DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE

There is a reason why you listed what you would and would not be willing to do during the interview...It seems they had no issues accepting the expectations on both sides. However within a few days within orientation time...they are breaking those expectations. If that is only indication you get that is one two many already. You also stated you got an offer from a job that you previously held and you would take it in a minute..well it makes me think about the joke of the hurricane and god. Couple going through a hurricane heard a knock at the door, it was the Sheriff and he told the hurricane was coming and to evacuate, they refused, the hurricane was full force, the water now coming into the house, national guard shows up in boats begging them to evacuate they refuse, water keeps rising, hurricane now with the quiet of the eye on top of them...Army flys a helicopter in, hollars at the couple whom are now on the roof...let us safe you...they refuse and say they will not leave because God will save them...they drown, at the Pearly Gates they arrive, St Peter greet them, they ask what happened and why God did not save them....St Peter tells them, I sent for you safe hands and you did not see them...What more intervention do you need...You got a bad feeling from the conversation on the phone about you filling in because someone called out...well you are nothing more than a pulse to them.....You have a horrible feeling that your interview was nothing more than a hiring of lies....your own 6th sense trying to protect yourself...Now, you have a letter from the perfect place just miles from your home with the hrs you want and you know them ....what more do you want? A Hurricane?

in my years of nursing i have personally come acrossed a "few" nurses, drs', anesthesia, nurse manager and 1 pharmacist. some perhaps seen because i travel to different facilities and so i would not "be" familiar with anyones normal behaviors. 1) nurse- nebraska i was working in the operating room and we had a trauma come into the er, farming machine verses limb. when asking about the vast amounts of narcs given to this patient *(i would want to be gorked out too)* i was getting report with the charge when she started going over who gave what.... 10 mg morphine quk jet was not accounted for. i didnt think anything about it and patient was taken to surgery. ( the nurse over my patient wasnt the charge nurse, the nurse for the patient was not there when i got there so i had no idea other than a name who was the nurse i had to get report and go). i got to work the next morning and there was a note given to me by my charge nurse to go to admin, her note said "random drug screen" ok not a problem. i later found out, all persons whose name er doc, er nurses, all er techs and me along with my anesthesologist. 3, did not pass....... 1 rn, 2 er techs failed the screen. that was my first experience. 2) 3 am call back for emergency appendectomy- i went to the er picked up my patient and took him to surgery family in tow. set the patient up in the room and anesthesia was with me in the er, my tech was there we were waiting on the doc... general surgeon, well known been there for years..... i was told salt of the earth kinda guy. i had worked with him maybe 4 times, (different speciality but when your on call you do it all). we waited for a half hr in the room patient aaox3, medicated for pain per anesthesia...... hour goes by.... i have called him 3 times, each time he stated he was in route...last phone call was pretty short. when he finally showed up. 1 .5 hours post the time he was notified from the er doc about the case. he stuck his head in the door nodded to the anesthesia and instructed us to prep and drape while he washed his hands for surgery. when he came in the room he walked by me to the back table to gown up, as i was tying his gown, he reaked of booze. i asked him ... dr are drunk? loud enough all in the room could hear. the anestheologist jumped up and ushered him right out of the room and within a few minutes his partner showed up and surgery went forward. aparently he was going through a divorce and they had been covering for him. i wrote everything up and went straight to the director with it. it was not the first notice of this issue........ frightening 3) anethesia tech od'd in the surgery lounge on diprovan, roc, ativan, lidocaine, papaverin... all the wasted syringes from the anesthesia red box, all of the above mixed together and self injected.....that happend on the night shift. i dont think anyone can predict when someone becomes to diverting, it is sad to see the end result though. i have worked in the days where we counted each and every pill, shift by shift one person had the keys and you guarded ith with your life. when the pixis system came in i exhaled thinking it was the fort knox of drugs.... no it seems its the golden gate because i have heard others give thier passwords when they werent close to the pixis and the password just shouted out to whose listening. in surgery its an entire different ballgame. we are privi to so much we look at everyone, question and a smart nurse has anesthesia watch her distribute drugs or another rn, i watch my anesthesia and drs constantly, because that is a time where my patient has no voice. z

