Alex Egan LPN, EMT-B

Alex Egan has 9 years experience as a LPN, EMT-B and specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

Alex Egan's Latest Activity

1. 

   Probable Fraud. What do I do?

   Alex Egan replied to NYARN's topic in Nursing

   As others have said the biggest thing is to not bill the visit. The lost income is a drop in the bucket to what might land if the powers that be decide its suspicious and go digging through your entire agency looking for issues. I assure you they will find them if they look hard enough. The management should take the loss and move on.
2. 

   Withholding paycheck

   Alex Egan replied to Orion81RN's topic in Private Duty

   I can endorse this advice to call the labor board. They really are in your corner and have the regulatory bite to really get action. Get a new job, you're not going to make friends, but when you need action you need action. I had a dispute with a very well known university over late pay. Just the threat of the labor board was enough to get the issues solved within two hours of my threat to call
3. 

   PTO not in the budget for remainder of year

   Alex Egan replied to galaxygirl17's topic in Nursing

   This. Look out for other worrying signs. Supply shortages, loss of coffee in the break room, limiting of overtime. If you start seeing payroll being late or missing overtime RUN the whole thing is going under!
4. 

   Narcan- Do you stock it?

   Alex Egan replied to Supernrse01's topic in School

   I was asked this recently at a special event I was staffing. My answer was an emphatic no. I chose not to for a few reasons. 1. Narcan is a secondary first aid treatment for an overdose. Airway management and rescue breathing is the most important and immediate action when encountering these patients 2. 911 is on the way anyhow let them do it. Even with the prolonged response time at the event, I would rather sped 30 mins rescue breathing than the alternative. 3. Mixing and matching drugs is common. Narcan, in my experience, often results in puking angry people when they are just on opioids. When the victim is mixing drugs suddenly removing the calming opioids can leave you with a raging methed out person. If I have a BVM and a set of airways I plan to just relax and wait for the cavalry.
5. 

   medication orders

   Alex Egan replied to UTVOL3's topic in Camp

   Yes. This is easily done by having you physical form list all meds and supplements. Any late additions need to come with a copy of the prescription from the MD.
6. 

   • CampSchoolRN
   •   
   • Alex Egan

   Alex, I am trying to send a private message but it will not go through..I am at a sleep away camp in Massachusetts,we use the pre packaged med packs..can our EMT-B staff member hand that packet of meds to a camper ? on camp grounds ? on trip day ?

   Thanks so much, can't get an answer from anyone, call in to the state, awaiting reply

   • Jun 27, 2019
7. 

   Forced 24 hr shift

   Alex Egan replied to Orion81RN's topic in Private Duty

   What state are you in. That’s the most important question. In PA you cannot be mandated to do more than 16hours (18 in a declared emergency)
8. 

   Worried about license endorsement being too slow

   Alex Egan replied to bex177's topic in Camp

   Congratulations! As a long time resident of the state I am floored that you didn’t have more trouble. I’m glad for us both that the BON seems to be digging itself out of the quagmire of the new computer system
9. 

   Public reprimand

   Alex Egan replied to NurseFDJ's topic in Professionalism

   Call a lawyer. Do not deal with the BON on your own, is the best advice and your already there. I went through something way worse, and it sends you to a dark place. You feel your entire future is slipping away. You think every other nurse knows and has judged you guilty. So steps to take 1. Find another job now, you don't have to disclose and investigation unless your employer asks directly. Lay down an excellent work history so if you end up with restrictions the employer will be more likely to work with you. (I recommend dialysis because they are more familiar with restrictions than most industries in general) 2. Find sanity. I couldn't work due to my troubles. I managed to find a free clinic that would take me and that saved my life. Getting up and doing SOMETHING every day gave me a sense of normalcy as the days dragged on and my finances fell apart. It gave me a place to be when they put the for sale sign in my front yard and kept me from drinking during the day. 3. Use spin control professionally. Reach out to old bosses and trustworthy coworkers. Have lunch with them catch up. When what's happening now comes up get your narrative on record first. These are the people you're going to use for references after this is all over, so you need their support. You want them on your version of events, not the complainants. 4. No matter what when it's all over put it behind you. I went back into the same industry, with a lot of the same bosses and coworkers. It was hard because you don't know who believes you and who thinks you're nurse scum. I just had to move on and publicly not think about it. Privately I was a damaged person, for years. You can PM me here if you need someone to talk to. It hurts I know.
10. 

