ksfrn66

Oh, I just have to chime in on this one. My name is Kathy, and yes, I am an ICU nurse ( there, I admit it). However, I am NOT one of those mean ICU nurses - and you know who you are - We are anal retentive, obsessive-compulsive control freaks. That does NOT give us reason to be rude, arrogant or disrespectful. Unfortunately, nurses who are drawn into ICU (and probably ER) are assertive, aggressive nurses - this is the nature of the beast in ICU. These qualities are also the ones that make us the nurses you want caring for your drunk teenager, your head injured brother in law (if you're from where I am your BIL is probably drunk, + cannabis, and is riding a four wheeler without a helmet...need I say more), and your grandfather who has suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and needs an A-line and an ICP. We do need to work together with other floors. I think in ICU sometimes we get tunnel vision - we aren't caring for 10 pts at a time - only 1 or 2 very sick pts - but is IS different and sometimes we forget what is like in the trenches of the floors. We did leave those behind for a reason though. God Bless the floor nurses - you are a hardy, hard-working group! And, yes, I have been pulled to the ER and walked in those shoes - What a circus! I have always believed that ICU/CCU/ER should all cross-train so everyone has the same perspective. I have worked with ICU nurses who stall an admission from ER becuz they need to take a break, smoke or just becuz they can delay it by saying 'NO". There is no excuse for any of it and as nurses we must do the best we can, be as nice as we can for the 8 or 12 hours we are there for the patients. Whew....now I am done :

I started off as adjunct faculty too and am now full-time faculty with classroom and clinicals. I absolutely love it! The students keep you honest and also teach YOU alot as well. Some of the questions they ask are, well, downright simple, but others are something that I hadn't thought about or had to look up the answer myself! I have learned from them as well as them learning from me. I have 14 yrs nursing experience behind me so the clinical component didn't worry me, but the 3 hr lecture with 30 sets of eyeballs on me took some time to get used to!

I agree with the concensus (sp?) of this brilliant nursing discussion board! Get in and get out with the big bux, girl! It's like waiting for the perfect time to have children - there ain't one! You and your hubby will do what you have to do becuz it is short term. So, get rid of your cell phone, cut out HBO, don't drink double lattes every morning, move, sell your car and get a reliable cheaper version. It can be done! Congrats to you!!

The difference where I am comes down to years of service for me. I am starting my 3rd year and was hired as an instructor. This year I will be promoted (hopefully - will get a raise if WV has any monies for it) to assistant professor then in the 6th yr associate professor and then 10 yrs professor. It is advantageous to hire in at the lowest rank so then you are eligible for more raises via promotions. I DO spend an hour or 2 a day sometimes with computer stuff for the course and always spend a couple of hours grading papers on w/e. I actually probably do put in 40 hrs a week when you add up work at home and time spent in hospital making assignments. Our BSN is a 2+2 program thru WVU in Morgantown. It is mostly online.

I actually am a full time instructor - this year I will apply for promotion to Assistant (or maybe associate I can never keep it straight!) professor. I do not teach in the BSN program, just the ADN so my day is done by 3 at the latest. I usually start at 9 am, we take an hour lunch and we leave by 3. Gravy job! I luv it!

My MSN got me a sweet job as nursing faculty. Very low stress, Tuesdays off for "planning" and 18 weeks paid vacation. I'm only making 33K but it has its perks. No holidays, no w/e....If I lecture I start at 0900, if not, then I stroll in around 0930. Clinicals are Th/Fr from 8-2p. Not a bad job. Could I make more in a hospital? Oh yeah, but I have paid my dues for all of that garbage that comes with it. I still, however, do work perdiem as a staff nurse in ICU/CCU about 3-4 times a month to keep my skills up.

Hello to all! I teach Med-Surg III in an ADN program at a community college in WV. I actually graduated from this program myself in 1990. I received my BSN from WVU and completed MSN from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. In August I will begin my third year of teaching and I absolutely love it! Lecturing took a little bit to get used to though....I also have clinicals on Th/Fr from 8-2p. Have Tuesdays "off" as a planning day. (don't have to go to office). We take in 65-80 students each year depending on the # of adjunct faculty we have signed on. My group for fall has 8 students which is manageable. My question is this: what is your dress code and how well is it policed with adjuncts, etc?

