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Have a quick question. About 2 weeks ago I had intense, severe abdominal pain--developed over several hours. It got so bad I had to go to the E.R. Felt like a bowel spasm type pain. I couldent stand up straight, diaphoretic and then began vomiting. No fever. This pain was horrible. They gave Toradol and Levsin which did NOTHING. Then gave Nubain which was INSTANT relief. The doc had a hard time diagnosing me and actually said, "Well, this is very perplexing, I'm not really sure what it is due to." The final conclusion was either 1. Kidney stones--they saw phleboliths on x-ray but no IVP or CT. 2. I had a bad UTI-turned out to be klebsiella (sp) but NO symptoms-none at all. 3. Possible bowel kink or spasm. 4. Irritation from my bad UTI causing bowel irritation/spasm. Left E.R., started on Cipro and Levsin. Actually, didn't even need to take Levsin because pain never returned. I just am curious about the Klebsiella--I know it is not as common as E-Coli but is the general process of infection the same? I just think it is weird to have such intense pain--for me it was a #32 on a scale of 0-10 and I have a high pain tolerance-and then with one dose of Nubain--it's gone. Any ideas??? I thought a kidney stone would cause more back pain but this was low,low abdominal pain and a cramping, dull, gripping pain. Any insight? I will be going back for my reculture of urine soon and I will ask these questions, just wondering!!!

Nurse is in room changing out TPN solution, flushing line, etc. CNA comes in room and tells nurse that "Room X needs some morphine." Nurse states, "I can get it here in about 15-20 minutes. I can't just stop this and do it, so please tell Mr. XXX that I can get his wife some morphine after I am finished. If he would like, the LPN can give it IM (res. has PICC line) Approximately 2 minutes later, Mr. XXX enters room where nurse is changing TPN and says, "XXX needs morphine." I wanted to slap him. Literally. I said, "Excuse me, but I am in the middle of a procedure that I cannot simply stop. If you feel XXX is unable to wait for me to finish, the LPN can give her morphine IM. Now please leave the room! GRRRRR Common sense.

Just wanted some advice. I have applied at a local Children's Hospital and have not received a call back--this was several months ago. I applied again online and I just wanted to know what your opinion would be about writing a letter to follow this up. When I call to "check" on my application, you get the generic, "We review applications and contact the people most qualified, blah, blah blah." My job history is great-no blemishes, I stayed at my jobs for several years, etc. I don't understand this. And this hospital is needing nurses??? Any advice??? Thanks

' ALWAYS---can I repeat ALWAYS fill out an incident report when someone falls!!! I never want to be caught in a situation where I though that someone fell and did not injure themselves--only to have an injury show up later and YOUR butt is on the line!!! Yes there are times when I don't have time to pee, eat or fart, let alone fill out ANOTHER form. But if I have to stay (later than I usually do) I will do it. It's your license!!!

I took 75 questions and it shut off. I am a very very impatient person. It just killed me to wait through the weekend!!! I too was nervous and I was an LPN for ten years. Do you have to wait on results through the mail? All the tests are different. The fact that it was harder, seems to be positive because as you know, the questions get progressively harder until you miss one, then it scales back to an easier one, building up to more difficult ones, until it establishes an average. So that is probably a good sign. A friend of mine had a lot on chemo! YIKES!! I know nothing about that. Alot of mine were, "You get report and are given the following patients.........it described their symptoms/diagnosis, etc. and then you had to answer who you would assess first. That is really ALL I can remember! You will be fine.

In my state, (NE) we can check with the testing agency--through their website they give you the "unofficial" results. Also, check your board of nursing licensure website if you have one. I took boards on Friday--we were out of town for the weekend and my license was on the board Monday!!! Another friend at work took her NCLEX on Thursday--license was on website--granted ON THURSDAY!!!! Wow!! DONT WORRY!! I know it is easier said than done!

I completely agree. I obtained my LPN with the idea that "I would go back for my RN"..................11 years later I finally made it. It would have been SO much easier to just finish it 11 years ago!!! I do think being a CNA is a good idea--to learn the basics and I think it gives you a good perception of what it is like for them, once you become a nurse!

