Rachel2004RN

Hi all- Came across this old post and realized I never filled you in......(someone asked for info if I got it). They DID chalk this patient's symptoms up to the Reglan...all other tests came back normal and I guess they must have felt it was too cooincidental that this happened after her first dose. There's been talk a couple times since then about deciding on a med to give her whenever needed, and the 'Reglan incident' is always mentioned....they steer clear of this drug with her now. The patient is OK.....no residual effects from this incident, but it DID make me realize EVERY drug has it's potential dangers in different patients. Good lesson to learn......

My co-workers. I'm a new RN, been at the job just over 4 months & I'm just now starting to feel comfortable in my surroundings. For the most part I work with an awesome group of people who have been relentlessly patient and supportive throughout my terrified beginnings!! It was rough for a while there, but I was able to hang in there because of them making it a place I'd be sad to leave(and I've also grown very fond of a lot of patients). I also love the fact that it's a constant learning experience. Never a dull moment!!

Gosh....that's my essay! It made my night to know it touched you enough to want to pass it along. I wrote it a few years ago, while I was working as a CNA. I'm a new RN, but still feel the same about the work CNA's do. A good CNA is such a blessing to the health care team and to the patients we care for!!

Lousy leadership here......makes me wonder how common practices like you describe are in health care facilities. Sounds like your management team could write a book on "50 Ways to Lose Your Nursing Lisence".

Not only is this illegal but also dishonest and sneaky on the part of administration. Do not under any circumstances do this!!! Not only is it wrong from an ethical standpoint, it also compromises care and places the patients in jeapordy...if you clock in but aren't really there, who is??? Get out of there ASAP and report them to the BON.

Hi I took and passed the NCLEX-RN in August and personally I thought my questions most closely resembled the Kaplan practice questions. But I think it's good to practice using a few different resources. Helps the info stick better, and you might recognize something on the NCLEX that you may have reviewed. Best of luck!

Hi- I graduated from Quincy's full-time RN program this past May. Yes, you have to finish prereq's before applying (and take a not-so-easy entrance exam). One thing to consider is that applying as soon as your able and waiting until '06 to start the program might not be a bad idea. If you can afford to take all (or most) of your non-nursing classes prior to starting the nursing program I HIGHLY recommend it....although your tuition each semester during the nursing program will remain the same regardless of how many classes you take (one thing that stinks big time...my education ended up costing a small fortune because of this fact---they don't deduct anything from the set rate each semester, even if you've already taken all of the non-nursing classes, so essentially I paid for all my non-nursing classes twice for the luxury of not having to take them together with nursing). I went to school year-round for 3 years, finishing pre-reqs, doing nursing during the semesters and taking non-nursing classes in the summer and winter sessions. I was REALLY glad I did it that way because the nursing class and clinicals sucks the life out of you and demand a ton of time and energy. I was glad to be able to focus ONLY on nursing. Several people in my class had other classes to deal with along with nursing and it wasn't fun for them at all. So anyway this is just my two cents here, I realize not everybody is in a position to be able to do things the way I did them, but if you are able, I recommend it. Good luck whatever you decide! There are a lot of good programs out there...I was happy with the education I got at Quincy.

Run fast and far and don't look back......

Hi everyone- Thanks so much for all of your replies, I appreciate your input. I will let you know if I hear anything this week regarding the cause of the patient's symptoms. Have a good one! Rachel

Good grief :uhoh21: .......this post just singlehandedly ruled out anesthesia of any sort as a specialty for me and guaranteed I will avoid all physics classes like the plague.........LOL......Kudos to anyone who understands this stuff.....

Hi- Thanks for the response.... The Reglan was d/c'd immediately for this patient, too, and from listening to the PA & MD talk they suspected her symptoms were due to the med, but I left not knowing for sure. I'm just glad she bounced back. She's in a bad enough position health-wise, as it is, I can't imagine if she also had to live with the effects of a stroke or some other, new problem. I'll forever be a little cautious and aware when administering Reglan in the future, especially first doses. I did a web search on the drug and it returned many results for websites geared towards lawsuits surrounding ill effects of Reglan (!!!).

