melsch

You are in Canada, get your union rep involved right away. They are your best protection. Don't worry about losing your job, labour laws will protect you, but document everything and try not to go to a meeting with management without your Union rep...

I am not sure what you mean by intellectual disabled, but I work in a palliative inpatient unit and from 7 am to 11 pm we have 1 RN, 1 LPN, and 1 Care Aide for 12 patients. From11 pm to 7 am we have 1 RN and 1 LPN for the same patients. This is ver...

Often patients wait until they are alone to die. I have even encouraged family to leave for an hour or so if a patient seems to be hanging on for some reason to see if possibly it is just that they want to be alone, with the reassurance that I will ...

I work in hospice and I think your perspective changes when you deal with death on a regular basis. I don't see death as a bad or awful thing for the patient, I see death as something normal that everyone must go through, and my job is to make it as...

We used to do that, but now we get paid for the hours worked. It is much better and no one gets short changed as it never worked out fairly.

The pt was probably dying anyway, and didn't die from an allergic reaction, but we always use a lower dose of dilaudid rather than morphine if they say they have an allergy to morphine. If the patient is still able to take meds orally we sometimes g...

My employer mandated we get the shot this year, or wear a mask at all times from December until march. I figured it would be easier to get the shot than have a mask on at all times. I got the shot yesterday and thankfully I have sick time because I...

This is our protocol: Has there been a BM within the last 48 hours? If yes give two sennosides 8.5mg at hs. If NO, give two sennosides 8.5mg twice a day. If BM within 24 hours continue and monitor if no advance to: Increase sennosides 8.5 mg tid...

I have a cousin who just gave his new daughter juniper as her middle name, first name is normal though. I also have another cousin who is half native who's Dad wanted to call him Bluemoon. My aunt refused, but he still ended up with it as his middl...

Where I live nurses are considered an essential service which means we are not allowed to reduce our numbers below what is considered enough staff to look after the patients. What we have done is work to rule, which means we only do essential jobs -...

We do this as well. And if a patient has a gown on we sometimes place the top sheet under the gown, next to the patient. Don't tie it or it could be a restraint. It doesn't always keep them from taking off their pad - but it slows them down a bit...

I am in a stand alone inpatient hospice. We have a mix of end of life, respite, and symptom management patients. We have two 12 bed units. Day and evening shifts have an RN, LPN, and a care aide, for each side and on nights there is an RN for each...

I have to agree with the shaving cream suggestion. It really works. Put some on your cloth and start cleaning. Once the fecesis all soft just wipe it off and give the a rinse with clear water.

I asked myself the same question as I work in hospice and wondered what I would do if he was in our facility. We did have a man who raped and murdered a young girl a while ago and I just looked at it as he was just another body and someone had to lo...

I work in BC, but it seems our collective agreements are similar. I don't believe you qualify for any health benefits, but you would get paid out your vacation pay. The Royal Alex falls under the provincial collective agreement. http://www.una.ab....

There is a list of current contracts on the Union website. I think it would be dependant on the contract for the workplace that you were hired at. Look for the information on casual workers. http://www.una.ab.ca/collectiveagreements/

It is a question I seem to get a lot. People think that our job must be really sad. I alway say it is the most rewarding job I have ever had. It is sad for family members, but for me death is a normal process and we all have to die. My job is to ...

As Leslie said make sure their basic needs are met -toileting, exercise etc. We have extra low beds that we use and keep them at the lowest level. We also have crash mats that we put on the floor - but in my experience they are just another trip ha...

I wouldn't put it back on either - I would have wasted it and put a new one on and changed the schedule to reflect this. I would be worried about how well it was being absorbed once it had been removed or fallen off. We would just replace it - but ...

I am in an inpatient setting as well, so my experience my differ as well. We use SC morphine or dilaudid for pain and to ease the dyspnea symptoms. We use Atropine SC q1h as well, but find that it only keeps more fluid from being produced and work...

Our protocol is also to use ativan 1-2mg sl q4h round the clock when our patients are no longer able to take their antiseizure medications orally. Mix it in a little bit (1/2 cc or less) of water in a syringe and dribble it into the corner of their ...

I don't understand this, if the other staff are leaving for their break who is covering for their patients? If it is you then when they get back you need to say okay it is my turn and they can cover for you. You need your break and have every right ...

Actually I think on a 12 hour shift it is two 30 min unpaid meal breaks and 2 15 minute paid coffee breaks and on an 8 hour shift it is 1 30 minute meal break and 2 15 minute coffee breaks - and on nights we do take them together and sleep for 1 1/2 ...

Take your breaks people - if you are not getting paid for them don't give your employer 30 minutes of free labor. It just encourages them to add more to your workload and then question why you can't handle it. If you don't have time to take a break...