LPN34

...the special needs of the pediatric patient? Also include guidelines for charting on this type of patient.

I won't start this posting with NEVER, instead I'll start with ALWAYS..... ...anticipate needing alcohol swabs, tape, gauze, etc., and keep these items handy in your scrub pockets ...practice good time management. A code blue can pop up at any time and cause you to run gravely behind with your tasks. ...take time to smell the roses. Find a hobby, go to the gym, do something in your leisure time to take your mind off the stress you've endured at work. ...exude confidence. Doctors and patients alike can sense when a person is unsure of themselves. Even when you don't know the answer to something, have confidence that you will find the answer in the timely manner. ...take care of your health! Many healthcare workers are guilty of spending so much time taking care of others that they make no time to take care of themselves. Do what you need to do....unapologetically. That's my piece. :)

I work full time Monday-Friday, and occasionally do agency work on weekends to supplement my income. My personal solution to some of the problems I see posted here is to accept work assignments at only one or two facilities. Eventually the staff becomes familiar with you and they almost forget that you work for an agency. If you take assignments in LTC facilities, this also means you have better opportunities to get familiar with the residents. On another note: Cancelled shifts burn me up!!!! You make sure you are well rested, free yourself of all committments, and mentally prep yourself for a hard day of work, only to get that phone call 2 hours prior to the anticipated start of your shift. There are facilities that are known to "pad" their schedule in order to brace themselves for call-offs, then realize that they have all the staff they need. Arrrrgh! I was looking forward to that extra income!

When I am able to commit fully to furthering my education, I will most likely get a degree in a related field, such as hospital administration. Not only will it save me from burnout, but I will always have a second skill in my back pocket.

Talk about opening a can of worms...... I could go on and on, but I'll limit my pet peeves to 2 of them. 1. Not being relieved on time/relief nurse not showing up to work! This is especially annoying when you've worked a double shift or it occurs on a holiday, when your loved ones are putting things on hold until you get home. Now for the clincher: 2. We are all human! When a nurse at any healthcare facility makes a mistake, that nurse gets yelled at, reprimanded, talked about, you name it. But when a doctor makes a mistake (yes folks, they are not infallible), it gets brushed off and swept under the rug. (Quietly stepping down off my soapbox)

An LPN with med-surg experience is a hot commodity. It's getting harder and harder for LPN's to get their foot in the door with acute care facilities, and it seems that the industry steers us toward office nursing and long term care. With med-surg on your resume, it opens many more opportunities for you down the road. I can relate to your situation. I got into med-surg by working as a contractor. On my first 12-hour shift, I followed another nurse for "orientation" for 4 hours, then let go with my own patient assignment for 8 hours. No other orientation after that. I stayed at that hospital for 2 1/2 years. How did I get through it? I was not afraid to ask questions. If the other staff nurses were too busy to help, then I took my question to the charge nurse. Patient safety always came first. Besides, the patient can sense if you are not comfortable with a certain procedure and could become leery of the care they are receiving. Therefore, I was never ashamed to bring a more experienced nurse into the room with me to show me how to check the settings on the PCA machine or to get a second opinion on my assessment. Eventually I became proficient and a source of help for other nurses. I am not saying you should stay if you feel strongly about the inadequacy of you working conditions. I am merely suggesting that you do some soul searching, while taking into consideration the job market for LPN's in your area. What will be your choices WITH the med-surg experience? What are your choices if you don't have that experience? Will you be at peace with the path you have chosen? If you should decide to stick it out (which most responders have smartly recommended against), then get a whole year of med surg under your belt, proudly update your resume, then please PLEASE PLEASE start sending it out to other prospective employers.

I went to LPN school because I needed to get back into the workforce ASAP! When I do continue my education, I may get a degree in something other than registered nursing. It doesn't matter what degree of nursing you have achieved, we're all still subject to ungrateful employers, difficult patients, and overwhelming regulatory requirements. While I have no regrets that I have a skill that is in demand and puts food on the table, I regret not having that college degree to open up a wider range of choices in the healthcare industry.

The dreaded orders...I'd have to divide that one up into a few different areas. In family practice, on an 8 year old immigrant child who doesn't have any of the required immunizations for school: "Nurse, he will need a DPT shot, an MMR, AND please draw a varicella titer. Then he calmly goes into his office and shuts the door. In the med-surg ward: You open up a chart with fresh new orders on it at 11:30pm, after some night-owl doctor has done his rounds, only to find "Obtain consent for colonoscopy in AM" with an order for Golytely or Fleet Phospho soda. The patient has severe dementia, won't drink the bowel prep, and needs their power-of-attorney to sign the consent form for them. Long term care: "Antifungal lady partsl cream qhs x 7 days" Your resident is obese and combative.

It's bad enough that we have to deal with abuse from patients who are sick and cranky, but to be disrespected by doctors and/or management is the icing on the cake. We are the backbone of many institutions....large and small...but few people seem to realize it. My current employer makes me want to start my own business, because rules constantly change depending on the stress level of the doctor. When you are treated in this fashion, you find it hard to develop loyalty. I strongly believe this is a major factor in the nursing shortage. When I see nurses who retire early or change careers, I can't blame them because I feel their pain!