TonyaM73

How is your search and relocation going? We are doing the same thing here, just have not completely decided to make the plung yet.

I have currently been working on a Med/Surg Tele unit that specializes in stroke to which I have been floor nurse and relief charge nurse, but am thinking of trying for ICU. Either one would be fine to start off with.

Thank you so much for the input. We have basically zeroed in on the Houston area due to the positive construction environment and the proxemity to the beaches. We don't want to be too close to the shore though because we know what that entailes We are in the process of sprusing up our house here to put it on the market, but feeling everything else out at this point. We are looking at a possible move around June, when the kids get out of school, so I have some time at this point before I start applying for jobs. Just wanted to get a general feel for where I should focus my application process. I am already with HCA and have been for the last 2 years, so a transfer is not out of the question especially since, like you said, many hospitals in the area are magnet. I don't believe there are any HCA facilities that qualify for that in this particular area, but could be wrong. Thanks again for the tips.

My family and I am considering moving to Houston, TX from Jacksonville, FL within the next year due to decreased commercial construction jobs in FL and the fact that my hubby's employer looks like they will disolve the company by June. Does anyone have any information concerning best hospitals to work for, reasonable starting wage for an RN with 3 years experience including charge nurse, best/safest communities to live for families with children that is a doable commute to a hospital, and most nurse friendly facilities to work. If you have any info about commercial plumbing jobs too that would be a bonus. :) I would appreciate all info since we are still in the deciding phase at this point.

I had this recently myself. A pt I took care of off and on for over 3 weeks. Last shift I had with this pt, they didn't look good, but there was not much that could have been done since they were a DNR and the family did not want anything invasive done. Some areas looked better, but some looked much worse. Came in the next day and found out they passed about midway through night shift. I spent the next week going over what I could have done differently. I think that this is part of being a good and caring nurse. It just drives me crazy until I can let go of it. My only advice is to go over it piece by piece and see if you could have done anything differently. (You have to do this objectively and realisticly) Once you have gone over the whole senario, decide if there was something that could have been done and do it next time, or let it go and decide that you did ALL that you could have with the information that you had at the time. Good luck in your career and don't EVER stop learning!!

Thank you for putting it so well. I have always been stumpted by this.

That would be lovely. I don't think it will happen anytime soon with the job market the way it is.

We have Medi tech also and it is such a pain. It took so much time to understand that you have to press enter here, but the next page to do the same thing you have to press control and don't get me started on the function keys.

I have a friend of mine that I work with and we vent together. I really don't know what is to be done. I have gone to my manager about some of it and keep being told to keep a log of events and then email her with it. THERE ARE TOO MANY for me to go into specifics about everything. I have tried to relay the general feel for everything, but without stopping and writing down the details of everything, I don't think anything will be done. We have anything from the MDs ordering too many narcotics, including Dilaudid, like it was candy, to pharmacy not getting orders correct and the RNs having to back track and fix everything, to aids just plain being lazy and if you tell them to do anything....you are not a team player because that is something that the RN is qualified to do. So frustrating.

Just to warn you, I had a hard day yesterday. It is impossible to wear as many hats as a med/surg nurse has to wear today. We need to be RN of course, but there is also MD, case manager, aid, secretary and Lord knows what all else in one day. For example, yesterday I had a MD dc ativan for a seizure pt that was currently actively seizing. I asked said MD about this and they stated "Wellll, they are extemely lethargic, so of course I dc the ativan." Of course they said this in a really derogatory way, like I was stupid or something. HUH???? But MD, the pt is actively seizing and has been all morning. "Oh they are? Oh, is that what the ativan was for?" HUH?????? I have enough on my plate with everything else, but to have to tell the doctor that we needed ativan and to please don't dc it, just topped it for me yesterday! YIKES! Where do they get these people?

It is amazing all of the things we know that we don't know. I think God gives us the comfort that we need at a time when we need it the most. If this vision is comforting to her, then that may be all there is to it. Good luck and God Bless to you and your friend. Just be there for her, talk and hug!

Speaking of trachs....had a trach pt at a LTC, I used to work for, that needed O2. Came in after shift report and found O2 mask over his nose?!?!?!?!?!?! HUH? Kind of had to let every other nurse on the unit know about that and they seriously didn't know!

I ALWAYS have cough drops in my pocket for just such occations. If you have a menthyl one in your mouth and you are breathing through you mouth, you won't really smell anything else. Anytime one of my PCTs have to clean out a colostomy, they usually come to me for a cough drop.

small nose bleed to which the pt was in the hospital for 3 days with Dilaudid ordered 2mg q3 hrs. ?????????????

I had the same thing. Yes, the clinical instructor told me that "You will never be a good nurse." I was promoted to evening nursing supervisor in my first job and they are talking about charge nurse in my second job. Just try to figure out what it is that she objects to and overcome it. I still to this day do not know what that instructor objected to with me, but obviously others do not see it. This too shall pass and so will you if you keep going and learning all that you can everyday!