Shotzie

Before people get upset that nurses might not be making what rad-techs do, go to the web and look at local salary quotes. Rad techs do a valuable job. I appreciate them. But they have always made less than nurses. In my area the average salary for an RN (plain, ordinary, no special anythings) is $58,000 per year. The average income for a regular Rad-Tech is $48-51K, Nuc-Med- $ 52K, MRI $53.5K, CT-Tech- $48K Now if you add shift diffs, call pay, charge pay, management pay or special skills and training you will get higher numbers for all. If you don't believe me, use the link posted earlier for salary.com. It is one of several places you can go to see real salary numbers.

They're not going to have to. Eventually that brain tumor will be so big it will cause herniation into the brain stem or it could cause a hemmorrhage into the brain tissue or the tumor itself. No matter what, a vent and a feeding tube will not keep this kid alive as long as that tumor is growing. This is very sad. I pray for the parents, no one should have to go through watching your child die.

LOOPUS disease... I think I have that today...now where did I put the instructions for that conference call???....and my keys....and the new orientation packet....my new eyeglasses (bifocals no less!!)...and the budget evaluation information... sheesh!!

Very interesting. Our group of managers had a conversation with our in-house legal consultant this last week about this exact topic. He was the one who said there are not any current laws in place to prosecute someone for giving a flu shot to someone not in the high risk category. ...wonder if that law is only a Michigan state law or does it apply across the country..anyone know?

Susie, Are you interested in moving? I just helped a friend of mine look for job openings in staff development in my area. We looked at the major hospitals in my area and several of them still have openings for nurses. I would be happy to cut and paste the descriptions for you or send you the names of the organizations so you can contact them yourself. Sometimes the best thing you can do is vote with your feet. But don't lose this opportunity to tell them why you are leaving. I don't believe in being nasty but a well thought out, well written, factual letter without an angry tone can do wonders. Send it to your direct supervisor as well as top management in your organization.

I like the Ventrogluteal site because of it's safety but i am continually amzed at the number of nurses who know nothing about that site. I always make a point to explain to patients before I use that site so they don't wonder if I know what I am doing. About 10 years ago I worked in a local ER PRN. It was not a good working environment and was probably one of the worst places I have ever seen for frank staff hostility. During my orientation process the charge nurse told me she didn't think I was cut out for working in an ER. I looked at her and asked "how in the world could you think that? I work 2 12 hour shifts a week in XXXX hospital (a nationally known level 1 trauma center) and I am in charge on both nights! She told me their standards must be much higher than XXXX hospital because the nurses had noticed me using very poor technique in several tasks. When I asked who said it and what tasks, she said she had been told that two different nurses observed me giving IM injections and I obviously didn't know what I was doing.... What was I doing??? I was using the ventrogluteal site instead of the dorsogluteal and I always (even now) use a z-track style with IM injections... I had to try my hardest to keep from laughing in her face but I told her I understood they might not know about the VG site but that it was very safe and I brought in documentation the next day to support its use.

This is not the worst clinical mistake I've seen but it was a doozie: Long ago, I worked in a big city ICU that was working hard to upgrade the qualityof nursing care in the whole hospital. Over the course of about 3 years they made the ICUs RN staffing only. I worked on the night shift with an older LVN who was the last LVN working critical care. The sad thing is that there had been some great LVN's they had moved out and "Amanda" was the one they kept because she would work weekends and holidays that no one else wanted to work. One weekend we had just been killed with new admits and codes. We had 4 codes, back to back, and I was the charge nurse on the unit who had to handle and supervise each and every one of those codes. By the 4th one I was physically exhaused from all the chest compressions (uh, excuse me Mr. Intern, wouldn't you like to take over now???), but still working mentally in high gear. When number 4 went V-tach to asystole in less than 2 minutes I told Amanda to call the patient's family and let them know. The patient ("Harry")was very frail and our chances of bringing him out were like slim and none. She goes to the nursing station makes a couple of calls and comes back saying the family was hysterical and surprised but was coming in. I did wonder for about half a second why they were surprised, they knew what kind of shape Harry was in and they had left the request to be called if there was a code but then I went back to the business at hand. About 15 minutes later, just as we were calling the code I hear screeching and crying coming from the hallway. I step outside to see this fairly young family loudly crying and falling all over each other. They wanted me to tell them details about how "Susie" died...how could that have happened? she was so young, and she was only in the ICU because of a complication from her medicine...how could she have died??? I looked at them in absolute amazement and puzzlement. I asked them "what makes you think "Susie" died? Then it hit me. Amanda had called the WRONG family and told them to come in quick because their loved one was not going to make it!!!! They told me about the nurse who woke them up and gave them the news. I was absolutely horrified and had no idea how to explain how this kind of an error had happened. They were thrilled to find "Susie" sleeping peacefully through all the commotion but were ready to fight every one of the nurses working that night. I had to bail out (thank God!!) and call the house supervisor because we had another patient with dysrhythmia and the next thing we knew, "Amanda" was working postpartum nursery.

