ddunnrn

Are you salaried or paid hourly? If you are not exempt from overtime, then you have to be paid for all hours you work, which includes having to stay in the office for "emergencies" during your break. You must a completely relieved of all duties not to be considered on the employer's time

Federal labor law states that, unless you are exempt from overtime, which is very unlikely, any hours more than 40 in any given 7 day period must be paid overtime. The pay period dates do not matter, but many employers try to get over on employees who don't know the law. If you have worked 8 days straight of 8 hours, at least 16 of those hours must be overtime, regardless of where the pay period boundaries are. Google federal labor laws and download the rules regarding wat is paid time, overtime, on call time, etc. I always kept a copy handy when my employers tried to deny me proper pay. They really don't want the Feds involved, because they will check every employee's pay retroactive for several years to find violations, if they get involved.

I worked night shift, in psych, for about 25 years. The pattern I eventually developed, especially if I did any OT, was to get as many errands done (grocery shopping, post office, etc.) on the way home. Wind down and eat a light meal, then get about 4-5 hours sleep, up for a while, then brief power nap before work. Several caveats: I'm basically single, no family to consider at home; live in big city where errands are close together and commute us short. And I can usually fall asleep on a moment's notice. The most important of these steps for me was the nap right before going to work. PS I forgot to mention I only did 8 hr shifts unless I did OT. If I had more than 2days off at a time due to holiday or vacation time, I usually spent the first day "recuperating". Good luck!!

Best thing my Psych instructor ever taught us was "never let the patient get between you and the door", which meant to always have an escape route in mind when dealing with Psych patients. This came in handy numerous times in my 25+ years as a Psych RN, and I've regretted every time I failed to listen to my inner voice and not followed this precept. i only wish my instructors had taught us how to deal with co-workers and management, who really were more problematic than almost ant patient I ever had.

Very interesting topic--Personally, I prefer to be called by my first name, because being called "Mr. D---" makes me feel like an older coot than I already am. Having been in psych nursing, I usually didn't wear uniforms, so I would get called "Doc" a lot, especially if I happened to wear a white lab jacket. Correcting the misnomer became futile, so I eventuall gave up trying. The only name that every really tickled me was used by some of my older patients--"Male Nurse". "Male Nurse! Male Nurse! Are you a male nurse??" "Well, I tried out for Female Nurse, but I couldn't pass the physical."

I agree with Davey Do (who is obviously also a genius since his initials are DD like mine) that psych nurses get stereotyped as " not real nurses", etc. I have almost 30 years psych nursing experience, all in psych, in a variety of settings. The thing I most,liked about it is that you can use all of your life's experience to help your patients--if you know music or art or sports, etc., that will be a bridge to help you connect with someone. The other thing I learned very early on is that being a normal, functioning human being yourself is the most important part of the therapeutic experience you help to provide. Your "book learning" theory is just icing on the cake. Trust your intuition, make safety your #1 priority, and you'll be fine. There are lots of different ways to be a psych nurse, from correctional nursing D&A, grief counseling, et al. Good luck!!

I can only tell you from personal experience that being in a union can protect you and your coworkers from the whims of management. Without a union, you can be fired or disciplined without much recourse, because the grievance process, if there is one, is stacked in favor of the employer. I have been involved in situations where a person brought a problem to management's attention, and they were the ones disciplined, while the problematic staff were not. Sometimes management wants to get rid of problems as quickly as possible, rather than to actually confront the causes, and innocent nurses can get caught in the crossfire. At least with a union, you will have someone to defend you. In my case, my Union had to fight for years until my employer finally fulfilled the terms of a financial settlement. I was appalled at the "dirty tricks" that the management stooped to to delay and obfuscate the outcome. Nonetheless, I hope you have a more rewarding experience.

