HolyPeas

She can try if she likes but it will be laughed at. This is so typical of long term care. No-nothing boobs running the show....

Give me dickies genflex or give me death!

Yep sorry to hear this because a lot of times you dont see central lines very often in LTC/SNF settings so Im sure your not experienced and as a rule you all are probably not even looking at the dressings every shift if you arent running something so I realize how this happened to you, and unfortunately you are learning this in an extremely stressful way. Sounds like pt probably had a poor outcome and is persuing compensation or at least reporting the inappropriate care, so now the facility is covering themselves as best they can (and are completely within their rights to do so) so you have been let go. You NEVER EVER sign a treatment you did not do. It doesnt matter that the term PRN was in the instructions, as a nurse you are responsible to read the entire order, ask questions if its not absolutely clear, AND have a reasonable knowledge base to know that a central line dressing can never be left that long. If getting fired is the only thing that happens to you, be thankful. People have lost their licenses for less, although its not common or even likely. What you did was fraudulent and negligent and from the sounds of things probably resulted in harm, and thats what you really need to consider. All the other crap about not fitting in but somehow also being well liked is just that - crap, no one cares and it doesnt matter.

Dont press too much. Keep your head down and work hard. This is sort of natural, unpleasant as it is. Offer a hand when you are available, take care of the patients, give it time. If things on the unit are generally positive they probably just need time to get to know you.

I like the Nike View III. Super old unremarkable design but they last and are comfortable. I cant so nursing clogs because i roll my ankles too easily. These also come in wides which i end up being more comfortable in after a 12 hour shift.

No perfume. I even steer clear of heavily scented lotions, washes, and shampoos before shifts. You have to take into consideration that you may be caring for someone in repertory distress or someone who is otherwise affected by fragrance.

Shame on your DON. No, an MDS nurse needs experience. Sounds desperate and short sided. State will chew you up, spit you out, and you will be the fall guy.

I could not function without my up to date glasses. Sounds like your vision is probably not as poor as a lot of people's vision can be without aides.

Agreed. I have no problem, as an adult, admitting to exactly what I did and did not do, I just don't want to be a doormat either, and as a new nurse I wasn't exactly certain how much of this is really my fault, or what was expected of me, so I really appreciate everyone taking the time to chime in on this subject.

Thank you. I started this job about 7 or 8 months ago as a brand new nurse fresh out of school but I started on night shift, I've been on days maybe half of that time now, and I am still running into things that are new to me. I'm just really nervous because last week I got called on my day off because I forgot to write up an incident report (did not have anything to do with a medication error or anything I did wrong, something just happened that day) and so that conversation was extremely unpleasant, and I'm just scared of getting a verbal lashing once again, or maybe of management thinking I don't have MY "proverbial ISH" together. I try to be as through as possible but sometimes I feel like I can't pass ANYTHING onto the next shift, and if I do, it wont be taken care of.

Exactly, the patient should have probably been on an increased dose over the weekend. Thank you for your feedback. I completely own the fact that should have been addressed while I had him on the phone. The fact that it didn't happen after I left though.... I don't know. I just feel like I'm going to be expected to take up responsibility for what happens while I am there AS WELL AS what happens (or doesn't happen) when I'm not there. I could see if it I wrote something on the MAR that made it look as though it had been addressed but I didn't and I'm just not so thrilled to be the fall guy for this one, if it comes to that.

