Jamthenurse

Okay, okay! I confused cold vs cankers. I will not ever, never do that with the microwave again. And I will use the bottled water in a cup, disposable toothbrush, and listerine routine. I also don't think I'm overbrushing but you're right, I may be because of childhood guilt. And I don't want to offend. I dearly appreciate your responses and your gentle scolding.

I have to ask, and it's a little gross. I can't work a 12 hour shift and have lunch, coffee, etc without brushing my teeth a few times (some of my peers who work closely with people have dragon breath btw). So I use the staff bathroom. I rinse my toothbrush in the sink. And I get cold sores in my mouth. Once or twice I've caught colds and I suspect the sink for that as well. I'm guessing the spout is a disgusting tube full of spit and germs and whatever has rubbed off people's hands. Of course it is. So what choice is there? I used to sterilize my toothbrush is the microwave and that just made everyone else PO'ed when they'd see me doing it. So am I the only nurse who brushes teeth? Is there an alternative that doesn't involve me getting canker sores? What do some of you do?

1. Yeah, sorry. Nights does it too. 2. Done it. Did it. Know the difference. Seen it. Nights: Gaggles of RNs and Aides sitting at the station or the lounge while the call light blinks and blinks. RNs mad because they have so many "total cares" when they don't change them anyway. Instead of fighting off sleep, how about giving a bath and massage to one of those total cares, who doesn't know whether it's day, night or Christmas? And some oral care. Don't wait for your aide to do it. She won't. You're a nurse, so be one. Days: PT, X-ray, MRI, MDs and consults writing new orders and you have to take them off. The bulk of admits and discharges. All the meals. All the family members. All the phone calls. And you get more money for working nights. 3. Hello. What, are you kidding? When Press Ganey makes me say hello to everyone, I will. As it is, I do, and a third of the people don't look at me and keep walking. 4. Like they said, you do the same thing. Some nurses are like that, some are self-starters and only want the basics from you. I personally don't care much how the patient "slept all night." Because they're sure as heck not going to sleep all day. Oh PS: recently a patient "slept all night" and "all day" for 3 shifts. On the 4th, someone figured out it was a COMA. Med reaction. Everyone was just happy she was sleeping and therefore an easy patient. Now she's an intubated ICU patient. Remember, you chose nights. This is what it is. The day/night junk will always go on. Shifts blame each other, nurses blame each other, management blames everyone.

Just a thought. The nurse is licensed and therefore trusted to tell and document the truth. Yet the second some dysfunctional, sociopathic patient or family member complains about something (that nurse killed my baby!), management brings her into the office and asks "why did you kill her baby?" Of course you're not baby killing. What you're doing is you're not getting them water fast enough when the doctor made them NPO. You can't give them a second dose of Dilaudid because they didn't feel the "hit" from the first one. Just wondering. No secret to me hospitals complain about a nursing shortage when they treat the nurse so much like an imbecile.

Nope. The only time I see it, and I mean only, is when I go to a CPR class. I watch the video. Painless, easy, long lasting, won't use it. Typical hospital.

The hospital has some "Harvest" fest with games, watermelon eating contest, guess the weight of the pumpkin, costume contest. The nurses do not dress up, thank goodness. Try being serious to an ugly family member dressed as Hello Kitty. Or a doctor. Christmas, oh you mean the "holidays." See "Harvest" above. Secret Santa on the floor, managers try to give some light present to 92 employees of the floor out of their own pockets. The hospital gives a ten dollar gas card to everyone. Tree in the lounge, not in patient areas. A little tinsel.