Elevelyn

Anyone who currently is or has been pregnant? I feel like I'm in a fog. It takes me so much longer to complete tasks, process thoughts, etc. I feel like my critical thinking skills are compromised and I'm a liability. I'm so afraid of hurting a patient because my stupid brain is not fully functioning.

I have been a med/surg nurse for about two years and I am afraid I am becoming a mediocre nurse. This is my first job out of nursing school and I had an extensive new grad orientation. I work on a busy floor where I feel like all I do is fetch people juice and walk them to the bathroom. I rarely have time to read relevant notes. I don't do hardly any clinical skills other than IVs and Foley's. I don't read rhythm strips. I would like move into a different type of nursing but I'm afraid I've lost all my skills (or never developed them to begin with). I would like to move into a different specialty area but I'm afraid I would be lost without another long orientation. I'm afraid I have settled into this mediocre system and that I would crash and burn in any other field. The problem with failure in nursing is that dropping the ball could cost a patient's life. Any advice/support for transitioning into another area?

I am curious to see what other hospitals' policies are regarding hemolytic staph infections and contact isolation. Way back when I was still on orientation I thought that if a preliminary culture came back as hemolytic staph the patient remains on contact isolation because MRSA is a type of hemolytic staph and it could turn out to be MRSA. Recently, however, I keep taking patients who have been taken off of precautions because the consensus seems to be that they don't have to be on contact if it's "just" hemolytic staph. We have an Infection Control Nurse and she is the one validating this practice. The problem is, twice now, when the final result comes back it ends up being MRSA! So the patient is on isolation to rule out MRSA then they are taken off and for two days people are taking care of them without proper PPE. My understanding was you don't necessarily have to put a patient on contact precaution for hemolytic staph but if they are already on isolation you leave them that way until the final result.

I am a brand new nurse, (less than one year!) and I seem to have already injured my back. It started 3 days ago after a shift where I had several patients who required maximum assistance. I don't recall any sudden injury. It came on gradually over several hours. I have worked every day since then so it is not improved. Basically, it feels like a stinging pain in my upper spine (midline, not muscles around it) with some generalized aching. The pain is not severe, but it is not relieved by ibuprofen. Has anyone had similar pain? What sort of injury does it sound like? Do you think it will go away with a few days of rest or do I need to see someone about it?

The school was looking for a volunteer. It is a private school so they do not have money for a paid position. However, I would not recommend acting as a nurse while in nursing school. I am a licensed RN and am therefore legally qualified to fill this role.

Greetings! I am volunteering as a school nurse (private school system). I am looking to get liability insurance. When filling out "employment type," all policies that I can find only offer the options of employed (with a W2), self-employed (with a 1099), or student. I am none of these, and I don't fill out any tax forms. What should I choose? Does anyone know of an insurance carrier that offers volunteer as an option?