CorinneRN

All our HR personnel were our of the office, otherwise I would have had better answers today. I did speak with my CNO and she was completely aware of what was going on!! She told me IT were the ones to delete our passwords, that IT didn't know our passwords, and therefore did not have access to our accounts. That doesn't explain HOW they were able to get all the way back into that chart to change that med error, it has to be a nurse (and I believe it was an antibiotic, not a narcotic). That doesn't explain why my "acting manager" had that information if IT was responsible for keeping that information (passwords, usernames, etc) confidential. She was, after all, the one to send out the email. There are still too many "what ifs" and I don't feel like I got clear answers.. I'm still very uncomfortable about the entire situation. My "acting manager" STILL had my user name and default password when she sent my coworkers and myself that email telling us what she'd done. She isn't supposed to have "privileges" (if my actual manager has that ability in the first place, I don't know..) And get this! She left all our usernames sitting out on the desk at the nurse's station! That's all we needed to have access to each other's charts!! What's more is, if my CNO and all those involved know what they did, what will be the repercussions that come back on me if I stay employed there? I'm in a pickle you could say, I'm nearly 4 months pregnant and cannot start a new job and immediately go on maternity leave. That wouldn't be very nice to a new employer.. I feel like my hands are tied. I wish you could all be here to guide me!

Here's a little background on what's happening at my facility: My manager has been out for about a month and a half due after having her knee replaced. In her absence, 2 charge nurses on my unit have split her tasks between themselves until she returns. We work at a very small critical access hospital so we're all very familiar with each other. One of these "acting managers" has betrayed my trust in the past (I don't know of any staff who can honestly say they like her); the staff did not get to vote on who would take over while our manager was out. I went into work last night and was asked to speak with this not-so-trusted "acting manager" right off the bat. She then informed me she "had to reset my password" to unlock charting on a patient that had been discharged a week ago. Apparently, when the patient got to the floor, the admitting nurse charted she gave a medication (that she didn't) that was given in the ER, therefor charging the patient twice for this med. They wanted to go back and amend that data so the patient wasn't charged twice. At the end of our shift we "lock our charts" so no one can go back and chart during our 12 hour shift. If we unlock those times, people can go back and chart something as a late entry, but always under their own name/account and then relock it. I had to reset my password before work last night (on top of my frustration, there are glitches to my account that weren't there before.. such as I can't electronically second nurse verify/sign to high risk meds, but that's not my point here). My point is: Why does my peer have the ability to go in and delete/change my password and have access to my charting? Isn't that illegal?! Under no circumstances are we allowed to give our password to anyone! Everything that I've charted since I've worked at this facility is now compromised. How do I know what she did or didn't do while having that access? They didn't call us to let us know what she was doing or what the problem was; they could have had all of us come in and unlock our charts without changing our passwords. To top it all off, she sent a mass email to all the nurses she "had to" change passwords for and gave us ALL the same default password to reset our accounts. Which means, now I have the ability to change the passwords of my other coworkers... I feel very violated. I feel like her actions has potentially put my license on the line. Mine and my coworkers. Everything I worked for is on the line. I'm not sure what to think or feel other than mad as all get out. Where do I go from here? What actions do I take? How do I continue to work there knowing at any time they could do it again?

The money you spend on the NCLEX, your licensing fees, fingerprinting etc. is all tax deductible. Keep your receipts!!

I had 11 SATAs with 92 questions and had "the good pop up" back when I took it. Sounds like you passed! Congratulations!!:w00t:

I had to take the test a second time. I used the Saunders Q & A Review as well as their Comprehensive Review book. Saunders is all I used, I highly recommend them. What I did differently was taking notes and making flash cards. Whenever I came across a med when going over all those practice questions, I wrote it down in a notebook and used different colored pens. I wrote down the med, what it was for, and the info the rationale, highlighting (with a red pen) the facts they wanted me to know about that particular drug. It was nice to have (pages and pages) of drugs to review just before taking the test without having to flip through the book. I made notes on flash cards and wrote all the relevant info about each subject on that card. Say I was reviewing electrolytes, I'd make one card specifically for each electrolyte and wrote everything I needed to know about it on that card. It helped me simplify things to the point where I'll remember it. Forcing myself to think about it like that, making me figure out how to "dumb it down" (you could say) really did make it stick! And I passed! The PVT worked for me too; I got the "good pop up" the second time around

When I sat down to take the test, I kept tally on how many of each kind of question I got. Maybe some people wouldn't suggest this, but it helped me keep my cool when I felt myself starting to freak out. I knew exactly how often I was getting the SATA questions; I knew I was passing and it boosted my confidence. I was relaxed the entire time because I knew how well I was doing. I got all kinds of questions: SATAs: 9, 20, 22, 27, 33, 39, 44, 56, 66, 72, 78... Total 11 out of 92 questions 2 drug calc (both peds) 6 med questions Several Prioritizing/Delegation Several "client understand" or "needs further teaching" 3 image questions 1 exhibit question 4 infection control

After the first couple hours, you'll calm down. I don't know about everyone else, but our classes were 4 hours long!

Maybe you could volunteer your free time instead of just doing the "bare minimum." Get creative and volunteer somewhere to show you're dedicated and SERIOUS; serious that you will NOT make a mistake like this again! If I were the one considering you for school, I'd want to see you making an effort to clean up your act before I gave you a second glance. No body wants an irresponsible nurse (would you??). They don't want to waste their time putting someone through their program who is dishonest and isn't safe to practice.

No one is ever [really] ready to take the NCLEX and everyone is different. Don't let the pressure of "everyone else passing" freak you out! If you've put serious time into preparing for this, take the test on Wednesday. If you push the date back once, you're likely to do it again. Most likely because you're scared, not because you aren't ready :) Best of luck to you!

This summer, while you're waiting to start college, get your CNA certification. In the small town area where I live, the nursing home offers classes (8hrs a day, for about a month in the summer) for their CNA program. They also hire their newly certified CNAs! Which is awesome, because you’re basically promised a job right after your training. Go to your local nursing home or hospital and ASK if they provide these classes. Someone should be able to point you in the right direction. Having your CNA will put you ahead of the game and get your foot in the door to a hospital. Most girls I went to school with had their CNA’s and worked at a hospital while they were going to school for their RN. After they graduated as an RN, that hospital hired them right off! Before they even passed the NCLEX exam! Having your CNA will give you a better understanding of “what to expect” in the nursing profession. As far as “which degree comes first”… Between the ADN and BSN - neither one really “comes first.” How it works is: You’re going to go to school for 4 years. Some colleges provide the ADN and others provide BSN. Whether you have an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, neither makes you “the better nurse.” My understanding is, if you’re going to go to college for 4 years, you might as well be getting your bachelor’s. Most hospitals are trying to get their associate degree nurses back into classes to get their bachelor’s degree anyway. Make it worth your time and do the BSN program (chances are, you’ll have to get it someday anyway)! The university I went to provided the first two years of general education classes (arts, math, science, history etc.) and then the last two years in the nursing program. A four year plan, all together, with one university.