Soul

One of our pts had roaming epidural catheter, this was during labor, shortly after the epidural was put in, SHE CODED! we had to run a full code on her. and then a stat section, She did not die thank god. But it certainly gives you a reality check, doesn't it. Epidurals are realitively incident free 99% of the time, i think this can create a false sense of security. Even if a pt is no longer receiving epidural meds, an epidural cath tip can roam into places it shoudn't and cause serious problems, and ultimately a code situation. I only have about 2 yrs experience myself, so if anyone has any further input, please share.

Sorry it took me so long to respond, I want thank all of you again for your input. I did speak with my manager and I have been working with someone new for the last two weeks, its been a lot better. She's much calmer, and allows me more freedom to do my thing. I feel a little more confident and am more comfortable asking questions. They've told me that I will be on my own in another two weeks, I'm really nervous about that I don't know if i'll be ready, but i've heard you really never feel ready, you just have to jump in with both feet, so i'll see how that works. I am trying to use the rest of my time to improve my weak areas. though I still feel shy in some situations and I don't know if that will ever change. But it helps knowing that other nurses have been in my shoes and ended up being o.k.

Thanks for all your input, I really appreciate it. Though I do still feel nervous about speaking up, i think I have more strenth to do so after hearing from people who are quiet like I am and have been through similar situations. I realize I wouldn't be fair to myself If I make a judgement call on my career based on my orientation with this woman. I will keep you posted on what happens, thanks again for your input.

I have a serious dilema, I am a new graduate and I am stuck between having some serious doubts about my abilities and having a terrible preceptor. It has now been 4 months since I have been with a preceptor, and i feel that my progress is moving along extremely slowly. Now don' get me wrong, my preceptor is an excellent nurse, she has years upon years of experience, it's her attitude that sticks. She is mean, rude and treats me like a child. She yells and she talks about me behind my back (according to other nurses). She thrives on intimidating me and I think that is the only reason i'm still there, She enjoys her power over me. It is so bad, even patients will say to me, why is she so mean to you, why does she act like that. It has gotten to a point where other nurses are asking my nurse manager that I be switched to another preceptor. Offcourse nothing has been done because after 4 months I have said nothing. There are a number of reasons i've endured her behavior. My lack of confidence, my inability to stand up for myself. I do have to take responsibility for the fact that I do make a lot of mistakes, I get flustered easily, and am sometimes forgetfull. Now I'm starting to wonder if my slow progress is due to the fact that she makes me feel so nervous that I can't think. She is like a drill seargent, during deliveries and in the OR, she'll yell, she tell me to do one thing, then before i can even do that she'll tell me to do something else. its riduculous. I get so anxious before work, sometimes i'll cry the night before. I feel worried because I still have a long way to go when it comes to developing my critical thinking skills. I'm not sure if I can blame my lack of development on my preceptor or if I'm just not cut out for nursing period, other nurses have said to me that i need to ask for a new preceptor and have even offered to work with me. But I am unsure of how to approach this, I feel too shy to say enough is enough. I wonder if my inability to say something is proof that nursing may not be for me, Is there such a thing as a shy nurse? Please help, i don't know what to do.

I had the hardest time with med/surge. I had med/surge and pharm in the same semester. It was very overwhelming. We had to learn whole body systems in one class. It was very fast paced, tons of reading before and after each class and the tests were killer. I truly had no idea whether I would pass or fail the class till I received my final grades. It was just too much information to learn in too short a time. I knew I would make it in my final semester of nursing school. My classes were pretty much a breeze and we got to work directly with a preceptor at clinicals instead of having an instructor breathing down our necks.

I need some help. I just graduated nursing school and am hoping to specialize in OB, during nursing school i remember caring for a pt on mag. sulf., I remember having to monitor this pt. for either ketones in the urine or glucose in the urine, but I cannot remember if it was because she was a diabetic or if it had something to do with the mag sulf. admin. Please help. Do we routinely check ketones (or glucose) in the urine of a pt on magnesium, if so why.