SJE RN

I don't believe there was an order to hold the Plavix but on our floor it is protocol to hold lovenox and aspirin before a surgical procedure unless told otherwise. It wasn't just the nurses fault. It was a number of people.

You're right! At our facility nurses write each other up for things that are not even worth it (such as not restocking the medication cart with syringes and alcohol pads...the supply room is 2 feet from the nurses station) that I forgot the main reason why we have incident/occurrence reports. Thank you for reminding me.

I work on a Cardiac Stepdown unit. I work nights. My pt went for a PPM insertion. The day nurse had given the pt lovenox, asa, plavix prior to the procedure. After the procedure on my shift the pt bled out. It was a mess. The nurse manager came in the morning, I was not in charge that day but the charge nurse had told my manager what had happened. I had to fill out an incident report. I really did not want to because the patient was stable. Had to give a unit of blood. I felt so bad for the pt. She was such a sweet lady. She just kept saying I'm so grateful to be alive and you're doing such a good job taking care of me (it takes a lot for me to cry and I just started tearing in the room). I don't know why I feel so bad for filling out the incident report. The day nurse was probably busy and just made a mistake (we all make mistakes at one point or another). A lot people complain that she's lazy and is always on her phone but I'm usually the last one to report a person (it has to be life or death with me). I didn't report her just stated facts in the incident report. Any advice, thoughts? Just grateful my pt is ok.

I need to vent once again. So my hospital has come up with this stupid rule. The tech's are not allowed to do vital signs, fingersticks or EKGs. I work on a step down telemetry unit (get all the thoracic, CABG that are stable). We are always short staffed that I get 8 patients where I should only be getting 5-6. We have a good for nothing union. The tech's walk around making $18/hr for doing nothing but cleaning pts. I'm so frustrated. With the economy it's difficult for even experienced nurses to land a job elsewhere. I'm so grateful for a job but I don't want to lose my license. I'm not even kidding...the other day one of my co-workers wet herself cause she couldn't get to the bathroom in time...her patient's vent machine alarm kept going off (pt needed to be suctioned immediately, pt was in really bad shape coded 2x on her). The other day the ICU was packed so I ended up getting an ICU patient with 3 admissions. I threw a fit had all of administration come down and still nothing was done. I wrote to the CEO of the hospital and the union (my response "you did an amazing job, thank you"). Is all this worth it? I'm just hoping its not like this at every hospital. I'm starting to apply to other places. Hopefully something will work out.

Most of the nurses I work with are seasoned and not welcoming at all. I'm not a new graduate. I'm not an expert either. I'm young, I started working as a nurse with my BSN at 22. It's hard to work in an environment where there is no teamwork. I'm not there to make friends but it would be nice to have a person to fall back on. My manager is amazing but strict. She expects you know every little detail about the pt. Why the patient is here, when they will be discharged, what is the plan of care. It really gets you thinking cause she comes to take report from each nurse at 4am even though her shift starts at 6am. She really cares but she's not there when I need here unfortunately. There's more negative than positive though. I'm losing my mind and I've only been here for 4 months. I'm trying to stick it out for the year because tuition reimbursement is $6000/yr and I could really use the money for my masters. I have 60,000 in loans from a bio degree and nursing degree combined.

Makes me feel a little better that I'm not the only one feeling this way. I used to go into work with my mom back in the 80's early 90's for bring your child to work day. I remember loving what she did and told myself this is exactly what I wanted. Healthcare has changed so much. My patient expired the other night (I work 12-13 hour night shifts) administration was on top of me to get the pt to the morgue so they can book the bed. The son of the pt was hysterical at the bedside. What was I to tell him? Get the hell out we need this room? Where is the compassion? I swear I told all my family...I want to die and home. Don't ever keep me in the hospital.

