UMHedRN

Although it's not really hands on, telephone triage for insurance companies might be a great fit for you. A lot of these positions allow you to set up shop at home, with incoming patient calls ringing to your phone. Not only convienient, but it would definitely put to great use those awesome triage and assessment skills that you've spent the better part of three decades perfecting! Good luck to you!!!!

Hi there! I just wanted to comment on your question. First, it amazes me how quickly MDs or anyone who writes orders can be so quick to dismiss an RN's intuition without considering whether or not it could be valid-or God forbid-that their order may have been wrong... Not all MD's are guilty of this, as I've found that many doctors value what the RN thinks. But I've also encountered the opposite-those who refuse to believe that another medication might just be more appropriate than what they ordered. I think you were absolutely right in questioning the MD's order, as you were acting as the patient's advocate. Using your preceptor as a resource was a great idea. The only thing I would suggest for future situations is to discuss your concerns with the MD who writes the order. By verbalizing your concerns to the MD, you have the opportunity to state your case and make an informed decision about whether or not you will refuse to give the medication. As far as the unprofessional conduct demonstrated by your fellow nurses and the MD, I think that you should speak with your nurse manager about the incident. I don't care who the doctor is, where they went to school, or how long they've been a doctor, they NEVER have the right to belittle you or embarass you in front of anyone. More importantly, your preceptor's behavior should be addressed by the nurse manager, as that type of behavior is definitely not conducive to a learning environment. That's why preceptors are paid more-they're educators. I wish you luck! Keep your head high and remind yourself that you made it through nursing school and are an RN. You knew what was right, and that's what makes you a great nurse!