SouthRN

Ditto!

Right! :roll You have to be very careful in using the "normal" or "deviant" words. I have a friend that misuses that word often. When pointing out what strange things she does outside of work, (I am convinced she has OCD), she says "that is normal for me!" Per DSMIV description of her behavior she is not "normal". But hey! Who am I to pass judgement and give a diagnosis?! It is just my opinion of what I think... She is a great nurse and in a way her behavior makes her probably a very "focused" RN.. Furthermore there are RNs I have worked with that are lesbian/gay that do their jobs. And in fact I find them to be better focused on what is put before them. Some didn't feel comfortable talking about their personal life and just focused on work. That's the way it should be anyway.. I have worked with one RN that wore too much makeup. It bothered me a lot but she did her job very well. What this all boils down to is can this person do what is asked of them.. I say yes they can. Someone that is in a lot of pain will not care who is their nurse as long as they will provide them with the best possible care. You also have to figure in how long someone will be inpatient at a facility. What is the average these days? 2-5 days.. I don't see them forming any close relations with the nurse. In fact that is what we are really taught to do, focus on their care. I know when I was working 12 hour shifts and the census was up to 15 beds, I didn't have time to sit around and chat with the patients. NurseCathy you just teach this student everything he/she needs to know in nursing. You guide this student to be the best person they can be. It is really irrelevant who this student is. It is relevant that this student wants to go into this field of improving the welfare of people's health. I do have one question. Are your other students giving you a hard time? I remember going into nursing with a bunch of young folks right out of high school. In our first year there were a few gay folks in our class and some were very judgemental of them. Little jokes here and there. I am just curious..

But like they always taught us in Psyche classes... WHAT IS NORMAL? Hard thing to describe... What may be normal for me may not be normal for you and vice versa..... I think everyone deserves a chance at being a nurse if that is what they want to do. member or lady parts... It IS still a human being underneath it all, right? And handling another person's genitals? If a MD asked me to chaperone a female patient when the other nurse is a male.. Tough! I will not assume another RN's pt. It sounds like SOMEONE has the problem... I don't think it's the student.. EOD!

I agree that you have to be a mover and a shaker with the DON or the Administration at whatever facility you work at. I have seen a fellow RN's chart that a pt. would vomit meds or refuse IV meds because they forgot to give them. Anyone with half a brain could check supplies or even the computerized med drawer to see if meds were actually dispensed from it but it never happened. I didn't work at that facility very long. I know the shortage is horrible in some areas, especially lower populated cities. I have been lucky to be able to work in more metro areas where they had adequate staff or would pull in contract staff from "lending" companies. I don't blame the one RN for leaving the facility. As long as she didn't get up in the middle of her shift and leave, causing an even more serious violation of pt. abandonment, possibly putting her license on the line (some states will revoke you right then and there). I have no problem that she finished her shift and then didn't come back. I've seen this happpen before and it does send a signal most of the time for people to shape up.. I do have a problem for people charting for something that never happened. Accountability is the key that many RN's these days seem to forget what they were taught in school. I know I have been viewed as a real ***** at some places I have worked because I have played the game as it should be played. I always keep in mind..... Could this be your parent or family member you would want this done to? NO! I have stayed past my time to leave to make sure all my ducks are in a row. Heck with the report at shift change! They'll just have to wait!

Excellent..... And does anyone turn their patients? Especially when they have been inpatient for a few days. Protocol may be different in each state, but even more so in each facility..... When I worked Tele or Med-Surg, we had to turn those people on a 4 hour basis or even 2 hour depending.. Even at night. DVT? Ever heard of it? I always had that in the back of my mind... Heparin drips didn't relieve my mind any...........