funnyliz

So sorry you've had to endure this - but it will truly make you stronger in the long run. Let me share my story - short, but sweet - I was a new grad in 2001 (at age 37) after working as a paramedic in Houston and having a couple kids, etc - and I thought I was ready for a small town CCU - I applied for their internship program, was accepted and was given the WORST preceptor I could ever have had !!! He chided me, rode me, yelled at me, told me I was book smart, but street dumb, etc. Anyway, I had to give a flash pulmonary edema pt 100mg of lasix and I wouldn't give it before I looked it up - he failed me, reported me to management, etc. ANYWAY, to make a long story short, I didn't stay in the CCU but went to the step down cardiac unit for 5 years -- learned A LOT and now have been working in ER for 6 years. I teach ACLS and TNCC and guess who came to me for his re-licensure ??? SWEET revenge - but quite honestly, I became much stronger and more sure-footed after this episode - and YES, I will still take the time to look meds up and yes, you will become a much stronger person for what you have had to go through. At the risk of sounding my age, when one door shuts, a window will open - don't look at this as failing in any way - just know that the experience will make you SOOOO much stronger !!! Good Luck and keep your chin up !!! :loveya:

Great work !!! This coming from an ER nurse who quickly (often with smoking' wheels) runs her patients up to you for the 1:1 care that they need. Coming to ER from CCU, I can relate to your night shift and to the realization that the family just isn't anywhere near where the patient is ~ :uhoh21: I think you did a wonderful job recognizing what was happening and running all your meds and doing your best !! Nicely done! and to second the motion by Esme12 -- have one stiff drink:cheers: and let it go - you did your best !!! (*There is a reason they are in an ICU - these folks are already circling the drain)

I think that the one thing experience gives you is you see it coming ... for instance, we have a triage nurse who can identify a kidney stone from the car - these are things that an experienced nurse brings with them. I precept for our ER and that is one thing I don't have to teach is 'how to be a nurse' - I think for any busy ED it's imperative that the caregiver can 'see it coming' - be it CHF or an MI or whatever - I think the experience helps smell that stuff before it becomes a pile of trouble.

We have had EPIC for over 6 months now and the capacity for documentation is great HOWEVER, the learning curve is immense! For our facility, the admin decided that the nurses only needed to know nursing stuff and the docs needed to know their stuff - BIG mistake ! When we rolled it out, we lost that collaborative feel. We couldn't put in orders if we wanted ~ So, my advice to you - make sure that the education is a MAIN part of your job and include ALL learners from CNAs to MDs - that way, in a code or emergent situation, your CNA could look up the chart while you are getting medications ready or whatever - it certainly would make for a MUCH better working environment ~Good luck with your decision!

We have had EPIC for about 6 months now - it's really quite nice - I do have a question about the flowsheets for Trauma centers. We are still using the paper flowsheet in addition to having to enter all our tubes/vitals/lines/meds etc into Epic. How are other centers doing this and did they develop their own flowsheet in epic? Is it ACS approved? Ideas?

I have recently passed my CEN and found that making my own color coded flash cards from test questions worked well. I purchased a test book (included 5 tests) and took the tests - found that my weakness was in ob/gyn and toxicology - test was tough, but with adequate preparation, it's do-able. I do believe that one needs to work in the ED for at least 2 years before attempting the exam, though.