I could get that type of gig...maybe I would have made different choices;)! To OP: TAKE THE JOB!! You'll get to see some interesting patients.

I only got two weeks of orientation as a new grad. So 5 months would be more than plenty for me. Dive in!! You will do fine.

Have you considered applying to other areas in Ontario and potentially relocating once you find a job? There's more openings in the outskirts of Toronto hospitals as well as Northern parts. You could get the experience for a year and continue to look for jobs in your area. That's just an option. But continue to apply everywhere and things will come together. You just have to be patient. I have friends that were in my class of 2010 who are either just beginning to find jobs or found them towards the end of 2011. Keep your head up and I pray things work out for you. Go to indeed.ca and look up jobs! Best of luck,

This was the BEST thread ever.

Thanks everyone for answering back:D I guess having 1 year is plenty enough in comparison to some of your length of times. I will go into this with an open mind and I am sure I too will learn through this experience. It just makes me nervous thinking I may not know enough! But there's plenty of resources to look into and ask for assistance when needed. Most of the mentor's I had always had tons of experience but it is nice younger staff get the opportunity to start teaching earlier. Thanks all nurses:D

Hey everyone, It's me...again. I was wondering when you first started precepting, how far into your career was it? My manager asked me if I would be interested in precepting a 4th year consolidating student in January? I graduated last year and feel unprepared to mentor someone. It's not that I am not interested, I would LOVE to teach someone (some day) and show them around the unit but I can't help feel that I need at least another couple of months or a year? I told her...."I need more time!" and she said "well it's a requirement for all nurses to rotate between students." I asked other nurses on the floor and they said they have done it within a year and half of being new grads etc etc. So it appears to be a common practice on this floor! I started on this floor end of September, so I am just getting used to the unit/staff. Please tell me a little of when you started and if you have any advice? Thanks a million

On my drive to work this morning...I looked over to the side of the road and seen someone jogging. I deeply wished that was me. Jogging around the neighborhood but if I was off I would never be doing that! (at least not that early!)

I like the topic. Before I went into nursing, I passed judgement and thought "I would never do that to my parents!." It becomes difficult to care for a sick elderly individual when you have other responsibilities (work, kids etc). It is a full-time job and can become physically and emotionally draining. I seen my mom go through it with grandma, then she was passed around to the rest of the family. Which was fine for a while until they all resented having to do so. She was in a poor condition for 15 years! As a nurse, I can only imagine how someone is able to work, cook, clean, care for small children and care for unwell parent(s) 24/7 without any type of assistance. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities give people an option. You can choose as there are great facilities and some not so great. You just need to do a little research about the place and make visits when possible to ensure it fits well with you and your parents needs. My mom and her siblings didn't have that option as we lived in a country that ultimately had no healthcare....not even local hospitals! Everyone has their reasons to seek long-term care facilities and I think generally they are a good establishment to have. Imagine if everyone took their parents home.... who would be working? Would there be more elder abuse? Care-giver burnout would be far worse than it is now. I say kudos if you can handle the situation at home and if you seek assistance then there is NOTHING wrong with that. Children are different from aging adults. Healthy children progress and develop whereas older adults tend to decline.

Find a different area of nursing. I am sure there are plenty of other areas where you find you will be appreciated and respected for what you do. I find floor nursing has little to no respect for nurses. But you can try to change the attitude surrounding your floor. Speak up about how you feel and get a group discussion going. We have that on our floor once a week and it helps listening to others for half hour on the days I am there for it! Best of luck and hang in there

I hear you on that! The computerized documentations has a new page added to it every few months...I came from leaving work on time to leaving work half hour past my shift! And i'm not being paid for it either. I find myself rushing through my patient care because I have documentation on my mind. And doing it 3 times on a 12 hour shift, each takes 25-30 minutes. It's simply ridiculous. I would much prefer a simple page of narrative notes . Sorry that's just my side rant.

I agree with you on not throwing away personal belongings but if the individual in question is an alcoholic, he/she will drink the entire bottle within a day or two and use the money to purchase more of it. I think they would be consumed by the addiction and ignore their need for the medications you described. I doubt giving the bottle back (it's their belonging anyway!) will result in them being compliant with their medications. And if they are compliant initially, how long does it last before they end at the hospital's revolving door?

Wow, I can't believe I've been referred to as a janitor! Truth is...as a nurse I took on many roles knowing my patients will need me to be their educator, support system, patient advocate, whatever else they may need and what you called a JANITOR. I don't like the comment about finding a CNA. We don't even have CNA's where I work so you can bet on it I do all the poop scoops and vomit spills. And trust me that's the least of my worries while on the job. Please stick to being a dietitian. You will need to clean poop and vomit, at one time or another. Especially during clinicals!

I see what you mean. He said to me a little while back while I talked about going to volunteer in a developing country, "why do you need to go there when there's plenty of opportunities to volunteer here?" We're just not seeing each other's points of view here. Everything else in our relationship works but each time I mention going away some place even without him for a little while he panics. Maybe I do need to walk away from him and see for myself what's out there.