applewhitern BSN, RN

ICU

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All Content by applewhitern

  1. applewhitern

    Working night shift, difficulty sleeping during the day!

    applewhitern replied to gloryfied's topic in Health, Stress Management

    After years of nights, I finally got tired of feeling miserable all the time. I had no problem falling asleep, or staying asleep, but my body simply could not stay awake all night. About 1:00 a.m. I...
  2. applewhitern

    Concern: Age Discrimination for a New 58 RN

    applewhitern replied to Cyns's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Age discrimination is alive and well. I don't see it as much for people still in their 40's, but I have noticed it in people in the mid-50's and up. We had a doctor tell one of our nurses that she...
  3. applewhitern

    Lacking Conflict Resolution and Delegation Skills...Really?

    applewhitern replied to determined2doit's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Determined2doit plainly stated that she had no backing from management when she did write staff up. It sounds to me like the current manager and DON did nothing to help improve
  4. applewhitern

    Order for Port-a-Cath lab draws?

    applewhitern replied to jdsp87's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Yes, FlyingScot, I think the fact that he was on chemo had a lot to do with the risk of infection, skin breakdown, etc. Plus, he was aware that every nurse did not follow strict infection control, he...
  5. applewhitern

    Are LPN's being phased out?

    applewhitern replied to JSlovex2's topic in LPN, LVN Corner

    My hospital had said, two years ago, that they would not be hiring anymore LPN's. As the LPN's quit or moved on, they would replace them with RN's. Well guess what~ we have hired several new LPN's...
  6. applewhitern

    Order for Port-a-Cath lab draws?

    applewhitern replied to jdsp87's topic in Medical-Surgical

    My son had a "port-a-cath" for chemotherapy. He would not allow anyone to use it, expect during his chemo sessions. When he would go into the clinic for his chemo, the lab techs/nurses there would...
  7. applewhitern

    Am I being offered a fair pay?

    applewhitern replied to AussiRN's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    I have never really focused on the hourly pay rate. For me it is always about getting the shift I want, the unit I want, the travel distance, etc. Three years ago I moved to Alabama and took a big...
  8. applewhitern

    Shift-to-shift report in front of patient and family

    applewhitern replied to Piglet08's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    If I were the patient, I would be uncomfortable having report on me given in front of visitors. Especially if they were pulling back covers, exposing stuff like a colostomy, drains, etc., that...
  9. applewhitern

    Nursing positions deeply embedded in science

    applewhitern replied to DGabe24's topic in General Nursing

    Just don't confuse nursing with medicine. As a nurse you can think outside the box all you want to, but the bottom line is that you have a doctor dictating the medical care of the patient. You can...
  10. applewhitern

    Worst night in history

    applewhitern replied to RoseRyan's topic in General Nursing

    We get psych patients all the time. If they have a medical condition that warrants them being admitted to us, then we treat them. No, you cannot argue with mental illness~ you are just wasting your...
  11. applewhitern

    Is it possible for a RN to work five 12 hr days?

    applewhitern replied to f_nurse2b16's topic in General Nursing

    I once worked in an ICU that worked seven (7) twelve-hour shifts in a row~ one week on, one week off. Most people liked it, because they enjoyed having that week off, every other week, but I refused...
  12. applewhitern

    Stopping patient care for another patient

    applewhitern replied to sAssy_NurSe's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I make every effort to stay on top of my patient's pain control needs. I have and will stop what I am doing to give pain medication, because I have learned that is one of the things they will...
  13. applewhitern

    Are you content with being an LPN?

    applewhitern replied to supermommy1030's topic in LPN, LVN Corner

    I don't know why this is always such an issue. People will do whatever they want to do, and whatever their resources allow them to do. I work with LPN's who would like to become RN's, but they...
  14. applewhitern

    Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

    applewhitern replied to squatmunkie_RN's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    Veggie, it would be nice if the hospitals in Florida and Alabama (where I have worked) were union, but alas, that is not the case here in the deep south. Unions are precious few and far between...
  15. applewhitern

    Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

    applewhitern replied to squatmunkie_RN's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    Squatmunkie, I agree. I don't know where these hospitals are that allow your children to come, but I have worked at many different hospitals during hurricanes, and I have never been allowed to bring...
  16. applewhitern

    Forced to stay and work under mandatory evacuation?

    applewhitern replied to squatmunkie_RN's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    I know exactly what you mean. I live on the Gulf coast, also, and have had to stay in hospital for as long as 2 weeks at a time. We are never allowed to sleep in the patient rooms, but rather, we...
  17. applewhitern

    Common nicknames for hospital items.

    applewhitern replied to LifesAJourney's topic in Nursing Humor

    Altitude vigil: wean the vent and see if they fly. Buff and Fluff: Bath and linen change. Instant replay: Repeat admission just after being
  18. applewhitern

    CNAs "making up" vitals.

    applewhitern replied to ctmed's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    I didn't read all the responses here, but wanted to say that at my present facility, CNA's are not allowed to take blood sugars or do pulse oximetry checks. That always kinda irked me, but after...
  19. applewhitern

    Still Feeling Crummy Months After an "Incident"

    applewhitern replied to devyn renee's topic in General Nursing

    I have never heard of a "clinical volunteer" that does actual patient care like this, especially in an ICU with a patient who has multiple "lines." I guess this is one way to get out of paying for...
  20. applewhitern

    Nursing school=stress=hair loss???

    applewhitern replied to katinthehat29's topic in Health, Stress Management

    Another thought: Poly-cystic ovarian disease is hard to diagnose. Look it up and see if you have any other symptoms of this. From what I have researched about it, it goes "un-diagnosed" a lot, and...
  21. applewhitern

    Nursing school=stress=hair loss???

    applewhitern replied to katinthehat29's topic in Health, Stress Management

    My hair was thinning badly because I had a hyperactive thyroid (actually Grave's disease) about 10 years ago. Now that my thyroid is corrected, I have thick, healthy hair. My daughter has...
  22. applewhitern

    Heres what I don't get about hiring

    applewhitern replied to esunada's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I don't think it has all that much to do with "personality." My DON at a previous hospital always told us that if a male nurse and a female nurse applied for the same job, the male nurse would get...
  23. applewhitern

    RN to BSN mobility programs Alabama (AUM, JSU, etc)

    applewhitern replied to RNdiscipulus's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    I attended the University of South Alabama in Mobile. This was way back in the 90's so may not be relevent today. I found the program very easy; I worked full-time while I attended classes. I did...
  24. applewhitern

    ER Nurse (Me) calls Report to Ortho/Neuro floor

    applewhitern replied to libran1984's topic in Emergency

    Gee, I am just surprised this nurse had TIME to ask questions. We are lucky if we have time to ask if we need to send a stretcher or a wheelchair to get the
  25. applewhitern

    Why do some RNs hate this?

    applewhitern replied to nursingstudent2458's topic in General Students

    I remember in the early 90's, my base pay was $25 thousand per year. But the physical therapy ASSISTANTS made $42 thousand per year base! Actually, I remember taking a job in an ICU in 1996 for 15...