Dorito

Very hard to "leave it at work". In all my years of nursing I still wonder/ worry about pt's and I do check on them- particularly if I got them transferred etc. It seems that this thread took a wrong turn at some point and I don't think it has anything to do with being a new or an old nurse....we all have trouble "shutting it off" when it comes to a critical patient.....distraction, friends, share with a friend and a glass of wine help me! I don't believe it's a HIPAA violation to call and check on the pt for follow up. I consider it part of the continuity of care.

Make sure the Orientation is long enough and you will have a preceptor. If critical care/ acute care is your passion it sounds like it would be right up your alley! Best of luck to you and your nursing career!!

We've all made mistakes....some little ones, some bigger ones and we've also ALMOST made mistakes. It's part of life, it's part of nursing. you'll get over it as long as you learned something out of it. We've all done it. I've had 35 years of mistakes....but I've also had 35 years of catching others mistakes, intervened before someone went down the tubes, and helped a lot of people pass in to the next world in peace. You'll get over it....just hold your head up and proudly say "I'm a Nurse".

I would also encourage feedback FROM her. Teaching styles vary. I agree with above poster- have her tell you the steps (outside the patient room of course). Don't forget to give her positive feedback when she has done a good job. As far as some critical thinking skills- when you get report on patients - ask her what she might expect to see in regards to lab results, symptoms etc. Sounds like you are doing a good job.

Other than a drop in her systolic BP and pulse rate slowing down there wasn't anything that stood out as glaring evidence that she was on the verge of death. With her dementia it's doubtful she could have given you any clues verbally. We all beat ourselves up when someone slips away and second guess what we "missed". In her case it's doubtful you could have intervened in anyway to have a different outcome. Regardless, I agree with the above posters- it was her time and she's lucky that it came so peacefully.

I worked with a nurse for many years that had Lupus. As long as you use the required contact precautions it shouldn't put you at greater risk than most. I work in a surgical clinic so exposure to patient's with viruses and general illness isn't an issue- not to say that I may have contact with draining wounds etc. I think there are lots of areas that you could work that wouldn't expose you un-necessarily. Good luck to you with the Lupus as well as your nursing career!

Maybe you should check with the nurse manager of the unit. Mention your observations and maybe she should do some investigating or sit in an inconspituous area to overhear some of the info you have heard?

A refresher course is recommended. Maybe you could job shadow also? I'm assuming you kept up with your license fees. I know many states also require CEU's to maintain licensure- (WI is not one of them). Good luck and welcome back!

Very well said... I hated my first year as a nurse as well. I didn't know what I didn't know. Luckily I survived and so did my patient's. Now that I've been in the field over 35 years I'm amazed when I look back. I learned so much from my peers and coworkers. Of course back in the day the reception I got wasn't very welcome. I try to make a point of helping the new nurses out because I remember how I felt. You will all get through it- it's like a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm hoping this is my final job and I can look forward to part time and eventually retirement someday. All you newbies- hang in there. Thanks again for this post:yes:

I'm concerned about the comment resulted from an unknown "breach of protocol" in treating ....how do they know there was a breach in protocol? They say we are safe using Contact precautions but what if this monster virus is starting to mutate and there is a respiratory component? My prayers go out to the nurse from all of us. I don't know too many nurses who will risk caring for these patients in light of what has happened.

Can you contact the HR dept and inquire? They might be able to put a little pressure on the manager/ dept to get the orientation lined up. They want to fill those positions.

Many nursing schools now require your CNA before you are accepted into a nursing program. I think it helps weed out those who may not have a grasp about the profession. It also gives you some great experience and exposure to the field. You will ace the test- I'm sure the instructors understand how nervous students are and if you forget something minor they take that into consideration. Good luck!

Get a job wherever you can. You'll appreciate the experience (and paycheck) when something opens up in a hospital.

I have to do one yearly and the last 2 years I've done it through an online survey such as survey monkey. It's nice because it tabulates all the results for you so it's easy to see what your high need areas are.

So what if your employer decides to start doing BMI's on all the staff. If your BMI is above the recommendations, you would be okay with paying a higher premium? You'd certainly be at a higher risk to your insurance company. I don't smoke nor am I overweight- I think fining employees who do something that is completely legal is over the limit. What's next??