tina1997

Funny to have found this topic tonight because my collegues and I were just laughing about this very topic at the end of shift last night! The funniest situation I can recall is working on the "dementia unit" at LTC when leaving my shift (3-11) and the young, good looking male nurse (11-7) was taking over. Three of our residents, females, would all come out of their rooms or some would just call "nurse, I need you." It was very amusing and we all got a kick out of it! We just figured it was something these ladies needed and enjoyed (flirting with one of the only men they ever really get to see anymore)! On the other hand, I was a very new nurse when I had a patient who could barely speak English and who would try to hug me and say, "come on baby," everytime I had to change his dressing! That was creepy! I also have a resident now whose boyfriend hits on me everytime he comes to visit. It's gross and I can't stand it, but I just try to shoosh him away. I've told him I'm married and he continues! Just a creepy guy!

Until 5 years ago, I was a floral designer with a concentration on bridal work with my own business. Although I loved what I was doing, I kept receiving a "calling" into nursing and decided to pursue that calling after many months of prayer and contemplation. I an now 43 yrs old and have been a nurse for 1 year. I am both disappointed and thrilled to be a nurse. On one hand, I love administering care and assisting in the healing of my patients. On the other hand, I despise the paper work and legal implications. I feel as though I am walking on eggshells everyday just rying to do the "right thing" as far as paper work is concerned. I feel as if there is a much better way to deal with these issues... Unfortunately, most of the time I feel inadequate and that my responsibilities are just too overwhelming for just one person to take care of! I have 22 patients under my care in one shift and some of my collegues have 43 depending on their shift and the night shift, pretty scarey! Here's the sad thing, I've only been an RN for 1 year...........

Congratulations!! So happy for you and yes I believe in prayer also...praise God for your good fortune!! Continued blessings to you!!

In my opinion, if you should take a position as a GN and you do not pass the nclex on your first try, you would have to resign and would not be eligible for the position until you actually pass the nclex. That could be potentially damaging to your career with the organization and of course embarrassing personally. I waited until I completed the kaplan course and felt comfortable and confident. Two months after I graduated I took the nclex and passed. At that point I applied to positions and got a a job within a month. My advice is to be patient and think things through before just jumping in. After all, that is what we, as nurses do...we need to contemplate and think through things before we make a move, right?!! On the other hand, if you have the opportunity to take a position as a GN, you do have a year to study and work and learn your stuff before you take the nclex. If you are confident with your testing skills and want to risk it, by all means, go for it! Whatever you choose, I truly wish you all the best! School is hard...being a nurse is very hard work, physically, emotionally and intellectually...good luck!

Hi, I work at LTC with 2 very "brittle" diabetics. One is on sliding scale put in place by outside endocrinologist. Res seems to "drop out of control" even after dinner and snack, then suddenly spikes over 300. Res is on 4 accuchecks/daily. "Brittle" diabetics must eat a balanced diet and can not skip meals or snacks. We also have another "brittle" diabetic who drops extremely low (29) sometimes. They just need to be closely monitored and snacks given at precise times. Insulin regimen should be continually monitored as these people are so unstable with their sugars. This is just a symptom of organ failure which is sure to contribute to lessoned life expectancy. It's such a destructive and cruel disease, especially if the resident not compliant with diet and insulin regimen. Just wanted to add that sometimes when res is very low (60), we add a packet of sugar or 2 to a cup of orange juice to help raise the BS. If BS is

I started a new job at LTC in March and have worked Easter, mother's day, am working weekend plus Memorial Day and the day after plus father's day. This is the first Memorial Day I will miss with my family. We usually spend the long weekend at the shore (Jersey) with parents-in-law (whom I love) and the kids, me and my husband. I will miss this one (1st in 4 years) and I am really depressed about it! Shining light though is that I have 4th of July off plus two days afterward (JOY)! Shore time with the family is what's getting me through!

I can not verify with any factual information, but I have tried omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackrel, flax seed as well as a protein filled breakfast. These always work for me. Also caffeine, especially coffee and green tea are supposed to enhance memory and energry. Vigorous exercise, such as power walking, running and weight lifting seem to enhance memory and energy. Hope this helps. I truly believe getting enough sleep (8 hours a night) greatly enhances energy and memory.