I don't think there is any legal action that can be taken against someone who is not in the high risk group taking a flu shot. There are no laws against it, I think CNN said it best when they said "It's a responsibility and citizenship issue" I just wouldn't want to be the healthy 30 year old person standing in line trying to get a shot when people who have real medical needs are in line behind them.

LPN, I, too, own a couple of those helpful little LVN things. I find them very useful when I stroll down the hall and have to have some help with nursing care. I think everyone ought to keep a couple tucked away in your purse or pocket in case of emergency. :rotfl:

LPN, it has always bothered me that there is so much constant, non-stop b**ching and moaning around here. I understand about the need for venting but it seems like there is more nurse-profession bashing done than venting. My concern is that we constantly present ourselves in a bad light to anyone who might like to move into or move up into nursing. I see from your post that you have exactly those feelings. Nursing is a wonderful profession with a lot to offer. It is by far the most flexible profession that is out there and allows you to work as much or as little as you would like..and to work as long as you like...I have two nurses who work for me who are way past retirement age. One is 67 and the other is 69 and they work PRN to cover the cost of their travel. School psychologists are masters educated, they do not require a doctorate. If that is your first love and true passion then go for it. Their salary is not what a RN will make over her lifetime but you should do what you truly love. My vote, though, would be for you to continue working toward your RN. If you find yourself in an unhappy work situation then move! Get a different job in an area you find interesting. And if you find problems, work to correct those problems, don't just gripe about them.

We ordered ours early and were promised it early. We order thousands of bottles of vaccine and it is trickling in...and I mean trickling. We have only received about 1400 vials and we need 10X that amount. I have not personally wittnessed any bad reactions to the flu shot other than some localized swelling. One of my supervisors reported a woman with a badly swollen arm (about doubled in size) but the woman admitted she has a severe allergy to eggs...Why she chose to get the vaccine I will never know! We have not seen any early flu but because of last years debacle we have lots of angry people calling and insisting on having their shot in September. We are trying to hold them off until October when we will have all of our supply but keeping our patients happy is very important. We use only licensed staff to give our injections and do the patient education/teaching.

I hate that I am old enough to remember almost all this stuff! And I have to admit I am amazed that palpating a B/P is not widely known among "the younger nurses" (ooohh, I hate using that term too! :chuckle) That one about not wearing gloves really made me think about how it was when I was first out of nursing school. I remember starting IVs and drawing blood without gloves. Sometimes you would get blood on your fingers and it would run under the cuticle of the nail and be very hard to wash off. I remember suctioning without gloves and using my thumb on the airflow valve that regulated the suction. Of course the mucus was sucked right past that open valve and a nurse friend of mine got a terrible bacterial infection on that thumb. She was out of work for 9 months and in and out of the hospital. She eventually healed but lost a lot of tissue and mobility in that thumb because of it. I remember changing adult diapers, doing colostomy care and cleaning up "the poopies" in bedbound patients without gloves. I am a very "clean" person and no matter how hard I tried I always ended up getting stool on my hands. I would wash and wash and wash my hands afterwards and would still feel dirty. Eeeeuuueeek!!! I also graduated from nursing school right as AIDS/HIV was being identified. I was on a special team that took care of these patients in the ICU. All we knew at that time was that it was a "gay disease". In the beginning, we did all the care on the open floor with no protective equipment, not even gloves while we did procedures (see paragraphs above) and care. Six months later these patients were locked in the isolation rooms and we used full protective gear even including respirator hoods :rotfl: for a couple of months. I look back on that now and wonder why in the world I didn't end up with some kind of hepatitis!!!

