Lulu

The first time I pushed phenergan, it was undiluted and as I watched, the web of all the vessels proximal to the site turned red like I was putting red dye in. OUCH!!! Sorry!

I worked Inpatient Rehab for 8 years with team nursing at first and Primary nursing toward the end. Loved team nursing there. Am in med/surg now and can't imagine it working for me now. Too much to do, we'd lose track too easily.

Not certain about the actual law, but in PA I was taught and still am told, that RN's can't even take verbal orders over the phone from other RN's with the doctor standing right there.

My nurse manager took my assignment just yesterday so I could take a lunch break. She said she was having a slow day and each of us got a 1/2 hour break -- the first time in months. She's new, I wonder how long she'll last!

In the hospital where I work we (nurses) are the only people that don't get lunch breaks, aside from the "grab something that doesn't bite back and stuff it in" break that you don't even need to pause to take. And I'm including the aids, unit secs, et. all who all find adequate time for them. As far as smoke breaks are concerned, there are smokers who take 5 15min breaks in an 8 hour shift and still submit "no lunch break" when they sign out. Non smokers don't take the breaks because their first instinct is to get charting done where smoker's first inclination is "when can I smoke?". I don't want to offend anyone, but isn't that partly why it's an addiction? So please don't say "nonsmokers should take their breaks" , it doesn't work that way.

I've never heard of the forms you mention and am new to the list. I'd love to know how to make them available to my fellow RN's as I'm sure they would make great stocking stuffers!!!!!!!!!!!! As an aside, I would like to know your opinions of what regular staffing consists of and for how many patients? I am currently working on a very busy med/SURG unit in a 750+ bed hospital and normally have 5-6+ patients (w/admissions,postops,er preops, as well as chronic patients awaiting whatever comes sooner) and we frequently have no aid available. Is this the norm for everybody or do you not mention ancillary staff when speaking of the "nursing shortage" or "short staffing"? Yesterday was a typical "day from Hell" and my complaints are always squelched by someone saying that "other hospitals staff for 7-9 patients/nurse". I hope that those other hospitals are also including 2-3 nurse aids to answer bells, etc. Otherwise I'm in a bad place in regards to my carreer!!!!!!!!!