Titiana

We had someone had charted on a prior visit an allergic reaction of "thong swelling" instead of tongue swelling. ?

I have a question. I was at work yesterday and I heard a nurse from the IV team (we have a team that does IV's and hangs blood... from 7am to 11pm) give a pt her phone number. Has anyone ever done this? I've had a couple pt that I've been close with, but no one has ever asked me for my number or anything. Is there legal reprocussions for giving personal info? or for becoming friends with someone who was your pt? Is this like a HIPPA violation? or is this ok. Have never heard of anyone doing this and would like advice if I'm ever in that situation where a pt asks. Thanks.

My first clinical instructor was amazing (if she wasn't I may of quit) and she said that the first day of clinical that when we became nurses to remember what it was like to be students because as she put it "we're eating our young" and that that attitudes like that are the reason that there is a nursing shortage. I am taking my secound year over because of failing d/t a nursing instructor that was unbelievable.

I wouldn't neccessarily say that, I live in Upstate New York and out BOCES runs a program, where for about $100 bucks and 30 days you can be a phlebotomist and I have known some nurses that are amazing at drawing blood and some phlebotomists (nurses too) that are REALLY, REALLY bad at it. And in answer to the orginal question I'm a secound year nursing student in last semester and I haven't been taught to draw blood or put in an IV. You know every day I get more and more worried about what I'm not learning and then their shipping me out to take care of sick people on my own. AHHHH.

Oh yes, we were taught that none of the sheet could have the seams touching the pt, nor could it have WRINKLES, we had to make sure that the sheets and blankets were completely flat because that will irritate the skin, we also had to make special "foot folds" that the sheet and the blanket had to be in a perfect about 4 inch fold at the bottom of the bed, so they wouldn't bother the toes. We were also taught to fold back the sheet, and there were ways to do it, multiple folds, different folds for weither they were coming back from surgery... What a waste of time, I wish we had spent more time on learning usefull stuff. But if then if I deside to change careers I can always make beds for a living/

LOL, I'm 21 and that's my favorite thing to do, or lay in the tub with a book. It's not fiction but it's a really good read. "Intensive Care" by Echo Heron, she got her RN in the late 70's and I read it everytime nursing school is getting me down, gives me hope, lol.

As I'm reading these posts I'm laughing, I learned some of this stuff in my LPN year. We learned to make a bed with 2 flat sheets (hospital corners and all), lol, haven't even had to use that knowledge. To take part in the graduation ceromonies we not only have to wear white, but also are required to wear the cap (you can see me there huh) Our med/surg instructor is giving us a pharmocology exam that has drugs that aren't used any more (drugs replaced 30 years ago) we were taught that our hands could never go below our waists for anything because they are now unclean (someone failed for this) We cannot put clean linens on the end of the bed or the bedside chair, because we will contaminate them and before we put anything on the bedside table we need to sterilize it, the table that is (alcohol wipes) and nothing can touch the floor, including dirty linens (you either put them right in the dirty linen bag or bring a plasic bag in the room with you and put it on the floor first) or the Foley. LOL, this is only part of the stuff I learned in my LPN year, I never even passed meds until my last day of Clinical, lol. Imagine how unprepared I felt going out into the real world and moving on to my secound year. The worst part was that the whole time they kept telling us how high ranked they supposable are in the Nursing dept.

I feel very unconfidate about graduation, like I really don't know what I'm doing. I know what I'm being taught and I have gotten an excellent referral from my instructor (he works in the ICU), but I have all these doubts, like what should I do if a pt codes on me? I mean yes, call it, but like not knowing what drugs and things are kept on the crash cart. And if I'm working nights and it's just me when do I call the MD, things like this. I just feel like I should know everything and if I don't know everything I'm going to screw up. LOL, I know your thinking I'm like a walking panic attack, lol, no, I just like being prepared for anything and being that I don't know everything, lol, I don't feel prepared. So if anyone could give me anything, any tips, any hints, secrets, shortcuts, things that you don't learn until you've been a nurse for a while. Thank You so much.

When you open your book bag to look for a pen and you have 100 alcohol pads, 5 syringes, 4x4s, an abd pad, hand lotion.... all from the hospital. (I just looked in my bag, lol) when you have one book that weighs 9 lbs by itself. when you go in your bathroom and your toothbrush is one that came in plastic wrap from the hopital.

Just a suggestion, and you probable don't want to go back to that job if that's the way they treat you. But I live in Upstate New York, and I know that when things have gotten bad and not knowing who to call, my family has called our Senator. In our case, when I was real little, about 3 years, my father had gotten injured at work and the workmens compensation company refused to send the money, and my mom, being a stay at home mom couldn't go get a job, because anything she earned would just go to day care for me, because my Dad was bedridden (he tore the cartilage in his knee, and couldn't walk). SO my mom called our Senator (Senator Seward) and within a week we had the check including all the back payment owed. Like I said you may not want your job back, but call and explain your situation. Because of your excellent record and the fact that after 4 years you must have sick days, they really don't have a case against you, especially that you gave them warning. Besides you can feel better knowing that they (your former work) got the piss scared out of them when they get a call from the Senator office. And you get to at least talk to someone with some athority, your taxes pay their salary, they are working for you. Just a suggestion. I myself am a single parent and have a four year old and I'm graduating in May, and just had a horrid interview for a Post-graduation job and this got me thinking about how I would handle this situation. I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself and your family. And I also agree with whoever said what kind of nurses are they. Good luck and prayers going out

Replace the housekeeping staff and have the nursing staff do all of the cleaning between patients. Don't forget we'll get rid of all those aides as well. Instead of nursing staff, we just have the nursing students do all the dirty work. OH, yeah, that's right, they already do. Lol, currently a nursing student and whenever we on the floor the aides are on permant break.LOL

This was my first semester in my second year, I had an older lady in for angina and so she was on bedrest, only up to bedside comode, so she asks me to clean her teeth, so I take them out, I'm all gloved and take them in the bathroom, lay the washcloth down in the sink, and prepare to clean these teeth, so they are nice and clean, I then proceed to drop the teeth, they bounce off the side of the sink, out the bathroom door and halfway across the pt's room. Oh, I'm standing there looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, thinking if I could sneak out the bathroom and out the door without the pt seeing me, I was soooo embarrassed and scared, I swore that she was going to tell my instructor and I was going to get a safety and andd this horrable stuff, so I take a deep breath and slink out and the pt grins at me and says "They giving you a hard time?" LOL.

13. Accidents in the back seat cause kids. Don't I know it. LOL

i'm sure he (my instructor) doesn't regret this, but once i had to give a im shot to a pt who was somewhat confused. we walk in and the pt tells us that someone came in this morning and gave him a shot for his brain. well, i'm biting my lip and shaking from trying not to laugh and my instructor calmly and with a straight face goes, well, did it work? and the pt just looks in deep in thought and goes, well, not yet. i about pissed my pants. :rotfl: