LightMyFire

I'll remove trash from a full can but I absolutely would not sort trash because the bag is too heavy. Nor will I strip linens from a checkout room. For the most part our housekeeping department is useless. We have few good ones. I am not going to let admin think that nursing staff will just pick up general housekeeping duties in addition to the ridiculous ratios and lack of support staff we put up with. As for the original question, nursing staff is responsible, making it pointless to even call them after the fact.

On my unit only the nurses had stockings and candy :)

I agree that in some situations respect has decreased. We need to demand that respect back. Diplomacy always is important though. Usually patients and family members can be appeased. When the patient can't, document. Noncompliance is not YOUR problem. Family members? My patient is my priority, not the family. And in my ICU family members interfering with care are removed. Diplomacy first though. I can usually get them to my way of thinking by explaining with authority what's what.

Opioids and meth.

I know how you feel. I'm in a new job and there are differences and I don't have the relationships built up either. I don't have advice, just commiserating. We did it before, we'll do it again.

Students always have ideas about where they want to work or what they think they will like. These can change as TheNurseStudentMom states. What's more important is that your qualities and goals are in line with your chosen field. Personally, I love med-surg. I like walkie-talkies. I love the educating patients. Dementia tests my patience levels. I like to see them progress to discharge. Not so keen on death, even with dignity. I believe that correctional nursing is a much-needed specialty but one that requires the ability to be assertive and a good understanding of therapeutic communication. Is it for me? No. But there are those who will find their niche there. No specialty is above or beneath another.

I also want to get med-surg certified. Any tips on CEUs?

Sjalv, I hope it works out for you. If you're at my place of employment, I wish you even more luck. We can't get experienced nurses and pretty much only hire new grads. I am really starting to wish I'd signed a contract as a new grad though. I could have used the cash!

My facility has been luring new grads with these bonuses. They are regretting their situation immediately.

Its the same at my hospital. Move on. I am.

You're on the right track as far as your physical assessment goes. Are there educational needs? Assessment needs to include other factors besides just physical needs.

There are many things you can do with your license, depending on your degree. Most of them that don't involve "floor nursing" require experience. You get that by working in the trenches (hospital floor, LTC, etc.).

You will be checked off on skills as you have the opportunity to practice them. Practice at home with the basics like sterile field. Run through the steps with your preceptor before attempting the skill and before going in the room. Most important of all, be confident when you go in the room! You'll be ok.

My understanding is that if you've received the vaccine you will always be "positive" so another avenue to clear you for exposure needs to be explored, i.e., CXR. Some countries choose to vaccinate, others choose testing and tx. It seems like multiple rounds of tx in the absence of proof of exposure/infection is unnecessary. Of course, if a CXR was positive tx would still be required. I've heard that the vaccine isn't terribly effective so infection could still occur after tx.

Call security to deal with abusive patients and learn to stick up for yourself when someone is being rude just for the sake of being rude. Be thankful when a jerk fires you. Try to remember that you can't be in 8 rooms at once and everyone has to wait their turn. Prioritize. Try to head off requests for pain meds by offering them when you have the time if they can have them. You are one person. You can be a fantastic nurse but if you're overburdened by your employer, it's their fault you're not fantastic anymore, not yours. I'd say get out but I'm bitter and think it's the same most places. I'm in the same boat. I do think there are good places out there but nurses probably don't leave them.

What's worse is that the acuity is not factored in.

They just tell us "this isn't going away." I spoke up in a meeting once and was swiftly dressed down in front of everyone. I was told that my point was invalid and had nothing to do with the issue. The issue being how do we increase staff and patient satisfaction. I said staff appropriately. When the questions are so stupid (how often did you get bathroom assist WHEN YOU WANTED IT) you can't blame the staff for failing when they're at bare bones. Bad news: our scores are up for the first time in 2 years so we're screwed for getting more staff.

Exactly what nynursey said. There are benefits to staying here but it's not worth the stress and tears. I'm moving on.

It's been a really horrible year at my job. Promises that things will get better have gone unfulfilled. I only thought it was bad a couple years ago. It's gone all the way downhill! I've been on the fence about leaving but I've made up my mind. I already feel liberated to some degree just making the decision to get out. I'm not ready to give up on nursing yet but they can take this job and, you know the rest! If you hate your job, just get out. It's not worth it.

I would have removed it and promptly started another one. And documented all of it as I would not want to be responsible for any negative consequences. Of course, I wouldn't have left a patient in need of IV pain meds with no access for 6 hours. I'm curious why the chain of command was not utilized? The charge nurse should have at least been called.

Our health dept only does TB tests for exposures. I don't remember how I was referred but a local hospital's employee health nurse did mine for $10 each. I got my MMRs at the health dept along with my HBV series for just the cost of HBV vaccs. I also got TDaP for free at the same time.

Thanks for the suggestions! OT has been discussed but I guess they haven't found a solution. Some will just leave and not chart. Maybe the other shift balks at having to do all the stuff left over, putting them further behind. She does spend too much time in a room, that I've seen. I try to make a point to let them know if something isn't a priority but I'll also do many things myself to keep from piling on the list with small things. I'm busy too and they can't pass my meds or do my admit/discharge so I have to delegate. Also, my charting takes more time than theirs. And I want to work it out because we're all on the same team.

I graduated from OCCC in 2012. Great program. Good luck to you all!

Loving the detailed help from the veteran nurses! It's hard to think as a student these days. With a little experience you start to just form these ideas without really knowing how or why. You just know. I wish I could explain my thought process so well!

Overall our CNAs do a great job. We have 1 in particular though that has horrible time management skills. We all dread when she is assigned to our patients. She has been with us for maybe a year and I think we were all hoping she would get better with time. I always help my aides out. I toilet patients, help with vitals/blood sugars but today was bad. I did total care for my 6 patients. I never got my afternoon vitals and I had a surgery patient on whom she never even did vitals for. I'm pretty sure she never even saw half of my patients. She is a sweet lady, many patients like her. I like her. She is not the type that goofs off during the shift, I just can't get her to be able to get her work done in a timely manner. She routinely stays 2 hours after her shift to chart and such. I've never been a CNA. Any tips or ideas from the fantastic CNAs out there? I don't know what to say or how to help her get out on time while still getting thugs done. I work on a busy, chronically understaffed med-surg floor.