Shadelyn

All I can think is what about the Dr. that didn't CT her belly? The article rips the nursing staff, but of couse nothing of the Dr. Articles like this make me cringe and I hope to avoid being triage at all costs in my career. She had been there three times for this problem, but how many for others. I'm sure that all of you can recite the names of your frequent flyers off by heart. I know that I don't take ours seriously anymore, but do they get the medical care and testing that they "need" everytime? Sure do. I know people that probably glow in the dark now that they've had 20+ A/P CT's and Xray's. I have done so many EKG's on a few people that I know don't need to bring stickers because they're still wearing them. Our staff definately grumbles about these people but they get the testing that their complaint warrants. On the busiest of days this could happen to anyone. I would like to know how many patients were there and what else they were working on. It's sad to say, but who even knows if she would have made it had they found it that time. The problem lies in the original miss the first time she came through. Also maybe in the article or in the other thread there was mention that she was at a disadvantage there because uninsured. Do you know about that when you see patients? I know in our computer there is no notation of insurance status. You could seek it out but who has the time. It's not like triage pokes their head out of the window and announces, "The next insured pt. may come back, the rest of you can sit out there and die."

I started out with no nursing assistant experience and did just fine. Apply online and if they don't call you talk to someone at the school and get the recruiters name and phone number and leave them a message. It seems forward, but it worked for me. The ball rolls slowly in HR and sometimes you need to be aggressive to move things along. Just looked over that job postings and there are plenty to be had. If I were you I'd try something in an ED or perhaps a post op or ICU. In my experience you will learn more there.

I started out in the part time program and recently withdrew so that I can join the class of 2008 graduating in December. The E/W program meets two evenings a week and Saturdays for about the first two years. I think it increases after that. I work at Shadyside as a Nursing Assistant and my unit has been very good about working around class. I tell them when class is and they work around it. We have a ton of students here so every now and then they mess up my schedule, but it always gets fixed. They realize that school is priority one.

We all have or will deal with the hospitalzation or death of a loved one during our careers. For me this is the first time in my adult life that I will face the looming death of a loved one. I haven't worked or had clinical since I found out, and I am afraid of going in on Monday. Also I am putting off going to the hospital to see her. I usually deal so well with death when patients die I am never sad for them just for the family's loss. Now that I'm the family I'm not sure what to do. I have worked hard have good grades and am excelling at clinical. My coworkers respect me as a hard worker that hardly ever calls off and handles most situations with ease. How do you work/learn when it feels like your falling apart? Please don't remove my post I really need some feedback on how the rest of you do this. All I need is to know how others work in medicine when it is a reminder that someone in your family is gravely ill.

I don't know how much your Tech's make, but I know some of ours make upwards of $13/hr. Here that's only $5 below starting RN pay. I don't think there's enough money in the world to make people work if they aren't the right person for the job. I think it's all in the hiring/orientation. Hire the right person and introduce then into a system where they are accountable for their actions and are trained by peers that are good at their job. I know some of our promising new people were great until it was explained to them that, "We can't do everything the RN's ask us to because that makes then lazy" or "You shouldn't do any extra work because then they'll always expect you to do extra" I dunno just my take.

At our place it isn't so much a lack of understanding, but a laziness and "It's not my job mentality" that plagues us. Be they old or young people at least half my coworkers fall into this category. There really isn't anyone watching over the "Aides" and because of this for the most part I find they pick and choose what they want to include as their job responsibilities. Frequent call offs and tardy's palgue our staff and no one seems to notice or care. I am a worker and I always have been, if something's not done when I leave I won't be able to sleep at night. Therefore I usually end up doing the brunt of things that can get put off until later. Nothing ever happens to the lazy ones that fail time and time again to do their jobs. I think in order for this role to be utilized to it's fullest that a nursing school or EMS background must be sought. In addition I think that this role needs a strong accountable leader. If a few people lost their jobs maybe the rest would straighten up or leave on their own. Just my opinion.(sorry for the rant!)

I work as a Nursing Assistant in an ED. I started with no previous medical experience just before I started nursing school. Some of my coworkers have their EMT, some have been Nursing Assistant on the floors and some have no experience and are not in nursing school. Other than some self training modules online about handwashing and patient safty there is no con ed. We are responsible for EKG's, transporting pts, call lights, bed pans, cleaning rooms, assisting with ambulation, vitals, CBS, and helping nurses with foleys combative pts. and other misc duties. We also stock the department with all supplies and linen. Hope this was helpful!

I understand why he would be upset, especially in so much pain. People in pain do not react rationally. I work in an ED that is almost always full to the gills and somehow I always end up being the one to go out and explain why someone can't come back and lie down or get treated right now. It's useless to try and explain that while others are being treated for more life threatening conditions others will have to wait in the waiting room. Sometimes people seem to think that we're just trying to be vindictive and make them suffer. We don't want you to be in pain anymore than you would like to be in pain. Unfortulately when every bed is full, each nurse has 5-6 patients and the doctors have yet to see 12 patients that are in the rooms and beds in the hallways helping you is just not possible at the moment. I assure you that I have never seen anyone taken straight back because they said they were in to much pain to wait any longer. There is just nothing we can do to make it go any faster. Everyone will be seen it's just a matter of when we have the resources available.

I dunno. Loosing control of bodily fluids and expelling trapped air are one thing that I completely understand. However sitting up is a process usually involving conscious movement of skeletal muscles that seems to complicated to happen in the body of someone who's soul should no longer be present. Plus it is definitely something that I would never expect, it would totally catch me off guard.

You already seem convindced that you need to leave the field, and that's ok because you are the only one that can make you happy. My only advice is to make sure that you are sure and that emotion isn't getting the best of you. You don't want to look back and have a bunch of "what if's" hanging around, because that can be just as toxic in the long run. I really think that nights aren't for you and that you should try to take a little break to get your focus back. After that why don't you try daylight or something less stressful. There are so many options out there for you to explore. Just curious, did you feel this way at all in school? and Did you work in a hospital at all before you graduated?

Thanks for the replies. It was definately a unique sight. I didn't believe it until I saw it myself. It makes sence that her muscles and neurons were still firing. To my knowledge she didn't have any sort of sitmulation devices. I have heard the moan before, that's creepy too. But, i think I'd pee in my pants or pass out if a body ever sat up. That may be the end of my short lived career in healthcare...

Has anyone here ever seen a person who had ceased to breath continue to move. I ask because there was a lady who did just that in the ED where I work about a month ago. No heart beat, not breathing, nothing, but her feet and legs as well as her fingers continued to move around gently for about 20 minutes. It was so strange that we had to make the family wait to view the body. I know that she was given a lot of different meds while we were trying to resuscitate her, do you think that is what caused it?

Yesterday must have been "Dementia Day". I have never seen so many confused people in the ED at one time.

At my hospital the nursing assistants and patient care techs do most of the post mortem care. I work in an ER so I probably do at least one a month. It doesn't really bother me, but I guess I'm the exception and not the norm. It always surprises me how few deaths are rules a ME or coroner's case. The ones that aren't accepted by the coroner have all lines and tubes removed before we transport them to the morgue. It always helps to have someone help you with post mortem care if you are weary about doing it alone. I have never been in a situation where someone wouldn't help out.

We once sent a girl to x-ray after a negative Hcg, lo and behold she was about 8 1/2 months pregnant. The x-ray was beautiful although we were all quite worried. She was a bigger girl and had no idea she was about to have a baby. Neither did we. The ED doc said that sometimes late in pregnancy urine tests don't show anything.