trishmsn

Lovely article, and this former nursing professor really appreciates the words and the learning curve that motivated them!!

Let's see....poor English skills, inability to handle feedback, and if I had to take a guess, I think the OP is from a country where there are very rigid social classes. I believe that the OP feels that she is being insulted by people that she feels superior to (and I saw this a LOT in Florida, by the way...) and has difficulty accurately evaluating her actual skill set. This person is NOT ER material....

I must be getting old. Suddenly the fact that males have a member and only females can become pregnant (current SCOTUS case) are addressed by some as "discrimination". Take it up with G-d or Mr. Darwin, depending on your belief system, but for the love of PETE stop whining that we are not androgynous clones and there better be someone to sue over the trials and tribulations of our sex. I am also amused by those who believe in the rights of others to "choose"......unless they do not agree with someone else's opinion.

Enjoy....I am sure I, umm, 'borrowed' it from a bigger brain and more prolific writer than myself!

Sounds like you have the spinal tenacity to stand up to crazeee people, but if you find yourself buying into the madness, I suggest you read or buy the book "Boundaries" by Dr. Henry Cloud. Great ideas on keep the insanity of others out of YOUR life, even (and ESPECIALLY) if they are family!

You find it "disturbing" that other professionals may have a different opinion than you??? I find THAT more than a little disturbing...

Well, since nurses and other health care personnel can ONLY get this (or any other) virus by "breaching protocol", it is clear that these expensive suits and other equipment are MUCH to valuable to 'waste' on hospital employees.....[end sarcasm font]

Well he gets an "A" for effort....but the instructor should have told him that is a reflex acting on muscle...the cremasteric reponse!!

^This.

Gee, OP, did you ever go by "Zuzi" in a previous life???

The Washington Post ran a Pullitzer prize-winning article on this titled "Fatal Distraction", and it is worth a read for anyone concerned about this subject. As mentioned, parents are from across the educational and socioeconomic scales, and most are devoted parents who changed their routine and/or were swamped and multitasking. This became a problem in the early 1990's when cars started having passenger side air bags, and child seats were recommended to be in the back center (and, of course, rear-facing for small babies). I really think this could happen to anyone of us. Personal experience....I was picking my six month old son from the sitter, and getting him strapped in and the seat tethered (this was the early 1980's, and car seats were HUGE and heavy and expensive, so the seat stayed with the baby for the sitter to use, or for when Daddy picked him up). The baby was snug as a bug and safe....but I drove off with the diaper bag, containing my wallet on the roof!! Thank GOD it wasn't the other way around.

This is analogous to the exam dream many have in school...going to take a final only to find out that you did not go to class all semester OR that you cannot find the room for the test!! I don't think this is terribly worrisome, just your brain processing your shifts. When I worked at bedside, the dream was always that a pt had been put in some "phantom" new room at the end of the hall, and I had not seen them all shift!!!

First and foremost, this OP needs to be congratulated for being such an involved and caring patient advocate!! That said, let me state that I spent a decade in hospice, and feel strongly about not prolonging the dying process, especially with aggressive treatments and artifical nutrition and hydration when the body clearly cannot processs it. I am 101% for a peaceful and well managed end-of-life plan, focusing on patient and family needs in all realms...physical, spiritual, psychological, and cognitively. It is about living one's best until death. BUT...this is NOT what is going on here!!!! This patient is being railroaded into an early grave, for no apparent reason. The UTI is an acute illness (and one I could see managing without abx in a TERMINAL situation...) and she has NO life-limiting diagnosis, except old age and perhaps a swollen bank account! The CVA is history, and the limitations she has do not threaten her life.....she could manage with assist for years and years! OP....keep fighting for this woman, and bless you for caring enough to pay attention to her needs and wishes, and not ignoring your own "horse-crap" meter blinking "Red Alert".

GOOD FOR THEM!! If only more hospitals, OB's, and Midwives would stand their ground against women who are "tired of being pg" or have social events that need their attention more than their baby's full term gestation!!! My second child was born at 41w5d after a spontaneous labor. (He was a Clomid baby, complete with charting, and we 100% sure of the date--and TIME!---of conception) He was a huge and healthy 10 lbs 4 oz (vag. delivery) and not only nursed like a champ, he slept from 10 pm to 4 am by 2 weeks due to his size and stomach capacity. Babies will be born when they are darn good and ready... OH, and this was Kentucky in July in a heat wave!

Take it from a former OB nurse....your current state of health means very little. Pregnancies are all VERY different, and much of what happens during and after conception is a crap-shoot. Sure, being healthy, immunized, the right weight, full of Folic Acid and free of all diseases is a GREAT start, but anything can still happen. You are an adult and will make your own choice, but you did ASK... PS...and if you are one of the 30% or so of women with severe morning sickness, your own body may cause you issues. I was hospitalized twice for hyperemesis, and MOST women are incredibly tired the first trimester.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz PPS....any reason you are not getting married first? I may be old fashioned, but it seems like you are putting the cart in front of the horse.....and I have seen so very many "fiances" walk out of the picture.

