Roseyposey

If you have no problems with any sticks besides this one, let someone else start his i.v. and get over it. Accept that you are not perfect and quit wasting so much of your mental energy worrying about your imperfection. Why can't you start this one i.v.? Does it really matter?

I did not see this show, but feel the need to comment anyway. We could all take better care of ourselves - eat better, exercise, etc. Will it help us feel better? Probably, but speaking from personal experience, when you're so depressed that getting up and taking a shower seems like a Herculean task, going for a workout at the gym is out of the question. What really bothers me about this, however, is that this guy has a lot of followers and a lot of influence as an "expert." I worry about how many people who watched that show may just go cold turkey off their meds and end up in serious withdrawal or having a serious crash.

What I don't understand is how the staffing is not any different for caring for this patient population. It is not fair to the patients or the nurses. My job description requires that I can lift 50# - that's it. I am quite fit and can lift my 50# without difficulty. However, I am 40+ and weigh 145#; I cannot even be a safe stand-by for someone 300#. If they go down, I can't help. I am not risking my body, because I won't be able to catch them anyway. This is not safe for anyone involved.

Oh, I certainly hope not. I have two per diem jobs instead of a full or part time job. I can work when I want, don't work when I don't want to work, and no holidays. No benefits either, but it works out perfectly for being a full-time student!

It sounds like you have learned from the experience, and that is all you can do. The patient was not harmed, and you will be more careful next time. There's not a nurse who's been in practice for any length of time who has not made a med error. It feels horrible. I thought for sure I was going to be fired and lose my license when I made my first med error (which in the grand scheme of med errors, was not a big one). I called the doctor, wrote myself up, and told the patient's family. The nurses I worked with were very supportive, and they all told me about the errors they have made. It happens; go on and be the most careful, fabulous nurse you can be!

"After one failed semester." Maybe I misunderstood this statement and you passed your semester and then withdrew. If so, I am terribly sorry and apologize. You shouldn't feel guilty if you passed all of your classes and then formally withdrew; you can probably pick up again at a later time.

I agree with GrnTea - the OR would be a good fit, plus you would have the benefit of working more independently, so you wouldn't feel compelled to "help" everyone else see their mistakes. You may not work well on a team if you feel that you need to correct everyone else, especially as a new nurse - it is a good way to get yourself eaten.

This is definitely a system-level problem. I would take the advice given here and not only talk to your manager about it, but bring a couple of ideas on how to prevent this from happening in the future.

Danskos hands-down. They are ugly but I have zero joint pain. They are about all I wear besides my running shoes (which I only wear, oddly enough, when running). I even have sandals. As far as the cost goes, I have one pair I bough 7 years ago. They look beat to heck, but the soles don't break down.

I was wondering the same thing.

I think ONLY a NP should be allowed to do this - not an RN. APRNs have additional training in the lady partsl exam that RNs do not have. Only an NP can Dx what any other issues may be with the victim; any underlying medical problems. An RN can not follow up and treat any problems from the assault that a Nurse Practitioner can. Also, an RN cannot treat any problems that are secondary to the assault - infection, anxiety,STIs, that an APRN can treat. Once a woman is assaulted, the last thing she will want is to have to re-live her story by telling it to many other providers.

Nope, don't talk about it...other than "crappy day, leave me alone." No desire to talk about nursing if I am not getting paid to do so.

Nope, if they're not making a big deal out of it, I wouldn't. If they have a plan for you, take advantage of it; they must see your value. I constantly review my performance and see what I could change; keep evaluating yourself and you will be able to improve.

I'm sorry, I am going to be the meanie here. Really? You had a scholarship and just decided to give up? I'm sorry, I am not going to give you permission to flush that down the toilet. You should have at least finished the semester on good standing; that way you may have been able to enter in later and finish. It is a shame that you got a scholarship and then decided the timing wasn't right. It could have gone to someone who needed it. Okay, flame away.

Really???? They criticized you for that??? I have given the iv Morphine while the patient is taking the po Percocet. Of course, pain management is my passion, so I am probably over zealous. If someone has cancer pain, they should be treated!!! If someone is tolerant to meds, then the "norms" are out the window! One or two milligrams of morphine for a chronic pain patient or a cancer patient who has been on opioids is like injecting normal saline. If we don't want to create patients who are tolerant to opioids, then we should prescribe the darn things. Someone who is already on MS Contin is not going to get pain relief from a couple milligrams of Morphine or 0.5 mg of Dilaudid. You know what? We are not here to wean people off of pain meds! If they can tolerate it, and they need it, I give it. Of course, I do not work "the floor" anymore, so my view point may be a little off.