jessnurse05

I have been working on two different cases for just under a year. The thing that drives me crazy is that both families take supplies! We only get so much per month so when it's gone, it's gone. One family takes gloves, luckily my agency reimburses the nurses when we have to buy gloves so we can be safe. The other family takes syringes and the split gauze dressings for the patient's g-tube. It's a pain when I only have 2 syringes and I usually use 5 to do the morning med pass. It's always a toss up for me whether to leave an old dressing on the g-tube site for a couple days till we get more supplies or to leave it with no dressing.

Thanks for some great resources and some good insight. I totally agree that in a lot of cases my teen moms take better care of themselves than our older moms. Like one teen who bought herself prenatal vitamins before she even had a doctor's appointment because she knew they were important. We have so many other mom's who won't get them until they get their medical coupon (I work with all low income moms), or they don't get them for weeks even with a scrip for them. I guess I shouldn't have directed my post toward teen mom's (I was a teen mom too!), there was just one particular girl that day that wouldn't open up to me. I later found out that she thought our agency called CPS on her so that would be a reason for her not wanting to talk to me. There are older moms who don't open up to me and have the same "yeah" and "uh-huh" responses to anything I ask them. I think I had a lot of those pts that day and the teen just stuck in my mind. Jessica

Hi, I'm a nurse in maternity services. I go to homes of pregnant women and new mom's and I teach them about their pregnancy, what to expect during L&D, and newborn care. I've been seeing more teens in the last few weeks (my youngest pt is 12) and I'm really bad at engaging them and really getting them interested in learning more about what labor is going to be like. I really feel that I need to prepare them, most of them have circumstances that make them unlikely to actually take a childbirth class. I don't have time to teach them everything, but I try to give them an overview of breathing, pain management and more common interventions that might happen during their labor (ie: fetal monitor, oxygen mask...). So all of this is great in theory, but when these teens just aren't interested, I have trouble "lecturing" them about all this when they just seem to tune me out. I'm looking for either material that might spark a teen's interest, or something that might teach me how to present the information better. Thanks for any info! Jessica

Three 15 minute breaks and 30 minutes for lunch????? Where do you work? We get two 10 minute breaks and 30 minute lunch in 12 hours. Not that I even get that sometimes. Lunch break cut short and no 10 minute breaks so I can get everything done and not have to work the dreaded overtime! I do try to take all of my breaks though, there is just the issue of trying to time it right so all of my work is done and my pts shouldn't need anything while I'm gone. Jessica

I was reading the thread about not giving meds that you didn't draw up and it reminded me of an issue that I've been having lately on my unit. I'm still fairly new so I probably have RN-itis and I also am still filled with some of the nursing school idealism that doesn't apply to real life. But lately I've been having trouble being able to do my med pass without being interrupted umpteen times by usually little things, but I get the charge nurse breathing down my neck to go answer call lights and do other things when I'm right in the middle of pulling out meds. I do see all of my pts before I do my meds so I know what condition they are in. Usually what they want is to brush their teeth or wash their face and the CNAs take care of that. When I try to tell this charge nurse it comes out sounding a little uncaring of me, but I don't want to make a med error because I was interrupted while I was pulling out my meds. The other day I was on the phone with the pharmacist trying to straighten out the new TPN orders and the charge is telling me about my IV beeping, yes I know it's beeping, but I'm on the phone at the moment and I can't turn it off. I will be off the phone in a few seconds, then I will be able to stop the beeping and hang the new TPN. Is this a problem everywhere? Do you guys go somewhere to get out meds so you aren't interrupted? Sorry I had to vent about this. I've been very tired from work lately, I work on a med/onc unit and the pts seem to just get harder and harder every shift. And I always go home thinking about all of the things that were done wrong on my shift that the day nurse notices (pt NPO, but accuchecks still done AC &HS instead of q6hrs, etc). I don't know why I don't catch these type of things.... It just makes me more tired to think about it. Most of the time the day nurse who gave me the pt didn't catch it either, it's still not right but it makes me feel a little less incompetent.... Jessica

