landonsles

Our techs set up our delivery tables in the OR (they gown/mask/sterile glove to do so), and then cover them with a cover that is included in the pre-packaged vag del kit. The tables are then kept in our sterile supply room until we need them. Once in my room, I keep my table covered until the MD is at bedside for delivery.

I never thought when I became a nurse that I would have to pretty much fight for my hours...drives me crazy. Because of the way the nurses on my unit are scheduled and the feast or famine nature of L&D, there have been times that, as a full timer, I have been flexed down to less hours per week than some of our PRN's. It's getting to the point that I may have to find myself a PRN position in addition to my FT one just to get a full paycheck..

Interesting...I have never seen that before. I am wondering if maybe she wanted a little control over a situation where she felt she would have none. KWIM? Eight weeks ago, I had my fourth baby via primary c/s for breech presentation. I felt like I had no control over anything--luckily for me I had her in my own L&D unit, so they knew my wishes. Just an example--at my hospital, we do not have the baby in recovery with the mother after a c/s--and that was a big deal to me. If I was not on my home turf so to speak, then I probably would have appreciated having a birth plan even though it was a c/s.

No--you don't look like the ***** who swatted at her nurse...LOL. Your nurse should've respected you and backed off. It's pretty sad when nurses get so wrapped up in tasks/interventions (and, unfortunately charting to CYA) that they forget their patient is *gasp* an actual human.

I don't care if a woman is in the throes of labor...no nurse deserves to be "swatted at" or kicked for doing his/her job. That being said, I do prepare my pts for whatever task I am about to do and will (usually--unless baby is in trouble) wait for a contraction to be over or for them to be ready before I do anything. I am continually amazed at the strength and control that a lot of women having a natural birth exhibit!

I'm going to sound like the poster above me...LOL I will be delivering on my unit in October, too. And this will be my third on this particular unit. My youngest two were delivered there before I worked on that unit; I loved the care I rec'd, so decided to work there. And that's the only hospital that my OB delivers at, so it is a no brainer for me. (It also helps that I don't have to pay any of the hospital costs with our insurance!)

If mom has been d/c'd from hospital already, then she goes to ICU. If she has not yet left hospital, then she comes back to us on L&D.

The only time I have ever gotten a script while at work was from my own OB. And she offered it b/c I asked her opinion on which OTC med was better for acid reflux. She said that a RX was better and pulled out the RX pad before I could blink. She has also been my OB for 6 yrs (well before I became a RN) and this is my third pregnancy with her. She owes me...LOL...just kidding. I would feel weird to ask a doctor who was not my own to write a script, but it happens quite a bit on my unit.

I always tell them (before we start pushing) that they need to take a big breath like they're going under water, to hold it, and then to push like they are "pooping a watermelon." (OK--it depends upon my rapport with my pt as to whether I tell her the watermelon thing or not...some people I do say to push like they're constipated) Then while she's pushing, each time I remind her to "take a deep breath, chin to chest and push...one...two...good job...four...keep pushing...six", etc, etc You will find your own preferred wording/scripting/phrasing in time!!

I had the exact same situation a few weeks ago...down to the gestational age, feet first, all that etc, etc. I had just found out the week before that I am pregnant again, so needless to say, it was a highly emotional day for us all. To the OP, I hate it when these things happen, but kudos to you for taking great care of her. She will always remember the compassion and care that you gave her. One bright spot in an otherwise horrible time in her life.

We have badges with our pics, name, and title. Nurses also have a plastic tag that sits behind our badge that states "RN" in big white letters against a blue background or "LVN" in big blue letters against a white background. It hangs far enough down so the RN/LVN is below your badge and it just looks like it's a part of your badge. That was admins idea of id'ing us so the pts would at least know who the nurses are.

