Gecko64

Our hospital just recently instilled a policy that no supervisor or staff of administration can accept friend requests on any social network site. We were in formed that our company has specialized technical staff members that are paid to scan and oversee social networks to observe for improper chatting. We were informed that our hospital can, will and have already fired staff members who were chatting on Face book, and have mentioned our hospital name in a derogatory fashion.The hospital can and will sue those individuals for slander. Many of us feel it is invasion of privacy and amendment right to prohibit staff from chatting on such networks.However, using it on the hospital's time, their INTERNET feed or making derogatory comments is inappropriate and I agree with their penalty for that.I feel staff should use it on their own time and be cautious on how they complain about their employer.I initially removed all upper management but then after some discussion, friend requests were accepted.We are cautious to what we say.It benefits to see these persons outside of their work persona.If I have a complaint about the company, I could email or better yet,discuss in person. So be mindful and know not only may your hospital be overseeing but our government has also been known to as well.

Heparin, lovenox, coumadin,ASA, plavix, protonix,metopropol, amarodarone, lisinopril, clondine, zofran,compazine,rennagel,reglan,lactelose,ducolax,sennokot,levaquin,vanco,flagyl,daptomyacin, dialtin,hydralazine,folic acid,vit B,Vit D,Vit C, Acute Care Vitamin, Iron,B12, insulin, dilaudid, morphine, oxycodone, hydocodone, trazadone, seroquel,ativan,xanax, restoril,zoloft,viagra,neurotin,metformin,diabeta, this is not a complete list, but all that I can come up with at the spur of the moment.

I disagree...I am NOT there just for the money. I have to admit, where I work I stay because of the money is good, its a small facility and we are all like family. It takes a special person or nurse to work where I do because there is so much more to deal with than an regular hospital.My last two shift prove it.Very chaotic, stressful, and we all wanted to just walk out.Some were crying it was so bad and some kept taking 5 minute breaks to come back to reality.If the administration had offered me more money to do this extra work or get paid the same and not do it...well I would have done it for the regular pay not extra, because it is our job as nurses to provide for our patients even when administration really cares about numbers and money. If they had said we are going to pay you extra, fine do so.But the job will get done no matter what and with the same care as if money was not the issue.We had been so low on census we lost a lot of staff and guess what, between our three units we got slammed with 12 admissions in less than 6 hours! Maybe I missed the boat on what you all were saying but it is not all about the money. I am a LPN and because our facility has phased us out, I am in school for my RN to save my job.What sucks, the first year my pay will drop almost half as I start out as a "new grad" although I have been in nursing since 1983, and since 1989 as a LPN. I am at the top of the pay scale as a LPN in this state. So yeah, I guess I would have to agree its about the money and job security. Just a thought.

I'm a obese nurse.I have quit other bad habbits now working on the fat thing.Patients should be taught the same thing.I feel for them but only if they make a serious attempt to change their dangerous behvior.

Most important thing to remember, you acted and sent her to where she needed advanced care.You may not have been able to stop it.It may have been something which would have happened anyways.I have been part of a code recently with similar circumstances.Patient weaning from a vent. Had gone 19 hours x 3 days off vent doing well.Placed on vent at night to rest. On the fourth day 4 hours into the weaning so was sleeping but co-hearant. Withing 2 hours later we could not wake her.I called a RR. Luck we did not have to code her.Her CO2 was extremley high and RT put her back on the vent.The next day, the pt. never knew what happend and was wide awake and scarred as to why she was back on the vent.Our team starting kicking ourselves that we did not think about this two hours sooner to prevent RR but the outcome would have been the same...placed back on the vent.Sometime we do not know why or sometimes we think its one thing and its not.Be greatfull you acted promptly.:yelclap:

you are so on the money. our facility has a patient census of 15 out of 55. as they make more demands on the staff, cancel more shifts (we are lucky if we get 2 per week for a full time nurse), scrutinize our work, and eliminate lpns from their work force, the staff census also drops. the competition facilities have a waiting list for patients and they hire lpns. many of those laid off from our facility have been scooped up by the competition and offered better pay and benefits. patients are also given reduced rates for their stay. my current facility is cutting its own throat. i foresee it eventually closing its doors if the greediness does not stop.

what you saw was wrong, but in no way am i trying to defend them when i say, maybe you do not have the whole picture. being new, co-workers develop a weird since of communication with each other, like maybe the two you mentioned. as those in the medical field become seasoned, we lose some perspectives we were taught when we were green. in other words, we become lazy, take short cuts, and get tired of the staffing to patient ratio issues and such, that we do stupid things like using the nail clippers you mentioned or not making an issue about the clonadine or fentanyl patch. at one point fentanyl patches were removed, cut up and placed into sharps container and witnessed by a second nurse. i have found patients with old patches of clonadine or fentanyl not removed and new ones applied. we get so regimented in becoming a drug pusher we do not stop to realized what effects this has on our patients.\ you are new and you have not seen the worst of it yet. my advice to you is to mention it to your nurse manager or educator. go through your chain of commands. use these incidents as teaching tools as not to repeat the act yourself. be the good nurse you were taught to be. call the doc for the order. destroy the fentanyl patch with a witness and document your butt off. as for the other issues you mentioned, let the department head handle that. you do not want to place your license or patients at risk for harm nor do you want to alienate your peers. nursing requires we work as a team regardless of the title behind your name. i think by doping what i recommend you will be able to sleep at night and keep your job until something better suits you, but remember, the grass is not always greener on the other side. the economy is tough and jobs are hard to come by. you must pick your battles and remember "nurses eat their young". this coming from a licensed nurse of 21 yrs and in the medical field 25 years total. i work for a hospital for almost 10 years now. for the most part it's good but i have seen things that will make your head spin, it does mine. but i know for the most part, the staff care for our patients and they receive great care. take care. i am here if you need to vent or talk. you will need an outlet or nursing will drive you crazy!