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It's never easy- but with a kid, it's horrendous. I couldn't do pediatric oncology. Peds was bad enough. I've been through chemo, and while it stunk for the 19 months I was on it, at least I was "old enough" to understand the reasoning for the need for the lousy times to have a shot at staying alive. Kids? Maybe. And that's hard to deal with. :hug:

Maybe check the Florida forum... threads will be moved by staff to the forum where they are most likely to get the most exposure appropriate to the topic :)

Personally, with the market being as is described by so many new grads here, I couldn't imagine recommending that someone take out loans for nursing school when the job prospects are so poor.

If I talked to a specific supervisor, doc, or other nurse, by God their name went in the chart w/date and time. Period. If they are pertinent to the situation, they get named in the role they played. :)

Maybe ask your doc for some suggestions.... not sure if this borders on medical advice. I know the dilemma - I take my meds as close to the same time as I can (no diuretics, but just about everything else in the PDR, ).

Murray was a fool. Big difference I loved drug/alcohol rehab patients....yeah- they had some really hard times. But they knew what they were. And, imo- and ime, methadone maintenance is cruel for the patient who actually wants to get OFF of heroin.....the detox from methadone makes heroin detox look like Mardi Gras. And heroin is bad enough.

OK....opinion on this topic. Why not do the ADN-BSN thing.... NOBODY CARES what school you go to ...if you pass boards you get a job (eventually).... it's not even on job applications. Never in 19 years of filling out and processing apps, did I EVER see something about where someone went to school. An expensive school isn't necessarily going to give you what you HOPE you'll get for your money. Get debt gone :) You don't know what will happen with the economic situation...

Very good :) When I saw the title, all I could think of was that my present opinion on a totally unrelated issue isn't fit to print

Wear a shirt that has the word "Baby" with the arrow pointing down.... if you're 6 months and nobody has a clue, you NEED to tell them. Either that or check to see if THEY are breathing - Should something untoward happen they need to be able to tell EMS how far along you are (not meaning to sound creepy- but even a simple "faint" which isn't uncommon in pregnant folks could mean a trip to the ER). Safety thing :) What's to figure out? "Say, Bosslady- I haven't said much, but I'm 6 months pregnant and SO happy"

Ten pages of links- maybe you'll find some more opinions here :) https://allnurses.com/gsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-9350112648257122%3A0185952529&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=Is+med-surg+bad&sa=Search&siteurl=allnurses.com%2Fgeneral-nursing-discussion%2Fmed-surg-really-654037.html

There are probably a million other nurses with the exact same things going on... and they get it done. Whether or not you WANT to live like that is another matter. Good luck. :)

You'd be amazed at what fast talking lawyers can weasel out of a corporation. The truth is irrelevant. Period. I've been sued (along with another nurse, the DON and administrator). There was no negligence. I don't know what the settlement was. The woman was 97 years old- had a GI bleed bad enough for renal failure requiring dialysis which the family refused. She was a train wreck. And, over the 17 days in the facility, she deteriorated (d'oh). When the doc FINALLY saw fit to send her out, the hospital went nuts- and assumed horrible care- NOT that she refused fluids, had so much fluid on board it "puddled" under her wheelchair from her legs, has skin breakdown that was NOT pressure (I saw it- called/faxed that orificewipe MD about it for days, showed it to my DON- and charted that I did, etc), and on and on. And, she died. Without dialysis for 17 days after it was told she required it. A granddaughter who NEVER came to see her filed the suit...NOT the family that were attentive. The prosecuting attorneys tried to say she was A&O x4 when she was admitted...I admitted her- she didn't' know her own name- never mind where, when, or why she was. Wanted to know why we didn't feed her...WE DID.. SHE wouldn't eat. MD ordered NOTHING differently. (he, by the way, did NOT get sued- and was notorious about not returning calls). You don't know who the wolves are- and what Alpha Mongrels they hire. And- you have to worry about EVERYBODY-- the same outpatient patients DO end up inpatient and become your problem...people sue because they can sue without merit (I am NOT saying that all cases are meritless- there are always things that you don't hear however). People who are likely to sue will find something- or their relatives will.