I just started this job in July (kind of stuck because I can't move anymore until a year). The hospital I worked for closed (my co-workers were so supportive). This new place is horrible. We are always short staffed. Most of the nurses are horrible. My manager views me as someone with so much potential and is hoping to promote me into the Cardio-Thoracic ICU (I don't know how I feel about that and I don't know if I can do it...I feel like my manager keeps telling me all these things so I will stay). I will only have 1 patient but the patients are so sick and extremely heavy.

I guess I should move around and see what works. I got into PA school and Nursing school and chose to do nursing. I think that's one of my biggest regrets. Hopefully, working as an NP might be a little better than bedside nursing.

I've been a nurse for a few years now

This RT does this all the time. He charts pt refused (when he didn't even go into the room). It's funny cause nurses are the only ones that have to wear tracking devices at my facility. This particular RT hates waiting for pts if they have to use the bathroom or if he has to go the extra mile to make the pt comfortable. He gave the wrong patient tx once who was tachycardic & went into SVT. Many incident reports have been filed. Medication errors happen more often then we like...we're human but this guy is something else. I have never written him up because nothing serious has happened to anyone of my patients that he said refused treatment but never did. I'm trying to be a good nurse but feel like a terrible one. Work is stressful as it is. All this charting and legal crap is becoming way too much. I really stress about documentation. I tried my best with this patient to explain that the RT was busy, I gave him the tx but pt accused me of trying to cover for the RT. It was just a mess. I'm really nervous because I just started this job 3 months ago. I left a wonderful facilty because I was part-time and needed a full-time position and all I can say is that the grass is not always greener on the other side =(

I hate mentioning names but it is our hospital policy. I have to list the name of the person notified whether it is a doc, pharmacist, respiratory therapist, even lab. I quoted what the pt had told me because he said I am going to report you and the respiratory therapist to administration (pt is a frequent flyer and well known at the hospital). The other pt in the room and the wife are witnesses. I didn't know what else to do. I work nights at a Level 1 trauma center and the supervisor was busy with an elopement. Maybe I should have left out what the pt stated...too late now can't change my documentation.

My pt calls me into the room and requests a nebulizer treatment. I call Respiratory Therapy and the guy screams at me at the top of his lungs saying he will come when he can. My pt is getting really anxious. Pt complained saying that the Respiratory therapist walked in and out of the room without giving him his treatment. The Respiratory Therapist documented it as pt refused twice at 2200 & 0400. I called respiratory 4 times and no answer. I gave the nebulizer treatment myself and documented... Pt requested nebulizer treatment. Respiratory therapist ____ ____ notified. Pt complained "I never received my treatment, respiratory therapist fixed my bipap machine and walked out". See MAR. Nebulizer tx was administered by me, RN. Pt vital signs stable, pt currently sitting in bed with wife at beside. Continue to monitor. Should I have documented as I did? I was told by seasoned nurses to cover myself since the pt will be complaining to administration and I did administer the tx. Was there a better way to handle this?

Hi Nursing21RN, I was offered a Tele position at North Shore so I took it. I interviewed with HR and haven't heard back.

I'm a new grad and just started working at LTC in November. I've applied to numerous hospitals and was not able to land a job. I have my BSN and I was wrong to think that would help me land a hospital job. I'm miserable. I hate going into work. They hire all the new employees on call/per diem. I get floated to different floors all the time. I don't benefits, I work holidays with no time and half. I have 41 patients and I have to administer medication within a 2 hour time frame and if I don't I get written up. None of the patients are ever in their rooms so I have to go looking for them. I can't seem to get the hang of it. I hate my job. I had orientation for 2 days. I was told I can only receive 2 days of orientation because they were short staffed and needed me to get on board. I want to quit so badly but I have student loans and bills to pay. I just needed to vent...don't get me wrong I am truly grateful for a job in this horrible economy.

Do they send you right away to the Nurse Manager after the initial interview with the Nurse Recruiter? I interviewed with the Nurse Recruiter yesterday and I was told next week I will be meeting with a Nurse Manager. So I don't know =/