Mermaid

We give so much morphine and diluadid and marinol and ... that I am afraid that I have become very used to giving these drugs. We have some terminal patients who have built such a tolerance that they require such large doses of medication to get any effect at all. I have patients who take 12mg of diluadid Q 2hours.

Im not sure if you are interested in the inpatient oncology depart... we hang chemo on our floor as well. I will have anywhere from 5 to 9 patients a night. It doesnt matter if I am hanging chemo on one or more of my patients we still keep those numbers. We sometimes get a break if we are doing chemo belly baths on patients and will only have to care for a few other patients at that same time.

It just takes practice. I am always amazed how many times the Oncology nurses are asked to access ports on other floors of the hospital because they do not feel comfortable dealing with them.

I work on a busy Oncology unit where we are required to be chemo certified, check, hang, monitor and check blood returns hourly and depending on what chemo we do Q 15min vitals. we will take med surg patients on our floor if we do not have enough oncology patients to fill our census. I hang more units of blood and platlets each night then I care to count and we all know how time consuming each of those can be with all the vital checks and monitoring. We may have anywhere from 6 to 9 patients per RN any given night. We are not scripted (thank god) but I have found that I have my own script that helps me from running back and forth for unnecessary trips to the patients room. I always ask "Is there anything I can get for you before I leave?" and "If you need anything, please push your call light". I KNOW many of you are going to say that they will be on their call light all night for little things and some patients are going to be anyway but I have found that if I take the time to ask when I am in the room and take care of those things then and there that simply shows them that I am listening and care about their needs that they will be less likely to be demanding later. It does save me some steps in the long run with the added bonus of gaining the patients trust.

Our needles have little wings on them to grab when you pull it out of the port. There is a safety on it that covers the needle when you pull but it never works because the tape and dressing is always attached and doesnt allow the safety to work properly. I just make sure that there is a needle box nearby... havent been stuck once.

Don't come to the ER complaining for chest pain to try to get a medical excuse to miss work so that you can attend the playoffs that day. You may end up with a nasty headache from the nitro and a "fun" trip the the cath lab.... and end up missing the play offs anyway because you spent the day in the hospital (arent we more fun anyway?) Oh but you will receive a work excuse for your fun filled day. Don't fire into the air BB guns smashed full of that confetti from the party poppers you just popped and THEN allow your 10 year old son to have his turn. He may accidently shoot you in the eye which you will have to have removed.... it might ruin your Christmas day. Also, keep in mind that a BB gun is still a weapon and should be empty when you clean it. It may go off and a BB can get lodged in your sinus cavity and must be surgically removed. AND... no matter how much you blow your nose it will not dislodge that said BB and you should not wait for 4 days to come to the ER... things tend to get rather ICKY It is not a good idea to ask the mother of your baby and longtime girlfriend to be a good girl and run out and buy some red roses for the sexy nurse taking care of you in the ER..... regardless of the fact that you have been awake drinking and using cocaine for the past three days. She will NOT understand and may cause more chest pains then when you first arrived to the hospital.

I agree Karen... at the risk of getting this ADN and BSN thing stirred up. I just wanted to tell you what I am observing in my area. ADN nurses are hired due to the nursing shortage but BSN nurses are prefered, it says so in all of the ads in the newpaper and in the hospital recruitment information. Also, in the hospitals in my area. ADN nurses are never advanced to management positions. Ohio still has a nursing shortage but not like most of the other county so I guess they can afford to be more choosey. Right or wrong... duhno. I started Nursing school years ago in a diploma program but dropped out to have my children and stay home and raise them for 12 years. On the advice of my past fellow students with their nursing diploma RN, I went back to school in the BSN program at Kent State University. I graduate in December and have been hired to work at Akron General's Oncology unit once I pass the state boards. They even paid for most of my last semester of school and my NCLEX review course.

In NE Ohio a new graduating RN can expect to make between 21.00 and 24.00 an hour and thats without shift differential... 48,000 is not out of the question for even a new grad.

Don't think that just because someone is a plumber or carpenter or even an electriction that they are not well educated. My husband is a union pipefitter for the international union. He just happens to be the Director of Training for his union. This means that he is responsible for the training of the apprentices and the journeymen. These apprentices serve a 5 year program where they must attend school two nights a week at night and work during the day. This and the other skilled trades work with a college so that when they are done with their 5 year apprenticeship and after taking a few online classes at the union hall, they have their associates degree. I finish my BSN in December...... YEAHHHHHH!!! and with all of the certifications and continuing education I think all of the journeymen and apprentices have as much education as I have and now they have degrees as well... plus they make more money then a nurse does.

I have just one thing to say to you.... ok so anyone who knows me knows that I NEVER just have one thing to say but one IMPORTANT thing to say... www.half.com that is where I get my books for school if I can get away with it. I am finishing my junior level nursing courses of my BS in nursing and I get a list of books for school and rush online to see if I can get my books there. I save TONS by buying used books from other people who have already taken the classes and don't need theirs anymore. Most of our books were expected for our sophomore level classes (800.00 worth) and from then on we use them as reference and the only new books that need to be bought are the ones for the individual classes. I have also discovered that it's wise to talk to students who have had the class before because there are MANY classes where the instructor tests ONLY from the notes and books are not required(the instructors wont tell you that you'll have to get that info from past students). You will still need to buy the reference books for clinical research but for individual classes..... ask someone first before you dish out the money ........ that you could be spending on CAFFINE through the semester to keep you awake while you study. GOOD LUCK to all Sally

I was working in the ED last week when I had to call David ******* into triage who presented to the ED with lady partsl bleeding. We were very busy that day and at least an hour had gone by with his name and condition on the list before I had a chance to call his turn. I guess he found the restroom and the tampon machine because he was gone before we got to him. Now before anyone gets upset with me because of "conditions" or choices that he may have made... I think he signed HIS name and his wife's condition to the board.... silly mistake.... and gave us a needed laugh on a VERY busy day. Sally

Susy, I am only a nursing student with three more semesters to go but.... we were told from the start to keep a portfolio of all accomplishments for just such an occasion. We were told that it would show our organizational skills as well as our accomplishments and experience. We were also told to get letters of recomendation from instructors and professors who's classes we enjoyed and excelled in. This could be done for the areas in which you worked. I do know that it is a good way to keep track of where you have been in your career and things that you might not find important may make the difference between getting that job and them passing you by for someone else who might have that portfolio at the interview..... or at least that is what they have drilled into us during our freshman nursing courses...... GOODLUCK!! Sally