tuhcoolyuh

As a student, I had an elderly confused patient during my rotation in the ICU. He was put on restraints, and every time I was near or in his room, he started screaming at me, "HEY FATA**, get me out of here!" or "Fatso! Help me!" It was hurtful and humiliating, but I think good practice for growing a thick skin. I know he was confused and upset, and he was lashing out and trying to find some control where he didn't have any. It was pretty terrible, but now that I know I can handle that, I can handle anything.

Hi there, I'm a relatively new nurse doing shift work for a pediatric home health agency (1900 - 0700 3x week). I was hired specifically for one family who travelled twice a year, so it was expected (though not required) that I would travel with the family for a few days out of the year. My first and only travel experience thus far was a hardship for me. The agency paid only half of my gas, with the expectation that the family would pay the other half (which they did not do on principle - they felt it was the agency's responsibility). It was over 400 miles round trip, and I stayed in a guest bedroom and had to purchase all of my own meals. My issue now is that the family has purchased a second home and wants to spend every other weekend, school breaks and holidays there. It is about a 2hr drive depending on the season through a snowy moutain pass. Riding with the family is not an option due to space and the amount of time they will be there. If I choose not to go, the family will be in a bind and I will lose the hours.The current request is working at the vacation home over Thanksgiving. I am less than thrilled, but the family will also be requesting Christmas, so I figure I should take at least one holiday. I want to ask my agency to cover all gas and also pay the holiday rate for at least two shifts to help offset my costs and make it worth my while. I will be paying for additional child care and miss the holiday plus spend my off-time away from home. Is this a fair request? How can I word it? My agency does not pay very well and it was difficult to convince them to even help with gas costs. Thanks everyone!

I currently work 12 hr night shifts in home care with a pediatric vent-dependent patient. I work in the hall outside the room, or go downstairs for 5-15 minutes at a time with a baby monitor on. I pass the time by reading, but I have a lamp at my desk in the hallway. If I were confined to the patient's room, I would probably bring my laptop and sit on the floor or something so the light doesn't wake the patient. I use a flashlight to assess the patient, or the overhead light is on a dimmer if I need more light.

I am also a new grad & took an RN position in home health after applying to at least eighty positions over three months with no call backs. I am not worried about getting stuck - I plan to wait a year and then start applying to RN residencies. During this time I'm going to get additional certifications and probably start a p/t BSN program. If you feel you are losing your clinical skills, then maybe you should look for some per diem work - it's always easier to find a job once you have a job. :)

I don't understand... why is somebody who is dying of liver failure not a good candidate for hospice? Also, is it not painful to have ES liver disease? Why are we labeling him as a med-seeker?

I just finished an ADN program, I'm 31 and have a 4 year old at home. About 1/2 of my classmates were between their 30's-40's, and there were a few in their fifties. The best advice that I got before starting was to have a plan A, plan B, plan C, and plan D for childcare. Nursing school is so much more difficult, time management-wise, than I expected. All my relationships suffered, but my child probably had it the worst in terms of change and losing one-on-one time. Definitely get your affairs in order and make sure you have a handful of people who can step in and take care of your children, even if you have a spouse, they won't always be able to miss work when you have crazy clinical hours and clinical prep work that takes 10 hours to complete the night before your shift.

I'm in a similar situation, except my child is 3 and preschool is out for the summer. Since I only work 3 twelve hour night shifts a week, I found a teen who wants a p/t summer job and will babysit while I sleep during the day. You could try checking around for a responsible teenager with a car who is willing to do before & afterschool care. Also, any parents of kids in her class or neighbors with kids who go to school with your child may be willing to let you drop of your child at their home so your kid can ride along with them and go home with them until you are off work, then pay that family the cost of before/after school care. Perhaps the school staff could hook you up with another single parent who could use the money or child care swap. Good luck!

Hi there, I am a new graduate RN, and after about three months of applying to over fifty jobs, I scored two interviews and just had my first offer. I found this new graduate nurse interview handbook (from a link in another allnurses post): http://www.nursing.umich.edu/studentresources/resumes/resume_guide.pdf and it was incredibly helpful. I got together with a few classmates and we took turns interviewing each other. I can't stress how important it was to practice and take notes of your strengths, experiences, etc. and look them over before your interviews.