TINAMARIE28

We can do our caring moment for the pt., family member, or nurses. When I was at the Nursing home my 1st semester, I had 2 residents that I grew close to. On Valentine's Day I brought them both a litttle stuffed teddy bear holding a little red heart. Thay bothe loved them and asked me to put them on a shelf with their other "special" items. We have one student this clinical that said her pt soiled herself so she washed the pt's clothes and hung them to dry so that she would have them to wear home. The Instructor told her that was not going the "second mile". that she would expect that out of a nurse. So you see what I am up against! Anyway, yall have some good ideas, keep'em coming. Thank you!...

:) Can anyone give me examples of legal or ethical implications that you have recently encountered on your unit? They can be examples of ethical or unethical, legal or illegal. If legal or illegal, how do they relate to the Nurse Practice Act? I am writing a paper for school. Thanks for your input! :) Tina

Thanks for the ideas. I never know what my patient's circumstances are until I get on the floor and care for them, and by the next clinical day, they have gone home. I am on the Cardiac unit. You really do have some good ideas. I can't see that my Instructor would say any of your ideas are "to be expected". I think they all go the "second mile" as they put it. Good luck to you in school! Tina

I totally agree with you, but we have to "create" something or we could possibly fail the class. And they want us to go the "second mile". I am thinking of baking brownies for the nursing staff on my floor to put in their breakroom. That will leave me 3 to go. They will probably say that wasn't the "second mile" Maybe if they are made from scratch? :chuckle

I bought Dannsko clogs for school, and about 4 hours into the clinical day my feet hurt so bad I can't stand it! I have been wearing them since January, for one day a week in clinical. Someone told me that they are really comfortable but mine were not broken in yet. My feet hurt from the arch back to the heel. The shoe feels really hard. Anyone have any advice for some super comfy shoes? We have to wear Nursing shoes, no tennis shoes. Thanks, Tina :)

:) I am a student doing my Summer clinicals and we have to write 4 journals for our rotation. One of our objectives is to create a caring moment for a patient, the spouse, or nursing staff. We are supposed to go the "second mile". We have to create the moment, explain how we felt as we were doing it, and how the other person/people perceived it. Can anyone PLEASE offer some suggestions. Thanks for your help!...... only 3 semesters left! :balloons: Tina

:) Yes, a lot of people do go into nursing because of the money, but let's just hope that these people also have a caring and compassionate spirit about them. I find it hard to believe that someone would spend years in nursing school and still say they are only doing it for the money. Nursing school is hard, and it's no fun cleaning up poop and vomit,but it comes with the territory.The majority of nurses out there that I have had when in the hospital were very caring and compassionate. The only bad experience I had was when I just had abdominal surgery and the nurse came in and made the bed with me in it, well she dropped the mattress about 18 inches, yes with me in it, 1 day out of surgery. I thought I was going to pass out it hurt so bad. A friend was visiting me and her mouth fell open, she could not believe it! The nurse never made a comment, just gathered her sheets and left! I'd say she needed to brush up on "How to make an occupied bed" skills. :rotfl: Anyway, maybe she was just there to get a paycheck, or maybe she had a bad day, but whatever. I think back on that and I try to be very gentle to every patient, no matter what I'm doing! I am going to enjoy the money, the flexability, the benefits and taking care of people who need to be taken care of! :balloons:

:) Amen Honey!! Well said! :balloons:

:) Cell phones? during a test??!! We were told that if we had a cell phone or a pager that went off during the test that our test would be taken up immediately and that we would be graded on what was complete...period..the end!!! needless to say no one in my class ever had a phone ring during a test....I left mine in my car during all test. I was afraid that even if I turned it off that somehow it might malfunction and turn itself on....that would be my luck!!!! :rotfl:

:) My pet peeve is someone popping gum!! :angryfire during lecture and especially during a test! Someone who sat behind me in lecture last semester had this very bad habit. It annoyed me to no end, as well as everyone else within earshot. Before our next test, the Instructor advised everyone that if you could not chew gum without popping it or smacking,,,,spit it out! Obvioulsy someone said something to the Instructor. From that point on, when I came into class and sat down I would turn around and say. "no gum popping". I'm sure that person would liked to have hit me in the mouth...but oh well....oh,oh,,then there's those "screw-off caps" on water bottles....does anyone realize how loud and annoying they are during a test?!!! Not to mention what I will do to you if you spill that drink on my scantron!!! :chuckle ...ok.,I feel better!!!

