Angela Mac

something similar happened to me. I applied, had an interview and a tour of the unit I would be working on. I was not impressed and told human resources that I would not be joining the hospital staff. A couple of years passed by and I heard the hospital was under new management- I applied & was told that I was on the not for re-hire list because I quit without notice. Be sure the records are cleared, its your reputation at stake.

I am with prmenrs on this one. I worked in a clinic where we had to wear rose polos with teal trim- that cost $25 each....

:chuckle oh rhonda- so very, very true.........

I noticed in LTC that many elderly patients were taking upwards of 25 to 30 pills per day. No wonder they c/o being sick.....imagine all the side effects & adverse reactions. My favorite- is multiple stool softeners and laxatives. When I ask- why not prune juice? I hear- "Prune juice is too expensive. Medicare pays for laxatives & enemas."

I noticed in LTC that many elderly patients were taking upwards of 25 to 30 pills per day. No wonder they c/o being sick.....imagine all the side effects & adverse reactions. My favorite- is multiple stool softeners and laxatives. When I ask- why not prune juice? I hear- "Prune juice is too expensive. Medicare pays for laxatives & enemas."

Unfortunately- I have seen many psych patients in long term care facilities that are abusive, combative & a threat to others- these patients belong in a lock down psych hospital. And on the other hand- I have seen many elderly dementia patients who belong in nursing homes, institutionalized in the psych hospitals...... Anyone who demands one on one, is on a suicide watch, or is a threat to others- regardless of their age and medical condition, belongs on a lock down unit. Let's face it- a nursing home- with 1 nurse to 30 patients- does not have time to play head games with a manipulative psych personality. my 2 cents worth, actually 5. I blame the cut back on chemical restraints- if psych patients are managable on their meds- leave the orders alone.

I hear you. Like I said- I have worked all 3 shifts & now work days & eves. When I work eves and follow a certain nurse- nothing gets done- MD orders are not completed, Tx are not done, VS not charted etc............ But yet, I was able to get it all done, unless of course, a new admission rolled in. Then the magical day arrived- she & I worked days together & everything was clear to me. She smokes heavily & I kid you not, every 2-3 hours she would be outside for a smoke. No wonder- her work was not done. A few days later I followed her shift & she gave me every excuse for not doing her TX. I looked her straight in the eye and replied, "You would be able to finish your duties if you didn't take so many smoke breaks." I hated doing this- but hey, she proved she has no respect for those who follow her & besides- Not all my co-workers need to be my friend..... My husband used to work in a nursing home also- I was a floor nurse & he was the maintenance man/ housekeeping supervisor, he pulled me aside one day when I was stressed with the workload and said- "You know what the problem is- too many women- too many trying to make themselves look good and others look bad. Too many women with PMS or going through menopause, men don't treat each other this way." He was right. Unfortunately- until everyone wants to work as a team- things will not go smoothly, and yes, it happens everywhere. Oh- by the way- my husband will never work in the medical field again & is now self-employed. I hope you have better days. My advice- stand your ground, don't let anyone walk over you.

I have worked all 3 shifts and find 3-11 to be the hardest. It is a given that the staffing ratio is not the same as it is on daylight. In long term care facilities- evenings are more difficult because the sundowners act up- putting even more of a strain on the staff and the other residents. It is just as hard to get everyone into bed as it is to get them out of bed. Yes, there is one meal to serve, but, however, most family members visit in the evenings that adds to the chaos. All shifts are difficult, I know, but my heart goes out to 3-11 workers.

ignorance is bliss I would have answered the doctor by saying= "So you are training your son to replace me, aayy?" :rotfl: well maybe not.....

everyone is on- colace & calcium many patients are on- potassium coumadin *blood pressure meds* *cardiac meds* *inhalers* (I live in a big tobacco state)

Lets hope with more educators- comes more nursing programs. Throughout the threads I hear of so many who are on waiting lists to get into nursing programs.

Lydia- I truly admire your strength

It is a long and emotionally painful process to help someone with an alcohol/drug addiction. I went through AA and Analon with a close family friend for almost a year, only to find out, that he had substituted alcohol for marijuana (because of a D.U.I). I have heard this is quite common. I had to give up. He was sucking the life out of me-calling at all hours of the night, and depressed all the time. I hate to say that my patience wore thin, but I had come to realize that I was losing the battle and losing myself. I would not devote that amount of time and dedication again, unless it was a member of my own family.

(((((((((HUGS))))))))))) Ali- I hope all goes well & I will include you in my prayers.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: forgive me if I sound insensitive- but that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of, second only, to the pet psychic. With all the animals in the SPCA shelters waiting to be adopted, or having to be euthanized. People will actually pay to save one that should be euthanized. That is just cruel........ What is next, HMOs for doggies? PLEASE...... breathe in, breathe out

:balloons: happy birthday, have a truly wonderful day and thank you for all your guidance and wisdom throughout the threads

Proceed with caution- Stay alert & present yourself as the authoritive figure at all times- I have found teens to be very manipulative, and they have no fear of consequences. Do not put yourself in a position where you can be accused of abuse/assault & battery. What I am trying to say is- never touch a pt. unless you ask them if it is o.k first. And have a private consult with security. Don't mean to scare you. Hope my advice helps. Good luck.

Wow- Are you working in a LTC facility or a Psych hospital? If a psych hospital- she should have more meds, to handle her anger & her detox If you are not in a psych hospital- they should have sent her their for detox & proper psych eval. Unfortunately, with her dx she has probably not grasped the acceptance of a short life and may still be in the anger stage. She is a threat to others if she went after her own sister in such a violent manner. Be careful Ali. I hope all turns out o.k

:angryfire what boils my blood- is when you question why "Agnes- with a hip fx" has not been receiving pain medicaiton, and you hear, "She has dementia, she doesn't feel pain." OR "Her psych meds numb her pain." Yet--- "Bob" in the room next door gets his percocet every 4 hours on the dot.

It is truly sad how this thread has completely turned on MAs. It is like a MA bashing. I have worked with MAs before. I saw & treated them as my equals- we worked as a team & had no problems.

I left a few jobs that I could have made a career out of, because I could not walk around with blinders on. That is what separates the good nurses, from the not so good ones. I do believe in my heart- that even tho this person has the right to sit at home and die. I can't imagine how much pain he must be in, and we all know that alcohol does not numb the pain for very long. PLEASE Rhonda- do the right thing. Your uncle needs help. If anyone wants to chew me up, so be it. I have said my peace.

You are second guessing because you have sympathy as well as empathy. I recently posted a thread because a family friend jumped off an overpass into oncoming traffic. Could it have been prevented? I think so, maybe if we all listened to what he was trying to tell everyone. We hear alot of "that's not my patient", "I don't want to get involved", "cover your butt", "its your license," blah blah blah. But if we know that if we don't report something when it is terribly wrong- how can we expect to make a difference?

Changing the subject for a moment- APATHY, good point Leslie Have you seen the new ads on t.v where they throw away desks & show kid's drawings. They count all the children city to city who have died from AIDS. If we can't help those who can't/won't help themselves---who will? Rhonda- I understand you posted this about your uncle. You are a nurse. You might be put on the spot, if he does not get medical attention. Don't mean to scare you.

Yes- he is a threat to others- his mother, medical intervention is necessary. He has draining wounds that may contain MRSA or gangrene- nonetheless- the health dept needs to get involved. Yes, yes he has rights, but so does his mother & I am assuming that it is HER home that he is living in.

I would speak with the Medical Director who oversees the facility, since the Director of Nursing is not concerned. I am sure the MD would not appreciate the goings-on.