livistarr

I worked at a Level I trauma center that had it's own police force. They patroled the area, arrested gang bangers who were hustlin on the corner out front and would back all of us up with guns, kevlar and cuffs. I turned that in for a Level III trauma center where I have Opie and the gang with walkie talkies and flashlights. I'm from the hood and usually take the lead :) Good times....

I live in NE Ohio, have been a nurse a while though. At the hospital I work part time at I make about $30/hr. I am salaried in my FT job as a legal nurse consultant and make $65K a year ($32/hr). And yes, that's with (only) an AAS (if that's what you want to call it!). It's served me very well and I have no real desire to go back to school any time soon :)

Bad idea. It could come back to bite you at your job and you never want to take that risk. HIPPA violations will get you fired without a doubt, across the board. Say a prayer for her and if you ever HAPPEN to run in to her then it's okay to give her resources but more than that is too much. If you get caught up with her she may end up badgering or harassing you in the future. Keep work separate. Olivia

Petroleum gauze is usually facility/physician specific. The pleuravac probably tipped in transport and with minimal drainage, labeling both chambers is standard practice. As far as the dim bulb you took report from, I say keep up with the paper trail if it is causing patient harm. I have only written 4 incidents up ever and 3 were on the same nurse that mistook dopamine for nitro (huh??), hung blood on a wrong patient and bagged a patient with a face mask...who was INTUBATED. It took mine and 4 other charge nurses reports before they finally disciplined her but it eventually happened. And remember, crap rolls downhill so CYA...

Working in ER I can tell you I'd never check a piece of jewelry that just looked engraved. Really only the standard bracelet or necklace...and Ive done ER about ten yrs.

First, make sure they're in distress. Don't embarass yourself by calling for help on a heavy sleeper! (I've had medical residents do that!!) Second, know their code status. If a DNR you have to know what kind, i.e. no CPR, no defib, no tube, etc. Third, GO GET HELP from a nurse. Fourth, jump in and help. Just don't over-react, please. You never live that down. I over-reacted as a new nurse at a prison and called a "signal 3" (prison's version of Code Blue) on a seizure that was post-ictal, no where NEAR dead. I was called "Signal 3" for 5 years until I actually saved someone's life there :)

I work in a union hospital currently, have been here for several years and love my union. However, as a nurse I am opposed to striking. I feel there should be a "no strike clause" in all healthcare and school worker's contracts. We, as nurses, are not steel workers and can't just walk the picket line and expect the suits to clam up and give us what we want. It's just not rational or reasonable. I worked at this union hospital when we went on strike in the 90s. I had to walk out of my ICU at 6am with a 18 year old sister of my friend's on a vent. How and why I did that I will never be able to justify because that is just wrong, and it was more wrong of my nursing leaders to enforce it. Had I not walked I'd have been blackballed for eternity. I was a new nurse and didn't have the cojones to stand up for my beliefs. Back to the original point I was getting to, I then started traveling after I went back to work after the strike and was displaced out of ICU to med/surg by the management that decided to make life very hard on us who walked. I ended up working strikes. I made $20,000 a month, met some wonderful friends who I am still friends with to this day, worked at some wonderful facilities and learned new skills. I would do it again if my schedule allowed. Fastaff is a wonderful company that does labor disputes and if they're the company, go for it. Be prepared for animosity among the staff that's there (secretaries, X-ray, physicians) but be yourself, be a good nurse and be understanding to their conflict of emotions and it will work out. By the time I was at an assignment for a week of being who I am and being a good nurse to my patients, the other staff warmed up and became much more accomodating and we even became friends. I did make the mistake of taking a traveling assignment at one facility post-strike and the nurses in the ICU I worked at would change my drip rates, glue my pumps shut and hide my charts....when patients became unsafe because of things they were doing, that's when I bailed. It wasn't worth fighting the entire staff. But if you have a VERY STRONG clinical background (because you ARE flying solo!!) and can handle the pressure, go for it :) Remember that the nurses at that hospital deserve every single thing they are fighting for but the PATIENTS there deserve to have nursing care when they need it.

I work in a ER where the techs do nothing but draw labs and do EKGs. Pretty much I try to do what I can by myself or with other nurses but if I do need them I directly say "I need you here now" and assure them it's just for a few minutes. Also I use a little humor to back it up. And if you start helping them when they need help, they may be more willing to help you when you need it. Look at how you're coming across because you may have the "RN thing" going for you where they feel like they're a task horse and not valued. I ask them for help in codes and traumas and they feel like I respect their opinion and help, not just when I'm cleaning poo :) I was an aide a million years ago when I was in school but still remember the RNs who would come across with an attitude of just bossing the aides around. When they say they have to do their hourly outputs, how about saying "Oh...I'll do mine so you're good there!" See where that gets you...