Okay, if you have a weak stomach or don't like hearing about bodily functions, do not read any further. I just have a question. Sorry if this is gross but here goes. I have pretty much diagnosed myself with irritable bowel. There are times--especially in the morning when getting ready for work---especially convenient, when I have terrible stomach cramps and watery diarrhea. If I am in a situation where I absolutely cannot go--if I wait 20-30 minutes before I am able to--then it is normal stool. But if I went at that time, I would have been able to "##%^& through a screen door at 50 paces!" This is driving me nuts. It does not seem to be related to any food or drink. Theres times I go two or three weeks and I'm fine but then times that it happens two or three times a week. When it does happen---I HAVE to go. This is especially inconvenient if I am driving to work!! I have actually contemplated pulling into a dark alley and finding a spot because the cramps are so intense! :uhoh21: Am I the only one who has this problem. I know, I know I should see my Dr. but I feel he will only tell me that I have IBS. Any others out there with the same problems and is there anything that works for you?// I can actually relate to the scene in "Dumb and Dumber" where the guy is in the bathroom at his dates house!! Its HORRIBLE!

The Biore strips didn't work for me either!!! Got a few, but I have them all along the side of my nose--and below my bottom lip on my chin--what the heck??? Do the pore extractor things work?

I worked full time and went to school full time. I have three kids also. It was HARD!! The hardest thing I have ever done. There were days I was so tired I couldent see straight. BUt I kept telling myself that it would soon be over. I would NOT recommend this. If you can go part time, do it!

Oh, and also our EMT's are great about starting IV's when we can't get one in. We try our best but if they are an impossible stick, we call EMS and they get it 99% of the time. And they are PLEASANT about it!! I actually enjoy seeing them there

Im not sure in your facility, but in our LTC, there is no way we can send someone out without a MD order. We would have our butts in a sling if we did that!!!

I am an RN from a small town near Omaha NE, working in LTC and just want to say, that apparently our EMS in our town are among the few AWESOME EMT's. I have had ONLY one bad experience with one specific EMT arguing with me about whether someones hip was broken.......it was..........she argued......I am wondering why--I don't think that x-ray vision was on the list of class requirements but anyway....the EMT's are great in our town. Always friendly, they really are a fun bunch of guys----but they know their stuff. They know what they are doing, are courteous to the nurses and do their job. I'm sure they have been occasionally rude to some nurses--but I guarantee they deserved it. I know that personally there are nurses that call EMS, fill out the paperwork, then just hand it to them and walk away. How about giving report, a little history on the resident. I understand their frustration in certain situations. I actually go with them to the resident's room, giving history as I go, giving any other pertinent history that they should know--especially VRE, MRSA, etc. Some nurses leave that out. I certainly would want to know this info. and I assist them to get the patient transferred and out the door. Sheesh--isn't this our job? It's too bad that many people have had such bad experiences--mine had been great!

Wow---I left at my scheduled time yesterday. Gave report and left right on the dot...............then I woke up!!! :chuckle Generally I am there for at LEAST 2 hours over shift--usually charting, cuz I don't have time to any other time. We don't computer chart--it's all by hand so it is time consuming. There is a VERY RARE occasion when I leave 30 min after my shift. Generally don't take a lunch either. I have never, ever had management complain about overtime--I usually get about 10-20 hours per 2 weeks.

I was diagnosed about three years ago by accident. I was completing a form on my son for ADD and I was reading the questions to my husband. He replied, "Does that have YOUR name on the bottom of it?" After he said that, I really thought about it. I just thought I was scatter brained and forgetful all these years. Turns out I started on Concerta and it was the best thing I've ever done. It really helped me in school. If I miss a dose or two, I can really see a difference. It helps me so much in daily life also. I can actually remember to go to the grocery store, get groceries, load groceries into car, drive home, unload groceries, and pick up kids after without making a list and then losing the list!

Well, lately my best one would be when I had a lady getting TPN in the LTC where I work.....anyway, got report-after frequent interruptions, I walked by her room on the way to get something out of supply and happened to notice that her TPN was SHUT OFF!!!!!! I went to the desk where the 2 LPN's were and said, "Why is so-and-so's TPN off?" The reply, "Well it ran out!" Well how freakin long has it been off???? YIKES!!! They were both so calm about it, like "what's your problem." These are LPN's that are well aware of what can happen with TPN. There were two RN's working in the office at that time that they could have asked to change it. Took a blood sugar and it was okay, but good lord, I wonder what would have happened if I didn't walk by the room at that time. Lord knows how long it could have been off before I checked it. NOTHING was said that it was low, almost empty, needed to be changed......NOTHING!!!

