sphinx99

I am a fairly new home health nurse and I have a patient with Huntingtons. I am trying to think of interventions that justify nursing need. The family is knowledgeable about the disease in general and about meds. I'm afraid she knows more than I do about the disease. Does anybody have any ideas on what I can educated them about? Not doing wound care or anything hands on so it looks like education it is. thank you for your assistance.

I agree with others that you should stick it out longer.... But find out your hospitals policy for transferring. While other areas can be just as intense, they may be more to your liking. Stick it out a year, by then you will be more "marketable". You can try clinics, urgent care, doctors office, etc. I've been a nurse 22 years and have done many different things: vascular surgery unit, birthing center, home care (as CHN but also as, case assist and then was lead educator when an agency was switching from, paper to computer charting), clinic, SICU, rehab,weekend/evening supervisor at a nursing home and now I'm back where you are, on a tele, cardiac med surg unit. After 20 years of nursing, 10 of it out of the hospital environment, it was so hard! It took me over a year to begin to feel comfortable again. I cried, I wanted to quit, my gut twisting with stress. After all this time, the job certainly has its share of stressful days. First, leave work at work. Easier said then done, but find a way to blow off steam between the time you clock out and when you get home. Yoga, exercise, meditation, etc. Whatever works for you (I personally get home, change Immediately, get cleaned up, then take no more then 10 minutes to vent). Whatever you do, It doesn't need to take much time. But since I learned to do that, I've found my job to be less stressful. The great thing about nursing is that there are so many career paths. Second, do not be afraid to ask for help. That took me years to get used to. Everybody needs help sometimes. Learn to delegate. It take time to get used to all this, but before you know it you will feel more, confident.

I take it your hospital doesn't offer emergency child care during the storm? I too live in SWF and they are taking registration now for children of employees who have nobody else to take care of them. I don't have little ones, but I would feel safer with my kids in a hospital building then a house. Then again, being WITH your child is also so very reassuring! Management has made it clear we can be fired, but nobody has threatened abandonment. Like others have said, if you don't take an assignment, it can't be abandonment. I do say I'm fairly impressed with my job, as they let your immediate family in while you work and if you are stuck there, and now even opened a pet shelter who working (or stuck) employees. Do what is best for you and your little one! Stay safe!

I'm not sure how you arrived at the other nurse being LAZY? Because he asked about her assignment? Sounds like you (and OP) have made a lot of assumptions based on his question.

OP......you asked for advice, and when pretty much every person gave the same basic response, you became defensive. But my take is pretty much the same. I apologize for being long winded here, but it seems to me that you mostly take offense at his approach, esp that he didn't even bother to introduce himself. As others have pointed out, your patient load isn't exactly meant to be secret. I can see where you might get defensive, since he just approached you without an introduction. However, to me, a touch of humor goes a long way. I'd have laughed, said "my name is ***, what did you say your name was"? If the humor/gentle sarcasm goes over his head, I'd respond with the number of patients and be done with it. In doing so, you're "chastising" him in his lack of niceties without coming off rude. By responding with raised eyebrows and "none of your business" you put HIM on the defensive, which has helped neither of you. If, when you tell him your assignment, he fussed over it you could have then reminded him that you don't make up the assignment and perhaps he should speak with charge. End of story. Now, since that didn't happen, I wouldn't go right to charge. I've always been taught that in problems with coworkers, unless a threat of some sort is made, the professional thing to do is to reapproach that person later and try to work it out. Simply find a time when neither of you are crazy busy (even if it's after shift) and say something to the effect of "I apologize for jumping down your throat earlier. As a float sometimes you're given lousy assignments and I just assumed you were going to give me a hard time", or simply "I apologize for my earlier comments, I am just one of those people who likes to at least know the name of who I am speaking to". Then unless he acts in a threatening manner (note I didn't say rude) let it drop. Be the better person. I know it's not easy to swallow your pride and admit you may have acted in a less than professional way. But immediately escalating it to reporting this nurse, you are only showing management that you cannot handle minor conflict with a coworker, which doesn't look good on you. OR you could have avoided everything by stating"sorry I am pulling meds and don't want to get distracted and possibly make an error" and be done with it. Even if everybody knows it's supposed to be a "quiet zone", he may have been preoccupied (or just obtuse lol) and needed a gentle reminder. If he pressed, simply say "please speak to charge, I really cannot be distracted now, but will help later on if needed". I hope I've worded this in a way that does not provoke a defensive response in your mind. Because believe me, even after being a nurse for over 20 years I have made my share of poor reactions to coworkers, and I still work every day at remaining the "professional one"! Not always easy since let's face it, we are all human.