RH-CC2011

Geographic location Columbia MO Pay rate $20.54 In which area / specialty do you work? Med-Surg floor What type of license do you have (RN or LPN)? RN What type of degree and/or certification do you have? ADN (current BSN student) How many years of experience do you have? 2 Are you full-time, part-time, or casual / per diem / PRN status? Full Time What shift do you work? Weekend Days Do you receive any shift differential? +24% for Sat, Sun (1.5x for holidays) Are you a manager or supervisor? No

Typically 4-5 on days + 1-2 techs for 20-24 pts. (high acuity and fall risk pts in the mix)

I'm guessing a move to consolidate power in the hands of the federal government. They definately NEED control over us to nationalize the entire healthcare industry. How well you deal with the state government will be nothing like how you deal with the federal government. Try this: Nursing shortage? "Yes", they say. "We cannot find qualified candidates at this blighted, nearly bankrupt hospital with terrible management. Therefore, we will not renew or issue licenses in other areas of your state until Blighted Hospital is fully staffed." Step two: "There is a shortage of PCP's, so we like the idea of more NP's" sound good? "The government obviously needs graduated licenses for LPN, RN, APN, & NP's." Then it only takes a rules committee somewhere to determine what constitutes adequate staffing at your facility or clinc and thus, whether or not you have a job!

...I'll give you three guesses what patient you're getting!

The elederly may be devalued, but we all-too-often see the elderly with chronic conditions as having "done it to themselves." Other at-risk populations like children and special needs are viewed as "innocents." (In the Hospital) I see all sorts of seniors in renal failure, chirrosis from a lifetime of drinking; diabetics who eat like crap and ususally have sugars @200 that wonder why thier leg wound won't heal; 40-pack-year smokers w/ COPD that can't get to a bedside commode w/o desatting; stroke victims that quit taking BP meds years ago because it fixed them. I could go on and on, but I'm sure I'm also guilty of not taking care of myself too. I would be much more afraid of the patient ratios in LTC than I would be the "stigma" of becoming labeled a LTC nurse.

I am not personally offended by it, but I am one of only two male RNs working on our floor now, so it has been pretty easy to accomodate. I assume that it is probably a religious thing because we have a significant muslim population in the area; in which case the "no male caregivers' sign would probably have more to do with how the patient is treated by her family than any concern how she would be treated by a male caregiver! The "modesty thing" I try to accomodate when I can-- Just the other day a 40-something admit had to "Pee real bad" she said, but not so bad she couldn't wait for a female nurse or tech to help her on the bedpan!!! LMAO!!! (Ok, miss thing! - You aint got nothing I haven't seen before, but It's your discomfort -- Not mine!) LOL

At times I feel like I pee less than some of the anuric CRF pt's I get! I drink a V8 on my way to work and a bottle of green tea at lunch. ...what's that -- maybe 800ml in 13+hours? I'm sure I probably sweat that much out, pee @ 200ml at lunch time (Maybe I should put a hat in the breakroom toilet! lol) Geesh! No wonder I'm running for the 44oz cup of carbonated sacchrinized carmel-colored soda after work! Thank you OP -- Just reminded me I need another bottle of water!

1730hrs. - I said "fine!", because it was my second admit of the day; I just got done with my first admit (Hx, assessment, meds, labs, done!), discharged two pt's; and got to take lunch today too! (Whooo-Hoooooo) 1830hrs. - Pt arrives on floor. ...***** ...No Report? --NO Idiot!, It's a direct admit! ::Slap Forehead:: OK, Let's greet the pt. Hello Mr/Ms Late Arrival. What brings you in today? ...mmm, hmm... !!!!!What?,,, Oh no you didn't!!!! You DIDN'T say "CHEST PAIN" !!! So much for any hope of leaving on time! LOL

Sock away a few extra bucks now! You will need it when you are done with school (if not before) and you definately wont feel like working extra between classes. Brush-up on anatomy and med language (otomy/ectomy; pleura/dura; sub/supra; etc.) So many things will come easier if you can decipher words! - Yes, there will be trick-questions. Mosby's Memory Notecard (flippy-books) have pictures, cartoon characters, and catchy ways to remember Pharmacology, Med-Surg. stuff, etc. - Real lifesavers Buy used stuff on Amazon! - Order early enough that you can get another copy if some butthead forgets to ship it or you "accidentally" buy something without the CD you need. I only bought a few books from the campus bookstore and probably saved close to two-grand! Enjoy your free-time, but don't procrastinate on ANYTHING! If you smoke, Quit Now! (or forget about nursing - Your dream job wants non-smokers!) Don't start some moronic diet in the middle of school; Definately don't begin something like the hCG diet two weeks before finals! The point is don't be starving, craving, miserable and unable to focus when you are trying to learn/focus/concentrate and retain information. I saw two classmates fail out because some radical change just sucked the brains right out of them! Good Luck! P.S. - Dont' change your answers (unless you are damn sure)

The crazies yet, "If you were an anmial, what kind of animal would you be, and why?" ....ummmmmmmmmmmmmm (think quick!)

TothepointeLVN, None taken!

True! I don't really hate any of my patients. I am always as professional as I can be, for my own pride and the pride of my Hospital! I know some of their "fussiness" is just because they don't feel well. ...That aside, this individual was in their current state because of some very poor decisions, (morbid obesity, hx of mass qty of opioids, smoking, psych meds, etc.) and now can't control pain, breathe, think clearly, etc.! After three days I had reached the apex of my frustration level -- primarily because of the time taken away from caring for my other pt's (CVA; Aspiration Pneumonia; MS; New onset seizure) but also because this person was downright mean to my Tech and another Nurse that was trying to help me. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!

I can be nice, and I have been, for the last three days, the epitome of kindness. [rant] You can be rude, crabby, ungrateful, passive-aggressive; You can barrage me with questions, while I am trying to pull up your MAR, or page the physician. Your family can stand 3" from the bed while I'm trying to change linens; you can pull the emergency cord in the bathroom, even though I'm 6feet away and you can see me; and you can use your call light every 29minutes; You can play the woe-is-me card all you want... But after 3days of wiping your butt and listening to you whine and moan about everything under the sun, am I allowed to hate you? Dont' worry, I'm still smiling on the outside:)

I know everyone wants a family vacation, but not everyone deserves a family vacation! "You are the only nurse we trust" = (if I butter you up, then I can take advantage of you to the n-th degree.) IMHO,They should either take a night nurse also, or pay you out of pocket for the extra shift you know you will be working.

I'm just a few weeks off of orientation and now on my regular (Sat, Sun, Mon) shift. I love having a four-day weekend when everyone else is working! ...Now just to catch-up on all the 'stuff' I haven't done in the last two years while I was in Nursing School and working full time! I don't mind working hard, because I know I'm earning my days OFF! :-)