unpocodeam0r

I'm a first year RN, working my first ever nursing job in a Pediatric ER. I have about 9 months on the job. Last night I made a huge mistake and I feel incredibly stupid and incomptent. I had a patient who was Status Asthmaticus and I had to go vitals every 15 mintues. Q15 min it's R/ HR/ O2% and every hour I would add a blood pressure. I must have been so busy that I didn't realize I documented my pts BP as "90/30" w/ a HR of "133", which means my pt would have been in COMPENSATORY SHOCK. Of course, the MD realized and let me know. The pt was actually around 100/50, the monitor was just acting up. I have no idea why this BP slipped passed me. Obviously, I know that is not an okay BP for a 12 year old girl. In the end, this didn't end up being so big of a deal bc I could change it on the computer, but I feel so low. This isn't the first time at my job that I've felt like a complete idiot. Sometimes I don't even feel compentent enough for this job. I feel like part of this is due to the fact that my orientation wasn't very good. I was never really assigned a preceptor and have pretty much had to figure things out on my own as they come. Add that the fact that this is my FIRST job in an extremely busy ER. Anyway, I was wondering if any older nurses could make me feel any better. Did anyone else feel like a complete dud their first year? Any horrible mistakes that you now look back at and laugh? Or am I completely downgrading this whole situation?

Hello. I've been an RN in NYC for about a year now and I'm starting to think about going back to school. I work in Pediatrics (ER) and am interested going back for a family DNP program. Right now, I'm working for a HHC hospital (I'm hoping this will change soon, and anyone whose worked for a HHC probably understands why.) and their tuition reimbursement plan is about... nothing. So, I'm wondering, all of you who have gone to NP school in NYC, HOW did you afford these hefty costs?? I know so many people who went to NP school and had their hospital pay for it 100%. Mine does NOT do this. Can anyone tell me the hospitals that do do this? I know St-Lukes Roosevelt was one of them, but I don't know if that has remained the same, as they've now been bought by Mount Sinai. I'm willing to relocate to a hospital that would front my tuition, for obvious reasons. Also, when I took my critical care course for my job, my instructor told us all about something called "Workforce development" for nursing. I believe it was called "title VIII", if I'm not mistaken. Can anyone provide me with ANY information about this? Apparently it's 100% loan forgiveness for continuing education in nursing, but I can find little to no information on it. Any information on financing NP school would be greatly appreciated. I have my heart set on Columbia, but I can't imagine going into that kinda debt as a single nurse. Thank you!

Thanks for the info! About how much experience did you have when you stared traveling? I'll only have about a year, I don't know if that's enough for them. How do you feel about the cost of living down there? i'm worrid about paying rent all on my own. I would also consider buying if I liked it enough down there. I have money saved up for some property but have been hesitant bc NYC is so expensive and I really don't wanna be stuck here anymore.

Thank you for your reply. Is the pay compatible to a good quality of life there? I can afford my life here in NYC but i'm tired of paying $1,100 for a shoebox. What is rent like down there? Do you feel like you make enough? Thank you

Hello. I am an RN, BSN from NYC. I currently work at a city hospital here and would really like to move to Miami for my next job. I would like some info on what it is like being a nurse there. Specifically, what it is like being a nurse in a non-union state. I know there is a pay disparity between NY and FL but I work for a city hospital (non-private) and make about 33$/hr, so I'm not exactly used to the big salaries some RN's make in NYC. (I have friend's at more than 40$/hour.) Also, I know there seems to be an issue with patient ratios. However, in my hospital I know it is a common occurrence for the inpatient nurses (I am ER) to be at a 10:1 patient ratio. At my own job, we've worked entire night shifts at the 3rd busiest ER in the country (statistically speaking) w/ THREE RN's. The only difference is we fill out a protest of assignment but that has proven to do.... nothing... so far. So I guess I haven't felt the full benefit of working in a union state. I was born and raised in NYC and I am REALLY ready for a change of scenery. I've been to Miami a couple times (my grandparents had a house in Boca and I would visit often) and I really enjoyed it there. I'm at a point where I can no longer stand the weather and rush of NYC. I've suffered w/ seasonal depression for a couple years and I would really like to be somewhere where I don't have to go about 7 months where I can barely get out of bed. This city is also dirty and I'm tired of the overpriced, rushed culture here. I just want to relax and enjoy life slowly. Of course, I understand it's a bad market in Florida, as it is in NYC. But I am not a new grad, my current job has a bit of a reputation, I'm fluent in Spanish, and I would not make the move until I had a job secured down there. If you've been a nurse in FL or any other non-union state, please tell me what you can. Or if you just know a place w/ a mild climate where a childless, young (early 20's) RN can live a nice life, I'm open to suggestions.

Thank you for your reply. My break was for an hour. And I do believe she was running the D5 at a bolus rate. The pts blood sugar went up to 200. But then came back down after we gave her the second NS bolus. I didn't see how I was accountable either. And when I was told I would have been written up to I didn't understand. I would have only ever signed anything saying that I didn't check my coworkers work. If they were gonna write me up for a med error I would have called my union rep and not signed.

Hello all. I am a brand new nurse, graduate May 2013. I got a job in a Pediatric ER about two months after passing the NCLEX and have now been there for about 6 months. I'm pretty stressed. I don't Feel like my job gave me a proper orientation and I've pretty much been learning everything as I go. I'm always so afraid of doing something that will one day have my license taken away, especially since the state of limitations for children in my state is 21 years. The other night at work something very scary happened. I had a pt come in who was febrile and the MD told me to put a line in. At this time, I had a break so my reliever told me she would do the line. Before I left for break there was no order for a bolus. But when I came back my reliever had put the line in and my reliever told me she had a bolus and was receiving maintenance fluids. I had other pts so I didn't bother checking the order or anything, I thanked her and I let the fluids continue running. About 10 minutes back from my break, my charge nurse starts questioning us both about the fluids. Long story short, the doctor had ordered two NS bolus. My reliever had given my pt one NS bolus and was now giving her D5. As expected, her sugar shot up. after getting a second NS bolus, her sugar went back down. My pt ended up being fine (besides her persistent fever which she had to be transferred for). My charge nurse helped us "clean up" the situation documentation wise and I don't think she is going to tell anyone it happened. But she warned us that if it was anyone else in charge that night we would have both been written up. I understand I was responsible for not checking my coworkers work but I didn't give this medication, is this really my medication error?? If they had written me up, what would be the penalty for something like this? Is this something I could lose my license over? any words of advice on this or how to protect myself in General would be really appreciated.