I have an Ultrascope--can hear anything--it's great. Everyone though is a little different. Have to use what works for you. Try different ones.

I have to agree. Even before I went to school, I knew that I could not use RN or LPN behind my name. Common sense. Could be wrong, but I feel you wanted to use RN, knew you shouldent, but heck, who's gonna know?

At our LTC facility, we have absolutely NO restraints. We had a resident die from getting her head caught in the side rails. The nurse treated it like a natural death--didn't report that the woman was hanging by her head! Never did get any discipline on her license, although she did get fired. From that night on, all of our side rails were zip-tied to the frame and if any side rails were used, you were fired on the spot--but now we have all new beds--w/o side rails. Many families just don't understand why their loved one can't have side rails. You try and explain but people don't understand that it actually happens.

I just couldent pass this one up. My DH always thought he could let, "The best farts." (Go figure---they're men.) When he and his buddies would travel to races (he's a drag racer) he would purposely eat several boiled eggs, get Burger King onion rings so he could have the nastiest gas. (Ok- they're HOW OLD?) Anyway, it took a long time 2+ years before I would "let one go" in front of him. But we were coming back from Famous Dave's one night and I had a SBD one. It was so thick, I swear you could slice the air. My DH actually had me pull the car over because he thought he was going to puke. From then on, I always remind him that...........I am the king!!!:kiss

Just some questions about old horses. Our facility still hand counts--and signs narcs q. shift, with two nurses signing off. This is SOOO time consuming!!!!! Any other old horses out there? Oh, and we hand chart everything---every shift---for all nurses notes. No computer charting here. Our computers came over on the Mayflower.

Working in a nursing home, our system is a little more complicated--here's how it usually goes. 1. Nurse working answers phone--because the "lady at the front desk--who has nothing to do with any orders-just answers phone---is on break, lunch, gone, whatever. 2. Nurse receives order and writes it on piece of scratch paper, because she has grabbed phone in dining room away from desk. 3. Nurse is called stat to resident room because resident has fallen and is c/o hip pain. 4. Nurse assesses injured resident and takes vitals. 5. Nurse calls M.D. for order to transport injured res. to E.R. for evaluation of hip pain/ext. rotation/shortening of leg. and awaits return call 6. Nurse receives order to transport res. to E.R. 7. Nurse completes 2 pages of paperwork to send with res. to E.R. 8. Nurse notifies family and E.R. of res. transfer. 9. Nurse speaks with family member of resident in Rm. # --- about why res. cannot have his pain meds at bedside and take, "whenever he needs them." 10. Nurse makes note of this conversation on calendar to call M.D. in morning about above. 11. Nurse receives phone call with report from hospital about new admission being sent over. (This is surprising news to nurse, as she has heard nothing about this new resident.) Unfortunately, this report does not contain any actual orders for new admit. These will be received upon arrival of new admit and will undoubtedly contain some, "challenging" orders, such as: Lortab 1 p.o. q. 4 hrs. ( strength please.) TED hose. (on for one hour, two hours, three days, off at night, on in a.m., etc.?) Extension block. ( once daily, twice daily, three times daily, or just freakin continuous?) Albuterol nebulizer p.r.n. ( strength, how often, etc. etc.) ............you get the picture. 12. Nurse receives call in for next shift immediately after hanging up phone. 13. Nurse must search for replacement for above call in. 14. Nurse reaches in pocket for pen and..............surprise! there is that pesky order that she received 3 hours ago. 15. After writing up T.O., adding to CPO, entering order in computer, calling or faxing pharmacy, (hopefully this is during 9-5, because otherwise nurse must page pharmacist on call and await call back.), then nurse must hunt down medication cart with medication aide for MAR to write new order on. 16. Unfortunately, on the homestretch to the med book and MAR, family member sees nurse and inquires about resident, "funny breathing," which upon quick inspection is actually, "Kussmaul" respirations because resident's blood sugar upon checking is 670. Family member then realizes in retrospect that, "Maybe we shoulden't of given him that Krispy Kreme doughnut." WOW-hindsight IS 20/20!! 17. Okay, you get the picture on why our orders sometimes don't make it to the MAR!...................and by the way--we would kill for a HUC or a unit secretary--just dosen't happen where I work. On weekends, the nurses answer the phone 24/7, cuz apparently dietary, activities, physical therapy, etc. is unable to figure out what that incessant ringing is!!