remember, we are intelligent and we are professionals. we understand cause and effect relationships as well as coincidence. if i drive away from my dentist's office after having my teeth cleaned and have an accident with a tractor trailer it doesn't mean that having my teeth cleaned caused the accident...it was simply a coincidence. it's the same way with taking a flu shot and developing some weird problem...dandruff, migraines, diarrhea, lady partsl itching, eye floaters, personality disorders or out-and-out craziness...those things were not caused by your flu immunization. the viruses are dead and can't cause any of those things....but an active mind can!!! your symptoms started 1 week after your flu shot...in that time you came into contact with a million different bacteria and viruses. what you are describing is a gastrointestinal illness. not a reaction to any vaccine. you were probably contaminated with a food borne illness. what in the world would make you focus on an event that happened 1 week before your symptoms? i bet in the meantime you ate out at restaurants, you touched the door into a public toilet, drank from public water fountains, had soda from ice dispensers that might have had slime in the ice machines, munched on fruit that may have been inadequately washed. look up the sx for salmonella, shigella, norwalk and aurora virus. those are a heck of a lot more likely to have caused you illness than a flu vaccine (flu vaccine is dead remember?)

No, Roland, not Texas!!!! Read KacyLynns post. The midwest has great salaries and all 4 seasons! You'll love it there.

Apply! :)

Which particular strains are chosen to be in the vaccine is a complicated decision making process that begins after the end of each year's flu season. It's not an absolute guarantee, but it's the best chance we have to be protected. And the reason I am for taking a flu shot is that recent studies have shown that it has positive effects on our health that are totally unrelated to the flu. Did you know that a recent study showed that a flu shot can decrease the incidence of MI's? That a flu shot decreases perinatal deaths of both baby AND mother?? That even if the flu mutates into a different strain than the one in your injection you still get benefit?? (because most flu's are so much alike you might get the different flu but you will feel like you have a cold and not be sick for 2 weeks like with full blown influenza) That for each employee who takes a flu shot a business can save $40. to $70. per person? That the flu shot has been found to be so safe and effective they are giving it to pregnant women in their FIRST trimester?? These statements are all true and based on studies done in the last 5 years. Remember, we are intelligent and we are professionals. We understand cause and effect relationships as well as coincidence. If I drive away from my dentist's office after having my teeth cleaned and have an accident with a tractor trailer it doesn't mean that having my teeth cleaned CAUSED the accident...it was simply a coincidence. It's the same way with taking a flu shot and developing some weird problem...dandruff, migraines, diarrhea, lady partsl itching, eye floaters, personality disorders or out-and-out craziness...those things were not CAUSED by your flu immunization. The viruses are DEAD and can't cause any of those things....but an active mind can!!! :) My point continues to be: Make your own decision based on what you believe and want for yourself. But don't spread misinformation to the public. When we do, it affects peoples lives...and like I mentioned in an earlier post, your misinformation may cost someone else thier life!

Wow! This stuff is wonderful to read. Thanks Fran and all the rest of you.

...an interesting idea. Many people will automatically be turned off by this but when you think of the devastation to a life that a badly burned face gives someone, it makes me think that a face transplant might not be such a bad thing. When you examine the idea closely, the new face will not look exactly like the donor face. When you change the bone structure it will change the facial features. It's possible they could even use some of the facial plastic surgery techniques to make sure that family resemblences are kept (sharp cheekbones, slightly more prominent chin, round cheeks etc, etc).

