MarySunshine

Thanks Rod! Good advice.

I am an experienced L&D Nurse looking for a travel assignment in Hawaii in the next few weeks. Has anyone else traveled in Hawaii in the OB setting? Are you willing to give me advice and tell me about your experience? I'd really appreciate it!! I've never even been to Hawaii and could use a "voice of experience" to advise me. PM me if you prefer. NO recruiters, please!

Is there an experienced traveler here who is willing to help me think through this travel nursing offer? I have 2.5 years experience in my current field. No certifications yet. I currently work at a local community hospital. We have fantastic nurse/pt ratios. I have trouble getting enough hours. They don't have any full-time jobs available, so I don't get any medical benefits. I'm going broke here. I've been offered a 13 week travel assignment. It's a very, very busy unit (about 4 times bigger and busier than my current position). The nurse/pt ratios are not nearly as good (1:1 vs 1:2-3). It's an hour away plus bad traffic. They won't guarantee that my night shifts would be clumped together. It's a high-risk, teaching facility. I have no doubt that I have the aptitude and work ethic needed for the job. I am worried about finding myself "in over my head" just because the situation is inherently unsafe, kwim? The manager said that she has LOTS of staff going on maternity leave at the same time and that's why she's needed travelers. I would make almost double what I currently do (when I factor in housing, etc). I would also be getting decent medical insurance for the first time in a while. I would learn a lot. It's a well-respected hospital -- it would look great my "travel resume." I DO want to start traveling and a lot of other places haven't looked at my profile because of my lack of certifications. I want to take on a challenge and be ambitious but I don't want to be a moron about it. Please advise me!.

I'm 38 weeks now and still working. I was working 3 8-hour shifts and 1 12-hour shift a week, but my co-workers had pity on me last week and have picked up the extra 4 hours/week until the end of the year so that I don't have to do any more 12's because that was getting to be awful. I hope I go into labor very soon! But, like someone else said, I'd rather spend my time off of work with my baby than pregnant and miserable at home. I get 6 weeks maternity leave. Whoopty-doo.

I'm feeling very grateful to work where I do. We have no such policy. It's absurd to think that they should try to prevent a very rare cord prolapse in exchange for all the common complications that would come from bed rest.

My coworkers and I are generally really supportive of natural birth. Although, it is really hard to take care of a patient who comes through the door viewing you as the "enemy" already, like some home-birth transfer patients do. Someone else already said this, but I just wanted to reiterate that if your midwife saw fit to transfer you, then ''medical intervention" is most likely warranted. With your background, I have no doubt you will make good decisions. You have set yourself up already to have a lovely birth. Best wishes. :)

I would remove even the information that you've given us about the situation from your post, for legal reasons. You're in my prayers.

Is your boss' name Michael Scott?

I know it's hard to be certain, but you need to figure out if you think you would really LIKE L&D. Imagine yourself as a competent, confident, good L&D nurse. Would you enjoy it? Or would you just be there because it was the only available job to you at the time? IF you think you may really like L&D (and it may take time to figure this out) then I think you should stick with it. The first week or two that I'm in orientation in a new situation, I always get a little "shell-shocked." I move slowly, I think slowly, I think my brain is in over-stimulated and in overdrive with the new surrounding and area. But I get over it, and I'm a very good nurse. I'm sure you will be too, if it's a good fit for you. I don't think you should have two patients so soon, tell your preceptor you need a little more time. She needs to be more patient with you. And yes, grow a thicker skin. Good luck. Come back and update us. I wanted to add something. My best teachers in life have been the ones that were really smart but also a little scary to me :) Maybe your preceptor is like this? She will probably respect you standing up for yourself and saying "I've been doing this for two weeks, I WILL figure it out soon."

Here's another take on it all: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1817701,00.html

I think home birth can be a great option for women who fit the criteria and are prepared. Sadly, in my area, there are not very many homebirth midwives anymore. I do have a question for all you OB folks -- what do you do in the case of a prolapsed cord or an abrupted placenta? I know in the hospital they rush people to the OR. I imagine that you would get the patient in the safest position possible in the car, and start driving and call the hospital and inform them of your situation and impending arrival so that they can ready the OR. Does this sound correct? I know it would be completely rare that it would happen, but leave it to an ICU nurse to wonder about the emergencies.

I agree with every Jolie has written about this situation -- don't touch that vitamin K and inform the administrator, charge nurse, and pediatrician. Document that situation. That's all you can do. That law is absurd and I don't blame those parents for having a letter from a lawyer.

Also, if you're a visitor, please don't ask me to take your blood pressure or interpret all of your recent blood sugar readings. Thanks.

