shir977

Hi All! I am trying to find an acuity tool that is good for us itty bitty CAHs. Everything I have found seems to be for larger hospitals and doesn't necessary account for having to have a certain number of people in the building for a code team, etc... Any suggestions, ideas or samples you are willing to share? Thanks, Heather

I have worked in critical access for 10 of my 15 years in nursing. I couldn't imagine working in any other environment! Critical access hospitals get everything the big hospitals get, just fewer and farther between. We are like a MASH unit, keep what we can and stabilize then ship those we have to. Not only do you get the full spectrum of illnesses and injuries, you are also responsible for EVERYTHING, especially if you are on the night shift. I have done everything from delivering a baby then flying out a STEMI in less than an hour to caring for a hospice patient, gun shot wounds, MVCs, all sorts of chronic and acute illnesses to shoveling snow and standing between a hostile drug seeker and an ER doc. I do my own IV's, respiratory treatments, mix meds in the pharmacy, coordinate transfers for not just physically compromised, but psychiatric patients as well. My work girls are my family and hugs, shoulder rubs, and laughing and crying together are all a part of it. Critical access nursing will really hone your skills and give you skills you never though you would need. Go go for it! Critical access is where it's at if you ask me :-)

This is a completely unacceptable and unsafe environment for staff, but just as important, for patients. I once worked with a doctor that was so verbally abusive and horrible to work with it flustered the staff into feeling forced to be unsafe. The culmination of this continued environment was a wrong surgery sentinel event. Imagine if someone try to stop a wrong site/surgery/patient procedure with surgeon!

I work nights because I tell very naughty stories at work, cruise the internet, eat and occasionally take care of patients. I don't have time to deal with pharmacy, dietary, administration, doctors, families, etc... and for the most part I don't see them on nights unless I call them in. I don't have time to deal with them because I can do the job faster without their interfereance and then I can go back to telling naughty stories and jokes, cruising the internet, eating and occasionally answering a call light.

I'm sorry to "hijack" the thread, but I cannot PM yet and I would like to ask you a couple of questions about Sebastian hospital. Can you email me at [email protected]? I am originally from Vero and am ready to come home :-) Thank You, Heather

I say get your butt into an ER!! The ER needs good nurses with field experience and I would welcome you in my ER any day. If you are a good nurse, take care of your patients and do a good job, I could give a rat's patootie how big you are. Like another poster said, I could use you around here when the occasional recreational user tries to charge me when I tell him no narcs :-) Course, the doc is usually hiding behind me :-0 Seriously, get healthy for yourself when you are ready and in the right way. Don't you dare let that get in the way of you getting in the ER.