AndieWoke

You're kidding right? After the various bodily fluids I have had splashed on me, all the isolation patients I have taken care of while sweating under the paper gowns, and the time spent sweating in hot rooms inhabited by elderly patients now I'm supposed to wear make up and do my hair too? How about I just show up to work clean and ready to jump in and take care of my patients? You know, so they can live to see another day. When it's time to go out I'll take the time to dress in nice clothes, put on makeup and do my hair. I didn't get into nursing to be a model . . . good thing too, I'm not cute and I'm kind of cynical and sarcastic to boot. Andie

ok, i am tired, so tired, :dzed: and probably whiny but i just need to vent. we're a little short at work and i picked up shift and then worked the weekend, it was busy, it's nearly always busy, and i had a patient on a bed alarm that i chased for a few nights, which is wearing, and another demanding patient with a demanding family member i also had for a few nights, mixed in with a few other patients who were easier to deal with even though they all had their own medical issues. well, i passed the demanding one off to a day shift nurse who is far more experienced than i and who likes perfect patients taken care of perfectly. she's blasted me before and now since i am working tonight i am expecting to get loudly, publicly nailed again. and i am really just not in the mood, i did the best i could with that patient, they got their pain medication, an extra test due to percieved changes in their condition, which was negative and other appropriate care. they were stable and i left that morning when the family member had cornered the doc, unfortunately for him, because the day before it took him more than an hour before he got away. i'd feel sorry for him but that's why he makes the big bucks. so although the patient really isn't unstable the family member is making that patient high maintainence. since the doctor came in, the family member was there, the day shift nurse was there and he didn't have a breakfast tray yet i didn't give him his last morning meds and insulin. there was just no way to get that done once the circus started, and that's what i expect will make the day shift nurse upset with me. i also wasn't about to stay and participate in it either, i had had enough of listening to that family member and wasn't about to play the blame game. my shift was done, all other meds were passed, report was taped, i was exhausted and i left for the day. i really just didn't feel that there was anything else i could do at the time. unfortunately i am lousy at confrontation and i'm so tired i don't know if i can keep control, i dont' know if i am going to cry or start screaming. i did have one night off and i've spent the time since catching up on meals and sleeping but i know that i'm not back to normal yet. any thoughts or advice would be appreciated, andie

Considering the fact that the nursing profession is mostly women, how much women gossip (honestly!), and the *almost* unbelieveable number if posts on this forum about 'nurses eating their young', 'backstabbing', etc. I myself try really hard to keep my private life PRIVATE . . . including when/where/how much I consume alcohol. I am ready to stop, drop and pee ANYTIME but I deliberately say nothing about my social gatherings, which also do not include coworkers. But I also drink responsibly, almost exclusively at home, and NEVER to the point of impairment or illness, one, just ONE is enough. Really. For those who can't stop, get help, if you're a friend of someone having a hard time - do an intervention, no offense, but we've all seen alcoholics and both the long and short term consequences of alcohol consumption. Just as kind of a thought for the day, a busy Friday just after the full moon, I work tonight and it's going to be crazy I know, so I am also reminding myself here, be kind to yourself, give yourself a break, life is hard - then take a deep breath and TRY to give that to your patients too. (I think I might write this down on a card and put it in my pocket for tonight!) Best to all! Andi

This new rule was evidently made by someone who doesn't pass medications in the hospital. All it takes is one patient/family member who has medications that changed or a new medication where they need teaching and you will never get any of your medications passed on time. And of course if you have a patient who develops distress or needs something you have to call the doctor for immediately you won't get the meds passed on time there either. Worse yet is that it makes nurses consider unsafe medication dispensing practices to avoid negative feedback from management thereby increasing the odds of medication errors. I wonder if 'they' think nurses fail to pass meds on time out of boredom? Seriously, I'm busy at work, if a med is late something or someone happened. Andie