    Dialysis nursing pros/cons?

    Alex Egan replied to Lani blaskett's topic in Nursing

    It sounds like your talking about in patent dialysis. Most of what I gathered by talking to the in house folks is that the work isn't bad besides hauling the equipment around. The real issue is the call schedule you may end up doing a lot of call and more back to backs then you like.
11. 

    The Degrading "Meet and Greet"

    Alex Egan replied to panurse9999's topic in Home Health

    I have been with agency's that insist on the meet and great. I like to turn it around on them. Before I take my time to meet and great I want to see a 485, speak to the clinical manager, have a quick call with one of the regular nurses. Then I decide if it is worth my time and effort to go put on the song and dance. I also let them know I don't mind just being thrown in, I'll figure it out. Once I put more work on them, the number of meet and greets decreased. Agency work is way more people skills and games then it used to be. That said that's how the business is run, I am working in that business, so I play the game.
12. 

    Feeling like I'm not making a difference

    Alex Egan replied to Wrestler133's topic in Nursing

    I first experienced this when I was an EMT. As I moved into nursing I continued to find this. Nursing at heart is about making a difference. Nursing in practice isn’t. When good old Flo N went to the Crimean War. The woman she took and the things she did made a difference, but to the day to day nurse it probably felt a lot like cleaning up, feeding people, and changing bandages. The big picture changed but day to day it was drudgery and death. I imagine lots of this woman went him feeling as if they didn’t save a single life, even though the statistics show they did.
13. 

    Worried about license endorsement being too slow

    Alex Egan replied to bex177's topic in Camp

    You should be worried. PA is crazy backed up and is taking a very long time to process things. Get cozy once a week and call the BON. Be nice explain your situation and hope someone will review and approve it on the spot. Be aware most of the time they will simply tell you “it’s all there pending review, they are reviewed in the order received” the only check you can’t speed up is the finger prints. The child line can be done instantly in Harrisburg (I know that doesn’t help you much). State police is online and pretty quick.
14. 

    Sent STUPID email "joke": what now?

    Alex Egan replied to Zuzu's Petals's topic in Nursing

    This is also an excellent resource for making your apologies really hit, and be less cringeworthy. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201311/the-five-ingredients-effective-apology%3famp Seriously they should teach this in school.
15. 

    Sent STUPID email "joke": what now?

    Alex Egan replied to Zuzu's Petals's topic in Nursing

    Ok. Basic damage control principles. (Honest version) 1. Minimizing. This is not a big deal. It feels like it and even if you get fired. You screwed up, got a lesson, it’s done. What did you learn not what did you do. No one died, nobody got sent to jail, and no property was damaged 2. Address involved parties not the audience. You already talked to the doctor, the director, manager. When and if this comes back they already know about it. That’s way better then them not having a clue and being blindsided. 3. That’s old news. If anyone brings it up to you who isn’t in charge of you you put it in the past. “That was a mistake and I’m moving past it. Why do you bring that up? I would rather not discuss it. 4. Rumor patrol. Ask friendly coworkers to shut down conversation regarding your gaff if they hear them and keep an eye out for a particular person driving a narrative. Expect a bit of chatter but if one person is stirring the pot you have to nip that immediately 5. Realize you are going to feel this way more then others. Situations of public shame hang in our heads. I realize this is all you can think about but everyone else has their life in their head. They really aren’t thinking or talking about you as much as you think.
16. 

    Salting my ice now

    Alex Egan replied to ruby_jane's topic in School

    Salt makes the ice colder and increases risk of injury. See the salt ice challenge. I have better luck with vinegar. Just a bit and a shake. Now no one wants your ice.