Thanks for the input. When I've been sure that I was having problems at work and brought it to my manager she told me I was being "too hard on myself" so I hope that is still true when it comes to evaluation time. I don't know if I will get any feedback on being too social and talking too much, but that must be a good thing for me because when I was training in a different department they told me I wasn't friendly enough. So now I'm friendly! Jessica

Hi, I've been working at a facility since September and we're coming up on our yearly evaluations next month. This is my first "grown up" job and I don't really know what to expect. I'm scared that it will be me sitting with the managers and being grilled on why I have so much overtime, or me being sick too much. I would hope that more good than bad comments will come out of it, but can someone give me an idea of what is really going to happen? Thanks. Also, I'm going to be moving in October and I was wondering how far in advance I should bring it up with my manager. I don't want to give a bad impression since I will be leaving after my 1 year contract is up. I feel like I'm taking their money and running. I'm not leaving because of the facility at all, it's family issues that I can't control. Thanks

Hi, I'm a single mom and I've been working in a hospital on night shift for almost a year now. I love the unit I work on and the people I work with (most of the time), but the 12 hour shifts are killing me. There aren't any day shift positions available or even an 8 hour swing shift. And my facility is trying to phase out 8 hour shifts. I also have a lot of issues with my family here and I really need to go where I have family support. So I'm looking for a position out of the hospital. I wanted to hear from other nurses who had left the hospital for LTC or other non hospital pt care type jobs. Right now I'm looking into LTC, or a home health nurse positions. Will my year of experience on a medical/oncology floor help with a home health or LTC, or will it be like starting over again? The town I want to move to does not have much of a nursing shortage, so jobs are very competitive and few and far between. I moved away because I had trouble finding a job there after I graduated. I'm hoping that my experience will count for something. I know a year isn't much, but it seems like I'm getting a little bit better of a response from employers than I did when I was a new grad. I'm also new to changing jobs, is a new employer going to want a reference from my current employer since it's my only nursing job experience? I feel that they like me here, but I'm worried about them being upset since I've only been working here a year. One more question. There is a facility that I applied to a year ago. Their HR department didn't return phone calls or email even though they say to email with any questions. It was really frustrating as a new grad, because we could only apply for the new grad program, and they wouldn't even tell us if we would have a job after completing that. Now I've tried to ask them some questions about the requirements of a position that they have had posted for a long time and they still haven't gotten back to me after two weeks. I would hope to at least get a "we can't discuss that at this time" type response. It's an L&D position and although I don't have experience, I wanted to know if they were willing to train, the had contradicting statements in the job posting about that (I know, hospital job and contradicting to my original get out of the hospital post, but L&D is what I really want to do, so I could make it work). My feeling is to steer clear of a facility that treats potential new nurses this way. What do you guys think? Thanks for letting me ramble. It helps to write out my concerns. Jessica

I'm not trying to generalize about nurses, just about the nurses in my facility on my shift. I had a great night last night, by 0100 I was completely caught up and had done my chart checks and all of my charting on my pts (it doesn't happen often, but isn't it great when it does?). So I was reading H&Ps and going through the computer updating care plans and things on my pts and the charge nurse comes over and asks me how I organize my shift. Now I had no idea why she needed to know that, I'm fairly new, but I've been on that floor for almost 5 months so I know what's expected of me. So I started showing her my brain sheet, she says no, what are the two priorities of the night shift. So I tried really hard not to roll my eyes (I've gotten this lecture from her before and I didn't enjoy it then either) and I told her it was chart checks and MAR checks. Well so she still felt that she needs to lecture me about how these things are the number 1 priority and needed to be done. Then she asked me when I do my chart checks and I told her they were already done. She still made some kind of comment like Okaaaaaayy then. Like she had to have the last word about being right. Now I don't really want to make a big deal about this, but why couldn't she have just simply said "jesssko, have you done your chart checks yet?" That would have saved a lot of time and I wouldn't have had to get a lecture that I didn't need. I'm probably the youngest nurse on the floor on days or nights, so I already feel sort of like the baby, but when people talk down to me it just makes me feel so insignificant. It's really this charge nurse, not me. She does this to everyone. I wanted to scream at her earlier in the shift when she was belittling another nurse about adding a duplicate intervention to a care plan. Now, yes, it's annoying to have duplicates on our care plans, but the charge acted like it was the end of the world. She also kind of beats around the bush about things like that, instead of just saying, "nurseX, you added a duplicate intervention to the care plan, can I show you how to avoid it in the future" she goes and says "nurse X, you did this WRONG, you should not add duplicate interventions, let me show you that you added it just a second ago when soandso added it at this time, etc, etc...." She also calls everyone honey, but in a way that you would call a 1 year old honey. It makes me so paranoid, I double and triple check everything because I don't want to get another lecture.:chair: I also wonder what she's doing looking at that pts care plan to find a mistake like that seconds after the nurse added it. We learn ways to respectfully communicate with doctors, why can't we treat each other the same way? Thanks for letting me vent! Jessica

