nursecolley

Review prescriptions before you leave the ER. Make sure the doctor knows your current medications so you won't be given the same meds (happened to me) or given medications that may counteract with your meds.

I was a school nurse for 18 years. My lead nurse let me know during my first year there how much she had hated me. At that time, she didn't have enough authority to get rid of me.She tried several ways to convince me to leave. She removed my medication aide, she placed me in a substandard office. She endeavored to lower my self-esteem and confidence at every turn. By the end, legislation had changed so she concentrated on finding enough fault with me to fire me. Because the union rep was education-based, he was useless to my struggles. My lead nurse even reported me to the nursing board. However, it's now four years later and I am finally vindicated. I loved my time as a school nurse and I long to go back to it.

I'm not an expert on relationships, so good luck with that one. The thought that occurred to me is this: Your position at the old job has more than likely been filled. You will quite possibly to assigned to night shift again. Looking at it, I'm getting these questions, Will the bf be OK if you are still on different shifts, but same building? FOMO...is night shift acceptable for your wishes? Life will always throw curveballs. There is no guarantee that the bf will stay in your life. There is no guarantee that a day shift will open for you on your timetable. There is no guarantee that your old job will hire you back, even. I can go on, but I think (and hope) that you will look at pros and cons here with these questions in mind, and add some more of your own. Good luck!

I’ve been waiting over a year now for a decision from the Board

My first Code Blue was as an EMT on my first ambulance call. My patient had flipped his car end over end and flew out of the car. I was putting a C-collar on when he stopped breathing. We picked him up and put him on the back board and stretcher and threw him in the ambulance. My partner yelled for someone in the crowd of bystanders to drive the truck to the hospital. Unfortunately, the stretcher was not fastened into place when loaded, so it banged against our knees a few times. I was doing the breathing with an ambu bag, while my partner did compressions. I can still recall the patient throwing up beer and it pooling in his eyes. It's crazy what I remember about this call, but I'm so grateful for a partner who did not fuss if I didn't remember something, but was patient with me and the 'driver' who needed directions to find the hospital. I had many more codes in my career as a paramedic. My 'first' Code Blue in a hospital setting as a nurse was a bit different. I had a patient who was admitted to a three bed ward at the beginning of the shift. His temp was in the 70-80's. He was barely responsive. I told my head nurse that I did not think he would last the shift and he needed a private room. I was a new hire at the hospital. Thinking back at that shift, I now know I should have suggested he go to ICU. Anyway, at first my head nurse resisted, saying that the empty private room on the floor was for a VIP who was coming. After an hour or two, my patient was given the private room. He had a buddy blanket placed on him, and I noticed that the higher his temp was, the less responsive he became. I called the doctor multiple times about the patient worsening, and he never came to the floor. I was upset about the lack of care I was vibing from the doctor. At 6 am, the lab tech came out and told me he was having difficulty drawing blood. I went in and checked his pulse. There was none. I pushed the code button and started CPR. After just a few seconds, the patient was revived. He was stabled by other responding doctors and nurses while the head nurse accused me of not recognizing the difference in whether someone is dead or alive. She also told me I should have stepped into the hallway and called a code verbally to just the floor. I was demoralized. I sat down and was documenting everything. Shift change came, and I was still writing. A few minutes later, a code was again called on my patient by the nurse who followed me. My patient did not survive that time. As a new nurse (who had 14 preceptors by the way), I know I made some mistakes. Please feel free to critique me. I would appreciate your thoughts on this post.

I've done the intricate pumpkins but I will still have this problem. Soaking it overnight in water helps plump them back up. They do mold faster that way so I wait to carve them the week of Halloween.

I remember back in the days of being a paramedic. I had a patient with chest pain, and we couldn't get the stretcher to her bed, where she was laying. We set her in a chair to carry her out. She coded twice in the ambulance before we could get to the hospital. Another patient I had was as a new nurse. A male with a low body temperature was admitted to a three-bed room. When I did my assessment, I told the charge nurse that he was too ill for that room and needed a private room. At first, they refused to move him, but finally did. My intuition was telling me he was going to code before my shift was over. As we warmed him up, his level of consciousness decreased. I called the doctor numerous times all night, and he refused to come and see the patient. At 6 am, the lab went in the room, and came straight back out to tell me there was something wrong. Indeed, he had coded. I pushed the code button on the wall, and started CPR. He came back within minutes, before other nurses made it to the room. I was documenting for an hour after shift change, and I heard a code being called for that patient. So many things should have been done differently, but unfortunately, they were not.

Our school has some type of 'glider' that is supposed to allow the kids to hang onto as they 'fly' about 10 feet. One day they stacked milk crates they found beside the kitchen door and stood up on them, flinging the handles to each other. One fifth-grader ended up with it impaled in her forehead. My question was 'Where was the supervision?" She had about 4 staples in her head. I wish they would take that down. Most of our kids play on the turf football field. I've had everything from dislocated kneecaps to concussions from that thing. The track around it is concrete/asphalt, so I hate recess now.

May I politely ask what is the point of this post? I'm sure it could be asked about the generation 25 years and above, and what is different with them? Several here have noted that some of the 'new behaviors' have been adopted by older members, and that is appreciated. I know we have the need to vent, but is this the proper place to do so? Respectfully, nursecolley

I can only speak for myself as a hospice nurse many moons ago. I recall that we had suction machines brought into homes for several patients, but not all. One case in particular was one in which fluids were gushing from the patient's mouth faster than could be caught by a suction machine, although she was not vomiting, per se. It was so bad that I couldn't allow her daughter to come into the room, and the patient died within ten minutes. I am sorry that the daughter could not be in the room with her mother in her last moments, but my nursing judgement at the time for that family leaned toward the daughter not being able to emotionally handle the way her mother left this earth. I can see when it would be best to not suction, but that should not be an end-all decision. Sometimes, it's necessary, and sometimes, it's not. My mother recently passed, and while she did have a death rattle, it was semi-controlled with atropine, and she was able to die peacefully. Not every patient will be this 'lucky'.