:) I lived on Amelia Island for about 20 years, and I was accepted into the nursing program @ FCCJ in 2000. My circumstances changed and I had to relocate to Charleston, SC. My dream was to work @ Baptist Hospital in Jax. I was hospitalized there once and I thought it was a wonderful hospital. Of course that's from a patients point of view. The children's hospital is a great hospital also. I think you will do well in Jax. Is is not seasonal at all. Jax is a huge city. Great place to live. Good Luck! Tina :balloons:

:) Congratulations on your graduation!! Roper will let you work as an NE for 4 hours on a weekend? Who do I need to speak to? I would like to do something, but I only want a few hours a week, especially with Med-Surg this Fall. What floor do you work on @ Roper? Thanks for the advice! Tina

:) I am a student in Charleston,,,older student,,I will graduate in December-06 with my ADN. I will be 46 y/o when I graduate. I am hoping to work either at St. Francis Hospital or MUSC. My husband talks about moving up towards Charlotte or Nashville when I finish school, but most likely we will stay here. I lived most of my life in Fl., Jacksonville area. I would like to move to the Destin- Fort Walton Beach area. That's where we vacation and his coorperate office is located....anyway, I know several people that work @ MUSC and St. Francis and they are happy with their jobs. Tina balloons:

:balloons: So glad to hear that I'm not too old to be hired! I will be 46 next December when I graduate. I can't believe I'm no longer 30 something! oh well......

:uhoh21: Forgot something--makeup----nothing has been said about our makeup, as long as we don't show up looking like Tammy Faye we're ok........ :chuckle

:) In my school for clinicals we wear all white, no jewelry other than wedding rings and small earrings are ok. My hair is shoulder length, so it does not have to be pulled back, as long as it does not hang in your face. We can wear clear nail polish. Every school is different so you will have to check with your school. Good luck :balloons:

:) I was scared of catheters too but once the time comes you will have practiced in the lab, and when it's time to do it in real life,you'll just do it. Stay confident. As far as finding something to do on clinicals. When I was finished with my pt. in 104, I would find my classmates to see if they needed help with something, or ask one of the nurses if I could observe if she was doing a skill, such as a catheter or a picc line dressing, etc. Trust me, you will find something to do. Then of course you can complete your clinical worksheets so that in post-conference with your Instructor you will be able to answer her questions about your pt. When you start clinicals, your Instructor will tell you what she expects of you. On my 2nd to last clinical day, I had completed my assessment of the pt, given her A.M. Meds, and I was running here and there. I had to go hunt down the scales to weigh her. It seemed like we had so many intrusions, 1st PT came in, then the Activity director , then a caseworker, then the pt's family. By noon, I still had not seen that my pt was bathed!.....My Instructor informed me that there was no way that pt. should not have already been bathed!....so, DO IT now!....I told her about all the visitors, and she said it was my place to tell them that they would have to wait to see the pt. until I was finished. oh well, I dropped the ball on that one. I find myself not to be very assertive, but you HAVE to be in some cases or you will get taken advantage of. When I first started in my clinicals I would try to do everything for the pt. I thought I was being helpful...WRONG..you have to let them be independent in the things that they can manage......I learned that on my 1st day, when an activity director "straightened me out" I just wanted to help!! Anyway,,,you'll learn as you go...and you'll do fine....Tina :balloons:

:) Thanks for the info. I'm sorry about your incident. That will remind me to be very careful when I am giving injections! Can you give me any advice for working on the Telemetry Unit? I start my Summer clinical on that unit in about 2 weeks. I'm a little nervous, but excited also! Thanks, Tina

:chuckle I worked in a doctors office for almost 4 years before starting the nursing program. I wore scrubs to work everyday. We could wear any kind or color that we liked. My dream since I was 19 was to become a nurse, and wear those all white uniforms! Well, let me tell ya, in school, we are in white from head to toe! And we come in groups of 8. I may NEVER wear white again! We look like escapees from a chain gang or psych ward or something. Most likely as a student, you will be wearing all white too! You may never want to wear white again. Tina

:chair: I am a new student also, and my worst fear in 102 was bathing my first patient.I don't know why, when the time came, I jumped right in and completed the task. In 104 my worst fear was inserting a Foley on a real pt. We practiced with the "dummies" in the lab. I have a stuffed rabbit (don't laugh- whatever works!) that I put on my couch, and I practiced for 2 weeks on that rabbit. Of course there was no place to really insert the catheter, but I pretended. Anyway, my last day of clinical, my Instructor, myself and 2 other students were in a pt's room, and the other student was to do the catheter. She messed up so the Instructor said, OK, your turn Tina. I was VERY nervous but I tried not to let it show. And I got it the first try--woo-hoo. I was so excited! I walked out of the room, did a high five with my other classmate, and felt like I was Super-Nurse!! I practiced on an orange for my injections. I love giving injections to patients. My husband says I'm sick! I also practiced inseting an NG tube on my poor stuffed rabbit, and I hung IV Piggybacks from my shower for 2 weeks. Now, going into Med-Surg this fall, my worst fear is getting chewed up and spit out by my clinical instructor. I also have a lot of other fears about Med-Surg---such as FAILING! I am 45 y/o, failing is not an option!!! Anyway, whatever seems to be your worst fear when the time comes you will get through it! Take a deep breath, have confidence in yourself, and just jump in and do it!!! You will succeed! Maybe I should take my own advice! Tina