babynurse428

Yay team!!

It seems that hospital case management i a great thing in the midwest. I have a friend who got in with no experience. I have 8 years of experience here in Florida, and they are always interested until they get to the question of "Can you lift at least 50 pounds?". Uh...no, I can't. Then it's bye-bye. Tried to fake it once but when I got to human resources I was required to pick up a box that had 50 pounds of weight in it, carry it across the room, and place it on the floor. I can't do that. I would be damaged and in misery. It seems to be a requirement here to be able to lift, even if the most you will lift is a pen! It really makes me mad because as long as I follow my personal rules and watch what I do, I am fine. I have nothing because I have to live with my father and because of his social security and small pension, I don't qualify for Medicaid or food stamps. They are forcing us to live off of his income. If I left or if he dies, I will be homeless. I continue to fight my way through Voc Rehab, but my counselor is worthless. I have to push him and lead him through everything! Why, when were injured in the line of duty, does the nursing community turn their backs on us so quickly?? Prayers for everyone!

Everyone was so helpful with my last topic! My friend and I were talking about Newborn Nursery Nurses and several questions came to mind. First...how do you feel about the training that Newborn Nursery nurses receive? Should they have NICU experience? Does it matter? Does NICU experience make it safer in the nursery? We both have NICU experience and it is very handy in emergency situations that are encountered in regular Newborn Nursery, but we have come across institutions that seem blind to any issues/problems that may come up in a Level 1 Nursery and seem indifferent to the training of new nurses. One (in particular) is giving new orientees that have NO NICU/Nursery training at all, 4 3-day weeks of training and after that, they will be expected to do all care on their own (meaning they would be the ONLY nursery nurse on for the shift). Maybe we are what-if people that know what can happen at any given moment and it makes us feel overly cautious, but they are doing riskier and riskier deliveries in a Level 1 setting. My friend has had 24-week twins born and coding that she had to handle on her own and the pediatrician didn't come in for 1 and 1/2 hours! I see this as a problem. Her only saving grace was that she had NICU experience and was able to handle it. She received praise for her work, but is that considered acceptable? What do Nursery Nurses do that are not NICU experienced and are not in a facility that has access to a level 3 NICU in house or is far away? What is acceptable out there? We are curious.

Thanks everyone! Everything helps!!

Hi! I am looking for some information. A friend of mine is doing some research to help change the way they do things at their hospital's newborn nursery. She needs information on first baths (what to wash with), cord care (what to use), first feeding (what to feed...believe it or not, their orders are still for first feed with D5W), bili checks, glucose checks, hypoglycemia. We have found out quite a bit online, but would love to know what other hospitals in the US do in their nurseries! Of course...if you don't mind sharing! Thanks so much!

I have to agree with you, Brandy! I am 51 and am NOT interested in a BSN or MSN at this point of my life. The money that would have to go out would not be justified! I am hoping that afjgnp has the ability to use what she has to find something else that she can do with the education she has. I am surprised that they are not interested in a GNP. Florida might be a great place for that!!

No need to apologize. Soemtimes I think that someone in the same profession is the only one who can truly understand how it is to be in a position that causes great pain, but also the thought of having to do something else causes a different kind of great pain! I have used Voc Rehab in the past when the original accident occurred. It doesn't seem to be a problem. But it is always worth asking. Even if you are not using them for schooling, they might be able to help you get in to get experience for case management. You obviously cannot keep going the way things currently are without causing yourself great distress and, honestly, it's not worth it. I know that there have been changes in disability lately and they have where you can work a small amount of hours and still get disability. Hopefully Voc Rehab could help you get an at home job with an insurance company,etc. and make things better for you. Am keeping you an your family in my prayers and hoping you find a better way quickly!

