ssing45

I am 53 and was diagnosed with RA five years ago. I did not do well until I started enbrel and now I am good. I do have flairs that I suffer through. The problem for me was not so much capability rather it was being immunosuppressed and having to care for sick patients, patients who might kill me or cause me to have to go off my enbrel. I am an ICU nurse and have recently moved to IT nursing. Of course I miss bedside but one has got to do what one has got to do. I really want to emphasize this. If you are on any type of immunosuppressant you put your health and life at risk if you continue to work around sickies.

Prior to nursing I was a welder. I was the only woman on most jobs. The real chauvinist pigs made it difficult but I was reliable, made myself indispensible, and those who worked with me understood that I knew what I was doing. I ended up running jobs. Still, I made less than the men and was abused at every turn. I believe that men in nursing have it easier than women in male dominated professions.

Yep, you are totally wrong. Male nurses are not stereotyped as gay and who cares anyway? Most of the male nurses i know are not gay. Male nurses are more often steotyped as Drs. That THAT is an insult...LOL. You will be able to provide for your family and that is most important.

116 is not too bad of a HR, he's certainly not going to decompensate with a rate like that. Plus that will come down when you deal with the temp, later. The elevated HR probably due to fluid volume deficit from DKA so that is what needs treatment first.

I had two children and a spouse when I went to nursing school. NP.

LOL, Hospital nursing not dirty? Let me tell you about poop, and vomit, and urine on your face.

No, wrong. Our patients need heart not heartless.

Maybe you could shadow a NICU nurse for a while on your free time. Then you could see if you could handle it. I cry a lot, with families, with patients. There is all kind of pain in the MICU and I guess I just soak it up and pour it out of my eyes. I hug a lot and pray a lot. I am also called the singing nurse, and people always comment on my happy go lucky attitude. Maybe the tears are cleansing. Maybe they let me give my all to my patients without being afraid of getting too close. All I know is I love what I do and wouldn't change it for the world.

I can only suggest you find an alternative place to work, possibly advance your degree. RN's have more choices in employment. I used to do team nursing too and it is hard. I would have preferred having the 6 or 7 patients on my own than having double that amount virtually on my own. Many times I could not find the LPN to help with patient care plus I had to do all the charting on all twelve patients. It is so dependent on teamwork and that is an iffy proposition. I remember not getting a chance to pee. There was one gal who felt her only job was to do the first med pass, then she went outside to smoke. Another, when I was working nights, would disappear and I would find her sleeping in the patients rooms. And then there was one who was a great, we really worked it and I always hoped we would be together. Gosh, I certainly don't envy you.

MICU, Delaware. 1:1 or 2:1

How very noble of you but... 1. Nurses are taught not to judge anyone else's circumstance, have you forgotten? 2. If you get sick and die how can you help thousands? You'll be dead.

My email says I do not have permission to send private messages so I'll post reply here. 1.What is this nurse’s educational background?ASN to BSN 2. Where does this nurse work? Medical Intensive Care, float 3. What is this nurse’s job title?Staff RN 4. What are this nurse’s chief job responsibilities? Fluent in client and family education and care plan creation and administration, plans, coordinates and implements therapeutic and bedside surgical interventions (including CRRT, SLED, IABP, tracheostomy, chest tubes and central lines), implements and observes various types of hemodynamic monitoring and intervention (including IABP, CVP& A-Lines), titrates IV gtt's (including paralytics, vasopressors, and cardio active drugs). Manages, coordinates and implements care for patients with, but not exclusive to, acute illnesses including sepsis, acute MI, drug overdose, DIC, ARDS, and multi system failure. Recovers post surgical patients in MICU and performs drug desensitization. Experienced in post bariatric surgery care. Floats to the level 1 trauma ED as needed, caring for gunshots, MVA’s, and other major trauma scenarios along with less acute emergency care including ACS, IV therapy, and GI bleeds. In complying with the needs of a teaching hospital, works closely with newly graduated interns and residents as a nurse instructor along with perception of newly employed nurses. 5. How long has the nurse been in his/her current position?4 yrs 6. What does this nurse believe is the greatest challenge advanced practice nurses face today? Not APN unable to accurately reply 7. How does this nurse describe his/her professional and personal roles? Nursing is very personal, a part of my life. 8. How did this nurse acquire his/her professional roles and current position? Applied for the job. 9. Has this nurse fully acquired his/her professional role? I feel as though I have but I am not exactly certain what this question is looking for. 10. What are this nurses own role expectations? I expect to perform in a superior manner, with patient safety at the forefront. What do the nurse’s colleagues expect from this nurse? They expect professionalism, help, and joy, They also expect me to sing all the time...it is what I do. What do clients expect from this nurse? Answers, calm and competent care. What does this nurse’s employer expect from this nurse? Professionalism. 11. How do the above role expectations conflict with each other? They don't 12. How does this nurse cope with role discrepancies? I don't really find them. 13. In what ways has role accumulation occurred since this nurse assumed his/her current position? Have become mentor & advisor. How has role accumulation affected this nurse’s performance? I have recently shed some responsibilities that were occupying too much of my time. I do not feel I have allowed too much to be placed on my plate. I say no to added responsibilites quite often.

Whe I first started I had 12 patients on a tele floor so you can bet that I got organized quick. Make yourself a template then copy it for your reports. I used to use a large legal type sheet but you can work it on a regular size, plain white. Make equal size parallel lines (about an 1 - 1 1/2 inch apart) from one end to the other lengthwise with a space for each patient. Leave a couple extra for admits. You should be able to place a pt sticky label on the line on the left hand side (does your hospital have them?). Write the room number on the sticky label and then fold the right side end across the front to right next to the sticky label, leaviing the sticky showing. Then can then fold it again. Now, what you have is an organized sheet for All you info. Each fold, using front AND back, goes from top to bottom and so you have several columns. Each column can be assigned one use ALL the time so you know right where to look. Now open it up again...column one can be diagnosis allergies and special need (fall prec, q 2 turn etc). Column 2 can be medical history, 3 & 4 labs and tests, if you fold it you over again you will see two more columns per person, you can make those a to do list. You can even fold it one more time for one more column. If you fold this paper up into the columns and then in half it willl fit right in your pocket. Use fine tip pens and you can really write small to fit a lot. You can also use one of those 4 color pens which will organize you even further. When I worked the floor I also carried my tools ALWAYS, I would stick scissors and tape over the tip of forceps and hook them to my pants. Also always have alcohol wipes. You'll get it. The first year is the hardest. I'm rooting for you.

Me too.

Saude, You are really making lots of assumptions and generalizations here. Please read my answer to the original post...it is rather benign and I am an "older" nurse. Negative assumptions and generalizations are invariably malignant to one's attitude and that sort of thing seeps out in daily interaction. Please check yourself. Susan