I messaged you my email if you'd like me to email you responses to your questions :)

Did the night nurse bear the brunt? She seems more the source of the problem. Had she done her job there wouldn't have been a problem...

Two words. Bad move. You never bite the hand that feeds you and, like it or not, that manager feeds you in a way. If you make a bold move like that, just be prepared for the fallout. I had a verbal confrontation with my manager over her attitude and how she treats me (and everyone) bc she went too far by disrespecting me in front of my MOTHER! Well, I gave it a few days before I went to her so I didn't have the hot head but still...there has been fallout and I deal with it. For instance, she now makes it her job to micromanage every part of my employment. I stay on my p's and q's to avoid her having a reason, but bottom line is I'm in her crosshairs! Hope you're ready fit a bumpy ride...

Wow...quit beating yourself up!! You are human and made a common error. It happens!! You may have to take a quality review at your hospital but errors without substantial harm should be handled internally and, unless a pattern, shouldn't be reported! Don't give notice. If we all quit over an error there would be no one left!! Learn from it, move on and STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP!! Good luck :)

1. I have been a nurse for 14 years. 2. I have my AAS-Nursing. Have taken all but 3 classes for my BSN but I'm not motivated enough to finish it :) 3. In my area the average salary for a FT hospital nurse with my experience is about $60K a year. 4. I feel there is a very high demand. I work in all different areas, from ER to Corrections to Risk Adjustment for an insurance corporation and Litgation Consulting. Oh, and clinical instruction too. Busybusybusy! 5. My work has always been very consistent. There are times of increased and decreased need, but I am never without a FT job and PT work also. 6. I work 3-12's (6p-6a) in a ER. I work 24 hours a week from home during the days doing Risk Adjustment. I also pick up time at a prison working 8 hour shifts and will start PRN clinical instruction for LPNs soon. 7. Since I work in a ER, there are no set things that I do each shift. If I'm in triage, I do that. If I'm in charge, I manage the department and flow. If I'm in a section, I care for patients in my module (5 of them) and respond to traumas, etc as needed. For my Risk Adjustment job, I do chart reviews at home and also go to Dr. offices and hospitals in the area to review there. At the prison, I respond to emergencies, do sick calls (like office visits but with a nurse) and administer medications to the guys serving time in the hole. 8. Strangest experience? I have thousands. Maybe hundreds of thousands :) I work in ER so it's a baseline for strange! I think a guy who put an animal thermometer down his urethra for "personal play" and it shattered. He was just flippin bizarre....or maybe the inmate who wrapped a string around his genitals until they turned about black. Strange people.... 9. Most demanding is the physical with my job. I am 33 but herniated 2 discs already. This job is brutal on your back. 10. Most rewarding is that I actually save lives. I don't feel like I'm passing meds and wiping butts for a living. At the end of the day, I know I made a difference. Cliche perhaps but true :) 11. Both are equally important. You can't do the clinical without a strong education background and visa versa. 12. I would tell them that it is an awesome choice with job security and unlimited options :) I'm a fan! Hope this helps!

I am a Trauma/ER nurse and personally that's my "nirvana" but it is so very individualized! You will see that each type of unit has a very distinct personality model. ER nurses tend to be "alpha dogs", wanting constant change and adrenaline rushes. ICU nurses are meticulous and detail oriented. Med/surg nurses are great time managers and very task oriented. OB nurses tend to kind of fall in with ER nurses in wanting thatconstant change and adrenaline rush but on a very focused scale. Peds nurses are usually the caring ones of the bunch :) OR nurses are no-nonsense, cut to the chase (no pun!) individuals. Cath lab nurses swoop in with the "S" on their chests to save lives ASAP. These are my observations but, when compared to nurses in those areas long term, I betcha I'm pretty darn close to par! Anyone agree?

I work in the ER so it's inevitable in my small town that I'll care for a friend or family member. I always make it a point when I first assume care to tell them that I "never saw them" and make sure they know that me the nurse isn't the same person that I am outside of work, that I won't tell anyone I even saw them and I pass no judgements. Often they request that I do take care of them because they are at ease with me. I think by addressing privacy from the beginning it avoids any unspoken concerns they may have had when they saw me.