Dear afjgnp...I am so sorry to hear that you are having problems and I know where you are coming from! I can totally understand your frustration. I, too, am in a similar situation. I have been looking for work I can do as an RN for almost 4 years now. I have a spinal cord injury with 2 herniated discs and a flattened spinal cord and impinged nerve in my neck. I have a 15 pound weight lift restriction and am not to sit or stand for any length of time and cannot do anything repetitive. After trying to fight my way through and thinking I could do it all by myself, I had to swallow hard and admit I needed help. I am in the process of working with Vocational Rehabilitation. I filed an application and have done my testing. I am currently awaiting another meeting with my counselor so that we can find my place in the world. I can't believe I waited so long to do this! They make sure that your needs are met in your new job (that they help you get!) and they follow you for three months to make sure the job is a good fit before "cutting you loose". They help you get the training or assistance you need to find the perfect job to fit your needs. Please do not hesitate to contact them! Good luck to you and hugs!!

Been there and done that! After we were concerned about a new hire that wasn't doing well and was having a bad attitude when questioned, we started digging into her references, etc! Turns out her license was fake! I almost threw up! I cannot stress enough to make sure they have the proper credentials! Best of luck! Some people are just attitude ridden. If it makes it hard on the patients, she may not fit on your unit.

I can definitely understand how you feel but having 30 years of exprience and no BSN gets me the same rejection. There is no happy medium.

I am currently working with a pediatric home health care company, but due to the weight lift restrictions, I have very slim pickings. I have not had anything in a month. I currently am lucky enough to have a baby coming back on board this week that I have worked with before. Thank goodness her parents and I bonded as they requested me specifically. So I will have her Sun- Thur 10p-6a for 4 weeks. At least it is something. Sorry to hear about the job issues. I have figured out that the hospitals are protecting themselves. I have worked Neonatal ICU for 17 years with weight restrictions without a problem, but now the hospitals have put a requirement to have to be able to lift 50 pounds (even in NICU) to cover themselves and keep themselves from incurring higher health care costs in the future. Pretty crappy if you ask me! But I get it. So sorry for your troubles, "Loves the job". I can definitely empathize since I am in a similar boat. So a Cincinnati girl, huh? I have extended family that lives in Cincinnati and both of my parents were born and raised there. I was born in Cincinnati, but left when I was four and don't get back there often. I agree with your advice to "wannabe". I don't know that she would make it through clinicals, though. It just depends on her restrictions. Good idea with pharmacist. If I had the money to go back to school and wasn't close to 50 myself, I might consider going back to school. But as it is, I need to find something to keep me going on a day-to-day basis. Best wishes to you!

Hi. I am an RN with the exact problem as you, but on my right side. I have bulging discs at C5-6 and C6-7 with nerve impingement at C7 and a compressed spinal cord. I have been lucky that epidural steroids have kept my pain and tingling/numbness away. They want to do 2 disc removals and fusion, but I refuse. But I have severe weight lift restrictions (to 15 pounds) and it has basically ended my career. Most hospitals require that you can lift at least 50 pounds and I cannot do that. I don't want to discourage you, but you really need to take an honest look at what you can and cannot do before going to school. What causes you symptoms to become worse. I don't know where your disc issues are in your neck, but I would think that lifting is a no-no for you too. Good luck!!

My dear friend. I wish I could say that I don't know what you are going through, but I do. I have been fighting these demons for over 11 years. They have always found a way to keep me just out of reach of a job. I have one thing that is worse. The doctors keep telling me that I can work with limitations and I cannot go for SSI, but I cannot find a job that will work with my limitations. My next step is for Voc rehab, but I will have to pay for the help on my own. I have no insurance. My disability money ran out almost a year ago. I have pieced together a few things here and there to get some money in my pocket, but that just ran out too. No one wants to help and no one seems to care. I am tired of fighting, but continue to do so to survive. The hospital that you work for is covering their butts. Your accident opened their eyes to the possibilites of what could happen in the future and they are cutting their losses before something happens. If you resign or they terminate you, you can maintain your insurance and disability insurance and if they say no, find an ERISA attorney ASAP!! They cannot do that! Cost me $350 for a letter from an ERISA attorney to stop them from doing that. It was quick and painless! I wish I had better advise. But I wish you well and if you want to contact me outside of this board, we will make it happen. I know how you feel. I miss the babies so much!! But maybe together we can help each other move forward!

