mendu

how about applying for Transport RN Critical care? one of my friends was laid off and with her experience as ICU/ER nurse she got job right in this field. she still works as RN and she says she is more happy than ever... if that would work for you esp you now are going back to work as medic just try it and see... good luck wherever you end up to be...

i am currently enrolled in rn to bsn loyola university on line program. it is one year, ft, but after being almost done(08/12) i must say it was worth the time and changes it required from me to accomplish my goals. i do work ft weekends and one day a week as visiting nurse and have 3 kids but my classes are all on line and this allow me to do self-study wheneverand wherever i can manage. first semester was kind of review as i took community health, rn to bsn bridge course, family health, and community lab course for which we had to complete community assessment. the courses are 7weeks long each and build as 2 courses per first 7 week and then another 2 next 7 weeks. second semester, i am done with leadership and statistics and i am taking research and physical assessment; then i have to take nursing ethic and course for medical ethic. i would definitely recommend to look up online courses and see which one would fit your schedule. it is doable to work and do classes but requires commitment and focus on a final goal.

you may add: yoga, pilate, dog therapy, clown therapy (i think that what it' s called), acupuntcure, ...

I did myself worked PRN RN position and ft CNA at LTC never regretted it. I think one need to be proud of whatever one does. You guys are having very hard work load caring for 20 or more patients but that is because of government funds are limited for those facilities. You will hear over and over we have no money to hire more staff; plus it really depends on attitude of employees to make place enjoyable and reputable. My place is (was) very nice to work. Staff very supportive of each others and till now I keep touch with many friends from there. We have huge respect to each other and our residents and their families. They have seen our efforts to make daily life easier for patients, get things patients have needed, make sure treatments are done, everyone is kept safe and the most rewarding to be able be part of their lives till the end. As staff we have became "family" for them, as we are the one 7/24 a week. Despite hardship and multiple load work be part of someone's life for many years is so priceless... Held your head high and do not listen to those telling you otherwise, some of them are probably not happy with their jobs or it just the way they are... best regards !!!

FT nights at hospital and PRN home health visits; did try other hospital but really missed home health and this working out with my kids schedule...

ICU 1-2 patients, you know them from the first time they put their feet in your unit; very challenging, lots of learning; or home health - totally different setting, you're more independent but need very good skills to be able detect little changes in patient condition, not to be afraid to call MD. You spend from 30-45 minutes, 1-7 days with your patients depending on condition/diagnosis, You really know them well. I love both my jobs and would not change anything. Different opportunities, so challenging in many ways but so worth it!!!:)

It needs to be investigated if what you suspect is true. "I'm pretty sure that this might have been covered up by the people that made the med error. I know I need to mention this to the pharmacy manager because IMO, this is a huge deal. This isn't like someone was shorted a pill or we took to long to fill their med, this could have seriously injured a little girl" i think you have already answered yourself!!!

OP - you need to also remember that even if our focus is on head injuries- patients are also critically ill with ards, PE, COPD, sepsis, and many others comorbidies conditions. that all adds up and you really care for MICU type patient where primary focus are neuro conditions. on my unit, we also do PAR. pt who goes to OR from ICU is back straight to us after procedure is done. we also get lots of cardiac cath and interventional procedure patients - lots of cardiac monitoring. many of my coworkers did 12 leads courses, also CE for nurses, stroke certifications, NIHHS cert, trauma CE... knowledge is huge and one need to thing about patient as whole person as anything can happen anytime. our hospital policy is also to admit anyone with any type of condition when we have any open beds.

