thisismyname

Thanks for the feedback. I think going forward I'm really just not going to use hand sanitizer at all to save the headache.

I've been a member of AN for a while, haven't posted for most of that time, and never thought I would be posting to the recovery section, but here I am! So, hi everyone. I'm in NJ's Recovery & Monitoring Program, which I know has gotten some heat, but for me it has honestly been a life saver. I was losing my grip on life because of my addiction to alcohol, and if I hadn't entered RAMP I don't know where I would be today. For all the complaining and hatred that I felt when I started the program, I can see today that it really did save my life. I think I kind of got lucky with RAMP. I entered about five months ago, had to inactivate my license. By the time I started with RAMP I had already entered a treatment program, so I kind of got the ball rolling a little bit early I guess. I am involved with AA, volunteer on committees and help out with events, finished my 90/90, and now I'm leading a couple meetings and go on speaking commitments because AA is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I want others to hear that. In the last five months, I've been compliant with everything, not missed a check-in, no positive screens, and by the grace of God, this past week I got both my license and my old job back. It's been a hell of a ride, and I owe it to nothing other than God and hard work. I'm not happy for the road that I took to get here, and I'm not happy for everything that I have to fix from this point forward--as a lot of you are familiar with, I really dug myself into a terrible financial hole over the last few years, and I really don't know if I see a way out even with returning to work. But I'm grateful, and I'm not afraid anymore. So, with that out of the way, I am absolutely terrified of getting a false-positive EtG. One of the nurses in my peer support group actually works in the same facility that I do, and said that she hasn't had a false positive and constantly uses the same hand sanitizer that is stocked on my units, but I just can't shake the fear. I really try to avoid using hand sanitizer at all, but you know there are just moments where there's not enough time to sing happy birthday with your hands in the sink. Of course I try not to let the fear of false-positives run my life, but I haven't been around products that could put me at risk for a false-positive until I returned to work so I guess it's a new experience, and with that a new fear. Long post, so I guess I'll cut off there. I'm really glad I found this forum, I think it's exceptionally hard to be a nurse in recovery, especially considering how our enrollment in "voluntary" monitoring programs considerably reorganizes all of our priorities. But really it's one day at a time, and I pray every day that things will get better. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

Reply to specultr: "My husband is a nurse and I am studying to become one. He's treated very well. Plus, what man doesn't mind working with a lot of women?" Any man who prefers his work-place gossip free.

Hi everyone, I've been a nurse for a few years now, mostly in adult critical care, and have been working full-time in a level 3 NICU for about 7 months now. As someone new to the field and still honing assessment skills, one of the things that scares me the most is NEC, and I am curious what some of you think about feeding and feeding intolerances. The general rule of thumb in my facility is that any residuals that are 20% or greater of the original feed need to be brought to the MD's attention, if a baby is on bolus feeds. If a baby is on a continuous feed and has residuals after a 2-hour-off period that are equal to or greater than one hour of feeding, then alert the MD. I recently had an infant born as a micro-preemie that is now in the 29-30 week range who was on basically a 5ml breast milk gut-priming q3 feed schedule, and had been having 3 to 5ml residuals consistently throughout the day. On my initial assessment for the shift, I got 7mls of pretty much very partially digested milk. I called the resident, who came with the attending to examine the baby, and the attending essentially asked me to feed the 7ml residual and give the full 5ml of milk. I didn't agree with that, and I argued with her until she agreed to refeed the residual and recheck at next feed. Basically, I want to get a sense of what others feel as far as feeding intolerance goes. The attending told me that a baby cannot not tolerate feeds (not not, yeah--my words, not hers), when the feeds are only 5mls. But if you're only feeding small amounts, how is it ok to keep shoving residuals back with more and more milk behind them? It just doesn't make sense to me, and I really never want to have a baby NEC on my shift, so I am very very careful with residuals in the tiny ones. I dunno. Am I overthinking this? What's your facility's handling of feeding intolerance?

No. Work is hard, and coworkers are coworkers. And thankfully, most of us earn enough that we don't have to live with roommates. I'm glad my profession is my profession, and I'm glad I don't know anyone who suffers such delusions of grandeur that they imagine themselves as a reality star because they drink with their "girls" on days off. And put a damn shirt on. This is the internet, not a gay club.

Thanks for the responses. I just don't know anyone else I graduated with experiencing situations like this. At this facility, it's anywhere from 25-35 patients with one nurse (only one nurse--what's a med tech?), so I do all treatments, all fingersticks, all everything, it's crazy, and I feel like my head's going to explode. Icing on the cake--our state inspection is going on now. I worked 3-11 last night and 7-3 today. Guess which nurse got followed during med pass? Of course the one that got off orientation yesterday and slept for 3 hours. Thankfully I did well. The DON came up to me at the end of the day and said that the inspector who followed me (only two patients, but still...) said I did a great job, and complimented me for finding an error on the MAR. Arrrrgh.

hi everyone! so i graduated with my rn in may, and began working at an ltc/sub acute rehab mid-jan. after four weeks of orientation, i had my first 3-11 on my own today, and was assigned to 35 patients. 8 of them with g-tubes, feedings, and g-tube dressing changes on my shift, 10 diabetics with fingersticks and insulins, and maybe 15 or 18 with meds that require bp checks at 5 or 9 pm. the aids do not do finger sticks at this facility. g-tube dressing changes are supposed to be done daily on 3-11 at this facility. i did all of mine, i don't know how, but i did, but i was taking off dressings dated 5 days ago, one even from last week. i don't know how i got through today. i am so tired i could cry. i feel like nothing got done on time. i feel like nothing will ever get done on time. they told me that the maximum patient load is 25. i've been doing 25 patients for the last week and a half on my own, and felt very confident in myself. but tonight as soon as i got to work they told me it'd be 35, and from what the other nurses have said i should get used to it. i feel like i'm not able to provide care. i didn't go to nursing school to shove meds into people, but with 35 people there's not even time to say hello and ask how you're feeling today. i couldn't even tell you if i made a mistake anywhere or not. i just feel crushed. is this normal? does this feeling go away?