Of a Nurse in the OR for many many years.. I do not think I have ADD, but pretty sure the OR has given me OCD. The cases we do become pretty routine, the basics never change, you will still set up the basic of the rooms exactly the same as the speciality calls for. When I train anyone, I break things down into the simple form, easiest to recall even to the point to where you keep special tid bits in your locker on things that are barely used but needed immediately. Think Safety first, charting can always be completed in the pac unit and if your being rush, you let them know YOU control the pace of the room. That is what ALL OR Nurses Should stand on. Safety first. It doesnt matter how many times someone tries to rush you, or breathes down your neck, Your big enough to back them off. Start a routine that works for you, You will get faster as experience comes under your feet and experience doenst always come with yrs of experience it comes with how well you handle the sh*T hitting the fan and YOU control the pace. Make safety your first priority and all other behind it, if your patient isnt safe no other job is to be done! When you know that you have done everything within your power to insure the patient is safe, then your room(anesthesia, dr, scrub, bed, materials for case). Think of things that others overlook. Staplers, tape, betadine, braces....extra drapes..etc keep them in the corner and what isnt used, put up at the end of the day, keeps you from running, others may whine about it but big deal, they have the time to run, thats thier business not yours, you choose not to run looking for things leaving your patient free on the table without YOUR eye on them. I hope this helps. I learned alot from working my first yr in a trauma center.... RUNNING is all you do, so you learn to think smart and quick and grow a backbone quickly. Z

Did I hear right? The Hospital gave in and the nurses have gotten the demands needed ? I keep hearing different even reported on websites.... So whats the news, things have been quiet on the thread , though it had been cooling for a bit. Z

I support the MN nurses who have a true issue at hand. Do I stand up for the Profession and Union or do I stand up for My patients. Hard Pill to swallow, do you stand on the picket line and pray the patients get the best care from the Replacement Nurses which are just as quailified as the Striking Nurses are (If you think they will stay and work forever, dont think twice, they dont ( Most have MS and BSN as well as specialized Creditials) However, do not think your job isnt on grounds that are unstable in the mainstructures. Are you scared to cross the picket line because of what others may think? Are you scared NOT to Hold a sign up in hopes that someone will pull thier head out of thier ass and do what is right, Union or Hospital, to be honest I think both have fat in the ADMIN that could do some serious time on the Nursing floors to get Thier Reality Check. I have worked all over the world and be thankful on this note: Your Profession consists of Morals and Obligations to YOURSELF first and then to YOUR PATIENT. IF your environment is NOT right, then STAND AND FIGHT. If your ratio's the issue then work with them, pull an Admin Nurse from that DAMM OFFICE and put a washcloth in thier hand and ask them to show you the correct way to do a full head to toe bed bath, clean the room and then grab meds, take the next admit, help the assistants out when a patient goes nuts and then the family follows with a cat fight in the hall, take report on the new admit, do a complete exam, take orders off, get everything going, someone find X-ray, work the code currently going on in the next room, then run and hurry off to hold the hand of the dying patient, get two patients ready for surgery, make sure all consents are signed so the Hospital doesnt get sued, then listen to How the Drs bark off orders that Jesus himself couldnt perform and then do that for EVERY patient assigned. Drag that Admin nurse with you and when they ask to pee teach them how we recycle our own urine and pray for medical insurance when we retire so we can get a bladder tacking. I hold strong for my support of the Nurses and thier issues, however Every Person has a brain. Use it. We no longer are in the business of patient care, we were dragged into a "Business" kicking and screaming all the way. yet here we sit at the impass.... do I stay or do I go. I highly suggest getting specialized because soon outsourcing will not be our only problem! Z. CNOR,CCRN *Spell check isnt working so forgive me Im tired!*

Most think they are Gods because they assume the power over thier patient and the nurses and comsume it to thier tiny Napolean complexes. I highly doubt its taught in Surgical rotations because they are treated as the dumbwaiters they are at the time. Have you noticed in the OR when a Dr who thinks he is god has atleast one nurse who tends to his every need and whimper.... why is that.... Why because there will always be one nurse who will camper to the need of the stupid and undeserving. I work with some of the best Cardio thorasic guys and I have one who tries to part water constantly and I told him that if he could seperate the slush on my slush machine I would treat him like a GOD but until then he was still JUST A DR to me. He has yet to make the slush and the saline seperate and he is still another pair of hands to me in the OR, he gets no special treatment at all. Others I have worked with are complex rainmen. They babble about thier wishes, well guess what You get the correct amount of Nurses to tend to your patients and you MIGHT get your wishes granted until then you stand there and whine. Who knew a puppy could do Neurosurgery.... Or Cardiothorasics, Or Plastics, hey and even Ortho. How long did it take you to train the puppy not to wee wee on your floor at home? It takes about the same amount of time to paper train a Dr in the OR. Just a thought Zoe