Unfortunately this is one of the reasons I left the NICU 10 years ago. Having had a 1:1 pt., four vents (all on pressors/2 on HFO), and four feeder growers with 3rd, 7th and 10th admission proved too much and too unsafe for me. It made me crazy! I understand your feelings for dreading another night! Hang in there. Is it like this a lot or is this an isolated incident? Not that it makes it acceptable under any circumstances! Although I miss the babies and want to go back, it is stories like yours that make me hesitate to go back. I couldn't take the unsafe numbers again! Please know that you are in my thoughts and you can do it, even if you don't like it. Those babies need you!!

Thank you, Jerenemarie! They make such a big deal in the hospitals about pain management, documentation, relief, etc. Yet we have been dealing with Fibro for so many years that we know our bodies better than anyone, but when we say we are in pain and only certain meds work for us, we turn into "drug seekers" and they don't want to give us anything. I have had good luck recently with Darvocet. Yet, I told my PCP that I needed a refill and they said they would call it in and never did and didn't return my calls. Time for a new PCP, but then you go through the looks and the disbelief AGAIN with a new doctor. What a pain. I think I may just stick with what I have this time and be a LOT more vocal! I am also going to print out some of the wonderful articles that have been posted here and take them with me. I guess it is time for me to do some education for them!! Working is still hard, but I will continue until I can't take the pain anymore. It takes me all the days off that I have to recover so that I can go back and do it all over again. Even one of my good friends has begun to give me the "if you would just lose weight you would feel better" speech. Don't people realize that it is the fibro process that got us to be overweight in the first place? The pain and overwhelming tiredness that comes with it is just not understood. I wish those that don't believe in the diagnosis could experience what we feel on a daily basis. Then and only then, will we be able to get the help we deserve!

Being an RN has been hard for me. I was diagnosed with FM in 1986. I was attacked by a patient in the ER and after being out for 2 and a half years with horrific pain and being sent to psychiatrists because they thought I was faking the pain and using it as an excuse to not work, I found a doctor that saved me. I was diagnosed and put on meds for the time being, but after developing a severe allergy to Aspirin and NSAIDS, I was dumped out with the doctor telling me he couldn't help me anymore if I wasn't willing to try by taking the very meds, that caused severe allergic reaction! I have been every part of angry that there is. Over the past two years, I have been out with severe radiculopathy in my right arm due to two bulging discs and an impinged nerve at C7. I finally found a pain management doctor who has cured the radicular pain with epidural steroids, but I still fight my way through with FM. I also find out that it may have been "enhanced" by the fact that in 1988 it took a multitude of doctors 3 months to figure out I was suffering from Lyme's Disease! I am just now hearing that Lyme's could play a role in what I have been experiencing as well. I have tried Cymbalta without success and also tried Lyrica (which pushed me to a point of suicidal thoughts). I got off of that and it was horrible! If I had known coming off of Lyrica was so bad, I would have never taken it! I have finally sucked it up once again and gone back to work as a pediatric home health nurse. Night shift didn't work, so I have gone to days, but it takes everything I have to put one foot in front of the other most days. I have shut up about saying how I feel anymore because no one wants to hear it. If anyone has any ideas, I am all ears! I don't know what to do anymore. Oh, and to make matters worse, I lose my health insurance in 5 days. It will take me two months more to get any back. I have emptied my bank account to pay my bills. I am to a point that if I quit my job, I have nothing. I need a break and just can't seem to find one!

