jhanes

Does it seem like somehow we are to be germ phobic by design? Believe it or not, there were people who actually lived before the invention of antibiotics, Hand Sanitizer, Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare. Perhaps being fearful makes people more likely to support any/all Big Government plans concerning healthcare.

Better work on your upper body, particularly your arm strength. It makes flying soooo much easier!

Maybe the nurse she ran into is a troublemeker or has an axe to grind with the agency. On the other hand, it sounds like the company is putting a lot of pressure on the full time RNs. Not unusual. When agencies hire full time RNs, they often assign unrealistic work loads then make you a salaried "supervisor" with the expectation that you will see far too many clients, drive way too far, do your paperwork at home after working 10+ hours and in general, grin & bear it because you want FT, need benefits, etc. Want to make money in home care? 1. Do all of your paperwork on each patient in the patient home. 2. Stay per diem and work for several companies so if one gets slow, you can pick up work elsewhere. 3. Get a car with good gas mileage and a comfortable price. Buy, do not lease. Keep it in good repair. 4. Plan your days, don't let the day control you. 5. Get a GPS; even a $99 Tom Tom is soooo much better than an envelope full of maps. 6. Turn your paperwork in right away. 7. Avoid eating in restaurants. Bring a nutritious lunch each day. 8. Work for licensed agencies-avoid so-called registries that pay employees as independent contractors. 8. If your employer is late with paychecks, find another job right away.

Hospice Nursing may seem emotionally demanding at first, but in my experience, you will soon develop self satisfaction that comes from providing compassionate & professional care. On the downside, Hospice has become big buisness, with Hospice providers losing sight of the caring part of health care. As a supervisor, you may find yourself overwhelmed by your job demands, depending on your employer and their focus. At some point, you may feel uncomfortable with the evolution of Hospice from a caring focus to that of profit-driven "euthanasia light" where even non profit Hospice organizations exist mainly to make money for the management team even as they host community wide fund raisers, utilize volunteers, etc. No matter the corporate structure; if your day starts with a "management meeting" led by the head of Marketing, you are likely in the wrong hospice organization. Beware of hospice organizations that seem factory like or focused on future "opportunities" and big government regulations. Hairy Hospice not exactly your dream job? Get get some experience then find a "good" hospice & move on. I hope that the organization that you work for (or find) is one where employees at all levels share in decisionmaking and experience the positive aspects of hospice care, while providing patient and family driven care, rather than one based on outcome$ and cadaver-count based big government reimbur$ement.

I do not spout Bible verses or push my beliefs on others and would pray with a patient if they asked me to. I am not good at praying out loud off the cuff and have found that a general plea to the Almighty for support and help for the patient and the family in the situation consistent with God's plan suffices and covers almost all bases and most religions. I sometimes offer to pray for someone off the clock when they have some generic faith or ask if I believe but are not looking for a prayer. That kind of question can lead down Kubler-Ross Road, a real problem if you work on a busy "unit". I am greatful that in Home Care we have time to spend with individual patients and I remain alert for patients dealing with grief, death & dying issues, use therapeutic communication & make referrals where I can. I might add that I sure appreciated a prayer request from my surgeon prior to my CABG. I do not feel comfortable praying with a Wiccan or a Satan worshipper unless they wanted to ask for forgiveness from God but I would pray FOR them off the clock and include a fervent hope that they come to their senses. I would not express any judgement of them or their beliefs as that would be too much like an Atheist Nurse telling a patient "get over it." Praying to their "higher-power" seems like participating in devil worship. Can't do it. Maybe I'd call the Hospital Chaplain service instead. They are pros; let them figure it out...

I meant the Election. That was a qupote from some politician, not sure I ever knew who said it.

Whoops, forgot to "vote" in this pole. ROMNEY-RYAN, because I don't want my kids and grandgids saddled with any more debt, nor do I want our country and lives placed at risk because of extreme cuts in our military readiness.

The polling and comments on Allnurses.com are dominated by loyal Union people, maybe not even nurses at all, so there is no way to know if those of us responding to this very unscientific pole are representative of nurses in general, or of the Union Social Media Specialists. In any case, two of two is a barely a trend & hardly a rule. I believe Mr. Romney will be our next President because ordinary Americans are simply creeped-out by the Obama Administration's extreme leftist policies and also because they know him better this time around. As an aside, in 18 of the last 19 election cycles, when the Washington Redskins lost, the incumbent also lost, and vice-versa. The Redskins were highly favored Sunday, but lost to the Carolina Panthers 21-13 at Home. The only pole that counts is the one ending tomorrow night.

I was a little disturbed by the tone of the President's response as well, but I don't think he really meant the Corpsman (or Corpse-Man as the President might have pronounced it) couldn't even get a job as a Mere Nurse. The President probably doesn't know much of anything about Nursing education, LPN vs RN issues or the training of military corpspersons. Corpsman training is significantly different from Nursing Education, but it is thorough and the military doesn't put up with those unable or unwilling to do the coursework. They have to make the grade in the military and should be able to test out of a good part of the curriculum.

It is 66% more expensive to live in Los Angeles than Columbus, OH. Was your salary 66% more in California? Homes cost 290% more in LA county than anyplace in Ohio. How much is your rent/house payment now? You paid money to the union each paycheck in California. How much do they take out for union dues at your present, nonunion position? You and your colleagues COULD show more backbone and I would urge you to do so. Or, you could move back to California. Your choice.

Do the math. $5-10 more per hour won't be much for trading off benefits, paying your own taxes and double the amt. of Social Security witholding, plus a LOT more for medical insurance, but if you have insurance through a spousal plan, then maybe 40% more wouild make it worth while. Many Physical Therapists in Home Care are independent contractors; not too many nurses, except for some who work for Nurse Registries. We just don't make enough per hour or visit to make it worthwhile.

The trend has already started but will accelerate, by design, after 2012, when the Affordable Care Act will bring about a dramatic contraction in demand for nurses to match the multibillion dollar, government mandated cuts in healthcare spending. It has to. Nurses will likely be replaced by technicians, forcing nurses, if they can find employment at all, to work for CNA level wages. Benefits will go away, except for health insurance of course, and many hospitals will go out of business.

And besides all of the above: It would not be YOU violating HIPPA, but instead the building management.

Occupational Nursing, Walk-In Clinic, Home Care anjd Case Management. Here's a lead: Case management: care management, insurance, hospitals, home health, healthcare management, behavioral health, case management seminars :: Dorland Health

I used to be an E.R. nurse and gets a little competitive down there. If you find yourself in a toxic workplace, get out as soon as possible and don't look back. Lif is just too short to put up with personal attacks, petty jealousy, etc. BTW, upon reflection, the E.R. nurse were the heaviest partiers: ETOH and drugs that I have ever worked with, and I am aware that two nurses that were at my last E.R. job committed suicide after having relapses. Denial is common, even when faced with positive drug screens, being reported to the Board of Nursing or arrest. Many continue denying that they took drugs until the very end; death or recovery. The last choice is the better one. I recommend it!