This is from when I worked at a very small dental office---I had a pt "Mrs. X" who, at the beginning of her appt, told us all (including the dentist) how at her last dental office, she had the cops called on her b/c she had pitched such a fit when it came time to pay her bill. At the office I worked, we had pts pay in full and then had insurance reimburse them--this was a new thing, about maybe 2 months old. So I heard from a lot of angry pts. Well, when it was time for "Mrs X" to pay her bill in full, she started to get a little irate, raising her voice and all. Since I did all the insurance claims, I knew the exact amt that her particular insurance would pay, so I had her pay the difference and submitted her claim to pay us directly. She calmed down and left--disaster scene averted...I thought I had handled it pretty well (esp considering the dentist left the office when the pt came up front b/c she didn't want to deal with the pt any more). I figured that, hey, we got all our money in the end anyway and I had diffused the situation, no thanks to that dentist. The next day, I got in trouble from the dentist for taking only the pts portion of the bill and not making her pay in full. But of course, had she been a "friend" of the dentist, it would've been just fine for me to take only the co-pay.

I did sorta the same thing. I graduated in May 2006, but did not start my first RN job until Nov 2006. (I had a baby that June.) I completed a three month internship, the same as the two GN's who were hired shortly after I was. It doesn't matter that you will be an RN, apply for jobs that offer you an internship. I have seen several postings around here that offer an internship to GN's and/or RN's looking to change specialties. Good luck!!

I failed the Foley check off when I was in NS, and now I put in Foley's all the time..LOL Just practice, practice, practice, and you'll do fine on your redo!

We have mandatory call that varies each schedule, depending on our staffing. Last month it was 12hrs, this month it's 8. We get $0.50 for each hour on call that we are not called in, and time and a half for the hours we are called in.

I graduated #11 out of 550 people in high school. Would have graduated in the top 10 if I wouldn't have "slacked off" my last year. I graduated nursing school with a 4.0, and was valedictorian. I thought nursing school was pretty easy. I didn't have to study too much---but, I know how to take tests and I can remember most things I read. School & learning have always come easy for me...I sure feel for those who struggle. But you know, victory is sweeter when you have to work for it!

I graduated from NCTC the semester after TCDTX did. I have heard horror stories about her 1st semester, but they removed the teacher who was causing all the commotion from 1st semester. My first semester was pretty easy compared to hers. Her class lost quite a few people that 1st semester and then a couple more as the semesters progressed. My class lost one person half-way through 1st semester (due to personal issues), two people at the beginning of 2nd semester (due to grades from a non-nursing class and drug use), five people failed 3rd semester, and everyone that was left graduated AND passed NCLEX. I think I rec'd a great education from NCTC. Good luck!!!

We do our own IV's, as well as lab draws. But we cannot get our labs from IV site--for some reason the cannulas we use cause the labs to hemolyse. (Or so I have been told, and it really seems to be the case, b/c lab calls about every sample drawn from IV site)

I worked in a dental office for many years, and one thing I noticed was that kids picked up on the fears of the parents and did MUCH better if they went in to the exam room by themselves. Even my own son, who has known our dentist and hygienist since birth, would pitch fits about getting xrays/exams until I quit going to the back with him. Good luck!

That is so sad...wonder what happened to spark that rule?

I am starting my first new nurse job on Tuesday (12 hr shifts). I breastfeed my five month old son exclusively. How hard is it to maintain milk supply while being away from baby for 13 hrs, three days a week? Also, how realistic is it to think that I will be able to pump at least once during the day while at work (I will be in a busy L&D unit)? I guess I am wanting some advice/words of wisdom from someone who has "been there, done that". Thanks!!

To answer the original poster's question: I did Suzanne's six week program, and I passed the NCLEX on my first try with 75 questions. I would highly recommend it to everyone!!

I attended an ADN program, and we also had a separate assessment class with a lab--and it was an entire semester. So it is not necessarily an ADN vs BSN thing--it's a "where you're going to school" thing. :wink2:

Sorry--I had to laugh. I saw your title--"am I too old?" and then saw your age...I hope you're not too old b/c I am a few years older than you and I didn't think I was old yet!!! :roll :roll

I could have written Mermette's post--I, too, was PG during my final two semesters. I managed to graduate Valedictorian and pass my boards just a few weeks before son #3 was born. So, it can be done--where there's a will, there's a way. Btw--Congratulations!!