FT working at hospital and PT HH. 4-5 days a week. it does work well as i do my schedule with my patients and i can always accomodate them and take to considerations patient's availability.

thanks for your reply. i am foreign born but educated here RN. however i still learn english and i know it is lifetime experience for me. i work 3 x 12 night shifts per week and do home visits while my kids are at school between 7-3pm so i can still be with them at most evenings and i am able to attend their after school activities. i am very detail oriented person and i love to see improvement at my work esp if all i do would help someone else to get better and to recover. yes i like my agency and never had any problem with them and DOn/administrator are always there for their staff. thanks again for all your suggestions. cms - center for medicare and medicaid services that what most of HH agencies is reimbursed by as long as their follow their guidelines.

i am working in a hospital FT and i am doing PT HH. with my busy days and schedule i got in love with my personal calendar planer (monthly and day by day organizer)and computer calendar spread sheets. when i got new patient i put in SOC date, ROC, and discharge, pt ph#, their MDs, all meds, then i got 485 from my DON. then i do small care plan for myself to follow and stick to it. then i set up chart for each of my patients so i just take it for my visits. to put in patient vitals, weigh, what education we did at given date. this way i can see trends and what we did and what i will do next time. i do not bring any other patients informations with me just the one i see at given hour. i dod also print out which i give to my patient and follow up next visit what he/she learnt last time. plus my agency also gives me education materials which i teach and evaluate my patient. i also ask them to sing copy of teaching materials so i can put into their chart. this is more for CMS evaluation if that would occur and to know what we did, also if someone else have to cover for me if i am not available so they know what we did.

decadron PO and sublingual zofran yes but i do not work ER. mostly we use IV forms.

CONGRATULATIONS AND wish you best for Christmas and New YEAR, HEALTHY BABY AND ENJOY YOUR PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD!!! I think we need to remember it all depends on each person and uncomplicated vs. complicated/ high risk pregnancy. i was able to work with my babies till the end. first one was born on my second day off from work , my second baby was higher risk pregnancy and i worked 12 hours night shift then had US at AM was called by my MD to deliver right after US was done ... now I'm enjoying my 9 monthes old healthy baby... and i am so jelous off you be able to spent first year with your baby... get best of it as you will be with her/him at the most important steps: first laugh/ smile/ step/ word/ hug.... best wishes :redpinkhe

you may try to talk to security service at the mall, there should be installed camera so you would be able to identify the girl. also town police department may ask for tape to be released for investigation as you pressed charges. you are doing right thing by reporting it and following up.

write a detail note for yourself first about everything what had happened. this will keep your memory fresh when it all goes to court. get a good layer. report them to JACHO, hospital CEO, DON, unit manager. this was very disrespectful treatment, unsafe for you as a patient, and i don't even want to think what they do to other patients. i never would give anything to patient asleep; i would cut my hand for that. i do not even give medication unless i have ID band on patient hand or leg. my patients even laugh when i ask them for tenth time about their name and birth date. there are always policies and procedures one should follow to maintain safety of patients and facility itself. it would be great if your experience would change the way they treat and care for their patients. also the hospital is the one to pay your bills for the treatment they has offered to you. i am sure they would arrange for some good deal on your behave as soon as the wheel starts to wheel: JACHO, CEO, DON... best wishes!!!

if those beliefs are only r/t her being in situation that she doesn't want any help to sutain her life that is fine but do not endanger her patients' life. i would make sure that she will react if something happen to her patients. i would ask her what she will do if her pt would start to code or in event become unstable to require her to call for help and send pt to get that help. it would put red flag if she would put her beliefes first before patient safety. you are her preceptor and you will give evaluation if she is proper fit for organization; i do not want her not to have job to provide for her own living and family but patient safety and nursing care comes first at this point. i would feel unsafe having her as my nurse when i would be unstable and could not get help/ required care to survive and she would just stand there and watch me die because of "God plan it is your time...".

i did feel same way after i graduated. some of my friends did pass nclex right after they recieved att letter. i did take review course and study about 1,5 month (saunder's review, online RN NCLEX questions, CD with nclex format) before taking nclex; i took http://www.excellnursingreview.com they have classes at california too; i wqas happy with their form and materials provided. good luck with your testing and career!!!

