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! :-)

I agree. I'm also a new Guy on a med-surg floor. I can always hear better on the posterior anyway for both male and female patinets (when you account for tele leads, chest hair, breasts, or obesity). I try to be quick but thorough and professional, ask pertinent questions related to the admitting dx, and move on. I haven't had any modesty problems yet, but I'm not reaching way down the front of a gown to listen either. Our gowns are pretty thin and for the most part, I can hear just fine. I've had a few patients with really bad lungs and RT is usually on top of them. I'm just listening to document my assessment and watch for changes. Most patients arent' there for respiratory issues and a basic assessment to check for clear bi-lateral breath sounds w/o wheezes or crackles (or other abnormalities) is sufficient.

I'm a new grad nurse on a med/neuro floor. Thing have been going great and I love the people I'm working with; my preceptor has more than 20+ years experience and we have a similar sense of humor too! So, I'm up to 3 patients on my Friday and it's very hectic! I finally got all of my 0900 meds passed on time! (almost) ... The hospital is full with lots of new admits before the weekend starts. Two hours before end of shift I get a direct admit from a smaller community hospital's ER who was seriously delerious and unstable gait, so I couldn't leave her for fear she would go ker-plop on the floor! All-the-while I'm worried about a little old feller that had been my pt for 3 days and had become my 'project'. At first hoping to get him back to assisted living, next worried If he was going to 'go'; then finally he got orders to be referred to respite care. I kept my composure the whole while I'm removing his telemetry and d/c the IV. I'm usually a tough-guy, but I was welling-up tears the whole drive home. My patients love me and their families love me: I feel so slow somedays and my preceptor assures me that I'm not and I will get faster with more experience over the next few weeks: I love my job, but I'm driving myself crazy wondering if I can hack it. How do you avoid becoming emotionally attached/affected by the people you care for 12 hours a day? To top it off, I'm taking the NCLEX Tuesday and am pretty anxious, so I ddin't need any more stress! ...but I do need prayrers!

A floor nurse getting ready to give an enema (she had been putting-off all day). ... suddenly she starts complaining about the burnt-toast smell coming from the breakroom and drifting down the hall. !!!! ???? SERIOUSLY? Is that REALLY the worst smell we've run across today? Bahahahahah!!!!

Love Carhartt stuff -- Tried some on (fail !) ... I wrote to Carhartt and told them they need to cut the thighs a little bigger in the pant and the tops definately need 3 pockets! I'm not going to start wearing a fanny-pack on the floor! LOL. I hope they take my suggestions because I would love to buy some soon!

...Sarah, Please wake me up when I'm your patient and you come in to check my temp! :icon_roll

It also depends on your S.O.'s career goals. Even if it's easy for him to find a job wherever you move to, in a few years his resume' is going to start looking like crap to a lot of employers. -- You know, -- when they see he changes jobs every 4 to 6 months... Could he find a job where he can work online? Or become a flight attendant and fly home to see you on your days off? At least those kind of things will allow him to show steady employment. Just something to think about.

It might matter that you end your sentences with a preposition! LOL.... ...but seriously - No at least not unless it's a school with notoriously lousy pass-rates or a school that lost their accreditation for some reason. It would really depend on how nit-pickey the recruiter feels like being that day.

I will be graduating with my ADN in December and I think I have found the place I really want to work! Several recruiters came to our college and I've applied to two; submitted all my documentation; and had my clinical instructors forward their recommendations. I completed a phone interview (psych profile) for my #1 fav and apparently passed. Now, I should have an in-person interveiw in a couple of weeks. Does anyone have some good advice? I have a good work history, but none of it is in healthcare. (I've been a small business owner, clerical worker, manufacturing/construction, and worked in my present job for the last 4 years and my present salary is about the same as the starting GN pay at my #2 fav hospital.) I have a Bachelor's in Buisness Administration, but fully expect to start working on my BSN within the next year. Question: Are recruiters and nurse managers hiring on personality? work experience? test scores? ... are there key-words that are good to use or to avoid? I know I sound like a nervous-nellie, but I've invested so much time, effort, money, and made a lot of sacrifices over the last 2+ years that I'm getting really anxious!!! Any help PLEASE!!!

Thanks, That is good to know! I am also in a program that is only in candidacy status for NLNAC accreditation. I would like to possible work for the VA someday, but when I was reading the requirements, I started to get a really sick feeling.

I also think the answer is "no" to the arrest question; but the diver's license suspension Will stay on your record! I would ask your program adminstrator for help with answering that (somewhere) on the application. Even without going thru the courts the states can take 'administrative' actions against your license and these will stay on your record! (If you go to the DMV and ask for a printed copy of your driver's record, I'll bet it's on there) It won't show up on case.net because it was not a court case. The state boards also have access to waaaayyy more information about you than any police officer could ever pull up on you during a traffic stop. (This is because they need to know to whom they are issuing licenses.) ... and don't forget you are suposed to be 'honest' and you gave them permission to look! --- This make it twice as bad when you have to come back after a year of waiting and say "...Oh, I didn't think you would ever find out about THAT!"