lifetimern

I hate to sound hyperbolic, but your job and, perhaps, your career are in jeopardy! I have seen witch hunts in nursing. The victim of the persecution is often an innocent scape-goat or simply a pawn in some political war they no nothing about. If,...

There is never an excuse to degrade or even criticize another nurse in front of a patient or their family. If the nurse really cannot be reasoned with, you should speak with your manager or Human Resources department. This is more than an annoyance...

Because I am not a female, I will refain from excessive cross-gender fashion advice except to say that, when I have interviewed applicants, the more professional the better. Of course, try to avoid heavy perfumes, long fake nails, and tons of jewelr...

The point that the OP is not a nurse is well taken, but I hear the same sentiments from nurses all the time.

I am always so disheartened to hear nurses say, basically, shut-up and take what your employers dish out because you're lucky to have a job. I agree, those of us who are currently employed are lucky to have jobs in this economy (we are also highly s...

I am sorry your experience is so lousy! I will assume, since your preceptor is being asked to take her own patients while orienting you, that your facility's leadership does not put a high priority on nurse retention/orientation and you are, basicall...

I am curious what this patients baseline oxygen saturation is. Unless the patient has some underlying respiratory disease or is a heavy smoker, it is unusual for a wakeful person to have sats in the low 90s. If the patient is a non-smoker with no h...

I, too, agree that you should determine the boundaries of your student's practice. However, is this experience just another clinical for the student or is this his clinical preceptorship? During regular clinicals, students often function under tigh...

I concur with CABG patch kid. I think your actions were correct and appropriate as long as the patient truly understood the ramifications of his decision. BTW, I would have had another nurse (charge nurse, probably) encourage the patient to allow th...

Often, these on-line discussions are populated by people who simply, for whatever reason, need to vent. Therefore, it seems that opinions here tend to shift toward the negative. I will tell you that I make approximately $39.00/hr. not including shif...

I hope your experience improves beause your first year as a nurse, in many ways, defines the kind of nurse you will be throughout your career. Honestly, seven patients at night isn't that bad. I have to wonder, however, if your colleagues are taking...

I'm sorry your weekend is ruined! If you have a good relationship with your manager, I would consider calling her and telling her exactly what you've told us. Listen closely to her response and see if you can extract a few more details. Really, I fin...

Patients do not relinquish their civil liberties because they are given a narcotic. If I were the patient and a nurse tried to "detain" me, I would call 911 -- or does your facility want you to confiscate their cell phone and deny them access to othe...

As you know first hand, Nursing is becoming increasingly specialized. L&D, Postpartum, and NICU are prime examples of areas that require specialized training and experience. It is unsafe for nurses not specifically trained to care for new moms a...

If I held a med. and wanted to notify the physician., I used to flag the chart/progress note section (this was the days of paper charts and post-it notes) notifying the MD. I also passed it on in report. Today, using electronic charting, maybe you c...

I agree with your rationale. The BP meds should have been given. Try to find the actual policy at your institution for clarification. It is possible that that P&P doesn't exist or is inadequate, in which case, you could bring it to your superv...

I applaud your commitment to our profession and giving nature, but give yourself a break -- you've got a long career ahead of you! There is a difference between professional caring and patient centered care and putting the patient before self (and ot...

I'm sorry your first year as a nurse was so lousy. Fortunately, June is right around the corner! With a year experience under your belt, you will have more employment options. Unless you want to "change" your floor's culture, which is difficult eve...

Just wanted to mention a couple of things. First, I have never been ashamed or demeaned by doing "aide" work. It is all a part of nursing. An RN who refuses to wipe butt is not a well rounded nurse; its part of our job. However, let me just point out...

I think this a great opportunity for you and you colleagues! If policy and procedures are lacking, you should offer to create a committee to develop them. You should offer to chair the committee yourself. This is your chance to make a real impact on ...

This whole idea that the patient has to have their IV in place until they are, literally, being rolled out the door is more common than you might think. I've never heard of a place so cheap that they won't spring for a saline lock though! I agree, ...

Based upon the information you presented, I concur with your decision not to conduct a car to car search for the patient. Not to second guess, but didn't the guy have a cell phone? Couldn't he have left his number so that you could call him? Also,...

I am an atheist, yet, I still have faith. Faith comes in many forms, not just that of a higher power. I have been asked to pray with patients. I have never been asked to speak aloud. Rather, I usually sit quietly and hold the patient's hand while...

I know there are pockets throughout the country (especially the rural south) where RN pay is abissmal. I actually grew up in one of the worst paying states, Oklahoma, even though I haven't lived there in over ten years. Nevertheless, I have never fai...

Wow, your the second post I've read today on this subject. The answer is that as an LPN you can work as a CNA. Most states will let you challenge the exam; so, check with your board of nursing. However, and this uber-important, if you hold a licen...