I'm just curious--what is the purpose of a mission statement? Back in the '90's they were popular at a hospital I worked at. They even laminated ours and made us carry it with us as part of our uniforms. To me, it was just another useless and clueless distraction from the fact that staffing was inadequate, that we sorely needed a nurses' union, and that management was trying to delude us into thinking that they were really going to act according to the all-hallowed "mission". Spending so much time on something with little or no usefulness seems like a waste of time to me, but that's why I'm asking.

I agree with the poster who suggested Ebola, but it would refine it to deal with how nurses can educate the public regarding hysteria over unrealistic fears of epidemics (whipped up by media, in part). Another topic in the public eye is the rise of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks like measles and whooping cough as a result of anti-vaccine misinformation hysteria. Good luck!

According to federal labor law you cannot "donate" that time to your employer. All time worked must be paid for. They are in violation of the law for allowing you to do it. They would also be justified in firing you, especially if one of your coworkers reported the situation. Your employer would not risk the fines and back pay they would be assessed if the Feds were made aware.

Thanks for the citation. I actually printed the whole shebang out from the web and posted it on my employer's bulletin board. When I later referred to it, they thought that they had posted it. The employer can fire you for being "off the clock" but they can't not pay you for that time. Over the years I've heard the Feds > go after employer violators, to the point of going back 3 years on EVERY employee's time.

Don't know I'd it's benn mentioned here by others, but my all-time favorite, as a psych nurse is "hound dog" instead of Haldol or haloperidol. Although it's not a mispronunciation, I also got a kick whenever my psych patients would scream, "I want my PLACEBO" at the top of their lungs, obviously not having a clue what it was.

Labor law is very clear--any work you do for employer must be paid for. That includes answering the phone during your "lunch break", coming in during off hours for disciplinary actions or in services, et al. Over the years I've had to remind various employers of this, and when they realize they are exposed to massive back OT payments, they enforce the law strictly. I worked at a major teaching hospital a while back that installed turnstyles with ID card readers for clocking in and out. That lasted 1 day, because they realized they would have to pay everyone by what the in/out times were, including the time they used to get "free" when people would stay to finish charting and whatnot "off the clock". There is no such thing as working "off the clock"

1. Confer with your union, if you have one. Management pranks like this are a prime reason to be unionized. 2. Some states outlaw mandatory OT for healthcare workers except in dire emergencies. Call outs and bad staffing are not dire emergencies, but mismanagement. Good luck!!

I had a slightly different experience when I was a psych nurse in the Philly jail system. I wore casual clothes so I had no obvious signs of being a nurse. Newer patients or other inmates would almost always call me "Doc", assuming a male must be a doctor. I got tired of trying to correct them politely, so I eventually gave up. I guess there are worse things they could have called me!

I'm a retired (disabled) RN in Philly with a strong science background (equivalent of Master's in Chemistry). I'd be pleased to help you in any way I can, in any of your future courses, and also in helping you hone your study habits. I value any chance to put my education and almost 30 years' nursing experience to good use.

I agree with the previous responders. You won't find rentals close to Jeff in your price range unless you find a roommate. However, you could find suitable apartments, or even houses, to rent in South Philly, West Philly, or several other areas of the city with not too bad a commute by public transit. If it were me, I'd bring the car--you're going to want to go places in the area for shopping, eating, and cultural activities, that are just not as convenient on public trans. I lived here in Philly almost ten years without a car, but I got one as son as I could. Please feel free to email me if you have any further questions, as I've lived all over the city since the mid-'70's, and can give you honest evaluations of each neighborhood

