Jaykalkyn, BSN, RN

You're, not your...you made this grammatical error several times. What irks me is people not proofreading before they post a rant...and I say this seriously but not serious.

UGH! I see this on a daily basis. I swear 9 out of 10 times when I have a male patient this is the scenario. Or the ones who have three urinals that all have contents in them hanging on the side of the bed. Yuck! I just glove up and get rid of them...and chart the output, because everybody's on strict I&O.

LOL! So I assume you never get upset or frustrated with non-RN patients who do the same thing? Pot calling the kettle black...hmmmm.

Uh, not entirely true. It depends on the facility. I know of two major facilities where I live where it is considered a fall regardless of whether or not the patient was lowered or if they truly fell.

This is a tough call based on the information provided. I agree with the others who say that a one time situation is hardly enough to base a decision like this. Racism...consider this, and I mean really consider this, when minorities get together in a group to talk or to have lunch, or what have you, its often looked at as why are they segregating themselves, or what are they up to. But, when the majority get together to talk or have lunch or what have you, no one ever gets suspicious, ever. Why is this? I'm assuming that each of these groups is likely one minority of some sort and the other majority of some sort. Depending on the make up of the unit, it could be just that the coworkers who lunch look out for each other, not necessarily that they are trying to keep the other racial group down. Or it could very well be that the racial group is holding each other down. Whatever, there are much bigger fishes to fry first before tackling the race question without concrete, patterned evidence.

Yeah, that is unfair, its like a punishment to you for not being pregnant and due during your vacation. I would plead my case to the boss, then take it up the chain of command. If all else fails, I would call out sick that entire week. And if they tried to retaliate, I would pull out the "my health is none of your business" card.

OMG! Where in this post did the OP ask what her diagnoses might be? The question was essentially how do you handle a difficult patient. Regardless of sundowners, UTI, anxiety, or what have you, we've all had a patient that drives us up the walls. How do you check your attitude? How do you prevent yourself from shooting off something inappropriate to the patient? And if you say those thoughts don't ever come to mind, you're in complete denial. Reading is fundamental, friends. Understand the question first before offering irritating answers.

Let me start by saying I was an A and B nursing student. I worked hard sometimes, and not so hard at other times. I also have a husband, 3 kids, and a dog, plus a mortgage, bills, and a job. I have ready most of these comments and the tone of many are the same, that if you did not earn straight A's in nursing school, you didn't work as hard or you struggled or whatever crap generalization you all have come up with. I'm starting to think that the sweeping generalization that the OP asks about is not true in some regard based on the fact that folks with straight A's who have responded to this post seem to have an "I worked harder than you, therefore I must be better than you" attitude. Perhaps its that type of attitude displayed by some floor nurses who have 4.0 GPAs coming out of nursing school that has created the generalization that they don't make good floor nurses. Being a good nurse has less to do with the grades out of nursing school, and trust, you will see that all of that book smarts doesn't amount to a tremendous amount of much once you hit the floor, and more to do with your ability to be safe, compassionate, and teachable. I have seen super-duper book smart folks get punked by the nclex and I've seen those who you think would never make it past nclex nail it. Straight A's is not a guarantee that you will do well outside of school. And why would floor nurses even know what type of grades one got in nursing school anyway? I have never had the conversation of what was your GPA in nursing school. Who does that and why would you do that. Likewise, floor nurses generally don't care how many attempts at nclex you had and how many questions you got. All of that is neither here nor there once you get to the floor.

Your comment almost reads that B or C students don't work hard. That, too, is a generalization. You also have to consider that grades can be arbitrary as well, depends on what is being graded and why. I've seen it happen. An A does not automatically indicate that one is harder working than another,, just as a B doesn't mean that a person didn't work hard to earn it. Consider that sometimes things come extremely easy for a particular person and doesn't take hard work, but that A is just a reflection of their natural ability. In that case, hard work is not a factor. Its a slippery slope when you start making generalizations about what grades mean. This entire thread is bordeline offensive to anyone who didn't earn "straight A's."

First of all, why are you buying into that crap in the first place? Nobody can tell you how you will be as a floor nurse, that is your cross to bear. You will be the ultimate one to decide how you will be as a floor nurse. I was an 'A' and 'B' nursing student, and I was also hardworking, motivated, and determined, and let me also include awesome. I also had a family and a job, so I don't dare let anyone tell me that I was less than because I didn't earn straight A's. Just as I don't dare let anyone dictate how I would be as a nurse. Don't let anybody put preconceived ideas into your head based on generalizations that may or may not have any merit. Just go out there and put all of the concepts you learned to practice.

