GibsRN

If there are standing orders for a nurse to follow than by all means. But what happens at night if you are out of parameters for the standing orders??? If there were standing orders and I was adhereing to them that DON would have been one unhappy person when I got done with her :angryfire [of course I'm pretty protective when I deal with someone who's an idiot] I guarantee you I would not have been fired! I would have quit with a two week notice - but she darn well would not have fired me

When I worked the floor I hated white with a passion - it was hard to keep clean even on a medicine floor much less with surgical patients. But I do agree that older patients are easily confused by all the colored scrubs. In our ICUs all the nurses where a particular color [uniforms supplied by the hospital], so do our lab techs. The nurses in dialysis coordinate them so they all look a like. But on the regular floors it's go for it! It would be nice if the nurses wore a particular color -- but even that would be hard but a great idea.....

I agree with 3rdShiftGuy --- While this DON sounds like an ultimate idiot :rotfl: the nurse was practicing out of her scope. Like he said, holding the insulin is a nursing judgement for the protection of the patient but she should have contacted the doctor and received an order for alternative action. Perhaps the doctor would have wanted something given and a recheck of the sugar after a certain period of time. Always protect your behind!

I never could wear clogs.. I just couldn't keep them on my feet :chuckle I always wore tennies - like the other poster - I would find walking ones.

Now there's a job for ME! I have always wanted to be a coroner/medical examiner! Maybe one day I will finally get there!!!!:balloons:

here are just a few. if you simply type in the words "forensic nursing" several sites will pop up. http://www.forensicnurse.org/ http://www.nursing-comments.com/nursing_job/forensic_nursing/forensic_nursing.shtml

Our school required us to carry malpractice insurance. They suggested a company [so they have gotton them to give a group rate] but we paid it out of our pocket. I've too heard a lot of debate about carrying insurance or not. It stems from then there is just more money available if the law suit is frivilous - if the company does not make it mandatory for you to carry it and you are covered under their umbrella then why add the extra money to you? As for ADN vs BSN - I would check several hospitals around where you live [for your own knowledge] most are willing to answer questions for student - just ask for the nursing recruiter. Many of the hospitals here in CA require the RN to be a BSN. I know that the federal government does. Those that weren't for eons ago were grandfathered in, but they created a scholarship program which encouraged them to complete their BSN's which as you now know [or maybe not] can be done via several long distance schools and even online computer classes. I agree their are a lot of nurses out there should be "shot" for their patient care. I'm happy to hear that at a begging stage you are already noticing this. Personally, my BSN only offered me more theory and foundations - not how to increase my care for my patients. Keep the attitude you have now and you will make ONE FANTASTIC NURSE :) Like the previous poster said -- at midnight when you are comforting a scared or dieing patient - it won't matter what degree you have - it will be your heart and your committment to your patients.

Most forensic nurses are SANE nurses. They also have a few that can take additional courses for crime scene photography, crime scene investigation, etc [more like CSI]. There are various websites. I just happened to check out a program offered through the U of Riverside's extension program that is online. It sounded very interesting.

Jessica, Long Beach is a beautiful area - and you have options of places to live. The cost of living is high any where you try to live out here - but the LA areas are even higher particularly as you get closer to the beaches like Long Beach, Seal Beach [which is just down the street], Newport Beach which is beautiful and with driving distance. If you could get an inexpensive airfare from southwest or something it might be worth flying out here is you are sure this is where you want to come. That's a big decision. Best of Luck!!!

Third Shift Guy - In California they were suppose to change the nurse to patient ratio - however I have yet to see that happen, at least at our facility. It's really sad for the patients and the staff. Often times our 1:1 patients become 4:1. Thank gosh I no longer work on the floor any longer. When I did, I worked night shift and I had WONDERFUL LVN's. If there was the slightest problem they notified me immediately and they had excellent assessment skills. I did not always find the same on day shift and often times they were so swamped [of course they still are since we went to computerized medical charts and medications - which I understand has created more medication errors than when we did it by hand ] I understand about the hospital trying to protect themselves for the legalities of the issue and that there may be more to the story than most know -- but for it to create a rift between the LVNs and RNs is sad - the only ones that truly suffer are the patients.

Have you tried any of the VA hospitals? There are several in the southern and northern california area. Since they are federal they often accept foreign licenses. The pay is "iffy" but the benefits are by far some of the best. I agree regarding Tenet. They have had so many issues over the last few years that that would be the last place on earth that I would want to work -- and it would have to be the last hospital on earth! :rotfl:

While the patient ratio is high I have worked in the same conditions. However, I knew my LVN skills and trusted that. If I was unfamiliar with them than I was extremely more cautious. I always made the initial rounds with them on the patients and that did routine checks. We tried our best to put the more "critical" patients closer to nurses station if at all possible -- but the LPN should have known to check these patients on a more frequent level. Should the RN have been fired? Good question. You are ultimately responsible for the patients on your care. While the LVN is a licensed individual you are duly responsible as well for the care. While it may be an unpopular IMO I think they both should have been fired.