lovin

I entered nursing with a similar background - I used to teach 7-12 grade Science and I have a BS and MS in other fields. I did a 12 month accelerated program and LOVED it. The great thing about accelerated RN programs is that most of the people there...

This used to be me. I really miss the days when everything was new and I was just so darn grateful to have a job. Now, I am definitely more jaded and slightly less patient than I used to be. BUt, I do love having new nurses around to remind me why ...

Hello, I am getting involved with diabetes management at my hospital and one of the recommendations has been to start having RNs document carbohydrate intake for patients on insulin. Dietary sends up cards with each meal that shows the CCHO count for...

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I like the idea of a system that documents carbs as the patient orders meals. Even if they don't eat everything, at least it provides some data. It seems like a simple reminder to save the dietary sheets for the...

I agree with the above, take a break. Once you start, I HIGHLY recommend getting a few NCLEX books and then studying for tests by going through questions related to those systems. The 2 books I used for fundamentals are listed below. Both of these bo...

applewhitern. Thanks for taking the time to respond. We also are not in the practice of counting carbs, but occasionally have a diabetic on a pump who records this information themselves. The reason we change the system to have the RN count carbs and...

I agree with many of the positive things here. Med-Surg is not just a starting point until you can get into a better specialty. For me, and for many of my passionate and amazing co-workers, med-surg is our top pick. I love my conscious patients and t...

Hmmm. This is an interesting point, do we need to like our patients to give them high quality care? I try to give everyone my best regardless of my personal feelings for them. Personally, it rubs me the wrong way when someone assumes that because I ...

I had a patient today who claimed that I was "dumping" him because I transferred him to a higher level of care. This is is what I wished I had said, "It is not my job to be friends with my patients. It is my job to take care of you while you are her...

I am pretty good at letting things roll, but for some reason this patient got under my skin. As a nurse, I am sometimes in situations that are personal with my patients, but it bothers me when patients then assume that our relationship is personal r...

Don't quit. Sounds like you are a conscientious and caring nurse and that you did everything right including assessing your patient. Just keep reading the drug book before administration and go slow with IV meds. Be gentle on yourself.

I am also a new nurse and have started taking on more students. One thing I do with each student is take report together and then discuss priorities for the shift - which pt to see first, what tasks are time sensitive, what things can we delegate saf...

Nursing is 3rd career for me and I love it. Yes, the hours are long and a lot of the work is tough. But, there are days/ or nights when you have the opportunity to be there for someone when they are scared, alone and vulnerable. Also, look carefull...

Yesterday I rounded with the PA. Upon learning that I was a new grad, the PA felt the need to quiz my knowledge. I failed the quiz. But, here is the question: You have 2 trauma patients. Patient one has a left facial droop, but can raise both eyeb...

I had a similar experience. I was a second degree student -35 when I graduated and I got the lowest score on the first test. I got 4 nclex books and worked questions before every test. The prioritization book has lots of fundamentals questions. I gra...

Hello, I am a new nurse - 3 months out on my own - and I just had my first experience with a patient changing condition rapidly while on my shift. It was the first time that I did not want to leave after my shift because I wanted to stay with that pa...

THank you for all your responses. To utadahikaru, I did check the BP at 15 and 30 min after pushing the hydrazine. It went down to the 150's then back up again. Sorry for the incomplete picture. This pt had been at the hospital for several nights and...

Excellent reminder. Clear, accurate charting is difficult and it is best to use exact quotes and to describe the situation precisely. Although, it is more time consuming than simply checking the box for agitated and irritable. Thank you.

Find the fattiest part of belly you can - sometimes this is close to the love handles. Let the alcohol dry. Use a fresh needle. Push it fast.

Thank you all for your insight. The PA never followed up with me about how the patients were different. I agree with Esme12, that a good teaching moment involves both the question and the answer.

SATA = Select all that apply

I am a new nurse and I have a few lingering questions from my last shift. Here is a little about my patient: - end stage renal disease - end stage liver disease - non complaint with meds and dialysis - found down with ammonia over 130. Ammonia levels...

Best of luck. Hope you find yourself and a path that works for you.

Thanks for the responses. I did assess for overload, although the bolus was given late in my shift. Embarrassingly, I did not think about double checking albumin levels or asking for albumin to go with the fluids. This was an interesting patient beca...

1. State you work in ----------------------------------------------------------AZ 2. Years of experience --------------------------------------------------------New Grad 3. Specialty/unit and work setting (clinic, hospital, prison, etc)------------Me...