Nella

Prejudice and discrimination still exist. To a shocking extent in some areas. I lived in California for 15 years and then moved to a certain midwest city. Took a job at a local hospital. Within 2-3 weeks I was told a "jew" signed the checks. A really sweet young white nurse who got along w/ the blacks nurses shocked the heck outta me one day when she told me she was changing her doctor because too many black people were starting to go to the same doctor. My neighbor used the n word. I could relate more It's like what another person here said, manners or whatever one calls them, seemed to fly out the windows when no minorities were present. I'm white, in my 40's and I am single without children (by choice). I've run into a fair amount of people who thought I must be gay because it was the only way they could categorize me...... I have since moved from that city.

I don't know what to tell you. Maybe it depends on where you live. I am a white female. I spent 16 years working in a hospital, so I quess that places me outside of what you posted. I worked in acute care hospitals in smalll towns and big cities. One of my supervisors was a black female when I was in a hospital setting. I've worked in clinics too since leaving a hospital setting. I didn't leave because I am white but because I'm old!!!:) I worked for a black female internist to boot in a clinic, as well as Asian internists, female, male.......... I'm talking southern california, so we were pretty racially mixed. There were whites like me, mexicans, blacks, asians, you name it. LA's pretty big, and so is San Diego. I have never worked in the south, so maybe your experiences there are different. But I would never deny your experiences.

I disagree with the 2 posters above me. I had a good friend in management who had to cross a line within the hospital system I worked for. I wasn't thrilled w/ her, but understood. I think it's a morals question. You believe in what you believe in, or you don't. Walk the talk.

It's tough. You are trying to pit income you need against principles and what you believe in..........tough call. I personally do not cross picket lines, especially if I am familiar w/ the issues and believe in the reasons strikers are walking the line. It may be their issues, but if I cross a picket line, I have taken an action that directly undermines them. Hope for the best. Maybe the strike will be settled quickly.

Full time workers put in about 2,000 hours/ yearly. 2000 hours x extra 6 dollars an hour=$12,000 a year. Balance that against the cost of gas. And commute time. would the extra 20 miles be through bad traffic? 20 miles in that case can take 45 minutes to drive. But if it's not rush hour type driving, 20 miles could take

Years ago, during a previous nursing shortage, I worked alot of overtime. The incentives were good. Time and a half for an exra shift. THEN, once you worked 7 days straight, everyday was at double time until you got a day off. I once worked 30 days in a row and 23 days were at double time. It was a fair chunk of change. There were always double shifts available as well. The first 4 hours were at time and a half, second 4 hours of the shift at double time. If you had a regular shift the next day, same thing: first4 time and a half, second 4 double time. We used to call it doubling back. This was med surg and peds.

I must be a cross over. I exhibit qualities of both types. I'm fairly organized, I do the thing about getting my IV, blood draw supplies lined up. Same for dressing changes etc. I use a clipboard to track all my pt's I&O, vitals, IV fluids etc But I'm flexible about my tasks and when I take my breaks and lunches. I can recognize when the shift isn't going the way I planned and I make the needed adjustments. I'd never ever change a dressing while the housekeeper was in the room. But I know the housekeepers ( and I know their life stories too) and so can ask them to skip the room and come back to later when I'm done. And I'd never ever stick someone more than 3 times for an IV start, that's just sadistic. ( Luckily I'm very good w/ IV starts, usually don't need 3 times to start with). And I'm good with patients. I talk to them and let them talk to me. They are more than a set of tasks waiting to be done. You might think about whether the pts receive more visitors on second shift, therefore generating more complaints.

Your original post doesn't state how long ago this nurse said she had been using drugs. Was it last week? Last month? Last year? a decade ago? Personally, if it was a story from a long time ago, I probably wouldn't sweat it. Doesn't say kind of drugs either. If it was, say a heroin story, I'd be pretty concerned no matter how long ago. If she was talking about marijuana from 10 years ago, I wouldn't worry. That's just me. It's a combination of things for me. What drug, how long ago, her current behavior etc. But I like your statement about don't tell me things I might have to report. That should stop it.

If you have any PTO left at the jo you are leaving, ask if you use that to fill in some of the last 2 weeks you'll be working thre. It'll give them less of a chance to make your last days " a stand off" if you're not there!

