decembergrad2011 BSN, RN

Oncology

Member

All Content by decembergrad2011

  1. decembergrad2011

    8 months as a nurse and I am failing miserably

    decembergrad2011 replied to RN119's topic in First Year After Licensure

    *hugs* As I have told our newbies, the other shift is always going to feel like you should have done more. I've worked both day and night shift on my floor, and I can say from experience that they do...
  2. decembergrad2011

    Why does school have to be made to be (seemingly) unneccesarily difficult?

    decembergrad2011 replied to Guitarstrings's topic in General Students

    Do NOT attempt to read all of those chapters. Do NOT attempt to study all of the information. It hasn't been that long that I've been out of school, and I know all too well the pressures that are...
  3. decembergrad2011

    Social help, not fitting in

    decembergrad2011 replied to nursepeaches's topic in General Students

    Honestly, I sat by myself in classes, ate lunch alone, and studied solo. Study groups are serious time wasters, and it bothers me that people don't take it serious and it becomes completely social....
  4. decembergrad2011

    What is your Achilles heel?

    decembergrad2011 replied to cjdmomma's topic in General Nursing

    Eyes seriously gross me out. I couldn't do trauma for that reason - if I saw an eye out of socket, bloody, or with something stuck in it, I would probably faint. I work in oncology, so I got over...
  5. decembergrad2011

    Elderly coworkers becoming a burden.

    decembergrad2011 replied to o3lissao's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    God forbid anyone express concern over the care that the patients on their floor receive. I have no idea why it's acceptable to point out the flaws in a new grad's patient care and not an older...
  6. decembergrad2011

    New grads being rushed into "nursing maturity"

    decembergrad2011 replied to PA_RN87's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I'm a year in, and I can tell you that it does get better. You do get more comfortable and learn to handle situations more calmly. As far as ideas: - While I was on orientation, I did not receive...
  7. decembergrad2011

    Male Nurse Hair Styles

    decembergrad2011 replied to Benners's topic in Men in Nursing

    Your clinical instructors will give you specific instructions on dress code. They do this in order to ding you for points if you break it, lol. Girls could only wear one pair of stud earrings, and...
  8. decembergrad2011

    Ins and outs- what's the point?!

    decembergrad2011 replied to Bringonthenight's topic in General Nursing

    Probably specific to my unit in oncology because of my leuks, but I've taken to placing and recording "blood loss" and "lab draws" in the computer flowsheets. I think it's important to monitor how...
  9. decembergrad2011

    Chemo Certification

    decembergrad2011 replied to hope2-B-RN's topic in Oncology

    They should provide training to you in chemo administration according to their policies and procedures. The ONS certification may be what they use, but if it's required, most facilities will pay your...
  10. decembergrad2011

    Advice please!

    decembergrad2011 replied to RNurse2's topic in First Year After Licensure

    This sounds like an environmental issue, meaning your staff is not well-equipped to deal with shift change. You should be able to get a full report without being interrupted routinely. There are days...
  11. decembergrad2011

    Bio Patch with PICC line dressing changes?

    decembergrad2011 replied to nervousnurse's topic in General Nursing

    It is policy to use the biopatch with central lines. We change 1x a week or sooner if soiled, patch saturated, or the tape loses its sticky. We also use a stat lock for the PICC lines specific. I...
  12. decembergrad2011

    Advice please!

    decembergrad2011 replied to RNurse2's topic in First Year After Licensure

    How many patients are you managing? What service lines are attending to your patients? I've found that the best thing for me is to use my custom brain sheet. It highlights what's important for my...
  13. decembergrad2011

    What is the working RN's expectation of the nursing student?

    decembergrad2011 replied to mlauren's topic in General Students

    I believe that you implemented in ways that were to be expected for a student, and that you attempted to communicate and ask for help when you felt uncomfortable with the way a patient was acting....
  14. decembergrad2011

    Question about Bedside Manner

    decembergrad2011 replied to lilemma's topic in General Students

    You will find your own way of dealing with patients with experience. As far as what you are taught in school, I'm sure it varies, but we learned therapeutic communication in my program. We also had...
  15. decembergrad2011

    Do patients question your expertise?

    decembergrad2011 replied to Brian's topic in Nurses Rock

    I talk about where I did my capstone in nursing school (peds hem-onc) if patients or family ask me how long I've been a nurse and attribute any unfamiliarity about something to being "newer to the...
  16. decembergrad2011

    insulin per sliding scale

    decembergrad2011 replied to kirschbalb's topic in Medical-Surgical

    I have always seen oral anti-diabetics held as well while they are inpatient which actually can really throw off their numbers. Our sliding scales normally start at 150 and go to 400. I will hold...
  17. decembergrad2011

    Facebook while on the clock?

    decembergrad2011 replied to maureen924's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    I don't agree that checking FB or email at work is unprofessional in and of itself. The nurse that is more concerned with her phone than her patients is a problem. But I meet my job responsibilities...
  18. decembergrad2011

    Is Hurst review enough to pass nclex?

    decembergrad2011 replied to HelloThere99's topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    I used Hurst and passed. But I also took all but 1 of the practice tests and read the rationales afterward, especially for those that I missed. That is an important step. I think that it is enough...
  19. decembergrad2011

    Nurses Calling Patients "Jerks"

    decembergrad2011 replied to PacoUSA's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    If you can't talk about patients with your fellow nurses in the privacy of the nurses' station, you can't really talk about it anywhere. I'm a brand new nurse, only a month in and still on...
  20. decembergrad2011

    All of a sudden an ASN is no good anymore

    decembergrad2011 replied to pattyslattery's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    I look forward to a day when this is the case. Again, it's not about pushing out older nurses, but about having a clear educational requirement for entry into licensure. Nursing is becoming more and...
  21. decembergrad2011

    Have you ever lost it with a patient?

    decembergrad2011 replied to notjustanurse's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Yup, especially when they demand Doritos while NPO and threaten to leave AMA when some procedural area is late picking them
  22. decembergrad2011

    All of a sudden an ASN is no good anymore

    decembergrad2011 replied to pattyslattery's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    Thanks for categorizing an entire group of people in a way that you wish to not be categorized yourself. I'm starting to get really annoyed with all of this ADN vs. BSN crap. And I don't know what...
  23. decembergrad2011

    Comparing A Nurses' Salary

    decembergrad2011 replied to Joe V's topic in Nurses Rock

    I just don't understand the need to categorize either degree. Not all ADNs barely literate skill fiends and not all BSNs are bumbling wordsmiths headed for management. A good nurse is a good nurse....
  24. decembergrad2011

    Nurses: Have you ever had to show compassion to someone who didn't want it?

    decembergrad2011 replied to nursingstudent2458's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I try not to bond with patients in general. It helps out a lot in not taking it personally when a patient just doesn't connect with you. Notice I said "try".
  25. decembergrad2011

    Comparing A Nurses' Salary

    decembergrad2011 replied to Joe V's topic in Nurses Rock

    They are not trying to push BSN's away from the bedside. If anything, the hospitals concerned with magnet status are attempting to bring in more and more BSNs to the floor, hence the lack of jobs out...