I usually say something like "Oh, Mrs. so-and-so, I'm so sorry." And I get them some ice water or juice and a cold washcloth/kleenexes and I sit down and ask if they want to talk about it or be left alone for a little while.

That was just so well written and so shockingly awful, yet totally believable. I'm also sorry if it's not funny to you (understandable), but made me laugh because of the absurdity. It sounds like things improved greatly for you?

I agree with the previous post -- see if you can take some time off to recuperate and re-evaluate.

I DC'd a foley on a guy about my age. I never even looked at his member to do this, it was covered up a bit by his gown and it just wasn't necessary to see it. But he kindof had his eyes closed (nervous) so I'm sure he assumed I looked during the procedure. He asked me if I noticed that he was uncircumcised. I was taken aback and didn't know how to respond. I actually just said, "No, I really didn't notice" and left it at that. I didn't know if he wanted affirmation or what. I don't want to be complimenting a guy's member but I also don't want to feed insecurity. Would it have been appropriate for me to say that there was nothing wrong with having a uncircumcised member? I didn't really know.

This one guy told me "I am a tiger, with a mad gleam in my eye." Um....okay. I had one sweet elderly man who ate a NASTY hospital food tray of PUREED food. He looked up at me and said "This is just delicious. Just like my mother used to make. Your husband sure is one lucky man!" Another time, with a dozen hospital personnel/students, during rounds in a teaching hospital my patient, when asked how he was doing by the attending said "Well, I've been giving this here nurse a rough time. I haven't been on my best behavior." To which the attending replied, "Oh, I'm sure that's not true." "Oh, it is" he said, "She told me....she said 'straiten up, dumbass!'" Everyone in the room cracked up laughing. And no, I didn't say that to him! :)

I agree with everyone else. She sounds rude and dumb.

I missed the chance to see this film in the theatre but I have added it to my netflix queue. I used to work in the neuro ICU and had a couple patients who were "locked in." Even though I think I was a good nurse to them and was always kind, I don't think I ever truly put myself in their position because it's just a horrifying position for me to think about. I do want to see this movie though, and I was even thinking about inviting some friends over who are currently nurses in that ICU.

I'm not sure if this is the same everywhere, but my hospital pays short term disability for 6 weeks for maternity leave (I think it's 55% of your salary) IF you've been there a year. Otherwise, they only pay 2 weeks. This has actually influenced my own personal decision to wait a few more months before trying to get pregnant, as that extra money would be very helpful to us, and I would love to be able to take a full 3 month maternity leave. If you can afford it though, I think you should just have a baby. You'll always be able to find a job in nursing -- not always be able to have a baby. Good luck to you.

Yikes. I definitely am not obsessed with doctors. I pretty much never think of them except when I'm sick or in a work related context. I think some of the nurses I work with get a little too into the doctors but most of them don't. They're just people -- some are attractive and great and some aren't. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of marrying a doctor but it would not be a goal of mine and it's not a goal of any of my friends, though a couple are dating residents.

I agree with everyone else. BUT a lot of the time when I remove an IV to start a new one it's not because it's infiltrated, it's because it's expired or looking "a little iffy." In those cases, I start the new IV first, THEN pull out the old one.

I also vote for waiting to get pregnant until you're well into nursing school. I think perfect timing would be to graduate, take the NCLEX 6 weeks later, and then have a baby 4 weeks after that. Then start a job when you and baby are ready. But I'm aware that perfect timing is not usually possible. :) Good luck!

I just want to restate what I said earlier and agree with what others have said about the fear of not breathing that he had. For clarification for those who are reading this who aren't in the health-care field, for nursing students and new nurses: For a patient to spend all night in pain and scared that they will stop breathing is REALLY sad. Even if they're dramatic jerks (which may or may not have been the case with him). Nurses are well trained to assess for respiratory adequacy and medication dose appropriateness. A good nurse would have already assessed his breathing and oxygenation and already double or even triple checked the medication order and appropriateness for that patient (a PCA is usually checked by TWO nurses). He/she then would have educated the patient on their medication, their plans for frequent and thorough monitoring of the patient throughout the night, and any other continuous monitoring that was going on (did he have a sat probe on? it sounds like he should have with 1/2 the narcs in the hospital on board like he claims! that would be something to let him know...) For heavens' sakes...put 2L oxygen on him to make him feel comfortable. Truly, it's not that hard to assure a patient that they will be OKAY and you will watch out for them. He might have gotten some comfort and sleep that night if his nurse had done that. As others have pointed out, he probably doesn't know the whole story because he was (probably inappropriately) narc'd out of his mind. But I just felt sad thinking about a patient who was scared like that all night.