CrystalSSA

When asked personal questions that I do not want to answer, I make up silly answers. In the case that I was asked if I am married, I would say, "I am from West Virginia, I have been married since I was four!". That leads to conversation to West Virginia, not my marriage.

I gave more than 2 lines, that was just the statement of what I had to say. I gave reasons etc. They wanted to know... If someone in management perceives a problem with you do you: Apologize and try to talk to them Go to HR and report the issue Talk to your manager and hope for the best Email the person directly and tell them they are wrong That sort of thing.

Nursing school conflict question: I got a bad grade on this assignment. The question was: A director at your place of employment has gone to your manager with an accusation that is untrue. The director thinks that your attitude at a recent meeting was unprofessional and has emailed several people in your organization stating that you are not on board with the new procedures. You recall asking questions to clarify the new procedure, but did not think you were appearing unprofessional. You left the meeting feeling that your questions were completely answered and were eager to start the new procedure. A few days later, your direct manager called you into the office to tell you what this director was saying and showed you some emails between several managers about your "attitude". What would you do and why? I stated that I would ask for a meeting with the director and apologize. this is a manager where I work, and I don't want to be known as a troublemaker. I got a D with the explanation "content based" I really cant see going to HR when THEY didn't go to HR, they went to a direct manager. I guess I could have said that I would then make posters etc for the new procedure to "prove" that I am onboard.

The elevator to the procedure area is right beside the rooms. They allow us to either push the patient down in a wheelchair or their bed, the choice is ours or the patients, they will accept either. Sometimes I feel like its a control issue. I come in and say, "Hey, it's time to go", and they say, "I need to poop" or "I didn't finish eating yet", or "I want a new gown first and new bedding on this bed". Since we don't know exactly when they will be called, I cant make sure the patient has pain medications, so I usually have to give those too. I am not blaming the procedure area, they are doing us a favor by squeezing the patients in.

I work on a floor that is a medical floor. Many of the patients on my floor need tests and procedures, but are not on the schedule for them. The result is that we do not know when a slot will be open. We know they are going, we just don't know when. The hospital policy is that once we are told they are to go, we have 15 minutes to get them to the holding area. The procedure areas are constantly telling us that we are not meeting that 15 minute rule, and we are not. I tell the patient they are having the procedure, they are aware, but when they phone and tell me to send the patient, the patient always ALWAYS has some excuse as to why they cant be pushed down now. The patient seems to think they have the right to delay. Since we don't know ahead, we cannot go into the room and make sure the patient has had everything they desire prior to going. Does anyone else have to deal with this, and how to do meet the deadline? Sometimes I think telling the patient there is a deadline makes the patient go slower. They do not care that it is costing the tax payer up to $500 an hour to hold that spot for them, they suddenly decide they want to do "Whatever" before they go.

We get anyone having cardiac issues. Both the obese and the anorexic patient were having long pauses in heart beats.

Thank you for your answers, and I will search the topic!

I do not work on a psychiatric unit, but last week alone I had one patient that weighed over 650 lbs and one that weighed under 70 lbs. Both were in total and complete denial. When you have these patients do you talk to them about their weight? Does it make any difference? I tried being honest and actually said the same thing to both, "your weight is an issue and could kill you". Both gave me excuses. Both could have coded on me due to issues....and neither seemed to care. Am I wasting my breath talking to them about their weight? How do you approach them?

I have seen nurses huff off the floor when they come to the unit I work on and see the patient load. They dont seem to realize that on their stepdown unit, they are required to do a lot of things that I do not have to do for a patient.

ps: no union here...as you can guess

First let me say that nothing bad happened, but I feel I took a risk at work that I am not willing to take again. I was given my usual assigment at the start of the day. It is a heavy load, but I can deal with it. I was then told that some people "didnt show up" and that I would have to provide total care on some of my patients for a few hours. Again, it's a heavy load, but I can do it "for a few hours" until they get someone in. "someone" never came. Then 4 hours into my shift, I was told that a nurse was leaving sick and that I needed to take two additional patients. "Just until they can get someone in". Again.."someone" never came. Looking back, even though nothing happened, I felt I took a risk. My state nursing law states that I do not have to accept an assignment that I am uncomfortable with, but it does not say what happens if I refuse (like I've seen TX has a clause for what to do). How would you have handled the situation? I do not want to get fired, but I will not accept an assignment like that again..EVER. Should I go to my manager now and express my concerns or wait for it to happen again?

