Elladora

I lost 100 pounds a few years ago. (Since gained it all back). To do so was not really hard, just took dedication. I counted EVERY SINGLE CALORIE that went in my mouth. I used Spark People but any calorie counter will work. I personally liked their website because there was a lot of support and fun stuff to help along the way. I set my daily limit and when I hit it, I stopped. I worked out 3-5 days a week, a mix of weights and cardio. I drank a crap ton of water and gave up pop. Other than pop, I did not restrict ANYTHING from my diet, I just ate a lot less of it. That's honestly it. I lost anywhere from zero pounds (it happens) to 2-3 pounds a week. I was working full time as a nurse at the time, so it can be done. I gained my weight back because I had some heart issues and couldn't go to the gym for an extended period of time. I got lazy, then I got angry, then I got hungry. I'm currently working on it, but nowhere near as hard as I did before. Best of luck to you!

Drug use I agree with, however alcohol is legal. If I have a drink (or ten) and I'm not on duty, that is my right. Now if I were to drink and drive, or drink at work, that would be a problem, but socially drinking is not illegal or unacceptable.

As others have said I think you should take a good hard look at YOUR actions before you even consider reporting anyone. You were reading magazines, you disregarded the nurses orders, the patient ripped his IV out under your watch, etc. And I don't believe for one minute the report you claim you were given by the nurse. In my humble opinion you're lucky you still have a job, luckier still that they apologized to you. 1:1 means eyes on the patient, 1:1 does not mean leisure time for the sitter.

I currently work with two that are RNs and are 19. They took college classes during high school and went straight through, no semesters off. As an aside, they both have a LOT to learn. They have the book knowledge down pat but their skills and their confidence are seriously lacking.

I have a cheat sheet of sorts that I use every day. It has the basic tasks I need to get done that never change (assessments, blood glucose, ted hose, etc) and I add to it as needed. I use it to jot down notes as I work through my shift and cross things off as I go. I call it my brain. :) It really helps with time management and with eliminating errors because things are in black and white. The trick is finding a system that works for you. Deep breaths and a quick drink of water are also your friend.

I agree with mom. Go to work. If patient deaths are bothering you to the point you think you need a mental health day you may need to work on some coping skills. Taking the day off to fret over it will just make it worse. Best of luck to you.

I'll be the odd man out here, it's allowed at our facility as long as the staff member is ok with it. We have some younger, long term residents, that are basically lonely. We form friendships with them and their families, Facebook isn't that much of a stretch.

To me it's pretty simple, if it's something you support, donate. If not, don't. People will always try to take advantage, that doesn't mean you have to be involved. As for 20K for a funeral, that's not out of line, particularly if they have no insurance. I don't think anyone is trying to "cash in."

Our official staff bathroom is teeny tiny. It will occasionally have a newsletter hanging on the wall but more often than not, there's nothing in there but a toilet, a sink, a paper towel dispenser, a soap dispenser, and a trash can. The other bathrooms are shared with the public. They are decorated a little nicer but still contain nothing interesting. Now my last job...psych facility with staff only bathrooms...you never knew what you find in there. Jokes, comics, books, magazines, funny pictures, anything to relieve the tension. It was great!

I wake them up...once. After that, it's a write up. There's no excuse for falling asleep on any shift at work (unless you're on break, then as long as you set an alarm, it's fine).

It's not your co-workers responsibility to wake you up. I would gladly write you up each and every single night you fell asleep. And yes, I'm a riot at parties. Work isn't a party.

I have multiple residents that are on tube feedings and NO meds are given like this. Per their doctor AND their pharmacist, the meds are mixed with 15 ml of water (30 ml if it's a large med pass) and flushed with a MAXIMUM of 30 ml of water. There is no "in between" because the meds are all given together. I have no one that gets anything separately at this time. 30 ml flush before, 30 ml flush after. Most simply would not tolerate the volume of flushing you are talking about.

Where I used to work the company set them out to take home. They paid for them, so it was their money, not the patients.

Sometimes they just get wonky. I highly doubt it has anything to do with your technique.

Are you kidding me? They can and do get out of the hospital and they can and will look caregivers up. I've had patients try to add me to social media, ask for me phone number/address, etc. Why would you EVER think they would not be a danger?

Please, please, please strive to be better than that. Don't settle for mediocrity. As my instructors always said, "I would much rather be treated by a nurse that received all A's than a nurse that settled for all C's." Nursing school is hard, but as others have said, it's definitely do-able. I did it at age 37 with two teenagers and a husband. I worked part time through school. I actually did a lot of sleeping in my car between classes and work (school was an hour away from where I lived). Be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort but also understand it's probably not as all consuming as many people would like you to think. You have to find a balance that works for you. Best of luck to you!

I work in an LTC vent unit. My facility paid for my class and I got a raise when I completed the class.

I work third so mine might be a little different. I shower before I leave home (otherwise I don't ever feel awake), listen to some loud music on the way in (Disturbed or Slipknot are my current bands of choice), and usually arrive 10-15 minutes early so I can read notices and what not. Beyond that, I'm very go with the flow. I worked psych too many years to be overly superstitious.

Had an ER nurse call our facility and ask, "Why did you send him? He's a DNR." I literally had to count to ten before I could answer her.

Are you flipping kidding me? Do you think "grunt" work is beneath you because you will be an LPN? Most nursing homes work short staffed. As such, you will be expected to pitch in. This includes lifting, changing, feeding, ambulating, assisting with bed baths, etc. NO nurse is above doing any of this work. So no, nursing home work is not easy. It's challenging, physically and mentally hard, and way, way more than just passing meds.

I work in LTC and I straight cath one gentleman twice per shift every single day, another that has a PRN order for straight cathing if he doesn't wet at least once every 8 hours, and off-hand I would say 10-12 residents (male and female) that have Foley and suprapubic catheters that are changed monthly (and PRN if there are complications), and condom catheters that are changed daily. You get over it. Quickly.

Unfortunately you are looking for sympathy from people that are quite unlikely to give it. Personally, I live a distance from work and have always made it in. Leave early, plan ahead. I go to work when travel isn't advised, when there's ice, snow, wind, etc. You are putting an unfair burden on your coworkers by calling off and your excuses are just that...excuses. Everyone has a life outside of work, you are not unique in that. Nursing is a 24/7 job. You are fully expected to show up and do your share. Weather isn't really an excuse.

I worked in psych for 5 years. Yelling happens.

This concerns me. As others have mentioned, insulin syringes come in multiple sizes. I find it a little strange that you didn't learn that in nursing school. I'm also a bit concerned that you are comparing Lantus to Humalog as they act in entirely different manners. I'm going to agree with what some others have said - it might not be that you are asking questions, rather the manner in which you are asking them. Take time on your own to do some digging when you have questions that aren't time critical.

Unfortunately we do it the second way you describe. Each time we give a med, we have to write in the starting count, the dosage given, dosage wasted, end count, and our signature. At shift change, same thing, one page for each med. Signing narc count takes 20-30 minutes of my shift.