[h=1]Hey, I just wanted to get something off my chest, and get a little feedback because something happened this week that has never happened to be before and as a newer nurse I'm not sure how I should handle it if I get called this week about it. I work weekends 6a-6p, during my shift saturday I get a call from the lab on one of my patients with a critical BUN. They said they were going to fax it over. An hour passes, maybe two, I still don't have this lab so I call them again and ask them to fax it. Then I wait some more. And then I wait and wait. I go over to the fax machine, BAM, no paper, so I put some in, and then I did get ONE copy (so I know they faxed it once, regardless of the paper situation) Anyways, by this time its about the end of my shift, I'm passing meds and finishing up, I write the orders pertaining to the BUN, and hand the lab off to the night shift nurse. Well, I didn't address the INR with the doctor. It was 1.9. Typically what I should have done was address the INR and put something on the coumadin flow sheet in the mar. I didn't write ANYTHING on the flow sheet in the mar but I guess the night shift gave the coumadin anyway on saturday evening and sunday evening, THEN, she turns around and calls me at about 5AM monday morning asking me about this INR that is technically out of range. My first instinct is to complusively apologize for everything, all the time, no matter what, and take responsibility for everything but I cannot help but feel like this is not my fault entirely. I told this nurse exactly what I had addressed with the doctor, I handed the labs off to her, I wrote NOTHING on the flow sheet about it and frankly, I'm shocked she gave it anyway without calling the doctor for new orders. I feel like what really happened is she probably just gave the pills in the cart and didn't even look at the mars. I don't know. My unit manager is extremely effective, and a little bit scary. I don't know what to do. Do I stand up for myself and tell her that night shift needed to have called the doctor and that I did not sign off on the out of range INR, or do I just take it on the chin and say I am the only one who had a responsibility to call the doctor and take the fall for a medication error? [/h]

Hey, I just wanted to get something off my chest, and get a little feedback because something happened this week that has never happened to be before and as a newer nurse I'm not sure how I should handle it if I get called this week about it. I work weekends 6a-6p, during my shift saturday I get a call from the lab on one of my patients with a critical BUN. They said they were going to fax it over. An hour passes, maybe two, I still don't have this lab so I call them again and ask them to fax it. Then I wait some more. And then I wait and wait. I go over to the fax machine, BAM, no paper, so I put some in, and then I did get ONE copy (so I know they faxed it once, regardless of the paper situation) Anyways, by this time its about the end of my shift, I'm passing meds and finishing up, I write the orders pertaining to the BUN, and hand the lab off to the night shift nurse. Well, I didn't address the INR with the doctor. It was 1.9. Typically what I should have done was address the INR and put something on the coumadin flow sheet in the mar. I didn't write ANYTHING on the flow sheet in the mar but I guess the night shift gave the coumadin anyway on saturday evening and sunday evening, THEN, she turns around and calls me at about 5AM monday morning asking me about this INR that is technically out of range. My first instinct is to complusively apologize for everything, all the time, no matter what, and take responsibility for everything but I cannot help but feel like this is not my fault entirely. I told this nurse exactly what I had addressed with the doctor, I handed the labs off to her, I wrote NOTHING on the flow sheet about it and frankly, I'm shocked she gave it anyway without calling the doctor for new orders. I feel like what really happened is she probably just gave the pills in the cart and didn't even look at the mars. I don't know. My unit manager is extremely effective, and a little bit scary. I don't know what to do. Do I stand up for myself and tell her that night shift needed to have called the doctor and that I did not sign off on the out of range INR, or do I just take it on the chin and say I am the only one who had a responsibility to call the doctor and take the fall for a medication error?

Your beliefs are irrelevant.

I realize this is an old thread but I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. I would try to find out WHY its happening. It sounds like she has already been talked too, and it doesnt sound like she is STEALING meds, just getting ahead of herself maybe? You said you are uncomfortable with her still being on your floor but you did not say if it has continued to happen or not. If she has corrected the issue at hand, I don't think reporting her is really appropriate. If she makes you uncomfortable for other reasons, that may be different, but I am not getting that from what you said.

