aroyce

I found that reading books with telephone triage protocols has been super helpful, even though the specific protocols for your organization might be different, it will still give you a general idea of how to decide what level of care your patients will need for their symptoms.

thank you guys

Thank you so much, your post really helped me.

Hello, I am curious what the routine is at other psych facilities for taking lunches. Where I work, it is like an everyday thing to punch in/out for lunch, while working, and then eat when you can while working. Is this an OSHA violation? the nurses station is closed off to patients, but if patients come to the nurse station window, they can see nurses eating and working, and the MHT's are doing this too sometimes. I'm sure everyone washes their hands (as far as precautions) but it doesn't seem right for me, am I just too prudent?? or antisocial?? I feel like I am being a jerk for wanting to leave the unit for my lunch, and the other nurses just tell me, oh, you actually took lunch, and if I tell them I haven't had a break, they tell I have to eat while working, and that "everybody does it" and they laugh. can anyone give an opinion, or let me know what your workplace is like for lunches?? Thanks!

Thank you for the reply, apologies for negativity, just frustrated, but not giving up. Practice and SBAR are great tips.

I think I have a simliar problem, the CI is coaching me through things, and then threatens to fail me because she feels she is coaching me too much. However, my complaint is, if I've never done the particular skill, how is possible for me to go in like i've done it a million times already? Obviously she expected me to do that, otherwise she would not complain she had to coach me, she is always putting me down. i just feel like okay, if the technical part is such a big deal, and at rounds, i can't explain a patient condition, that not even the doctors haven't diagnosed medically, and then claim it's because i don't read the charting correctly, i'm obviously not to a nursing standard. Blame the CI for a career change, and a student loan to pay, and denying my chance to get a license, making the past 6 years of nursing education a waste of time then. If it's okay for CI's to pick on a last year student, to get her 'fail' quota, then maybe this is not a great field. congrats to those who survived. how was i supposed to build confidence while constantly being criticized for not doing things i've never done before like an expert?

the federal regulations aren't working

If the facility can't provide staff to take care of the patients, they need to stop admitting the patients. i think it's greedy for a facility to accept more patients than nurses feel they can safely handle. If you can't afford the staff, what makes them think they can take in the extra patients????!!!! hello?!!!

safe practice a "losing battle" w t h? and a DON said that?! w t h? someone in a high place needs to make A LAW for the ratio for safe care by law. It makes me sick, the nurses are dumped on, and the patients don't get what they are due. Unsafe practice and shortcuts are going to continue. as a nurse, i would never recommend any elders i know to stay at any LTC. I can't belive everyone is managing it and lookin the other way, making any LTC a bad enviroment. w t h. "good luck"? what?! i find the situation deeply disturbing.