helpnurse

So I go into work, at the ICU and everybody is wearing face mask. Come to find out that 15 nurses came up positive for the swine flu last week and have been sent home. Can you believe that! We were told that it's optional to take tamiflu antibiotics prophalactically because we were exposed to these individuals. I chose not to. I've been working there all week long and have not showed any symptoms. I was told that this is a very fast disease and that the intubation period is 4-6 days, so if someone had it they would have gotten sick already. I asked to be tested. But they don,t do so unless a person shows symptoms. I don't have a cold, no cough, no runny nose, no fever, no itchy throat or headache, no vomitting . I'm not concerned I know I don't have it. I'm constantly washing my hands and wearing my gloves, keep my hands to myself etc. I just think it's absolutely awful that the nurse or nurses who were taking care of this patient with the h1n1 (swine) flu still kept on coming to work despite their onset of symptoms of the cold. Now they passes it onto their co- workers, and possibly their co-workers children. This message is to warn everyone to be vigillant and dilligent about hand washing technique amongst other things. This happened in Montreal, Canada. Once again if your showing any signs of the flu/cold do not go to work. Believe it or not you have more chances of catching the swine flu right here in your own neighborhood then you would if you went to Mexico.

I work on a cardiac surgery floor/step-down unit and it's the doctors who pull out chest tube. I guess every institution is different. (most nurses who are allowed to pull them out usually work in ICU or critical care setting ) Why do nurses keep getting more responsibility for the same pay and little respect...

I'm in Montreal and we're probably the lowest payed province ever. I got a job at the hospital as soon as I finished school. working as a LPN until I passed my nursing license. My salary was 18.50$ Then when I passed and was a full fledged RN my salary was 20.99$. This year we got a pay increase now I'm at 21.40$.....The pay is pathetic but you do what you got to do. I'm looking into going back to school to get my Bac and also looking into agency work because they pay more......Just something I wanted to share with others out there in Canada.

I'm from Montreal too and am looking for an on-line Bachelor Degree in Nursing. Where did you end up applying? Would love any feedback....

Wow, thanks for the fast response....Appreciate it

My patient is schedulled for a CT Angio tomorrow. She is allergic to Iodine (Contrast dye ) so they started her on predinisone and benadril. Can anybody tell me why Prednisone was ordered?