nurse_love

Well get ready for open visitation if you don't have it already, because that is what it's coming to. Accrediting bodies like DNV and Joint commission are starting to try to regulate that critical care units have open visitation because the patient deserves the right to a family member to advocate for them 24/7. It's up to the hospitals and unit to set forth guidelines to keep the camp outs, picnics, and other crazy stuff out of the patient's room. Do you really want to eat in Grandma's C-diff and MRSA infested room? Do you really think it's a great idea to bring the 2 month old in and lay on her grandpa, who is sick and has contracted who knows what infections? Come on people! We need to educate our families to make smart decisions, and provide them with simple guidelines. I am in the common sense business here.

I kind of feel your pain now...or rather I know I will be feeling your pain if I take my job offer. I am a 3 year CCU/CVICU nurse and have not done any other type of nursing. I feel that I am good at my current job, and I still enjoy it, but I work nights and have a small child and I feel like it's time to try to find some regularity in my life. Going to day shift is a hug pay cut at my job, and I refuse to work even harder for less money. So I've been offered a home health care position. It seems like such a 180 from what I'm doing now, and to be honest, I am scared to death to try it. I mean really, I can handle complex equipment, critically ill pts with 15 drips who are unstable, codes, emergencies, you name it. But home health is scaring me? I've kind of always thought I was a top notch nurse because of what I do every day. But now thinking about going into home health, I realize that every field of nursing is scary, and takes a special type of person to do. I am totally lost and need to make a decision by tomorrow. :-/ Hopefully you will continue to grow everyday, and it will get easier. I do remember it was at least a year in critical care before I didn't go to work every night praying for decent assignments, and that I would have the knowledge I needed to not kill anyone. I guess it's the nature of nursing.

I am hoping to start on August 1 too. I apparently have to take Issues in Behavioral science, biochem, speech, and nutrition. I am thinking of trying to appeal the behavioral science course and the nutrition. Those subjects were incorporated in to my first year nursing courses. I haven't paid yet for the term yet, and I was really hoping to only have to take the seven nursing courses. I've heard that they often accept appeals. Does anyone else know anything about the process?