I have a slightly different twist on the poopy diaper scam. My kids and I had made edible sculpture once with different kinds of candy so this one came very easily to me. We had an unbelievable night in our ER that was barely busy. I took one of those large foot long Tootsie Rolls and put it into the microwave for about 10 seconds. When it was warm and soft(don't leave it in too long or it melts and burns) I rolled it into pieces that looked like poop...complete with little peanuts sticking out of a few surfaces. I placed them in a clean, unused bedpan and walked out to the nurses station where nurses, paramedics, residents and attendings were standing. I put the bedpan on the counter near where everyone was taking candy out of an open candy jar and took a few pieces for myself. The next time I reached for the candy I "accidently" picked up the "poop" and popped it in my mouth. There was absolute stunned silence as everyone starred at me. I absent-mindedly said "hhmm, pretty good" and took another piece from the bedpan. By then everyone was either gagging or yelling at me. I finally couldn't hold back the laughter anymore and pulled out the candy wrapper from my pocket. It's been several years since I worked at that place and theystill say it tops the best practical joke ever (of course they still have not forgiven me either).

Many years ago I did this program as a student, then went straight to ICU when I graduated. They do a wonderful job showing you what it's like and letting you get involved without throwing you to the wolves. If you have the opportunity to do this you should grap it. You will get a true understanding of whether you are cut out for ICU nursing or not.

I worked in a heavy-duty ICU in a big teaching hospital. One day a hugely obese woman was brought in from the ER. She weighed about 600 lbs and was admitted for respiratory distress (failure actually). She was one of those women who, not matter what weight she was, would have been very large breasted. Because she weighed 600 lb her breasts were absolutely enormous! They were so big, the weight of them kept the vent from being able to function very well and she was taken to the OR for a Bil. breast reduction and paniculectomy (removal of the huge fatty abdomen that hung down like an apron over her thighs). All in all there was over 85 lbs of fat and tissue removed from her body. Once she could breathe, she improved rapidly and she was off the vent in a week. She was also alert and finally aware of her surroundings. Once she discovered her new breasts she was absolutely thrilled with them. With great pride she would "show off" her new " ***** (her words) to anyone who came in the room...nurse...friend...doctor...housekeeper...or priest!!! She treated them like new pets, stroking them and fluffing them. I found a couple of large, lace edged nightgowns at a thrift store and picked them up for her on impulse. I opened up the backs, sewed the edges, put a couple of snaps and a tie in the back so she could get them off easily. She was quite pleased and sat up in a chair any time we asked so she could show off her pretty gown and her new *****!

Your email address is DEVILS lover? Sure hope that's the name of your mascot! Go, devils, Go!!

I tried to be clear about the sources of my information by notating them under the info. I maintain a flu shot file of current recommendations and research. Some of the articles were found by doing a web search and some was found doing an article search at our medical library. You can find much of the same by searching the web with search words such as "flu shot, children--flu shot, pregnancy--flu shot, nursing mothers--flu shot, elderly"

I can honestly say I love my job. I've been a nurse over 20 years and I've done a lot of different things. I think nursing is a wonderful profession and is well suited to the demands made on women in this world. Where else could you work and make $20 (or more) dollars an hour and pick and choose the place, days and hours you want to work. When my kids were small I did part time and PRN, usually working 3 days a week and always no more than 2 weekdays. Yet I always made enough money to support my side of our family bills and still had time to be able to do the fun things we all liked to do. I don't think I could do another job. Nursing is tied very closely to WHO I am not just WHAT I do.

You know, some people realy can't work the night shift. Call it biorhythms or whatever but I have hired nurses to work nights who just could not get their bodies to adjust. I say still give it a try though. You may just need more of an adjustment period. Make sure you have dark shades on the windows or use a sleep mask to block the light. Have your room cool, with a fan on to create soothing white noise. Turn your phone off or move it into another room. Eat lightly before you go to work and nibble on healthy foods while you are there. Avoid too much sugar and stop drinking caffeine about 3 hours before you go to bed. If you have trouble going to sleep try 25mg of benedryl for a week or so but don't make it continuous. ...and if you find it just doesn't work for you, move on to another position. Nursing is too flexible to allow yourself to work in a position that doesn't fit you or your needs.