jen42

I am a wreck, and feeling pretty wretched. I'm in my last week of a job in an outpatient clinic, administering injectable meds (doing other things too, but this is what I screwed up on.) My first error, two patients of the same name, gave one a shot she didn't need (but luckily didn't hurt her.) Second error, gave an allergy patient the wrong mix- someone else's- and luckily no harm was done. I am so thankful neither error had a negative impact on the patient's health, or I would be beating my head against the wall right now. I offered my manager to cancel my remaining 2-3 shifts, but she declined and said I need to learn from the experience. I'm glad she has faith in me. My upcoming job does NOT involve administering meds, it's mostly patient education with a little phone triage. This is somewhat of a relief- but I do have a few shifts left at the old job. Is my license at risk? I have terrible visions of being sanctioned, or losing my license altogether. I looked up the WA state nursing sanction guidelines... you can be sanctioned for even one med error. I so love nursing, I have no clue what I would do. I have put a plan into place for my next shift, with the help of nurse and QA friends, to make sure I am religiously sticking to the "5 rights", am arranging to have another RN check my allergy shot setup before I give them, and I also am taking 3 CEUs in safe medication administration before my next shift. I don't know what else to do. I'm so worried and upset and feeling like an awful nurse, I've been crying for days. Does anyone have any thoughts? Please be constructive, you don't need to tell me how terrible this could have been, or how terrible I have been, I've been telling myself for days.

I have mono. (Aren't I too old for mono?) I also start a new job on Monday. I've had mono for about three weeks (was misdiagnosed for the first two) and can do nice things like swallow, stay awake, and walk across the room. The first week of my new job is all sitting and training, which is good. Any tips on recovery? I'm eating well, resting, taking echinacea, etc. I'm terrified of another relapse- this is my first one, since I didn't get a diagnosis of mono and forced myself to work/ exercise/ etc. when I felt the slightest bit better.

This past year I worked both as a school and a jail nurse. At the jail, treated many, many MRSA abscesses. Then one morning a 7-year-old walked in complaining of a "sore" on his back. Pulled up his shirt- gigantic MRSA abscess, leaking all over the place. Poor kiddo. I knew his family, and they were certainly loving, caring parents... just perhaps not up on the signs and symptoms of abscesses. It's everywhere. Just everywhere. Babies are getting it. There's no way to prevent it except to eat well, sleep, exercise, and make sure your kids try to stay healthy too. But it's not just for jails anymore! (sigh)

I used to work nights. I rarely could sleep for just a little bit, and not wake up feeling worse. However, some nurses who were having a slow night would put their heads down for a bit, with their beepers on loud volume right next to their heads, so they'd know if somebody called. It rarely lasted longer than 30-45 minutes, and nobody minded. The culture was such that it was totally acceptable to wake up a nurse to help you with something, or if their beeper was going off and they didn't hear it. Working nights isn't natural for our bodies, and I say if a coworker wants to take a quick nap, and will not be adding to anybody's workload by doing so, she can go right ahead. It doesn't harm anything, and nobody's around to see it except the other nurses, and perhaps a resident or two, who is mostly likely snoring in the corner.

I got a biology degree before I went to nursing school... and got almost 2 years of organic and inorganic chemistry. I use it often. We are chemical creatures, and if our chemistry gets out of whack, we are toast. It's important to understand at least the basics of what's going on inside our blood, when we take meds, etc.! Like I said, while it's not vital, often my organic chemistry background makes me able to go Ohhh yeah... that's how it works.

Hello all! I just accepted a position as an RN in a clinic for low-income families. I'm very excited! I've worked in a school setting, and a correctional setting, but never in an office. On the med-surg forum they have a "sticky" with tons of advice from more experienced nurses on how to succeed in that area. (i.e. don't panic, don't stand for screaming doctors, delegate effectively. etc.) Wondering if we could do something similar here? What are strategies that you've found to make everything run more smoothly for you and make your job more rewarding? Any tips are welcome... Thank you!