LOL, a surgeon named Dr. Hacker

well, you are going to turn 34 anyway, god willing. do you want to be a nurse when you get there? or not? as far as age goes i am 41 and a new grad, and being an rn sure as heck beats being a cna, and the pay is better too. best, andie

i am an older grad, past *gulp* 40, on my first rn job, and i am also really introverted and shy. i agree with just being yourself, asking lots of questions, doing the best job you can (your're new, you're going to goof up), and be professional (at the minimum) to your co-workers. it's hard sometimes, but it's also a new job too, so cut yourself a break when things feel uncomfortable or don't go as well as you think they should. and realize that not everyone is going to like you and that's ok too, maybe you shouldn't like them . . . just because someone is really popular with everyone on the floor doesn't mean that their patients like them or that they do a good job. i've been at my current job just a few months and i have finally found a few people that i can count on for advice and help and have also figured out who to avoid. i'm still not comfortable, but i'm working on it. you'll get there too, come back here when you need a boost! i know i do. best, andie

i worked as a cna in a snf/ltc facility while i was in nursing school. it was a great experience and i don't regret it a bit. however, reasons to avoid working full time in a facilty include: 1. hospital benefits are exponentially better. 2. it is difficult to get back into a hospital to work after you have worked in a facility. i know one bsn who has tried for years and cannot even though she has a good appearance, is well spoken, educated, and experienced. 3. they are chronically short handed and will work you until you drop, weird shifts, doubles, long stretches with no time off, etc., and any mistakes you make will be yours no matter what drivel they tell you in your interview about 'support'. i know one nurse who is fighting for her license in court because of this. 4. it can be insanely busy and you may not have any back up on evenings, nights and/or weekends. in my facility a nurse would be responsible for up to 40 patients and may or may not have a med tech, meaning she would not only be doing all treatments, tube feedings, and insulins, but also passing all the medications. in the meantime patients may try, and some i have seen succeed, in leaving the facility (confused wandering), fall, get into fights with each other/family/staff, or get caught in flagrante delecto w/each other. in the meantime families are around, a hospice patient is crashing, a cna left on a smoke break a half an hour ago and isn't back and the call lights are blinking, another cna may come up to you and say "so and so is acting confused and is all sweaty" and there's an admission coming in. and oh yeah, it's saturday and two cnas aren't going to show up because they went out partying and forgot they had to work, good luck finding a replacement. on nights one nurse could have two floors and up to 80 patients, better hope you have a med tech because if you don't morning meds are going to be a b***h. the thing is, once you clock in the assignment is yours and you cannot leave or it's abandonment and management is fully aware of this happy little fact. on a brighter note if you like the over 70 crowd you will fall in love with most of them and have your heart broken every time you lose one. it's been five this year so far for me and i am still grieving for those wonderful people. if you still want to work in a facility i would go in and shadow a cna for a while, their responsibilities are a little different than a hospital pct, so you know what to look for as a nurse to tell whether they are doing their job. many will try to wiggle out of responsibilities like giving showers/shaving etc especially if you are new. then i would also go in and shadow the nurses on evenings and weekends when the boss isn't around. that's really the only way to get a true picture of how things work. still, i would stay prn or part time, they always need reliable weekend personnel and usually are willing to pay well for them. that way you can get your experience and enjoy yourself too. in the future, any experience with things related to senior health issues like heart, kidney, diabetes, parkinson's and alzheimer's will help you in the geriatric field. if you work for a doctor who specializes in any of those you will have a large number of seniors in your practice automatically. best, andie

dealing with the issues of other women and the endless catfights! wish there were more men so i had more sensible conversational oppurtunities instead of the latest hair/makeup/boyfriend/husband/pregnancy/kid/she said " "/ and the other endless junk. how about intelligent conversations about the advance of medicine and genetics as it pertains to our scientific based nursing care on our floor? oh wait, then you would have to read and maybe . . . gasp, study !!! oh it truly felt better to get that out! thanks!

amazon.com has a new website that is called 'endless.com' and they have all kinds of shoes, nb, nike, asics, propet, dansko etc, both mens and womens. i haven't purchased anything from them but i have from amazon.com and had good luck. they advertise free return shipping too. best, andie

WOW! Just the level of rudeness, amazing. I am always astonished at how some people feel entitled.

