angelrun1

It is important to remember every patient you have ever cared for is a project. Every time you used nursing judgement was analysis. When you were in charge you were the program director. Patient education was end user training, not to mention orientation to a new nurse. I can go on and on. Check out Nurse Informatics Career Advice | HIMSS.org

I have done several things during my nursing career, although not full time informatics. After several years of management I decided to go back to direct patient care. I found that if you have a license, it is not difficult to get work with an agency. Also, any military experience is a HUGE bonus in the job market. Also, I do agree that IT nurses will always be needed. At least in my lifetime. The changes that are being required are vast. Our hospital has four different EMR programs and the ICU is still all on paper. Additionally, both ASCs have separate programs. I will be long retired before that gets that straightened out.

as a patient i prefered having midazolam/fentanyl...which helps anxiety and minimizes the pain. I have had several pts request no medication or minimal meds. it does depend on the pt. if the pt is fighting the procedure because of pain or anxiety that makes it more difficult to do the procedure BUT the pt must be able to respond to commands. i would not want to be giving propofol for a procedure. unless u are talking about venting them.

self scheduling.... figure out what has to be covered and how many each person has to pick up and let them decide. explain it has to be fair and if there is an issue then they will be scheduled without any choices. my experience is it works out well. and the staff is less resistant.

I think it is easiest as an agency nurse to stay focused on a specialized area especially the critical care ones, like telemetry, icu, or, er. I go to a lot of different places but i work for an agency that considers my background before sending me to a facility. my experience regarding orientation has been varied but generally u get very little orientation. often one hour, sometimes 4hours but that is usually about it. you are more marketable if u have a speciality.

i so agree with what has been said here. it is crucial to stay organized and keep notes. I did spend a lot of time while not on the floor creating a "mini reference" for myself. if a procedure or new med came up during the shift i made a reminder note and then at home i would look it up and write what i felt would be helpful. it is a HUGE learning experience and to get as organized as u want u may have to do some home work.... and check out this site.... http://www.icufaqs.org/ i used it for a reference making my notes after a shift. goodluck

can you send me a copy of this too? :nuke:

We handle samples very much like narcs. They are logged and counted daily. The have to be ordered by a physician, labeled as if it were coming from a pharmacy and given to the patient with verbal and written instructions by the MD. (in a childproof container) In NY it is against the law for anyone other than a physician or pharmacist to dispense medication. We keep a log of all samples given and it is written in the pt's chart. Some of our clinics have a PXYSIS system so it does everything for them. For them it is easy, for us it is quite an ordeal. A