Heck, I worked in a residential locked psych facility for teens- not criminally insane, just mental health diagnoses- and got assaulted all the time. I work in a jail for a few shifts a month, and I'd say it's safer than your basic ER. Always CO's around when inmates are out of their cells, plus they know if they mess with medical staff, they're getting sent to the hole and most likely getting their sentence extended. I've been verbally abused, and sexually harrassed to a point, but nobody's ever touched me violently. If an inmate has any history of attacking staff, or is an ultra-security, they are shackled. I guess they could conceivably bite you, but even working the psych unit, I've never had anybody try anything like that. I would never, ever work in a facility for the criminally insane. I would be too worried about being attacked. It takes a very special and very brave person to do it, and if that person is you, I commend you for it. And if you decide it's not for you, I commend you for making the right decision for your career, too. :)

I was working in a teenage psych home... a girl told me her ear hurt. As I approached it with the otoscope, this blue glow began emanating from her ear canal... all I could think was, "aliens?" No, she'd stuck a shard of blue glass in her ear that was reflecting the light. The doc told me to remove it if it came out easily- it did. There were two pieces of clear glass behind it. She had to have surgery. I wish I could say she was the only one there who did this..

Our school seems to have a policy somewhat in between. If there are live bugs in the hair- the kids stays home. If there were nits, and the kid still has two or three, but the parents are conscientiously combing them out, we'll let them come back if they're old enough. Kindergartners and preschoolers touch heads constantly- sixth graders not so much, and they can understand it if we say "Don't hug anyone, don't touch heads with anyone, don't share clothes." We've found that the anti-lice shampoo, plus lots and lots and lots of combing, works well. All the lice cases I've diagnosed have been quite far-gone, with live bugs running around all over the place. If it goes from that to a couple of nits, as long as the parents are continuing treatment and the child is old enough to follow directions, they can come back. Yes, we technically have a "no-nit" policy, but our supervisor is changing it for next year, and has told us to perform exclusions on a case-by-case basis.

I work in a jail. 1. 4 hours of classroom, 4 shifts of orientation (I'm agency.) 2. What self-defense course? 3. I won't know until I am, and I doubt I ever will be. 4. Nope- had some unconscious people/ chest pain/ emergent situations, but never had anyone stop breathing. We're correctional nurses too! :)

I just talked to a girl with her arm in a sling. I saw her on Wednesday after she fell off the monkey bars. She was calm, didn't seem to be in much pain. Said her arm hurt- it wasn't swollen and she could move it. Gave her ice and sent her back to class, telling her if it got worse to come back. Turns out the next day she was diagnosed with an arm fracture! I feel very oblivious. Just left a long rambling message with the mom apologizing. I feel like there's something I should have noticed... but what? What did I miss?

Jeez. Even if the candy *had* come out I would have had his parents pick him up, because I'd imagine he was scared and traumatized! If it hadn't... definitely wouldn't put him on the bus.

Quick Update- Did a lot of job shadowing, and my experience in L&D was amazing. I loved the hospital, the nurses, and the experience from beginning to end- actually quite a hard labor, but it ended with a beautiful baby boy. I was able to speak with some RNs and higher-ups about what makes a good L&D nurse, and I think it's a good fit. Only one hospital (the one I shadowed at) will take me without recent acute care experience, and it's going to be an uphill battle getting the job. All the others want me to have a year of med-surg, which I understand, but which terrifies me nonetheless (I've heard so many bad stories). We will see what happens. Thanks for your advice, everyone! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Street clothes, no jeans. No nametag. It's a small school, so the kids know who I am.

Stevens Hospital, Edmonds Northwest Hospital, Seattle Skagit Valley Hospital, Mt Vernon Valley General Hospital, Monroe Providence Hospital, Everett (a more well-known one) Evergreen Hospital, Kirkland Thanks guys!

I think psych nurses are real nurses... but of course I've worked as one. :) There *is* less technical skill involved than many areas. But nursing isn't just technical skills, we're not mechanics.

