Debbie_LPN

Ok, me and hubby have been trying for 3 years to have a baby. One of my residents came up to me and asked "When are you due???" I stepped back a second, and told her about trying, and that I wasn't pregnant. She then said "Oh, yes you are!!!". I took a test last night, and still negative. However, This happened to 2 other coworkers, and they are 5 months. I think our geriatric residents know things sometimes. What do you think?

Ohio here---I'm making 16.00 including my shift differential. I'm in LTC.

At the end of nursing school, we did a survey and the average weight gain was 20 pounds. I thought that after I started working, the weight would come off as easily as I put it on (HA) I find now that I'm working, it is not coming off as easy d/t constantly picking up shifts and no time to go to the gym(I barely have enough time to sleep!). Is any one else having trouble taking the extra weight off? And if so, what are you doing to help???

THANK YOU EVERYONE SOOOO MUCH!!! I am taking a lot in, and yes, it is getting better. I think now that I'm there for awhile, they see that they don't run the show. I've started calling them on things like not taking vitals, and they seem to be doing better. I guess it just takes time. They have also begun to listen to me when I tell them to do something(not boss them around, just if they forgot to to something). I love all the advice. I will be using it eveyday!!! Debbie

Let's see..... I am a new nurse, started working 4 months ago in LTC. I am 23 years old. The problem is: Where I work, there is 1 nurse on the floor, and 2 to 3 aides. They are all older than me, and doing this for years. I love my aides(I really do, I was an aide for 5 years), but sometimes I feel like they walk all over me. The one night, after I had made the temp board out, they took it and withiin 10 minutes, they had it all filled out(7 pts TPR). The numbers were all so close. But I didn't see them make them up, so I asked them: Wow, that was quick. Are you sure these are the real temps? Well, as you can guess, they were PO'd. They constantly try to get out of assignments and work. They skip over residents during rounds, and when I say something, they ALWAYS have an excuse. Then this one is the best one yet. They will ask me about a condition or a med, and when I don't know the answer, they will give that look(you know the one, it's like well you're the nurse, so you SHOULD know everything). Then they giggle. It's so childish, these are grown women I work with. Sorry so long, just needed to vent. I hope I am not the only one who has ever had this happen to. Some nights, I just feel like maybe nursing is not for me. But then that one patient who kicked your butt earlier gives you a hug, and it's all worth it.

Ok, 5 months now into my 1st nursing job in LTC. I am told I am the "midnight nurse supervisor", because basically I am the only nurse who actually works full time. I am getting burned out and FAST. I don't know if I'm coming or going anymore. We have one midnight nurse who just doesn't want to work(she is supposedly the other FT nurse). So, she called off for 5 days stating she has "Pink eye". Then, on her night back, she called off stating --ok, now get ready for this one--cellulitis of the face. :roll So put me on my schedule now of : 9 days on, 1 night off, 5 days on, and 2 nights off. I am so furious how the DON doesn't do anything about this. It really upsets me having to work ALL THE TIME. :angryfire I guess I just needed to vent. So now I will get ready to go to work, lol, and try to stay awake!!! :selfbonk:

lucky dog!!!

I work 11-7:30, and I feel like I can't get a break. We have SOOOO much work at night. We are responsible for everything, b/c "you have a lot of down-time on the midnight shift". Which brings me to my next question: Is the nurse to pt ratio different on midnights? Normally it is 1:36, but often there is one nurse for 2 wings, which puts us at 1:67. I was told that it is ok on midnights...any input???

Ah, yes, I have 6-7 skin checks 5 nights a week. We have about 5 tx's, and my med pass starts at 0330. Yes, it is unreal. I got the response "We are trying to help out the dayturn pass, so now all the G-tube meds are in the am." We have 5 tubes, and they each have 15 meds a piece!!! We also have lab at 0400. And on top of it all, I am the only nurse on my wing for 36 pts. So if 1 thing goes wrong, I will be way behind!

Hey! Live in Ohio, but worked in PA my whole life. Some that accepted students while I was an aide: Nugents(Hermitage) Hospitality Care Center(Hermitage) Countryside Convalescent(Mercer) Clepper Manor(Sharon) Alot of them got through SRHS school of nursing, but they might be willing to let you come in. I am doing an online course, but my preceptorship will be done where I work. The problem is that you are putting another nurse's license on the line, it is not the school. Good luck and keep us posted!!! Debbie

In LTC nursing, when changing a catheter, do you ALWAYS get urine return??? In school, we are always told that u will get a return if u are in the right spot. I'm asking b/c the other day, I changed a catheter and got no return. So I got the other nurse, and as it turns out, I was in the right place but there wasn't a return right away. So he tells me if you are unsure, inflate the balloon and if you tug and it comes out you're wrong. I did that on another catheter, and it stayed in there so I left it go. The dayturn nurse then had to change it cause 2 shifts had no output. Thanks in advance!!! Debbie

In ohio, nurse ratio is 1:50. YES, 1:50! I'm not sure on CNA's. We have 1:36 where I work(in LTC), and that is every shift. The dayturn 9 am med pass starts at 7:30am and ends around 11:30am. Thank goodness I work midnights.

Northeastern Ohio here...on the border of PA, and I work in an LTC facility. Going on to RN school soon!!! :)

No, it's how the schedule falls. Don't get me wrong, the $$$ is good, but I don't like having $800 taken out in taxes!!! I requested off the 4th of July and 5 days after that, so hopefully, I can get some r&r.

i just got my first nursing job 3 months ago. we are so short(i work ltc), that i have already oriented 2 new nurses and worked several 12 hr shifts. i just got off of an 11 day stretch(including 3 12s!!!), and having the 2 days off wasn't enough. so the new schedule comes out today, and i see that i have 8 days straight at the beginning of the month and 10 at the end. i don't know how i am going to get through it! yes,as a new nurse, i am totally burned out! i am even considering a career change, although i do like my job and i love being a nurse. i talked to the hr lady and she told me that it would be like this for the next several months due to there is nobody else. anyone else feeling burned out???