Dafabb

Dafabb has 40 years experience and specializes in Med/Surg/.

Dafabb's Latest Activity

1. 

   Terminated for Crying at Work

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   It's ok to have an emotional out sometimes just not often. I worked oncology for 5 yrs and all of us at one time cried with our pt/family, by ourselves. I have sat in the NS and cried(rarely) over an aged pt. It could be as simply as they miss there pet and hope they get to see them again. One thing I will say now and It was drilled in me 40 yrs ago is " Nurses eat their young" This is as true today as all those years ago. Trust is something you give our sparingly in certain areas. When it comes down to them or you then you just might be looking at the underside of a bus! I am not a negative person just practical and have seen it over and over......
2. 

   LPN to RN feels Trapped and Burnt Out

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   As an LVN of 40 years I agree to go on M/S floor. I have done Home care with one pt. at a time and home health with 35 pt a week(my #1 love). Having 5-7 pt will keep you on your toes and will give you great satisfaction. I have been in the hospital about 32 of those years. Gone from one end to the other in the hospital-ICU to M/S. It might not count on paper but being an older Nurse it does count in their minds. You will stay active and busy and time will fly unlike home care. It will probably give you a new lease on life. Unlike many States Texas has been the most liberal and allowed us the most experience along side our RN counterparts. Enjoy your transition....
3. 

   Pediatric Patient IV Infiltration- Is it My Fault?

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   I think you already know the answer as to how bad you feel but unlike Ms. Tactful just know we have all had this happen more than once/twice/thrice, be it adult or child. It tends to make us more diligent and yet it will still happen on the occasion. I work nights and carrying a flashlight of your own is always a big help and yet that squirmy little man rolled over and was laying on it for the last 2 hours and there goes the buzzer and there is that big arm... stop it, change it, heat pack wrap it and go on. The best of the best has had it happen....
4. 

   Start Nursing School at 66?

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   I will also add another concern. Just getting your RN at this stage will probably not be as plausible in 2/3 yrs because just being an RN will not get you a job. You will probably have to have at least your BSN as many right now are doing that and will not hire an RN without her BSN and some are going on to MSN. So keep that in mind for the time, definitely the money(very expensive as I hear from many Nurses)
5. 

   3 DUIs What are my Chances of Being an RN?

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   I will agree by your numbers that you have a problem. You were free for 15 yrs and again it happened. I would suggest you work on that situation first. Your health is more important. You have your Lab degree it would probably be more prudent to go in that direction. I wish you well.....
6. 

   Choices - Which Job to Choose?

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   Everyone has stated all the good reasons for what so I will say do the M/S first as in 2 years LA County will have an opening after that if you want to change over.....
7. 

   RNs Don't Help CNAs

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   OH and PS here this is a generalized version so no nasty comments if you are exempt here.
8. 

   RNs Don't Help CNAs

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   For 15 yrs we did total pt care until we started get CNAs. We still did TPC but also had some help because there would be 1 CNA. As time moved on more CNAs. Nurse coming in in the 90's on mostly never did TPC so evolving to let CNAs do all of the toileting,feeding,fetching. There are really more RNS/LVN now that do little PC. I have watch Nurses sit in the NS on their phone while lights go off. I am sure many of us could go on and on. Now that the hospitals are all RN mostly I'll exclude the LVNs. I have not had the patience for that for quite a few yrs and have been known to tell a Nurse to get up and take care of her own pt as the CNA has enough to do.( That's the nice version). These Nurses now a days need to stop and think and know, to make it work, they do need to be on occasion the CNA for their Pt. It is a very rare night that we can't take the time to answer the light and assist your pt on the bedpan/BR/turning,rearranging,changing. I hear more excuses and they get better every year. Sorry after 40 yrs I have more stories than you can shake a stick at and have been from east/west coast doing it. This is a condensed version
9. 

   Can't Smell-Can I be a Nurse?

   Dafabb replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Nurse Beth

   All I can say is you are lucky you can't smell but I can't think of a time when I just couldn't look and know there was a problem with infection or something wrong.
10. 

    Aetna work from home tele case manager rn

    Dafabb replied to cc_RN's topic in Triage

    I was wondering if anyone has been doing this. I have been a Nurse for 40 yrs and still working right now in corrections. I wanted to get into this insurance WAH. I met online a Nurse who does precerts (10yrs as LVN) and after sending her my resume can not get her to answer. Not really use to having a 3 way job app. I would love some suggestions in how to break into a WAH position. It does not have to be in the insurance. I have done IC9 but am really rusty. I have CM my own home health patients. Telephonics is another interest. Any suggestions would be helpful......
11. 

    Why are nurses disrespected so much?

    Dafabb replied to fitfabfunnurse2b's topic in Nursing

    LMBO This sounds so like me!...As a Nurse who has done about 25 years in agency with a few employed jobs I can truly hold my own. It was show me the med room, dirty laundry room and what kind of charting do you do and I'll ask if I need to. Most Nurses are a good group the select few need to find other jobs...After 40 years I have worked with the best and a few that need daily B12 shots. To know me is just to listen to me talk. I am an open book. Barring the fact you have worked with your friends for many years( did that a long time ago) I do not trust anyone. As agency you go too many places..or I have. After a number of years I finally learned to keep my mouth shut and just do my job. I will help anyone at any time but never tell me no. I had to learn diplomacy and always took constructive criticism from people I truly respect and learned from it because I know my faults. It is a learning curve to let thing fly over your head and just smile. Find a Nurse that you like an emulate her but also make your own ways......
12. 