Jeez! Well, I hope *somebody* will hire me...

I was speaking to somebody (a manager) who said she would rather hire a new grad than a nurse who has not been working in a hospital for a few years. Is this the usual opinion?

Do you belong to a union? If so, call them up. They would be able to help you sort through all this. You don't lose your license as a result of being fired. A friend of mine got fired because she "didn't get along with other staff" (i.e. doctors), and nobody's taking her license over that! At least where I am, nobody takes away your license without giving you a chance to defend yourself in front of the board of nursing. Somebody with much more knowledge than me can probably give you more details!

That's ridiculous. What if you were a single mom and didn't have childcare? Are you supposed to leave them with the man next door?

Well, as a school nurse, here's my take... As far as diseases, I wouldn't worry too much (I know it's hard). Urine is usually sterile. Gonorrhea can be passed on in it, and you can get gonorrhea of the throat, but your son would get a sore throat from it. HIV cannot get passed on in urine unless there is frank blood in it, and even then the virus can only live about 5 minutes out of the body. Herpes, as well, dies very quickly. The chances of getting hepatitis are very rare, especially if your son has been vaccinated against A and B. Hep C is usually an IV drug/ blood transfusion disease, and while there are other ways to get it I don't think urine is one of them. If I had to choose a body fluid to drink (hopefully this never comes up!) it would be sweat first, then urine. It's pretty clean. I remember learning in some class that if you're in the wilderness and have to wash out a wound, urine is preferable to dirty river water! Talk to your principal first, even if you do decide to press charges. Hopefully he or she will be as helpful as possible. This definitely warrants at least a suspension, and the boy's parents should be notified as well. Whether it goes on to expulsion- that's something you and the school will need to talk about. I doubt it would, but there would definitely be some strict supervision with this kid (although I doubt your poor son will ever let his water bottle out of his sight again!) You certainly have the right to press charges, but it's probably best to do that with the school's assistance rather than otherwise.

Our rule of thumb is that if 3 kids in the same class come down with lice, we notify the parents. I would be furious if I were a parent who found out there was a lice outbreak and I wasn't told. Why doesn't the principal want you to send out anything?

So this kid came into my room today, said a cut on his back had opened and was leaking blood. I took off his Band-aid and saw... an enormous abscess. I do agency work at a nearby jail and I am quite familiar with them, but what a shock to see one on this little child's body! Expressed the pus, bandaged him up, sent him off to see a doctor... but I feel sick. I associate abscesses with criminals and drug use because of my work at the jail, it was like a nightmare to see it on this sweet little kid. I hope it's not MRSA, but I wouldn't be surprised. Little satellites all around it... poor guy.

Everybody gets crushes... I have gotten major ones. I usually tell my fiancee that I have a crush on someone, and we laugh about it because he gets them too. We trust each other and know that nobody's going to fly off the handle and leave, because we love each other, but we've been together so long that crushes arise. Totally normal. We don't act on them, we wait them out, we remember that we love each other. These feelings always have gone away for me, usually leaving a pleasant friendship in their wake. It sounds like you haven't really had a crush since getting married, and this first one is a doozy. If there wasn't a kid involved, I might be less emphatic, but for God's sake, separate yourself from this guy and move on. You have a child to think about. I don't know anything about your marriage. This may be a symptom of something wrong in the marriage, but unless you really feel you're being treated badly somehow, do everything you can to save it! Go to counseling, talk with your husband, don't give up on it so soon. You have a child and you're not responsible for just yourself anymore. And honestly, singing love songs on the karaoke machine... typical crush vs. love behavior! :)

If you're trying to figure out any advantages to it, why would you take the job? That said, I'm sure it's interesting from a psychiatric standpoint and also a moral one. I'd feel pretty gutsy if I was doing that work. Of all the people I've worked with in jail psych, I think only a few would be "criminally insane"... and it sure was interesting. You get impressed looks from people. Probably not for the overly trusting, faint of heart, or easily depressed....