dbsn00
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Much sympathy to you & your family
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Dominican is about $10,000 more a semester than RCC. It has a very tough but excellant nursing program. The above poster is right, RCC doesn't use a waiting list anymore but you have an advantage if you already hold a LPN license, you will be accepted with no wait.
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I think we work at the same facility (ha ha). I too have several residents who are former nurses, including my former supervisor. I ask them to "help me" with paperwork & I've done the candy in med cups so they can "pass meds". I also "buddy up" with them if they are asking to go home - I tell them I want to go with them, we can wait for the bus together or that we can't leave for at least x amount of hours...usually something will distract them from continuing with the behavior. Most of my "packers" will forget what they are doing by the time they're done packing their belongings (thank God). I always try to find out what the residents did for a living & asking questions can also distract them for awhile. But in night shift...one determined LOL can really mess with your entire night, just pray that you only have to deal with one at a time! If we notice a sudden change in behavior & no interventions are working as the others have said it's wise to do labs & a U/A C&S - UTIs in the elderly cause some major behavior changes.
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Same here to both the above! Stoma care doesn't bother me but trach care...I used to "trade off" with another nurse for one patient, he was a "groper" & during trach care as he got more excited he would breathe heavier (go figure!) & let's just say the trach was no place you wanted to be near at that time!
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Relax...this is what orientation is for. You'll (hopefully) be with an experienced & patient nurse who will show what you need to know & the correct way to do it. Bring a notebook & use it - ask questions, write down vital info on your patients for charting later, etc.. At my facility (LTC) you would "shadow" the nurse the first few days - basically watch & learn from what she does. Then you would start to give medications (with your precepter right there with you) & learn wound care & various treatments. We train on charting, picking up MD orders, etc. last because it's too overwhelming to start learning everything all at once. You'll probably have to do a final med pass with the Director, unit manager or pharmacy consultant & some wound care before they "turn you loose". The important thing while in orientation is to take your time, ask questions & try to develope a routine that you can manage. Just remember, you will not be perfect, you will make errors & you will NOT have good time management as a new nurse so don't be surprised when you're not done with everything at the end of your shift & don't give up! You'll learn something new everyday & how to apply it to your routines. Always ask for help when you need it or if you don't feel that you've mastered a particular skill, be honest about your mistakes & be willing to learn from them. Time management, good nursing skills & thorough documentation come with experience so take advantage when a experienced nurse can help you. Good luck to you!
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The policy on my unit is "ALL residents on the unit are YOURS":rolleyes:. I have regular staff on my unit & since I became manager I make them switch "sides" (we have a North hall/MAR & South hall/MAR) every other month. Now everyone is familiar with all the residents & their medications. Prior to this we had a nurse on the unit for over 20 years that only did one "side" - after 20 years she had no clue about the other half of the unit. As a previous poster stated "if there was a code would you seek out the other nurse & tell her to deal with it as it's "not my patient" is a good example of why nurses truly need to embrace the term TEAMWORK & practice it. I also hate it when someone searches for you to tell you a patient needs something when it would have been quicker (& helpful) to just do it themselves. As for nursing students, haven't had any yet that weren't happy to help in any way... guess I've been lucky!
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That's so unprofessional...I'm a manager & if I ever said aything like that (not that I ever would, 1st rule is don't get personal) I would totally expect to get a reprimand (& probably worse) from my DON. I would leave just over that issue alone. :angryfire Second, you're a LICENSED NURSE & we all know we don't inject what we did not draw up - the MA doesn't understand this because she's NOT A NURSE!! I've worked with some great MAs who taught me things I didn't learn in school (EKGs, venipuncture) but these particular MAs you're working with are on some power trip that management has allowed & played into - judging by your boss's comment about your hair. I would resign with a full explanation to the DON, administrator & HR, no notice (because of the situation created by your boss & the anxiety it's caused you I'd also try to get ALL paid time you have coming to you), & find something that doesn't cause bowel spasms ! Good Luck!!
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:uhoh21: Why would you sign for a med administration that you did not pour or draw up yourself? Your license is on the line here - I would look for work elsewhere Good luck
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Try half.com - it's affiliated with ebay. You can get books at very discounted rates -very reliable & will probably have every book you need. I got some at a 75% discount - it depends on the condition of the book - the sellers will tell you if it's highlighted, slightly used, etc. You can search by name, author or ISBN # Good luck!
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My facilty was sited by the DOH this past year for not having proper bowel protocol. Now almost everyone has colace daily & PRN MOM. This is working very well, it's rare now that we have to disimpact a resident. The CNAs on my unit are really good with informing the nurses if someone doesn't have a BM in 2 days so we can start the MOM, etc. And warm prune juice is the BOMB but my resident's are always reluctant to drink it so we use stewed prunes (warm) which works just as well and tastes better. There's nothing worse than trying to disimpact a very confused and combatative LOL...and I do not want my frail cardiac residents straining to have a BM.
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We use the pull away tab alarms or mat alarms that are placed under the linen (resident shifts weight trying to get OOB alarm sounds). We put them in a geri chair if they are very restless or agitated so they can be at the nurse's station or closer to staff for observation at night. We also started putting a resident's mattress directly on the floor with floor mats around him - 3 falls over 3 nights - & this seems to be working well. The key is having someone close by to actually hear an alarm & get in the room ASAP (not always possible). Make sure every intervention is updated in the care plan - I have a few residents that we have just exhausted every possible intervention, short of tying them up! (yes, I'm just kidding) & we're not allowed to use posey vests.
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OMG THAT IS SOO DISGUSTING!! But I would have done the same thing...I have a resident who has the grossest blackheads on her face & since I do 1:1 with her so often I "pop" her every chance I get...her family actually thanks me!
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It's a facility policy where I work (as long as there are no cardiac problems) to remove the impaction & start on a bowel regime (we were cited during survey). However, we never chart the word "impaction" either - "assisted with manual removal" is the term we use. I would LOVE to see the MD do this;) as it's something I get to do several times per week!
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I get the flu EVERY year - it's usually right around Christmas & I'm down for the count for at least 7-10 days. When I started in LTC I got my first flu shot & was twice as sick as usual. Now I just make sure I have some sick days available & use them. If someone I'm working with is "dripping" & won't do the right thing by staying home we get the supervisior or DON to send them home - no bargaining, they'll give you at least 3 paid days off (you'd owe them the time back when you accrue it).