I laugh as I say this Im a color coder...... I have to... My mind goes in so many directions at once, if I color things it keeps in tract. I even use it now working on my other degrees.... Its still funny though. Was only late once, and of course it was with the Hilter of the instructors I had. I hit a deer on the way to school, my car looked like I had run it through a meat grinder but I did what I could and moved the deer off the road with assistance from the man behind me, and we pulled my front quarter panel off my tire so I could contiue on to school. I was covered blood, dirt. I was filthy and was too far from the house to turn back it would have just made it worse for me, so I drove on into class. I sat outside the door waiting for break so I could enter the class. The Instructor made it a point that she would embarrass me as I entered. On how I was late, and it was inexcusable and I had no excuse worthy of her ears, how she would dock my grade for it as well. Then she looked up. There I was covered, blood on me, disshoveled, and a nervous wreck. One of the other students went to another instructor and mentioned what happend to me. The other instructor came in and brought me some scrubs to change in, called her husband to come look at my car to make sure it was ok. I didnt see Hitler that afternoon, but I did see the Dean of Students..... She had also heard what occured. I had never once been tardy. She excused me for the day and gathered my assignments and made sure I called her when I got home. Im glad that I didnt change , Im glad I looked like hell warmed over, and Im glad the instructor had a nice chat with the Dean of Students... Zoe

Oh no You get charged for dying on the job.... IF you havent completed your contracted time... and You die, You broke the contract.... what moneys that are due to you, well they get eaten by the company for expenses they paid out, depending on the amount of time you had on the contract and time with the company. Sad but true I actually Know a Nurse that had a MI and passed and the Company held the last check until they got their money. I kid you not . You have to know your company and You have to get things in writing , and You have to watch your back. The traveler that passed also worked with his wife traveling (they were a traveling pair). She sued the living crap out of the company and now she doesnt work any more. I say congrats to her. He was a wonderful Nurse and I miss him alot .She sued because the company held both checks, not just his but hers as well because they were not sure what she was going to do. She completed her contract . Zoe

As a traveler I can only speak for what I would have done if you were assigned to me: I would have sent you away plain and simple.... It has nothing to do with you personally. Nothing at all. If I had only 2 days on the unit and they had stuck a student with me I would have been LIVID myself. First of all: I havent a clue who you are, your capabilities, they way you were taught, and what knowledge you have or dont have. Second: Im responsible to my Patient, Agency, My hospital and Myself.Im not paid to handle the role of a preceptor and Im sure that traveler was on the phone with her recruiter , because we are not paid to train anyone we are there to do a job that is contracted to do, unless she was paid to precept she was above and beyond her contract and if anything would have happend it would have fell on her head and not on anyone elses. Third: Your instructor is the one who assigns you to Precept with your Nurse, why is it your Instructor assigned you to a traveler in the first place especially one with only 2 days on the floor anyway.Even if you were assigned to someone that worked there and not a traveler 2 days on the floor isnt sufficant to Precept under, Reguardless of your capabilities and "Your" assigned duties, instead of nailing the traveler here maybe you should be discussing this issue with your Instructor, Where was her mind? Did she ever ask the Nurse if she wanted a student? Did she even look to see where this new Nurse came from?, Did anyone ask this Nurse if things were ok with her? Fourth: If you felt as if you had a problem up front why didnt you go to your Instructor and tell her: Look I think that I will not get the education and skills or the opportunity that I need, because its appears my Nurse doesnt remember that I need to do such. Im wondering if the Nurse hung the IV fluids herself why werent you so far up her behind when the Med was due? Was this Nurse swamped with things to do? and last but not least just to give anyone more ammunition to flame me with: Why is it Her responsibility to make sure you get your things done? Isnt it yours.... Im sure there were many nurses on the floor that would have killed for someone to help them hang their IV's, do their flushes, Monitor for the skills in which you were looking for, You could have easily found a Nurse (because there is always one or two that would kill for the help), gone to your Instructor and told her the situation and gotten your assignment changed. I understand we all start from scratch and we have to get it where we can, but You need to look from the other shoe. How would have you handled it knowing that Your just starting a job and Now they have put someone with you that Can take your license in one swoop, because as a student Your covered for mistakes, As a RN your not, you cover yourself. Zoe