Hi all- I had a scary experience with one of my patients yesterday. She was given a new order for Reglan 5mg via GT to try to ease her never-ending GI problems. (daily upset stomach, frequent constipation issues despite bowel meds). She is vented and on continuous tube feeding. Anyway, she was "herself" in the morning, alert and oriented as always. I gave the first dose of Reglan around 9am. I popped in on her a few times throughout the morning. The last time I saw her alert and oriented was at 11:20am, when I went in to check on her tube feed. When I went back 20 minutes later at 11:40, to get her VS before her noon meds, she was unresponsive. (vital signs were stable). I called another nurse into the room, who also tried to get a response. She opened her eyes half-mast with a sternal rub and her pupils were the size of a pin head and barely reactive. The right side of her face looked a little droopy to me, as well. She was examined by the PA, who immediately called in the MD. All kinds of labs were ordered in the meantime. While she was being examined by the MD, about 20 minutes into this episode, she "came around" and returned to baseline. She was sent out for a CT scan which came back OK. She was placed on telemetry and oximetry and an EKG was ordered, she seems fine. My drug book says that Reglan can cause nuero reactions (also listed--extrapyrimidal effects, lassitude, lethargy...). This patient also has 'small vessels' and there was a question as to whether she had a TIA, or maybe some kind of seizure activity. I think it's awfully cooincidental that this happened on the same day she took her first dose of Reglan. This was an unusual occurance for this patient. A nurse I work with seems to think this patient had taken this drug in the past without any problems. Has anyone else heard of a reaction like this caused by this drug? Or do you think it was more likely a TIA of some kind? (her face is fine now, no drooping.....no residual effects, mentally, either). I was shocked and thrilled when she finally opened her eyes but I'd love to know what that was all about. I left yesterday before getting the full story and won't be back til Monday....the suspense is killing me, LOL....

I just wanted to thank everyone who has posted input on this thread. It really helps to know I am not alone in the way I am feeling, and that others can relate. I'd worry if I WERE the only one feeling this way.......at least I know the problems and issues I'm perceiving are widespread and are not accepted by my fellow nurses as "OK". What is it going to take to change things? It seems like a problem with such a simple solution.....better staffing.....but how many different ways can we explain our working situations to those in a position of changing things before things get better??? What's it going to take?? You know, I worked as a nursing assistant alongside LPN's and RN's for 8 years before deciding to go to school. Part of the reason I waited so long to go to school was because every nurse I ever worked with HATED nursing with a raging passion and urged me not to pursue the career. From the outside looking in, I didn't and couldn't see what they were so unhappy about and I thought they just had attitudes or they didn't like nursing in general and should have chosen a different career. It took me 3 days on the floor, working as an RN, to see what they were talking about. I love nursing.....I love caring for patients, I love the skills, I love nursing in general but I do NOT like the current atmosphere and work environment in which apparently so many nurses are finding themselves. It's now more understandable to me what those nurses were talking about. And it's also clear to me WHY there is a nursing shortage nationwide. The burnout rates couldn't be anything BUT astronomical considering the conditions nurses are expected to function in these days. I don't mean to sound negative or whiny and I definitely don't want to be discouraging to current and prospective nursing students. Nursing itself is an awesome profession with so many different positive aspects to it. I am proud to be an RN and I do not regret my decision to follow this career path. I am, however, very disappointed in what I've seen and learned in a very short time related to the REALITY of our roles on a day to day basis. I imagine that a good percentage of nurses who leave the profession did so due to the same disillusionment I am already feeling. This is not what I bargained for. While in school, I was so excited and so determined to provide exceptional, high quality care for my patients. Excrutiatingly thorough physical assessments, interpeting labs daily, therapeutic communication, etc.....these are all things I recognize as being integral parts of quality, competent nursing care and I am more than a little upset that I am not able to do half of what I SHOULD be doing because I don't have the time. The thing that aggrevates me the most about this fact is that the solution is as simple as staffing the floor with another 1 or 2 CNA's to free up the lisenced staff to do their job properly. Sorry for the rant. I'm feeling at a bit of a crossroads here. It's clear to me I won't be happy at my current job, but I am afraid if I move on I'll find myself in the same situation (or worse). Thanks for listening.

I haven't had a morning break in weeks.....it's impossible because by the time I actually get my 8am meds out they run into the 10's and it starts all over again....by the time I get through the 10's I have to wash up my 2 patients in between answering call lights and everything else that has to be done....then the lunch truck arrives and the rush starts once again...trying to pass trays while getting noon meds out and worrying about patients who need to be fed. It's never-ending. I hate to even take a bathroom break because I don't have the time...I'm perpetually behind as it is. I think I am pretty good at prioritizing and managing time and I go like a madwoman but it's never enough. Not enough hours in the day.

You just hit the nail on the head.