There was a lady in nursing school with me who threw up and peed her pants at the same time when helping to wipe a pt. This was all with the nursing instructor in the room! We had such a laugh about that at one of our celebration dinner after our finals... I don't mind the puke or the sputum so much as the sound that the pts make when they are trying to get it out and it won't quite come up. I guess it's the retching sound :barf01: That gets me, I just excuse myself and get them a wet towel or rag to wipe their mouth with and that usually lets me recover. The other night I had a pt pee on the floor, one poop on the floor (very watery, it went all over) and one throw up, all in a row. I just delt with it and thought how lucky I was that it all happened at 6:15 and in just one short hour I could go home! Jessica

I don't think my hospital has any special lifts for obese pts. It upset me when everyone was telling the 400 lb pt we had to just have a bm in the bed and we'd clean her up. How humiliating is that? She was certainly continent of stool. I don't know if they day shift knew about some equipment that the night shift didn't have because there was a big commode outside her room. When I was her nurse I tried to get her to use a large bedpan, but she refused. She didn't have a bm when I took care of her so I didn't have to push it any further. Do any of you who don't have bariatric equipment handle this any differently? It's interesting that this subject came up just now because I was going to post a question about it anyway. Jessica

We had a 400+ lb lady recently (she might still be there). She was very difficult because she wanted to get out of bed but she was unable to walk and it took 6 of us to turn her. She had to be restrained for a while but was out of them last time I worked. She was full of fluid (it gives me the heebie jeebies when I turn someone and leave a hand print in their side) but even after 5 days of lasix and fluid restriction she was still over 400lbs. I'm curious to find out what happens to her. I felt for her becuase when I took care of her she was crying and saying "why did I do this to myself." Her husband was so sweet, I hope everything turns out ok for them. Jessica

Hi, I was hired at my current facility through a telephone interview. One question I would get was give an example of a time when I went above and beyond to help a pt. You could think of a couple examples and write them down. llg gave such good advice that I can't think of much to add. My problem with telephone interviews and really any interview that probably got me in trouble is that I would get ahead of myself and trip over words and almost stutter because I tried to talk too fast. So remember to take a deep breath and s-l-o-w d-o-w-n! You sound like a really good candidate for any job, you are so qualified! I don't think you'll have any trouble getting a good position. Oh and don't be afraid to ask about a sign on bonus or moving expenses. I know most of the facilities that I interviewed at offered at least one or the other, I got both. Good luck! Jessica

Hi, I feel your pain. I'm new and I have exactly the same experiences as you do. Usually it's something that came up right at the end of my shift that I couldn't have planned for earlier in the night. We start giving report at 0645 so if an IV goes bad at 0600 it's hard for me to restart it along with the other end of shift things that I need to take care of (meds, I&O's, etc), yet there are nurses who will make me stay late and start the IV because it happened on "my shift" so it's my responsibility. There are some who are worse than others, and sometimes I can chalk it up to they are having a bad day, but there are a couple nurses who always seem to find something wrong with my work.:angryfire I know that it sucks to start your shift off behind, so if it's something that I really should have done, I will stay and do it, but if it's something like the IV going bad, then I think it's valid to let the next shift do it. I'm sorry you've been having such a bad time too. Just a note, please don't write in all italics, it's really difficult for me to read. Thanks! Jessica

Now that you mention it, this was the same nurse who, a half hour before, didn't have time to come up and start an IV that I couldn't get. The day nurse also had stayed and started blood for me since she felt bad for leaving the admit. Jessica