Im running the distance myself... I honestly dont have time to do it any other way and still remain sane. Im at the California State University @ Domingus Hills. I can say it was a rough start , schedule was messed up from the very begining and other problems that just contiued to get worse but I found someone there who was determined to get things straight and she did. Im taking 3 classes and also taking some classes in a college that is near to my location so I can push things faster... but this is the only way I could finally get my school back on track. When I say the assignment load I cried ... then I inhaled took a drink and just buckled down into it. I had to put myself back into the frame of mind of JUST DO IT. I have arranged my schedule to where I can devote enormous amounts of time to my studies and I dont get to pop into allnurses as much but so far I havent drowned in my own sorrows. I have set a time line of 2 yrs to complete this degree and I will have it done if it kills me, which it might. Since things were so chaotic in Egypt I have flown back to the states and now working in California, to be closer to the school. Im working at a hospital as a traveler and have taken a long term assignment with them, they also know Im in school and the OR supervisor is actually in one of my classes so she has been very supportive as well. My support system is back in Egypt monitoring what is occuring over there and I get daily phone calls as to how he is doing and if things are becoming disturbing and if a possible bug out is to occur... Im stressed, beyond my limits at times, more than I ever was in RN school itself, but I cant look at it that way, I have to see the future and not look at the now. The now is bleak and appears to be never ending, the future looks great with another chapter added to my life. I say good luck to those that are venturing in to this hectic schedule, I do hope that you all achieve your goals that you have set out for yourselves. You may not hear a hoot and a hollar from me , thats because my yells are muffled as I have my head burried into a book or a APA paper. Zoe

If you want to travel then just take the plunge... But word of advice from a traveler that travels internationally and in the states... Never ever leave a full time job until you have another job sitting on top of you, you can contract a job 6 weeks out and there is always someone looking for OB nurses so you should have no worries there.... But never put in notice until you have a contract of all the things you want before you give your notice in at the hospital you work at. Good luck to you , Oh and You have to have atleast 1 yr of experience before a travel company will consider you. Zoe

I was sitting at the desk one night had just completed rounding with one of the cardiologists... fairly new Dr, but sweet as can be and tiny as a fart I tell ya.... well the doorbell went off(thats our code button) and telemetry called with the room number I shot out of the chair I was in and took off running the Dr right behind me.... Im my most hippo moment my left clog caught the floor just right and down I went , I was up again and running down the hall barely missed a beat. When I got to the room we worked the code and transported the patient to ICU and started back on the paperwork .... the Dr stayed in ICU to monitor the patient , I get a phone call from the ICU supervisor who is a huge buddy of mine and she is laughing so hard I can barely understand her words.... The Dr had discribed the bolt action that I had on leaving the chair and how I fell right on the floor and he was running behind me because he wasnt sure where the code was but he was sure I would know where to go.. and then I fell, he said he was so close to me that I took off running as he hit the floor behind me and he grabbed my behind to break his fall... I had no idea the man even fell much less touch my butt... He said he was so embarrassed by the fact that he had just accidently fondled a nurse but then again he hardly knew which made it worse and he couldnt apologize to me because of the work that had to be done to the patient and he was too embarrassed to speak to me..... I busted out laughing ..... its a shame he was a cutie lol I could have worked that for months lol ... He came up to finish his charting and I told him that I appreciated the thought but you know at times like that Im more excited about working on a patient than I am about working on a Dr , he turned beet red.... and he laughed and I laughed and I miss working with him... he was one Dr that would run like a champion going to a code , it didnt matter which patient or who what when or how... He loved being a Dr. Zoe

HMMMMM Wonder when they will investigate the hundreds of deaths that occur due to the fact of inadequate Nursing staffing?.If they are horrified with the death of a 6 yr child(not that Im putting this case lightly), but if they are concerned with the death of one child then they will be mortified when they see how many infants,children,adults,elderly die each day due to the facts of inadequate care and coverage. Does it take a riot to get someone to look at the situation, does it take another life being needless lost? I do hope the Resp. Union get their wishes and needs covered, and If we could only get the recipe for how they get it done. Will it take a national walk off for someone to see Our Side? Just wondering Zoe

There are many rehab facilities and long term care facilties that use music therapy... Grab your Rn, minor in music therapy and go to a wide open area.... Good luck. Zoe

LOL, it would be a nice change not to think of millions of things at once and just do basic patient care..... I will fluff your pillows, get you anything you need and If given a chance do some patient teaching as I didnt have to worry about passing meds , running my butt off and doing other things that Nurses have to do at a constant pace.... Pay me my regular pay and I will sweep the floors lol.... I would be the highest paid CNA that hospital had ever seen and I would do it all with a Huge cheesy smile..... :rotfl: :rotfl: Zoe