I was a psych nurse for almost 30 years before becoming disabled. I worked in a large state hospital here in Philly that had a bad reputation (only partly deserved) I got so used to people acting strangely around me, and got so skilled at recognizing subtle signs of mental illness, that is used to really bug my roommate and other friends if I acted nonchalant when accosted by bizarre street people, etc. One time I was in a SAMs club and an ex-patient of mine, who was rather tall and developmentallly delayed, gave me a huge bear hug from behind, lifting me off the ground. The people around were horrified, but I just said, "Hi, Sam" later, when I worked on the local jail psych unit, a patient of mine I hadn't seen for years saw me, ran towards me, and jumped on my back, smiling and laughing. The guards were panicked, but I said, "It's just Glenn--he knows me". Of course I dutifully warned both of my exuberant ex patients from doing this again, but the onlookers were really stunned how calm I was. The one lesson I learned that I still observe today is, "Never let anyone get between you and the door", meaning that I always check my escape route in case something unexpected jumps off. I also learned and continue to apply the knowledge that people's energy levels will generally rise or sink to match your own, so remaining calm is the best way to diffuse crisis situations.

Interesting thread, couldn't read the whole thing, but is had to put in my $.02. I'm about as atheist as can be--no god, no messiah, no spirits, afterlife, etc. However, I've been fortunate enough in my life to have had a Jewish roommate in college, worked with numerous Hindu, Muslim, and other religious and cultural health care folks. Because of these experiences and relationships, and also because of my curiosity, I am pretty well knowledgeable about a wide variety of philosophies. As much as I don't believe in any religion, I DO believe in freedom of religion and all forms of thought. I have had the opportunity to comfort grieving patients by assisting them to deal with their grief with the knowledge I have of their belief systems. I always ask them first what their beliefs are, and I don't have to believe the same thing to help them. On the other hand, I have had to come to the assistance of a Jewish patient whom an over-zealous Christian psychiatrist told, "you know, your people killed Jesus" in my presence. Dealing with religious ideation is a little tricky in my specialty, psych, but to me it's a matter of degree. I think all religion is delusional, but if it doesn't bother the person, or impair their functioning in life, who am I to judge? As most of the posters have said, we're nurses to help the patients realize their best, not ours.

Try adding either some white vinegar, or some washing soda (sodium carbonate). Either one is helpful with odor removal. You can also try putting a small amount of hair conditioner as a fabric softener/odor remover.

My pet peeve when I first started in nursing over 30 years ago was little old ladies asking me, "Are you a MALE nurse?" I finally started answering, " I wanted to be a female nurse, but I couldn't pass the physical", accompanied by looking down inside my shirt, as if double-checking my gender. That usually got a laugh. Seriously, I've never had any problems as a male RN, but when I was a nurses' aide, I was always asked to do more than my share of heavy lifting, trash emptying, and other "male" tasks. I don't think that's tolerated as much these days.

The one thing that always fascinated me about nursing is that I can use everything I've ever learned about science, culture, and just about every other branch of knowledge and philosophy in my practice, sooner or later. Especially in psych nursing, it's important to be able to reach a patient, and the more exposure to different ideas you have, the better you are able to do that. On a personal level, ii also think that a broader exposure to different ideas tends to make one more tolerant and accepting of other cultures and ideas.

Sorry for taking so long to reply. I agree with the other posters--just answer truthfully, be positive about not knowing everything--it gives you an opportunity to grow. As I said previously, I've always thought that one of the most important attributes of a good psych nurse is flexibility and an open mind. Also, your interviewer might be more interested in the questions YOU ask thn the answers to his/her questions. It might sow your level of preparedness and interest in the position. It's always good to find out as much about the "culture" of a facility as you can before accepting a position.

Are you salaried or hourly employees?? If you are hourly, then this is illegal. First, I'd let your employer know that you are aware it's illegal, and give them a chance to respond. Then, I'd file a complaint with labor authorities. OTOH, if you are salaried, they can pretty much make you do it, as long as they don't break any other labor laws. Either way, I'd keep a journal of all the times you were on call, and how much time you spent. On the bright side, at least now you can deduct your phone as an employee expense.

I agree with the previous poster, and also you could check your local jails/prisons as well as drug and alcohol inpatient and outpatient facilities, just to get your foot in the door somewhere. What state do live in? If it is a populous state like PA, NY, or CA, there are likely local residence facilities and treatment programs you could try. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.