squatmunkie_RN

No Doz. And that started my caffeine addiction...3 Years later

I think you're one of the few to get what I'm saying. Taking in the fact that we have 6 tele pt's and no aid often times. So, it's 0400, I must get the vitals due at that time, draw my labs, and get all the meds passed that I need to in the AM. What about the pt's that need a potty break? I am in the middle of doing labs...passing meds. Oh did I mention we NEVER EVER have a clerk? So, if I get a admit at that time, all the paperwork and putting together the chart is also my responsibility. I think the hospital must be broke...or near it.

You're welcome! Relax and you'll be fine!!

Yeah, so let's not hold everyone else accountable for doing their job, because a RN can do it quicker? If you allow the hospital to have this mentality they never have to hire anyone but a nurse because we are the only ones professional enough to provide timely care? Makes no sense.

"not to confine the smell" LOL. I never thought of that as a possibility.

Happens ALL the time. We expect it as floor nurses now. I've also had transport drop the pt off in the room (while I'm with another pt) and not hook up the O2 to the wall. They literally just leave the pt... and I get tp the room and the o2 is in the 80s...pt has a cannula on their face but it's not hooked to the wall. Really??? Or confused pt's come in with all their street clothing on, the disposable sheets from EMS, the sheets from ER, plastic caps and paper from syringes all in the bed. Dirty diapers... But the ER skin assessment says "no breakdown" Um, just how the hell did you figure that one out???

Working on Ortho is different than Telly. When an orthodox pt starts having chest pains, super high blood pressures EKG changes they are sent to a Telly floor. Nurses now deal with taking care of not only calling the doc, giving meds, labs. It's ridiculous! On top of all that I'll have a pt in the next room calling me for a potty break because we have no aids.

Exactly. The hospital doesn't care one bit about the nursing staff. It's all about saving them costs. I don't understand this "keeping my skills up, and knowing what type of veins my pt has" Don't you know that every time you have to start an IV? Push meds? Bend over if you're going to allow the hospital to do whatever they want to the nurses.

Stay a paramedic. You're 47. You'll retire in a few years. Being a new RN you're going to make $hit money $22/hr average. The stress is high. The reward is hardly there. Don't redo it. If I was in your position I wouldn't. Take a vacation, and enjoy life.

I took HURST and passed NCLEX with 75 questions. I only studied the HURST book. Mind you I read and studied cover to cover. Be sure you know ALL normal labs (K+, Mg+, etc...) and what the signs/symptoms are of the lows/highs. Definately know which pt to see 1st when rounding, when to call the doctor. But, I did a live HURST Review. It was very informative. I also answered nearly 1,000 practice questions.

The place I work for wants to get rid of all phlebotomist and make nurses do lab draws. I work on a telly floor. This means many lab draws that get ordered all ..day.. long.... K+, Mg+, Troponin, PT. Not to mention nearly everyone on the floor has daily CBC, and Chemistry. Honestly, I am thinking about leaving. We already have too many patients, and never enough staff. Often no nurse aids, so we do everything. It's total pt care with up to 6 telemetry patients. (Most of the time I feel like I work in acute care nursing home). Does this sound reasonable to you? We aren't getting an increase in pay for the increase in work.

I'm relatively new to this career. I've been a RN 3 years, and worked at the same hospital up until a few weeks ago I changed hospitals. My old hospital job all we had was Lure locks...it seems so much safer and easier to use. The new place has blunt needles, or plastic tipped syringes. The plastic tip isn't very useful, as they always bend and require a lot of pressure to insert it. I keep thinking I'm going to stab my finger pushing drugs through a blunt tip needle.

Oh, and it's not that hard to set your phone to only ring for certain contacts!

Any advice for someone working nights for the 1st time?

FMLA! Family medical leave act. They have to hold your job because of that. Not sure, how much maternity leave a partime employee gets but take it all, especially if you're going to work up to delivery time. DO NOT tell them you're pregnant. They aren't allowed to discriminate against you for that, so they won't ask. You might want to plan for unexpected events, having to go on bed rest...things like that.