Tramadol CAN be very helpful for different kinds of pain. I'm in constant pain- no pain free days since 1996.... docs won't prescribe the Norco to take it enough to be pain 'tolerable' (I don't expect anything near pain free- that's just not realistic). SO, the tramadol and cyclobenzeprine help take up the slack...at least so I can tolerate contact with the mattress at night. To look at me, you wouldn't think "pain"...it's my new 'normal'.... But a "real" opiate is definitely going to be more addictive- but that doesn't mean everyone who has it prescribed will become an addict.....studies show about 2-4% of those prescribed routine opiates have addiction issues....and keep in mind that tolerance and dependence are not the same as addiction....very important distinction. :)

Right- my main point is to know the paperwork...:) Unless the POA specifically covers healthcare decisions, it is useless for medical decisions.

T#3....hands down. NEVER had a patent enter drug rehab for tramadol. I hear about the tramadol being taken off the market- first it was propoxyphene.. they're leaving few options besides the hard stuff- and then docs hate to prescribe that.... don't know what to do. I guess it's back to the pain management doc....I hate adding another doc in the mix.

I've worked at a small rural hospital (125 beds) and also (in the same city) a community hospital (with 300+ beds) and a medium sized hospital of 400+ beds. Loved them all. Paged docs appropriately- and had ER docs for codes along with code team. I came back to a different state and worked at a "local" hospital (Level I Trauma, Level III NICU, regional pediatrics and PICU).... docs around everywhere. Lousy place to work. Royally sxxxxd. BUT gave good care. I think it depends on the place. As a patient- my most frustrating experience was at a big teaching hospital w/university ties- could NOT get that dxxn intern to focus on why I was there- he liked my other diagnoses more- and wanted to repeat tests I repeatedly told him I'd had years ago TO GET THE DIAGNOSIS!!! Totally batshxt. He wasted 2 of 5 days of video EEG monitoring by not lowering meds.

Durable Medical Power of Attorney is essentially the same thing. :)

Enter: Power of Attorney vs Power of Attorney for Healthcare (or whatever your state calls it) and watch millions of entries come up :) I had the link- but it lead to some personal info I can't get rid of

Depending on the state- no. They aren't covered. People need to know what their state requires re: medical decisions (either for themselves or their patients) The POA form is purely financial....no mention of medical issues. (TX and IL) POAH is purely medical- though I think there may be a small part re: expenses pertaining to medical care..... has NO impact on selling the house if in a nursing home, etc.

Hey GrnTea- congrats on the gold letters :)

I see this all the time- and wonder if folks think they are the same. They are NOT. :) POA- Power of Attorney- for financial issues POAH- Power of Attorney for Healthcare....for medical decisions. The paperwork is VERY different.... You don't call the POA for decisions re: medical care. Actually, the business office is the one with the most need for the POA. Nurses and docs have more use for the POAH. The same person can have both designations. I see them used interchangeably (or if not interchangeably, then wrong)....only reason I brought it up

These are not uncommon with specific EOL care wishes. MOST allow for transport for acute problems. If the patient/resident is very demented, some choose to have comfort measures and/or hospice brought in - and not transferred. It was a fairly common order when I worked LTC. :) HERE- in LTC- the family rules... ya have to have the order- but the doc asks the family or POAH.

Maybe some of these will help :) https://allnurses.com/gsearch.php?cx=partner-pub-9350112648257122%3A0185952529&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&q=drug+seeking+and+pain+medication&sa=Search&siteurl=allnurses.com%2Fgeneral-nursing-discussion%2Fsometimes-its-hard-653587.html

It's not the school's problem that you missed the question. It stinks- but you're fortunate to have a low passing "target"....I guess. I had the same set up as applewhitern.... and we had %100 pass on boards. Repeat- remember- pass the next time :)

I've taken care of either bolus or pump feedings- not free flowing, large volume gravity drips. I don't think those are safe- when you set a clamp, you get the speed in the position the person is in at the time you set it. If they move around, and the tube moves (maybe up against the stomach wall), the rate changes- or if you set it and the end of the tube was partially against the stomach wall, and they more, they can get "overloaded" when they turn..... Bolus- one can while I stood there watching. Pump- safest (though not perfect) Flow-meter (which this device sounds like) were VERY positional - they were better than nothing, but if you get a blockage because of positional issues- you're in deep doodoo. IMO, a gravity regulator is bad news for tube feeding formulas. And I would never "catch up" a "large" volume of formula - to much risk for vomiting/aspiration.