It was a weird situation where I was doing part and another nurse was doing part. I didnt want her to get confused, so I wrote a note that she could read about which paperwork was done and where it went. I was new and afraid I'd never remember it, so I put it into a note.

I got called into the office and "written up" for some missing paperwork. The thing is, in my nursing notes, I specificially mentioned that paperwork and what I did with it. I was in shock about being called in and said "I guess I could have lost it", but the thing is, when I read my note, I said what I did with it. What would you do?

My work has very strict rules about facebook. Get caught talking about "work" and you get walked out of the building. Even if you could, I'd be careful. Also, you can make it so that your supervisor is your "friend" but can only view posts that you say she can see.

I would like to get an advanced nursing degree. The school that I want to go to requires a year of critical care experience. I am currently on a med-surg floor and have been there for only 4 months. The hospital I work for allows me to start applying for new positions at six months, but should I? I want to work in some critical care area, but I want to be ready to do that. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with my six patients. Sometimes I do not get all six I&O's documented or how much of their lunch they ate because they tray is gone before I get to it. Are those really important? What do I really need to work on to be an effective critical care nurse? When should I start applying? Does being overwhelmed with six patients mean anything at all in an ICU setting?

The last time mine was audited, I was happy. The patient stated that I took over an hour and a half to bring him pain meds. A call bell audit compared to my documentation proved it was 22 mins. Big difference.

We have specific guidelines for reporting each other. You can say anything you want in private...but put a patient in front of you and it's game on...papers filed.

I would call to clarify because 4 ambien is a heck of a big dose. I rarely see two given.

Biggest thing, know the difference between a PICC line and a perm cath. I too have never seen an AC Picc...I've seen them just about everyplace else. We dont use heparin, that is hospital specific though.

My work wants us to start a new procedure. This new documentation would take 6 to 8 minutes additional for me each time I give certain meds. Worst case scenario, some of my patients get 15 of these per shift and they want it done twice per delivery. I have no problem with documentating anything,but the program I use should be made to work with what they want, not stuffing an additional program at me that wont even work on my med cart. As it stands, there are days I do not get lunch until 2pm because I am too busy. This new process would drown me! I want to go to the CNO and explain to her that programmers work for US, not us for them and that this additional step will make us look great with jahco, but our customer satisfaction rate will go down because my head will be in a computer. You guys know that patients dont understand why we sit around on the computer "all the time" already, right. Would you go? Am I shooting myself in the foot by going and being assertive? I refused to sign the paper stating tht I would comply 100%. I said it would not be possible for me to comply, and I would not sign. I was not the only nurse.

I am on a general medical floor. To be honest, I am tired of the feeling of being run ragged. I love my job, but it is not the area of nursing that I want. I get behind, and everyone is incontinent! I think I would like a pediatric ICU, but how do I find out?

What nurse doesnt have to do a year of medsurg before getting into the unit he or she wants to be in????? Take the med/surg and in six months start applying to where you want to be.

A Dr told me that a PEG is a generalized name, that Gtubes and Jtubes are both PEG tubes. I have only seen G tubes so far so I have not had to look it up.

If I work nights, sometimes I have to do my full assessment in bits and pieces, but I do still do one. When I am doing the 9pm drug rush, I will quickly listen to heart lungs, anything that is important to the meds I am giving then move on. If I have a patient that I need to look at the bum, I call the NA and tell her that if the patient goes, to call me, that I will change them. Never fails, they call me every time. Then I get a good look at the bum, legs, back.

wow thanks! Just what I needed, a place to start, so that I can form my own idea and opinion!