Please! Please! Do not bother to ask your employer if you need your own malpractice insurance! That is like asking the fox to watch the hen house. Everyone should have their own malpractice insurance....some nurses tend to believe that if you are named in a lawsuit that the attorneys will "go after" your becuz you have insurance - nonsense. Nurses are rarely named in a suit - the attorneys go after the big bux. It costs a mere $74-80 bux a year and is money well spent. The hospital offers no guarantee that it will cover you. It has been known to happen that the hospital turns around a sues the nurse if they lose the lawsuit. THERE IS NO RESPONDEAT SUPERIOR!!!!! - even if you follow policy you are still not safe. There, let me climb off my soapbox now.

I, too, did my tour of duty on Med/Surg in a 330 bed community hospital. Then I was pulled to ICU one day and fell in love! Worked FT in ICU for 5 years then got the critical care burnout bug. Did home health for 1 yr (hated it ) then was laid off for 6 weeks - who would've thunk it? I have been perdiem in ICU/CCU at same hospital for 8 years and work FT teaching 2nd yr nursing in an ADN program. Got my ADN in 1990 - BSN 1999 - MSN in 2003.

I only double glove if I am taking care of a patient who I KNOW has hepatitis or AIDS. I have had plenty of box gloves rip at my hospital. The risk of a HCW getting HIV/AIDS is 0.47% even with a needlestick (CDC). Universal precautions helps as well...I teach my students to treat every patient as if they are infectious.

First, I am sorry that you have been removed from the nursing program. Second, I have to tell you that need to look at yourself and not completely blame the instructors or director. I am an ADN instructor and I can tell you that it is a laborious and difficult decision when we all must come together and decide that a person is not suited for nursing or is a danger to the patients. It is not a common or everyday occurrence in the program I teach in. I know you are probably really angry right now and this post probably won't help that, but look a little deeper and see what u find.

I have carried mapractice insurance for my entire 14 yr nursing career. I don't believe it is a frivolous investment. I pay $74/yr for 500,000 per incident and 3 million aggregate. Not only does the policy "CYA" it also provides license protection. I agree with Jim in that a lawsuit is probably not likely, however, what if it did? What if the nurse is found liable? That would be devastating in and of itself, but what if you lost your license for a period of time or forever? Not worth it to me. Another thing, DO NOT trust the fine institution that you are employed by to stick it's neck out for little ol you....they are going to take care of themselves first. There is no respondeat superior like they told us about in school. On the other hand, if you are acting prudently, following policy, and practicing the standard of care you are in much better shape. PS I have never been sued or named in a suit.

I have carried mapractice insurance for my entire 14 yr nursing career. I don't believe it is a frivolous investment. I pay $74/yr for 500,000 per incident and 3 million aggregate. Not only does the policy "CYA" it also provides license protection. I agree with Jim in that a lawsuit is probably not likely, however, what if it did? What if the nurse is found liable? That would be devastating in and of itself, but what if you lost your license for a period of time or forever? Not worth it to me. Another thing, DO NOT trust the fine institution that you are employed by to stick it's neck out for little ol you....they are going to take care of themselves first. There is no respondeat superior like they told us about in school. On the other hand, if you are acting prudently, following policy, and practicing the standard of care you are in much better shape. PS I have never been sued or named in a suit.

I have carried mapractice insurance for my entire 14 yr nursing career. I don't believe it is a frivolous investment. I pay $74/yr for 500,000 per incident and 3 million aggregate. Not only does the policy "CYA" it also provides license protection. I agree with Jim in that a lawsuit is probably not likely, however, what if it did? What if the nurse is found liable? That would be devastating in and of itself, but what if you lost your license for a period of time or forever? Not worth it to me. Another thing, DO NOT trust the fine institution that you are employed by to stick it's neck out for little ol you....they are going to take care of themselves first. There is no respondeat superior like they told us about in school. On the other hand, if you are acting prudently, following policy, and practicing the standard of care you are in much better shape. PS I have never been sued or named in a suit.

I use my hemostats all the time! Mostly to disconnect IV tubing when someone much stronger than me screws them on too tight!! I teach nursing at a community college in WV and scissors are part of the uniform but not hemostats. Mine are connected with a pt ID bracelet. Wouldn't leave home without 'em!