that is a good question! i know i spend most of my time at work moving . . . last night i had patients at opposite ends of the hall so i literally did 'laps' to do rounds, give meds, take vital signs. :monkeydance: andie

i did that too before i started nursing school and then i did the hospital internship where i had to complete a certain number of 'sticks' in order to pass the class. i think it's a good idea because you aren't going to get much, if any, practice in nursing school for phlebotomy and it's really handy to be able to do it yourself once you're on a floor because sometimes you don't have a tech or they can't get to it quickly enough because they have so many other things to do too. and there's always warm fuzzies if you can help the techs out if they're having a busy morning, and that can come in handy also. :) andie

hello everybody! i graduated in dec 2009 with a bsn in nursing. i am 41 and this is my second career. . . or mid life crisis, can't decide which! in february i passed nclex with 75 qs, still pinching myself on that one, it was stressful even though i was a good student. i am almost through orientation at my job and am switching to nights this week. in two weeks i will be on my own . . . really really nervous about that but i guess everyone is. congrats and best to those new grads w/jobs and best wishes to all who are still searching! :yeah:andie

i love rei! it's the best place to get socks, they have thorlos and other wool blend socks, even merino. and their online catalog is great. shopping for shoes is always difficult for me. i have a wide toe and narrow heel. years ago i could get away with just w shoes in brands like new balance, reebok etc but standing on my feet working for so many years has apparently made my feet spread so now i wear ee shoes in women's sizes and sometimes i buy men's tennis shoes. i go with what fits my tender tootsies and not fashion but i really wish i could find women's dress shoes that fit me! oh well, in any case. i have about three pairs of keens - they have a fabulous wide toe box, just love them! i love klogs - they are not wide enough for my toes but i wish they were, the cushioning inside the shoe is amazing, if they ever come out with an extra wide i will be buying them. i wear new balance, sl-2 last, ee, for work. i just bought a foam insert at the nb store to try in my shoes and i have moved it to other shoes as i wear them and find that my feet feel so much better. i tried on a pair of alegria shoes at a nursing scrub store and they felt great but they were mules and in a nonapproved color so i didn't buy them. i have tried mules and clogs at work but i don't walk evenly and i tend to kick them off or trip. also the brands like dansko tend to run narrow and i just can't cram my feet in the shoes. i bought a pair of alpro shoes for $150 only to discover that the 'support' cork insert in those shoes is extremely painful to me. i tried to get used to them, to break them in slowly etc, because i wanted a good shoe for work to protect my feet but they are gathering dust in my closet as i type this. that insert bruised my feet and it took months for them to recover, never again. does anybody have any extra wide women's work or dress shoe brands that they find comfortable? i am always looking for new, comfortable shoes to wear. best, andie

i was a cna in a snf before i was a nurse and i remember a rehab patient we had who was very, very sick post surgery and also was positive for mrsa. although we used contact precautions when dealing with him he had extremely dry skin with a lot of flaking. one day we took off his ted hose to give him a bed bath, and you know how that is, they are tight and you pull them off inside out, and sure enough when we finally pulled them off a large number skin flakes came with them. the worst part about that was that some of them were visibly airborne. he was on contact precautions, not airborne therefore i wasn't wearing a mask and i am virtually certain i inhaled some. i never became ill but i bet i would test positive in my nares. we get exposed to so many things just by accident, i don't know how we can prevent ourselves from that unless we surround ourselves with a bubble. that's not justification, i just don't have an idea for a solution. thank heavens for our natural immune systems! andie

i worked full time in a snf to pay as much tuition as possible and my personal bills (which is an experience that i never ever hope to repeat) and returned to school full time for two years straight, 3 semesters a year to get my bsn. it was rough, i had a really crummy living situation but it was almost free so i stuck it out. after all of that i owe 16k in subsidized loans and am hoping not to have permanent hypertension. but i haven't seen a movie in years, been to a bar, whooped it up, dated anyone, and i wear thrift store clothes and walmart clearance items, except for my shoes. i plan to continue living very frugally and paying off my loans this year and maxing out my retirement contributions too. i am blessed to have a job and intend to make the most of it! :heartbeat andie

It worked for me! I checked quick results the day after and it was true, I passed! *wine*wine*wine

I PASSED !!!! THANK GOD! And thank you to everyone who wished me well! God bless you all!

I am taking it tomorrow. Please dear Lord help me to pass.

] Can you run a heparin drip and NS on separate pumps at a Y-site? Heparin is infused very slowly and is compatable with NS . . . ? It would keep the site open w/o flushing . . .