I have discs that bulge at C5-6 and C6-7. They were 5.1mm and 5.7mm and now, with the help of an excellent chiropractor, they are down to 4.0mm each. The neurosurgeon wanted to remove both discs and fuse from C5 to C7 and I said no. I have also done epidural steroids to get rid of the radicular pain. It took me almost two years to get back into the workplace. I am currently doing Peds. Home Healthcare because I have a 20 lb. weight lift restriction. I am still trying to get back into Neonatal ICU, but alas, no jobs available in my area. My current employer is very good to me and we make absolute sure that these babies do not weight close to my restrictive limit. You could also try case management as I have done that as well with great success! Good luck to you!

Thanks so much for all of the encouragement and good ideas. Sometimes I swear I can't see the forest through the trees anymore! I always welcome outside sight to help me see the whole picture. Again, thank you!!

Hi to all. I am new here and am finding these threads quite helpful. Here is my problem. I was attacked by a patient in 1984. I ended up with severe neck issues. I was out of work for 2 and a half years and I ended up as a Neonatal ICU nurse in order to go back to nursing. I had also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia before returning, but back then the best they could do was to teach you biofeedback and hope for the best. I actually did okay until 2009. I lost an argument with a lawn mower. After finally getting an MRI, I found out that I had two bulging discs at C5-C6 and C6-C7 (the doctors think these are old) with nerve impingement at C7. I suffered with sever radiculopathy in my right arm and hand for over a year until I found a pain management doctor that did epidural steroids. It worked and I became pain free and the numbness went away after just two injections. Unfortunately, I did something in January that brought it back. I only had one injection left. It worked, but I definitely have had to be very careful with everything that I do. The only listed restriction I have is no lifting >20lbs. I want to go back to NICU to work again. Not sure that is the right answer. Doesn't matter though, as there are no jobs in my area. The closest job is an hour and a half away. Any helpful hints? I refuse to go to fusion yet (they want to do a triple fusion and removal of two discs, but I refuse). They don't consider me disabled, but I cannot find a job that works for me. I am getting desperate as I have not been paid since September and am single having to live with my dad. It is really getting to me. I have tried Cymbalta which turned me into a zombie. I tried Lyrica and it didn't work either...bad side effects. I am going to try the fish oil that so many talk of here. But what can I do for a job? I have been looking since January! Help!! Any job ideas??

I do mine as follows: Travel Company/ Agency 2001-2009 Medical University Hospital A - RN NICU Hospital B - RN Level II Nursery Hospital C - RN NICU If you have more than one travel company or agency, then list it the same with all places worked underneath. It shows that you didn't flip around with numerous jobs and also shows you have the ability to adapt to several areas/hospitals at the same time. I have never had it hinder me. I have had nurse managers tell me it shows that I can go into anywhere and get the job done. It has never hindered me. Good luck!

You are still a "new grad" for at least a year. You sound like me in my first year! I hated delegating because I thought the other nurses would think I was not pulling my weight or using others to do my work so that I didn't have to do the work myself. So I ended up running myself into the ground and being frustrated and exhausted all the time. One of the older nurses took me aside one day and told me that my job is to do my part in the greater picture. Everyone has their part and if I kept trying to do a piece of everyone's part, I would never be able to do my part the right way. I needed to learn how to prioritize my day...take all the things that I was personally responsible for and do those to the best of my ability and to others to do their parts (such as letting the aides do their part, lab do theirs, etc.). It took me a little while, but I got the hang of it and we all worked together. If you have time and want to help someone else, that's fine. You love people and that's why you got into nursing. It will work. Give it time. Find friends among co-workers and talk with them. Ask them how they do it. Most are willing to offer advice on how they do it. Take those pieces and come up with your way. The way that makes you feel most comfortable and in control. We have all had days that go crazy and you get to the end of your shift feeling like the day has been a disaster, but as long as every patient is alive at the end of your shift, it's a good day. There are many wonderful tips here on this page. Weave things to do it your way and do your part and you can't go wrong!

I did a 1 1/2 hr. commute for a year and a half. When I fell asleep at the wheel, I quit that job. Too scary!!