So, I got my license back in December but had to wait until recently to get a job because I had surgery and whatnot. Anyway, I started my orientation this week and I am overwhelmed to the point that I am wondering if I have made a HUGE career choice mistake. I am orintating with a lady who has been a nurse for a long time and she has given me a lot of guidence but I'm running into issues where I need to me moving about 10x faster than I am, but I can't seem to pick up the pace without making mistakes... and I'm getting frustrated. I need practice with some proceedures but she seems to always just start those without me if I am not breathing down her neck, which is fine, I don't expect her to track me down for every little thing but when I say hey "I'm going to need practice with x, y, and z before you turn me loose" but then she sends me on some excursion to instill eye drops and starts without me I'm a little frustrated. I do NOT want to be that guy complaining about whoever is orienting me, especially because I don't think she is bad at all AND the DON is buddy/buddy with her. I think its just been too long since she was new and I don't feel like I'm getting all the information I need for certain things - like she showed me what to do with telephone orders one time, and then seemed very frustrated in two days later I needed a reminder about one aspect of what paper goes where - you know what I mean? Is this normal? I feel like my two years of nursing school has NOT prepared me for the everyday ends and outs of a nursing job. Also, I might add that I am orienting on second shift of a rehab wing, but I will be working nights. I start night orientation next week and I am HOPING that shift wont be AS CRAZY. To make things worse, I think they plan on setting me out on my own the week after next.

Thanks everyone. After speaking with HR I have decided that I like the rehab facility and will stay with them.

Hi guys, as the title states, this is my first job as an RN and I was in psych previous to this so let's just act like I know nothing, because thats what it feels like. Are there any things I should know that are specific to rehab nursing?

I dont know who you would "report" that to, but you probably should. You might continue your job search too. The interview is a time for both parties to put their best foot forward, if THAT is what they've got to offer, more than likely there is more to come.

Well, you are right, but what I really mean is that at least here in kansas, you still dont hear about new grads taking months and months to find jobs. Everyone I know that I graduated with in December that has actively looked for a job already has one. The only reason I waited this long is because I had a major surgery after graduation that I needed to recover from. We didn't all get our first pick, but we all have one.

Be gentle with the kid, but let them know that it's noticeable. Ask them if they need anything, because you never know whats going on at home. The washing machine could be malfunctioning, they might not have the things they need to take care of the smell, and frankly, some kids are just freaking smelly and they need to shower more than the average person. Be nice. Let them know this conversation is completely private, no one has complained about them (even if they have, kinds can be sensitive, just be cool) and have some bodywash, and deodorant to give the kid if you are allowed. Otherwise be prepared to set them up with organizations that can provide things like that.

Yeah, I can see that. I think that nursing as a whole is a professional carreer, but some fields are more professional than others. Psych nursing, for example is pretty lax. I am an easy going person but even I look around sometimes and think "what corner did they these people come from?" But the birthing center I had a rotation in was very much a buttoned up type of place.

Yeeeeeeah, Here in the midwest were I live nursing positions are still considered a "sure thing" so to speak.

Yeah, I didn't mean to make it sound as though the NM were taking longer than they had a right too, but just that they are taking longer than the rehab facility, and I don't know how to put the rehab facility off in terms of making a choice because I feel bad accepting a position, only to have something I really wanted far more to come along. Like I said, I don't have a ton of experience, I am more or less a new grad so these things are new for me.

So, after a good solid three weeks of being on the job prowl up until today I have had ZERO luck. It's doesn't help that I'm a new grad without a ton of experience but that is besides the point. There is a hospital down the street from me that has a GREAT reputation as far as patient care, and nursing satisfaction and I REALLY REALLY want to get my foot in the door there. I applied for every RN position they had, probably 20 or so spots about three weeks ago, give or take a week, because I didn't do these all at one time. I put in for everything from med surge to the birthing center, to telemetry. Weeks go by, I hear NOTHING. I am starting to lose hope and I have been looking elsewhere but finally today I grew a pair and called HR, jumped through some hoops to bypass the phone system that is supposed to stop people from nagging and got a lady from HR. Of all my applications, THREE have been forwarded to the department managers one wound care, and two telemetry. She told me they had been forwarded for about three days? Is it typical to take so long? In the meantime, I had an interview today in a rehab facility and the job is mine if I want it, I'm supposed to meet with HR tomorrow. I would REALLY prefer the hospital job though. Would I be the biggest ass ever to take this rehab job and quit if the hospital gets back with me? I did not expect to have this much trouble finding a job, so I am hesitant to turn down this rehab job, but I don't want to be a bad person either and turn around and leave immediately.