cjsbaskets

1965 When I graduated we wore white dresses and a cap at all times unless pt. was in isolation. Wore that for every job I had. Did take my uniforms to the cleaners for pressing and starching!!! 1979 Started in L&D we wore blue scrub dresses, with a slip and pantyhose. We eventually petioned to wear scrub pants under our dresses because of modesty, considering some of the actions required. From there we shortly got to wear complete scrubs but had to be OB blue. Hospital took care of washing. Everyone got in the habit of raiding the linen cart when it came to the unit so you would have clean scrubs for the next shift. Over time other NURSES in the hospital wanted to wear scrubs and so it began......rapid use of scrubs by everyone. Couldn't tell one position from another. Eventually went to color by position. All RNs in one color, unit clerk in pink, housekeeping in green, dietary in ?, lab tech's, radiology personnel in other colors. Helpful for staff but still confusing for patients. Name tags also inbdicated in large letters under name role, RN, LPN, LAB etc. Not sure when tats and piercings became acceptable but it happened. I know appearance is not a guarantee of knowledge and performance but I believe it is respectful to dress appropriately. I wouldn't wear shorts to church or flip flops to meet the President. Yes am old fashion but I am alright with that

It certainly is much harder today than years ago. When I started in 1965 I was the only night RN on a 40 bed unit. But there were patients there for their pre-op work up, the 5 day post hernia, and of course those patients who came in to get tuned up! Of course none of those patients are even admitted today. Now you must care for patients with multiple complex problems that will have minimal hospital time. But the bottom line is good team work. Everyone working together for the best interest of the patient. I believe that there is a special place in hell for nurses who "eat their young" as well as a special place in heaven for those who help, teach and support the new nurse.

Elvish Beautifully written. Thank you for putting into words things that so many of us in OB have felt but not able to articulate as well as you.

I actually like the Johnson and Johnson spot. I don't think of it as a commercial but rather as a PSA (Public Service Announcement) commenting on the value of nurses and nursing. I believe that the reminder that nurse make a difference is important, especially as we face many challenges in the future regarding health care.

I want to respond to the comment about Storeroom items. It must be true that they work very hard to diguise what they stock, i.e. "face wipes paper" for tissues as oppose to "face wipes wet" for pre-moistened wipes. I had to translate out storeroom order form for the clerk so she could do the order. As for the topic, I believe "diapers" are for babies.

For me it depends on the situation, my husband will always tell he thinks it will get him "special service"! When I have a patient who is a nurse or other HCW I tell them to me they are a patient and I will explain everything to them and not assume anything. If they believe they don't need it all they can tell me. Just the same when my family or myself is the patient I explain that this is not my area of expertise and I would like the complete explanation/information. I have worked in OB for over thirty years and although I have a general knowledge of many medical terms and abbreviations in other specialties I appreciate being given the appropriate information.

In an interview I would focus on why you want to work in THIS hospital, it's reputation, the opportunity to work in a Level 1 Trauma unit etc. Talk about the skills you have acquired, what you can bring to the job. DO NOT bad mouth your present employer, it doesn't make a good impression. If you do get a firm offer and want to take it, write your letter of resignation, one copy to Human Resources/Personnel and one to you Manager. Again just state you are resigning and give the appropriate amount of notice. Make sure you review your hospital's policies and know how much notice you need to give, be aware that most places do not let you use sick time once you give notice. If you get your health benefits from your present employer find out how long you will be covered. In some places you are covered for the entire month if you work one day. Depending on when coverage starts at the new job it might pay you to work into the beginning of the month. Good luck to you. I hope everything works out, just don't burn any bridges behind you. Life takes some crazy turns.

TDFIMedicRN, I read this post again and again I am inspired by you. I hope you always remain "present" to your patients it is a gift. Thanks again for being you.

Congratulations to you and the patients you will care for. Your brain has so much information in it that you will need, just don't forget the part of your heart that helps you CARE!

It is sad that hospitals are in such bad financial situations that they can not provide educational support for staff. But in my opinion professional nurses need to continue to increase knowledge and proficiency in their area of work. If it is financially possible do it for yourself and your patients. No one can take that knowledge from you and there is always something to learn.

Unfortunately we some times learn by our mistakes. Don't dwell on this but go forward, remembering this lesson just as there will be many more ahead. Good luck.

Does your institution have a Nursing Policy/Procedure/Standards manual either in print or on-line? At our hospital we had to develop a list of accepted abbreviations for each department, such as OB/GYN, Cardiac, Surgery etc which were then compiled into a master and very large list. Also non nursing department did the same such as Nutrition and Foods, Physical Therapy Social Service etc. Although there were some duplicate abbreviations that crossed departments you would be able to understand the context in which they were used. So if you were in Labor and Delivery and saw ROM used by a DR nurse you could be sure it was "rupture of membranes" as opposed to "range of motion" used by PT. As part of a Performance Improvement measure we had to review charts and if we found "illegal" abbreviations the chart got flagged!

There should be a hospital policy regarding medication from home. Ours included verifying that the patient did not bring any medication to the hospital. If they did it was requested that the family take it home. If there was no family, medication was logged and sent to pharmacy where it was stored until discharge. If a Physician ordered a medication that the pharmacy did not carry and that has no safe substitution, med brought from home, in labeled bottle, verified by pharmacy and then sent to unit to be administered to patient. Never give a patient a medication that is not properly identified and dispensed by your pharmacy. You were 100% correct not to given in to the family request. You might want to consider documenting (for yourself) what occurred in the event it comes up in your evaluation. Also check with pharmacy to inquire about a policy. they might be very interested to find out that some one in a position of authority believes it is acceptable to put unidentified medication in a hospital bottle. But of course that might start another problem. But when you know you are right, stick to your principles.

Never lie. For one, once you start it gets hard to remember what you said to who. Although employers are only able to give start and end dates it is amazing how much information can be shared in other ways. People talk, managers know other managers, group members know others. Get your child care issues settled, always have a plan B. Emergencies can happen but they should be an exception not the rule. Good luck.

Wow, what a beautiful story. You will be a great addition to the nursing profession. Good luck and God bless.