Studentray

I heard from a friend in long term facilities that there are 2 nurses. 1 Registered Nurse and 1 Licensed Practical nurse for 40-60 patients requiring long term care. And I am sure these patients have more than 1 diagnoses so the nurses must have a broad range of knowledge in respective specialties. And at the same time the patients usually have to be stable to be able to enter a long term care facility. That's the problem with LTC, there aren't enough nurses for that many patients and they should always have a more senior nurse on who knows what to do to guide the new nurses. But, nurses eat their young. We eat them we eat them we eat them and I don't understand why. There's too much drama in nursing. I want to know what the patients code status was. Can we resuscitate the patient? or is it just comfort care, are we just comforting them until they are ready to pass away? But it sounds like the nurses didn't even take time to assess the situation/patient before leaving the room just to make sure things are safe. Sounds like a case of neglect.

Also patients maybe on blood thinners to reduce the chance of post op complications from surgery such as: Pulmonary embolism, Deep vein thrombosis, and stroke. You make have to teach patients how to administer their own fragmin (Dalteparin) injections post op because they're usually discharged within days if they're stable enough. Teach about deep breathing, incentive spirometry, leg and arm exercises (Wiggling fingers), and the importance of managing pain.

I am on an orthopedic unit mainly focusing on Knee and Hip Replacement Surgeries. I guess it's very important to maintain pain with narcotic use. Repositioning of the joints, pillow placement, ice packs and transferring patients. Most of the patients are elderly and have dementia so it might be like a long term care facility to you. Lots of administration of antibiotics such as ancef (cefazolin). Make sure you know how to do a neurovascular assessment (Circulation (pulse, color), Warmth of the limb, Movement of the limb and Sensation if they can feel you). Learn about compartment syndrome - numbness, tingling, excruciating pain that doesn't go away after narcotics, repositioning or ice packs. If that happens contact the surgeon, they may need an emergency fasciotomy to relieve pressure and prevent necrosis of the tissue. Most patients are allowed to full weight bear after their surgeries, it's important to ambulate as soon as possible. There are some dressing changes, stable removals, and CODEs from overdose.

I'm graduating from the U of C program this April and I feel very unprepared. I am graduating from the older program 2009-2013. Just to let you know. 11 MRU students made it to the ICU for their final focus and only 3 U of C nursing students made it. During orientation day only 1 out of the 3 U of C nursing students could answer questions that were thrown at the group of 14 nursing students where all MRU students were confident enough to answer any question given to them. There is too much BS theory and projects to be done in U of C courses. For my final focus I have 302 hours of practicum hours, and 26 hours of in class hours + a learning plan, a portfolio and a seminar presentation to do. I hear MRU students just do 360 hours practicum and a small project. Just about every nurse that is working on my unit say that they graduated from MRU. I think the problem is that the professors at U of C are much older and have lost the passion to teach whereas MRU has younger nurses who know how it is to be a student and have the passion to teach. Sure the older you are, the more wisdom you have but, the passion to teach and keep up to date with current policies and nursing practices isn't there. The U of C program is very disorganized and lacking. I dont understand the new program at U of C either. The new program doesn't get into the acute setting till year 3. How will they know if they like being a nurse in the hospital or not? I'm pretty sure all of us went to nursing school so we could work in a hospital from the get go. If you get a undergraduate nursing position on one of the acute units before you graduate you should be competent by the end of it all. And by the way, the U of C has all this simulation crap that was barely even used to teach the nursing students anything. Yeah, it's great to have but .... It was barely even used to teach new students. I am currently doing my final focus and I have one of the worst preceptors you could imagine. She tells everyone she doesn't want to be a preceptor and that she has been avoiding it for 15 years. And then she tells everyone I am her student. I've gone to my faculty advisers and told them about the situation and all they told me was to make the most out of the situation... Like hell how am I supposed to learn when someone doesn't want to teach me.