Exactly! I think you hit the nail on the proverbial head. Some of these replies sound as if the patient does not have the right to advocate for self, something we ,as nurses, are supposed to do for our patients. How can we expect them to advocate without some level of knowledge or being able to let the doctor or nurse know that something isn't right. Further, of the doctors got it right 100% of the time there would be fewer malpractice settlements. Clearly 100% trust in the hands of someone other than self is not tje way to go. I know I will never, ever, take anything anyone tells me as gospel. Also, its not about mechanic versus layman, its about the patient knowing him or herself enough to know when they need to seek information or ask questions. And I would most definitely research any problem my car has before taking it to a mechanic, thats called being an informed consumer. Anyone who has a problem being asked questions needs to look at themselves and figure out why they are bothered by it. Now, thats not to say that doctors and nurses don't have the right to be offended or what have you, but, if you are confident in your knowledge and skill, it wouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, its that ugly ego thing popping up. It goes both ways.

Soooo, as a former CNA and a new nurse I think the first thing that has to happen is for nurse to get over themselves and stop acting as if they cannot learn from the people around them. I fully expected for the OP to have her head chopped off and handed to her for even posing this question as it tends to be the norm for those who are at a higher station to feel that anyone "beneath them" should not have the audacity to even attempt to tell them how to do anything at all, whatsoever. In my experience, everyone can stand to learn something from everyone. Doctors even have to have their coattails pulled by the nurses on occasion for doing something that puts the patient at risk. I have seen it done; sometimes its pretty, sometimes its not so pretty. The main thing, in my opinion, is in the approach. If its approached in a diplomatic manner, the chances of it being received in a negative way are lessened. However, there will always be those buttholes who think they are God and Jesus combined and you can't tell them anything. For them, you just have to recognize their personal insecurities and move on. I also like the suggestion that concerns or new ideas be taken to the nurse manager. That's probably a better way to introduce your ideas to the masses.

I agree with OrganizedChaos, focus on school and your clinical experiences before you set your heart on something. We've had folks be dead set on a particular specialty or population, only to change it once they experienced something else. Try to keep an open mind. Regarding high-adrenaline areas, consider ICUs as well. It may sound boring thinking about watching one or two very sick patients very closely but you have to be on your toes at all times, paying attention to detail so that you will notice when even the slightest change can mean life or death. Good luck in your program and I hope you find what you want.

Weeeelllllll, that's kinda when the research aspect comes in. Since you have had a job before, you understand taxes, benefits, etc., maybe not the union part, but you should have known that a good chunk of your paycheck will go to Uncle Sam and the others. As to what you make, I would think you had researched and found out what the average hourly wage is in your area was and did a quick calculation, looking at worst-case scenarios to determine what your take home would be. Maybe that's the accountant in me, but I did all of that before jumping into this field. Trust me, I knew how much less I would make as a nurse versus an oil and gas accountant. Still, I choose happiness over money. Now, I do totally agree that nurses are severely underpaid for all of the responsibility and duties that we have to perform each day. But, its so rewarding and I hope you will eventually find that the reward outweighs the money.

You are most definitely supposed to click no, that you do not possess the RN designation. Are you applying for a new grad position? Facilities will recognize that you are a new grad. If you feel a way about it, when you attach your resume, include your anticipated graduation/test date. For example, in the education section, you can put: "University of Ohio, BSN expected 5/2015." You can also insert an estimated NCLEX test date. I included both on my resume as there was no place to add a comment in the hospitals online application system. I just started my first RN position on cardiac stepdown unit. I've been there two weeks and have had the position secured since last October. Facilities plan well in advance for their staffing needs as graduation times approach. A lost of schools, most of them where I live, recommend that you start applying at the beginning of your last semester of nursing school; some even start the earlier than that. The majority of my graduating class of 25 had already secured positions well in advance of graduating and even passing the NCLEX. Applying early is important, particularly if you are interested in a particular area. I had two offers in cardiac, which is what I wanted. I chose the one that I felt would give me the most experience and opportunity to learn. I graduated in December so the number of new grads was far less than for May graduations. You definitely want to consider the timing as well. Good luck in your search, now go out there and get that RN job!!!!!!