We get summers off, but if one of our diabetics or other child attends summer classes or energy express, we are able to bid on the job...The one for this summer is for 10 hours per week, from 8 am to 1 pm....Not sure how the math works there! LOL.....Or else it's for breakfast and lunch, and drive back and forth home between meals.....

I was approved to attend "Hot Topics in Pediatrics" this summer, but it appears to be geared more toward doctors. I was told I could choose another conference instead. Any suggestions for a WV nurse? I need to decide ASAP. Thanks!!!

Oh, Lordy, I thought of some more. I took a patient in to the ER, and he was severely impacted. When we returned to transport him home, the doctor said, "He should be lighter now!" I brought in a GSW to the ER, nine months gestation, who was deceased. The shooter killed himself. Even though we had her to the ER within minutes, the doctor refused to do a C-section, stating he 'didn't want to CREATE a third patient'.

I was working in EMS, and was transferring a 17 year old, 24 weeks gestation from one hospital to another. The doctor told me that she would not deliver before we got to a higher level hospital. Halfway through the trip, my shoes became soaked. I quickly checked the patient, and saw that I had a foot presentation. I called MedCom to alert them of the change in status. As I finished my report, I only heard silence on the other end. Quickly, I asked, "MedCom, did you copy?" The reply: Stand by, I'm thinking!

Everyone's plans sound so wonderful. I have dreams of traveling to Seattle to meet a newly discovered cousin. Then reality sets in. My mother has moved into my home, as her dementia is increasing at a rapid pace. We have transferred her care to Hospice this week, but she will remain in my home and I will be her main caregiver. Until the end of the year, my son is watching over her, and I give him guidance from work. Having a school job, I'm lucky that I can have the time to care for her properly without losing pay.

For the nurses station!!!! The boys would have to improve before they get any!! Hang in there, Mom!!

You might want to sharpen this!

Let's switch positions.

I'm reading this thread with great interest. I have been in this situation before and am in it now. I have put too many years in to just up and leave. At the previous employment, I spoke with the 'higher-ups', and it sounded like I could ask for my job back. Would the harassment end? Probably not, so I didn't ask to return. Now it's happening again. My manager is making up issues and complaining about inconsequential things. She sends me notices of job openings in other sectors. Do I complain, or not? Will she be told to stop? Doubtful, and the resentment would grow enormously. I don't want to hijack the thread, but for all newbies....is there really a recourse, and at what stage do you find it? The OP needs to hang on to her information and offer a copy to her friend to show it's not specific to whom is harassed, and will show a pattern. (It was offered to me after I left the previous job.)

This topic has got to be one of the most depressing!! Either we weren't remembered, or we got leftover gifts from previous years....I think I hate to even remember what this week was, as it just shoves the fact that we are forgotten in our faces. But then I realized....when is administration day, school counselor day, etc, etc....Those of us who work in a hospital setting should have enough staff to celebrate, but nurses in other fields have co-workers who also are not remembered. NASN wants us to shout out for ourselves....I'm not that bold and would feel like I was self-serving. "HEY, LOOK AT ME!!!" No thanks!!

Warning....these may cause graphic images!!! A few years ago, I was giving instruction on how to use an Epi Pen. My leg was sore from demonstrations, so I turned and hit the tip of the Pen on the table beside me. Unknowingly, I had picked up an actual Pen. It slipped off the edge and into my thumb. Half of the Epi was injected before I could remove the Pen....at the end of the day, my thumb was still numb so I went to the ER..... First, they wanted to test me for HIV, AIDS, etc....and I reminded them it was a CLEAN needle. After an hour or so, I was being given discharge instructions, including to return if my thumb BECAME numb. I quickly reminded my nurse that the reason I was there was because my thumb was already numb..... my teacher aides have reminded me of this every year it was time to go over training. Before nursing, I was a paramedic. We received a call for a boating accident. The patient had fallen overboard into the propeller. She resembled slices of beef steak lying on the seat....hard to believe that was the patient. A few months later, I was working at a scout camp. The steaks were supposed to be medium to well, but the blood still oozing gave me a flashback to the boating incident....I had to leave the dining area....without eating.

I ended up calling child services after waiting 4 months for a second inhaler. The mom was mad, but she was also warned it could happen. Today, she came in and took our inhaler. If it's not returned Monday, I will have to call Child Services again. This child has an asthma attack at least once a week.

My son got those (Bean Boozle) and insists I play, too....I learned to just slightly bite them enough for a faint taste so they don't faze me. Have fun with that!!

Having worked in the medical unit at a correctional facility, I would have to say that this would NOT be a good fit for a new grad. You are usually working with one other person, but the workload is so large, that you may not have time to confer with each other. I remember when I had an inmate try to jump over the desk at me (off of his Lithium for 2 years), and two ODs were brought in and were unresponsive when the COs found them. We also had a potential heart attack that was not transferred out to a hospital. Inmates would be brought into medical every few days for us to see for various conditions. I could go on and on. I would definitely suggest starting elsewhere.

WV has been faring well. Only reported sporadically right now. Of course, the kids will try to use it for an excuse to call home.