cbreuklander

Amen to that. What the patient wants is not always what is best. If they had the ability and knowledge to take care of themselves, they wouldn't be in the hospital. Not to say that we should ignore their requests entirely, but sometimes they need to ...

I have worked for a hospital that took into consideration the safety of their nurses during winter weather. They would call me at home to let me know that if I felt the roads were not safe for my car, they would put me home "on call." If they didn't ...

Happens on Med-Surg, too. I had a patient with an unstable heart rhythm. I will admit it took me some time to settle it down, get the Dr. on the phone, IVP meds and calming the patient and family. However, amazingly, I had no other patient call light...

Much the same in our ICU. The treatment protocols haven't changed a lot in the last few years. I think the perfusion issue is what keeps the docs conservative with BP control. Also, once it starts to drop as the pt stabilizes, it is difficult to cont...

When we enter a care plan into our computer program (which we are required to do on admission) it automatically generates nursing diagnosis that fit the physician's diagnosis (reason for admission). Once each shift, we are required to bring up this c...

When I was a student, once the clinical instructor was confident in our ability, we were allowed to take meds in to patients unsupervised. However, we were not allowed to go into the patient's room without the instructor or primary care nurse first l...

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

It's basically an administrative attitude. I work a busy med-surg floor. I am an RN. The hospital I worked at previously, we took our breaks and the charge nurse would remind us to go on break. He/she would offer to cover for us to make sure that we ...

My school sent a letter to my husband shortly before the first semester started. It talked about the commitment nursing school required and the long late hours that would be needed. It also thanked him in advance for being supportive and lowering the...

Don't know any nurse recruiters. Here's what I did...I applied for a position at every hospital around. I interviewed at 4 of them, passed pre-employment physical fitness tests at 3, and took the job I felt the best about in the end. Make sure to hav...

Our policy is to push 1mg or 1ml over 1 minute, but I've also seen nurses push Morphine faster.

If it were me, I would flush unless my supervisor specifically told me not to. And in that case, I would ask for a policy so that there is no question. The potential for drugs that are not compatible being in the tubing at the same time is scary to m...

Hard to get to the county seat to get that piece of paper when the roads are closed! Management should take a hard look at how much they value the lives of their staff. It's harder to get to work post accident, no matter how serious.

By the way, I have been the nurse stuck at work due to someone else not making it in. I still do not go in if the drifts on the road are taller than my car!! Get real. It is different out in the country than it is in the metro areas!

I have to say that I have called off work because of snow more than once. I live in a rural area on a gravel road that is just not a high priority. I do not like to call off because it makes me feel guilty, but sometimes it simply can't be helped. My...

Yep, physical fitness tests are required here in central Iowa. Sit-ups included.

There is a lot of wisdom to what you have said. I did not have a lot of trouble getting interviews and even job offers, but the physical fitness tests that you have to pass to actually get the job are unreal. Before you even begin, they tell you that...

Hi. I was nearly 47 when I finished my ADN program. I started a nursing program right out of high school, but failed my classes miserably and didn't get through 1 full semester. Needless to say, I was terrified to try again "at my age." However, I di...

Where I work, they haven't yet mandated the vaccines, but there is a lot of very strong pressure toward it. I do not like the idea of making them mandatory for all of us. The incidence of H1N1 and true influenza inside of this hospital is still at 0 ...

I agree with you that a generalized sign may be appropriate if you ask the patient's permission first. I had a patient that was Protestant, but was very modest and nearly checked herself out of the hospital when she was assigned a male nurse. There a...