Adele_Michal7

I just like knowing it's there, you know? Google has come in handy a few times at work, too.

I work in a SNF. It stays in my pocket because I love using my pedometer app to track my steps! I only check it here and there for important messages. I have a few nursing centered apps I will occasionally utilize. It doesn't distract me, overall, and then I enjoy catching up on everything after work.

Why are there societal misconceptions about colonoscopies, OP? (I apologize if I should know this already- lol.)

I loved this. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Seek psychiatric help. You'll be glad you did; something as simple as talk therapy and a Xanax a day could do wonders.

Stay out of it.

I completely feel for you and I went through almost the same exact thing you did (eerie similiarities) when I was in nursing school. I didn't read ANY of the other responses so I don't know or care if I'm being redundant. But, the only thing that led to my sister getting help, sadly enough, was her attempting to commit suicide. It was devastating and she was in the hospital for months. She was released from one too early- against me and my dad's will- only to be put back in days later- (she was put back in because she had a f/u apt with a psychiatrist, who realized how psychotic she still was and wrote a 72 hour eval order because he knew she was a danger to herself and others. The man saved a life by doing that.) It was a very trying time but a blessing in disguise because I don't know that she would have gotten the help she needed if she hadn't tried to harm herself. We had tried everything beforehand.

I can't believe someone treated you like this, but don't just take it! Why not tell your unit supervisor or even DNS what was said? Or am I too naiive and would that make it worse? I would have AT LEAST said something back to this person- how about "OK, go right ahead and see where it gets you!!!" Good luck !!! Hugs!

Truly, it was awful... and I don't think the BB did anything to help. Worse than that, though, was trying to insert a suppository.....

From one semi- new grad to another, i feel your pain. One thing I sometimes tell myself is.... well, if I did something THAT bad, someone at work woulda called me :)

My boyfriend lives in SF- has a place in the city- and attends college out there, 2 years left. I would like to move out there eventually, as he may be doing a one year internship after school and we are sick of the distance. I've been out there to visit several (5-6) times....... But I hear that there are absolutely NO JOBS in SF. And NO LTC's. I find this hard to believe, but what do I do?

Doing a med pass at ANY LTC is a finely tuned art. I have discovered this. I'm still a WIP myself, but doing agency four months after graduating has taught me A LOT, honed my skills, and helped me to have the ability to "hit the ground running." Difficult? Yes. Endangering to my license? Never. You will always find a shortcut or several that will work for YOU, and once those become habits, and you get into that "med-pass mindset," things will start to flow a bit more smoothly.... no matter what though, it's always a pill-pushing fiasco. Some tips that work for me: Sometimes you'll have a patient who's on eyedrops, inhalers, liquid meds, pills, and a f/s.... plus U need to bring them in something to drink. With a patient like this, I use my clipboard as a "tray" to carry everything in, so that I'm not juggling and/or making multiple trips in/out of room. I ask the patient if they need anything for pain or need anything for PRN.... this can help avoid those moments where U finish a patient, are moved on to the next one, and then the patient calls out "Can I have a pain pill?" If I bring in a drink for the patient (i.e., water) and they request something else (i.e., apple juice, cranberry, etc.) I say sorry, this is all I have. (I feel bad- but- if I dumped out whatever I had brought them, and went back for something else, for everyone that asked.... and have 30+ patients..... time's a tickin', folks. I'm not afraid to write "patient refused" on MAR. I see nurses who beg, plead, and cajole with certain residents to take their meds..... and spend 15 minutes in the room..... then just end up throwing the med out and still marking it off as "given." This is BS. If I have a fussy resident who won't take meds, I ask "Should I come back later?" or I'll try again and if still no- I mark them as REFUSED and put on 24 hour report.... I used to start with the "easy" patients first, then do the hardest ones last.... But now I just go in room order, parking med cart from door to door. If I see a wanderer or passer-by, I flag them down and give them theirs. Also, If I have someone I truly dread giving meds to (biter, GT with 20 meds, etc.) I do them first to have it out of the way. Hope these help and if not, at least provided some amusement.....

-May have up to 5 cans of soda per day, each shift to document # of cans of MAR -Pt. may have NO POPCORN on 3-11!!!!!!! (written like that, f/b, Pt. MAY HAVE popcorn on 7-3.) -Pt. may have 2 double shots of whiskey prn for pleasure (Patient was a tube feeder, non verbal) -Pt. may have ear pierced on July 12, 2007 -Nurse may slap patient across face if patient becomes non-responsive -Pt. may have 240 cc's WARM TEA from Dunkin' Donuts flushed through GT on 7-3 shift for pleasure. Then I had a doctor ask me in a serious tone "What is a LPN? Are you like an Aide?"

This pales in comparison to many of the stories in this forum, but it shocked me, and several seasoned nurses (20+ years experience!) and aides. I was working at my first job in an LTC and had just ended my orientation (6 weeks, excellent for a new grad.) I was working with another nurse on a floor that had 60 patients. 3-11 shift. Lots of treatments. At one point, I saw that the other nurse had a tin of BagBalm on her med cart. "For your hands?" I asked her. "No. For *******, " she said, naming a patient on her side. "We apply it to her butt. You have to see her butt... It's unreal, unlike anything you've ever seen before." "Well, what's the issue?" I said impatiently. "You'll see. Mere words can't describe," she said, looking green around the gills. Weeks passed and the lore of this patient continued to grow. CNA's would come up to me and ask me if I had seen this woman's butt yet. Finally, one night I was working that wing and curiosity got the best of me- I followed in the two CNA's assigned to her care as they got her ready for her shower. Oh.My.God. They turned her to the side, and exposed her backside. The aide on the opposite side of her strained, lifted and pulled to pull her buttcheeks taut (she probably weighed upwards of 200 lbs.) Shooting from her anus, were fingerlike projections, that waved and undulated. They extended in length to mid-thigh, and were about as thick as half a banana in some places. I was told later that my face turned pale, and I dropped my clipboard. The smell, obviously, was horrendous and undoubtedly made worse by the fact that no air or circulation could get back there.... I slowly backed out of the room, went into the bathroom, and composed myself. Apparently it's a special strain of HPV... anyhow, I haven't seen anything like it since.

I dislike the phrase "gifted" as well. :)