    Help! need advice on hospitals being comfortable with TN Visa

    Dafabb replied to bahnessa's topic in Immigration

    I will say this is going to be a good lesson to never quit, put in notices on apts before you have the signed and sealed deal. I would see if you can rescind the job notice. If not too late same with apt. Often they will tear up if they have not already carried it thru (date here). furniture you can get at second hand place. As to the lease in apt in Chicago let them know you did not get the right to work in US and they should let you out of lease. This all presuming they have a conscience. It might be sticky as it is in Chicago and I am in TX. and they are somewhat nicer. If apt. states you owe them anything do not pay anything as they spend very little to write that contract.(application fee) I feel for you but never do anything until you have an absolute....If you want to come to the states you might find someone who has already done it and get the particulars on that. Many hospitals have direct hiring so bypass recruiters. They have in house recruiters( I don't know if this is the case here). Sometimes to many fingers in the pie can destroy it before coming out of the oven...
13. 

    Your decisions on extending

    Dafabb replied to jive turkey's topic in Travel

    I worked at the VA Clinic in San Jose on a 13 week contact and extended 4 times some of those were apparently 8 weeks I never paid attention. I was there almost 11 mos. I love all those people and the best place I have ever worked. I was ready to go back home (Dallas) but my friend did another 8 weeks. You can go over either 12-13 mos without taking a break. House rules....If you enjoy and love where you are stay as long as you can. Plenty of time to go somewhere else. I saw so much of the coast in those months!
14. 

    Travel nurse without the travel?

    Dafabb replied to Hangin'On,RN's topic in Travel

    Actually the only problem in that is if you borrow a friends address you had better put some of those utilities in your name. I also would not write this on an open forum too much as you know the IRS will monitor some of these type places and what better one than a travel nurse. ( It pays to be paranoid) They will not except a PO Box and if you know anyone who has done this and they ever come up on their radar they will be in for a rude awakening.
15. 

    Travel nurse without the travel?

    Dafabb replied to Hangin'On,RN's topic in Travel

    As I have been an agency nurse since 1992 this is how I did it. For many years I stayed in West Texas and did most in surrounding area. It could be 40 mi- 600mi+(RT) You will not get a contract with much of stipends if you stay within your State. You agency might help you with a little of your housing if you are going there and have to stay but it will be nothing like you get out of State. You might find an agency who is a little more generous but that will be it. I will share that I did a job about 185 mi. from where I lived. No help really on the housing as I do roommates and found a great little grandma to stay with. She charge $500/exempt with her for some help with her as she was in a WC but walked with walker. Her GD also was there to do most of that. They paid me almost $27/hr and taxed minimum wage of 8.25(?)TX.and the rest of the $27 was free money. I went home 2 xs in those 3 mos. On my $600(rt) would do 3/4 days come home,stay at a very generous reduced rate at hotel and on occasion my boss might swing for a day or 2....(back in 90s) My paid would be taxed as if a regular job and the only thing I took off yearly was my mileage. She did tho pay me quite well for the 90s($27-28). So you can go a ways from your home get a good salary and maybe some help in the housing but it wont be much and take off all the mileage you drive from the time you leave home and back....That's how in state works unless of course like Texas it's 900 miles across the State.
16. 

    Have you been told you can't

    Dafabb replied to jive turkey's topic in Travel

    I have Nursed for 40 yrs now. Keep in mind in Texas before all this going RN the LVNs, if they were comfortable, did everything the RN did. Me personally ICU, Tele, Oncology just about everywhere. That's been about 32 yrs out of 40...In 99-01 I was in AZ and couldn't do any IV pushes, In Florida no pushes(I went in Nov and by the first of the yr they decided we could give all pushes except cardiac). In 1 hospital in my area at home in Dallas(straight agency) we as agency couldn't give narcotics(of course D/T an agency and Narc discrepancy). Now of course after working in all these specialty units etc for 20 yrs I was peeved but of course I had to learn to accept. Eventually I did except each time an RN asked have you ever done this. Now I really had to keep my cool( sometimes the answer of well would since you were in diapers qualify)Big smile!...Another of my favs were No I can't say I ever have but maybe you could teach me! Now this of course didn't always go over as I tend to be a force of nature in the personality/confident dept but somehow always making nice with it. I always had to remember they did not know me or how long I had been nursing. Many time my pride was injured until I got in my head it was the hospital not them. In the States where LVNs have no practice with may of these task it is a given they can't do. Once you understand it is what it is your feelings stop being hurt and you go with the flow.. The one thing I truly hate about all this is the RNs now have to pick up all the slack with giving our IVs. This also includes all IVs outside of the NS. Sometimes it's a lot to ask and now we all feel bad because they have to do it. 2 RNs with a staff of 6 have more than they need to have. With the Narc issue it's a nightmare because the place I work that did that those nurses were all about their own and we took a backseat. Imagine explaining to your pt. why his pain meds are taking so long. It was sad in every sense. Thankfully that was seldom the case in any hospital. That's one reason I was thankful I lived in Texas. Since the hospitals choose what the LVNs can/can't do rarely did I go anywhere in where things were limited. I had the privilege of doing it all and learning from the best of Nurses and Drs. as many of us did. Some of these were due to the LVN and a few were because of being agency.... since about '12 this is a mute point now although I did work in a hospital in 14-16 and there are still rural hospitals that will still have LVNs. So my point on all this is it is what it is when your run into it and they are only making it harder for their own Nurses(even if you are an RN)when they do this. Enjoy it because yes that's just less things you have to contend with.......There is also another aspect to you having this problem they might become angry wondering why an agency is working when they can't to this or that. I know I had that look on and off. The only answer I ever gave was my qualifications are probably better than yours but you can thank your admin for these decisions they make. Get mad at them and not me......I do speak my mind because this is the truth.....