PedRN86

Happened to me on Sunday night! I went to do 0400 VS on my little friend and noted he had a big, heavy diaper. As soon as he felt the diaper come off he got me, himself, and his crib really good. Those little boys are big trouble

Well I work in pediatrics but have a few friends in mental health and your situation sounds kind of horrible to be honest. Perhaps instead of giving up on nursing, start browsing for a better managed ward. Nowhere is perfect but I wonder if you met a few managers and learned about how they do things you'll find a new (work) home that's a better fit and more supportive. Good luck!

We shower our kids with CVLs! We use whatever we can to keep it dry, my favourite is a soaker pad or diaper, with a biohazard bag taped on with waterproof tape. It works pretty well, if any water sneaks it it's usually soaked up by the pad! I've never even heard of these chlorhexidine wipes.

I work in pediatrics and absolutely love it. Caring for not only the child but the family is both challenging and rewarding, and an integral part of what we do. I feel very fortunate to work where I do; we have an amazing team and I'm really proud to be a part of it.

I noticed my new student calling them staturations yesterdays. I felt kind of awkward correcting her, I hate being picky and dashing a student's confidence! I might wait for a quiet moment to say something :) My pet peeve is when people say "owe-dansetron" instead of "ON-dansetron"

Disagree! You don't pop out of the womb knowing how to be a nurse. Likewise, critical thinking isn't something you just have or don't have. It's all a lifelong learning process.

Sounds like it might be just the career move you need! I would consider appplying, you seem compassionate, you're skilled, you enjoy children and families. I think you can get a good feel of the ward from the interview process and ensure they'll be supportive and smooth your transition into pediatrics. Let us know how things go... good luck!

Normally I would say go for the med-surg position at the bigger hospital, but if you know you love the staff (and they love you!) at the smaller hospital's ICU I would say start there. Being part of a supportive environment that you enjoy makes a huge difference when you're starting out. It can be very tough getting into ICU as a new grad and you'll be offered lots of training and experience opportunities. You may find in a few years you have the opportunity to move to the bigger hospital if you're still interested. Good luck!

I very much agree. I've never seen/participated a slow code. I've heard of them a couple times from coworkers in other facilities. In my view, it's unethical and paternalistic to assume the responsibility of carrying out only parts of a patient or family's wishes for resuscitation. It's neglecting the opportunity to have a real conversation with the patient/family about resuscitation, comfort options, palliative care, and withdrawal of care. If the patient/family choose something we don't personally agree with despite our efforts to give them all the available information, well that is their informed choice. We don't have to do the same with our family members or ourselves come the time, but certainly no one ought to have the power to strip someone of their decision just because we think we know what is best.

I wonder if they are saying these things to instill fear in you, that if you don't do something correctly, or in a timely manner, you're going to have an angry doctor come after you yelling. I've never had someone yell at me at work. If they were yelling I would probably do the same as you and tell them I don't find their tone acceptable or respectful.

Great tips! I really enjoy night shift. I love sitting around the round table on the ward on a quieter night and getting to chat with the other nurses. Night shift is just part of being a nurse... somebody has to care for those patients :)

Start by finding out how to get into a nursing school. Are there any courses you need to take to get into nursing school? You'll usually need an updated CPR, vulnerable sector screening (police check), and updated vaccinations. Once you're settled into school, see if you can volunteer at a children's hospital, have a clinical placement in pediatrics, and/or find other ways to work with kids to gain some relevant experience. We have a local pediatric nursing interest group that is open to nurses and nursing students alike - look into if you have any opportunities like that in your area. Good luck!

I get to work 15 or 20 minutes early so I can review my orders and recent lab work, and plan my day. When I take report (1:1 handover) I can actually ask relevant questions about the patients. The moment I take report, that patient is my responsibility - I don't want to be just reviewing my orders then if my patient calls out. But that is our unit culture, it's just the way it is. We don't have personal support workers to help us with our care.

I would have a fellow nurse page the doctor while I stayed with the patient to do their VS and physical assessment, especially if they suddenly deteriorated. Then when the doctor comes/calls back I have all my information to present to them.

Admit you mucked up. You brought your cell phone to try and better the situation and it ended up looking worse. You know in retrospect what a huge mistake you made. Maybe mention some suggestions on how you would have handled the situation if you could do it again and what you would do to avoid making the same mistake again.