did you think to try some other area? i did additionally home health for a while with my current job, loved it but as for pat time it does not pay (gas, mileages); also some doctor offices if this would be easier and you do not have to deal with lots of things you do at hospital bedside nursing. just look around and ask. but good luck in anything you choose to attend and complete... :pumpiron:

i am also neuro ICU so i know how stressful it can be working this unit. the most important thing when you start is assess your pt so you have baseline to carry out thru shift, check your pumps and setting, go thru you report sheet and to see what wasa done and what need to be done; neuro has it that any change can happen anytime and it is nobody fault, you may assess your pt one minute then after next 5 minutes you may find him coded or at least changed so you run like crazy for CT, meds, labs ... and it is ok to ask for help. esp that you are new grad. you do not have yet knowledge and experience like other nurses who work years here and there... i transfer to my unit after 9 months of med-surg/ tele under same managment; till now i can tell you that i have days when i come and think if i did all what i supposed to or if something happen with pt i f i could catch it earlier if my assessment was good... but that is life and i just let it go after while because i have to ready for next shift and next pt to care about. i register with critical nurse association, also bought those unlimited CEE by advance nurses (i think it is about 25- 30 $ for a year), sign up for critical care nursing journals, i also have choosen my preceptor as mentor for me and any doubts or questions i have she always try to support me and help out. i learn every day from pt and situations. just remember we all are humans and mistakes happens and will happen; give yourself time and if you feel stressed stil then you will have to make decision what to do next... ICU orientations are very good, they put lots of time for you to prepare and of course money so that are also reasons not to let you go so quickly. you have your preceptors and other nurses to go to; do not give up, you will learn more and more and will see one day it was all worth it.. best luck, you can PM me if you want to..

we are using Zassi Bowlel Managment system. good to stay in place for 29 days, then you need to rest colon for day or two and may insert new one. every shift irrigation with 300-500 cc tap water, there are four ballons: 1- air to seal it at place after insertion, 2 - irrigation, 3- meds, 4- air during irrigation to inflate till filling with tap water; very sufficient, prevent skin break esp from c diff; the only problem we always have when you irrigate system, it always leaks no matter what; otherwise sufficient and good esp for our ICU pt bedridden regarding conditions; you can goggle it as "zassi bowel system".

make sure you documented and/ or document everything what happened during that nights of care for this patient. even at home, do some notes for yourself step by step from night one to three. get to ED or you PCP and get done your physical completed. make incident report, try to go thru chain of command if talking to your charge nurse and house supervisor did not help. no one has right to abuse you and if this happens you have right to look for support and avoid this situation by not taking this pt under your care, esp. when he/she is AOx4. because pt was in agression stage does not mean he had right to hurt you after you and other nurses talk to him and semms he understood asking to stop this behavior. i also would consider looking for some other place of employmeny as some other posters said employee does not seems to take safety of employees to consideration. you are pretty new to nursing (1 year) so it may leave bad memories for you, i would talk to EAP or someone you can trust and let go emotions / memories so you may start to feel again safe and comfortable at your work. best luck!!!

agree with other posters, talk to social worker or report to DCF as it involves illegal drugs and probably ETOH abuse and she is pregnant; woman would face court time and get assigned guardian during pregnancy and have to abstain from ETOH and drugs, plus do random urine tests, if not complying with court order i assume she would be taken to inpatient facility till giving birth (again after another court time) and taken off parental rights so baby would be able be adopted and have some "normal"life after. also as a nurse you protecting not only mom but unborn baby and you need to advocate, at least talk to social worker as she/he has more flexibility to proceed further with given information and to notify appropriate parties; http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/file/Annual%20Report%202003.pdf http://www.womenlawproject.org/reports/overview_pregnant_drugs.pdf http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/03/6/gr030603.html http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/governmental_response_p1.cfm

You know it's a bad night when... you start with one patient or two (discharge one hour later) then you know that you get your admission at 0645 am...

hi i am polish enggaged to filipino lalake. if you want to talk to us feel free, just send private message. best wishes.

chicago area