"Life Below Zero" and all permutations of "House Hunters".....and yes, I know that the latter is "heavily edited" and arranged for amusement and suspense!!

I think this is an excellent point.....I was 35 when I graduated as a brand new nurse, but had over a decade of previous work experience, including management.... AND I was also hired where I did my preceptorship. At a certain age, most of us know how to play nicely with others, and recognize someone with an "attitude" and/or poor interpersonal skills. (Having raised two toddlers and their tantrums helped, too!!!) You learn who you can trust and rely on....and vice-versa. Sounds like your mentors were telling you that there is poor management of difficult personalities on your new unit....and to side-step the drama (especially the gossipy and nasty talk about third parties not present-make your OWN judgements, and nod and leave when this stuff starts...) I am sure you will be fine,...Best Wishes and Congrats!

I totally agree that monitoring V/S to get numbers is not important with those who are actively dying (and I do hate that term, like they are riding a bike in laps around the room, but until we come up with a better one-since I don't think CMS will take our southern usage of "fixin' to die".) Chart any vitals you can get withOUT causing the pt. or family discomfort or grief, and then just chart what your eyes see, your ears hear, your nose smells, and your hands feel. For example, the BP cuff can cause agitation or pain, and if the last reading you got was 50 over palp....what difference does it make to check it again??? In all of nursing, but most especially in hospice, the question behind any test or assessment should always be "WHAT are we going to DO with this information?!?" In the OR, a dropping BP means fluids and pressors and maybe blood; in hospice it is just another sign that your patient is getting closer to leaving this world for another.

Jill, debt collectors lie, threaten, and play emotions like a harp....they will say ANYTHING to get you to pay. Please read this Fair Collections law (this is federal, some states have even more stringent laws to protect consumers) http://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/fair-debt-collection-practices-act-text You might have wages garnished, but ONLY if you are successfully sued in court and have a judge rule against you. The boards of nursing are not in the habit of doing credit checks. It is NOT their job. Do not believe a word you hear from this collector, ask for everything in writing, and get a lawyer and sue THEM if they harass you!!

I have to disagree....a ponytail is fine for work, but not for an interview. It is too informal, and looks childish on young nurses in particular. A bun or French Braid is much more sophisticated and professional. I admit to being older, and old school, but as I have stated in other interview threads, better to be conservative and formal. That way, you are fine with an older interviewer (I have hired hundreds of people over the years, and could tell stories...) or a panel interview. Even a "hip" young manager will not fault you for being in a suit with low heels and minimal makeup, hair, nails, and jewelery in an interview. You can "be yourself" AFTER you have the job!!! Why risk turning someone off due to your looks for an hour or so?

I was a Mommy, wife, family accountant and organizer....and a student. If I wasn't doing one of my "other jobs" or catching some sleep, I was studying...

Folks, may I add..... *you either passed or you didn't. Don't get nutso trying to read tea leaves about your results. You passed...great! You didn't...remediate. *when dinosaurs roamed hospital floors, we had to wait nine to twelve WEEKS for results, and yet we lived.

As an occupational health nurse, I deal with FMLA daily. Just a reminder that you have to have worked about one full year, full time, to have the hours to qualify. Another misconception I run into is employees confusing FMLA with short term disability (STD...not the syphillis kind! ) FMLA is a federal program that ensures you don't get fired or demoted for taking time off...but it does NOT PAY a dime!! STD can be a benefit chosen along with health and dental during open enrollment, or it can be paid for by the employer. (If it is the former and you don't pick it and pay for it, your time off will likely be without any pay). STD tends to cover 50-60% of base pay (not differential, weekends, etc.) Finally, I would schedule it for my convenience (giving some notice, so it is in four or six weeks, not next week!) and tell my boss I am having surgery. "What is it for, Nurse?" "A medical issue that needs to be addressed; I should be out three to four weeks." "Yes, but what is wrong? What are you having done?" "As I said, a medical concern that my doctor and I share."

This mirrors my experience, with a refusal to speak English, and constant side-comments in Tagalog or Spanish, with eye-rolling and other non-verbals. In addition, many of these nurses feel that they are upper-crust compared to other Asians (and Americans) and are rude and quite exclusive to all others. The inability to pass nursing boards and other tests is also an issue. For the record, I grew up in the far east, and workers from most other Asian nations have issues with those from the Phiilipines. Whether it is a carryover from colonial times or not, the sense of national pride often leads to rudeness and an inflated self-worth that does not mix well in any marketplace.