After nursing for years and years, I've seen too many patients without advance directives, no living wills. Or if the Pt has one but the family strongly disagrees with it, the doctor may overide it. I have no terminal illness, no DX of a fatal illness. But I do have directives in place, and my family members know exactly how I feel about life support in the event I am rendered .......... Anyway, I seen so much needless suffering. For both the patient and their families. And no, it's not recent thinking to allow people to die with dignity. If one looks back through history, you would find the opposite. I think it's rather recent that we have had the ability to sustain one's life by artifical means. And I think it's a really western style of thought that fails to recognize death as a part of life.

Multipurpose, you are correct..to an extent. We are materialist. What we were told after 9/11? Go out buy things. :uhoh21: I know I am lucky...compared to some. But I do try to watch it. I live pretty simply. I ask myself about purchases. Do I need them or just want them? I'm debating w/ myself now. I want a LCD monitor. I telecommute and glare is just bothering my eyes so badly on my crt screen, they feel strained by the end of the day. So I'll probably buy one, but internally I had a huge debate with myself over it.

More details needed. Turning purple in his face? Or fingertips? Or lips? Turning purple all over? After coughing? Or bruising?

I worked 10 shifts while I had a dog, but never 12. Never any problems with any "accidents". Of course first thing I did once home was let him out. Then at least 15 solid minutes of playing fetch to help him burn off energy. It seemed to work pretty well. I also am pretty good about walking him. Some walks on cold days might be a lot shorter though! I used to think about getting a second dog so Hank would have company. But I waited too long and now he's about 9years old and will not tolerate me spending too much time/affection with anyone but him! I agree with an earlier poster, a cat might be a good solution. I have friends/family that will watch my dog when I go on vacations. They do a great job. But having them take care of 2 dogs is alot more to ask than caring for one. And my Hank has never had to stay in a kennel, I doubt he ever will.

I have to hurry or I'll be late for work. There's always some cost associated w/ diabetes. Diabetics have to use a glucometer, strips etc. CMS has been doing demo projects in selected states and areas for management of diabetes for 2 years or so now. I beleive they have moved from demo projects to the next step: pilot programs. Education will play a large part of these programs. Dieticans will be a part of these programs. As well as podiatrists and pharmacists. So hopefully, these programs will be picked up and be made available in all states.

I worked a telemetry floor with a ratio of 1:6 on nights, maybe 8 years ago. Almost every patient had heparin, dobutamine, dopamine drips going. Renal doses. We had limits on what we could give on the floor. Cross that line and the Pt had to go to ICU/CCU.

Most hospitals I worked at did not pay BSNs anymore than they paid their diploma nurses. I'm a diploma nurse. And I'm looking into getting my BSN. Not because of the pay issue, but because certain jobs are starting to be closed doors to me without the degree. I love the type of work I do. Should my present job go away, I think having my BSN would help me land another position in the same field, even though I have years of experience.

I have a problem with cameras being installed prior to informing the staff. Especially cameras that are meant to be concealed! Wouldn't it be more effective as a deterent to have those cameras in plain view and let people know they are being watched? That crazy patient mentioned earlier in the thread that chased a nurse down a hall? Maybe she might not have if she saw a camera watching her. I never had anything to hide as far doing anything illegal at work. BUT, that doesn't make it okay to film me.

bumping for any more replies?

No picture frames with hospital logos on them, please. No more calculators either. No pens. No T shirts. Gift cards to Barnes & Noble, or Starbucks would be great, even if it's for a small amount. I love tote bags, sweat shirts etc as well. :)

I hope this is okay with the powers that be here on the board. I have a Littman Cardiology II stethoscope laying around the house. I haven't used it for several years. I no longer work in a setting that requires a stethoscope. Though it's kind of old, It's perfectly good, I could always hear great with it. Any nursing students out there on a tight budget? Or nurses that need a decent stethoscope? I'm offering it up to anyone who has a need, free of cost. Please send me a PM with why you need it. I'll review the PMS in a few days and mail it out to whomever seems to have the worst need.

Jerico: I think maybe you misunderstand. I'm not sure. The rules aren't there to punish anyone, or to punish you. They are for the benefit of the patient. 2 separate issues. It's not about you, it's about the patient. I quess that's what I find unsettling about your post. BTW: Old school didn't say wear perfume in moderation. It said don't wear perfume. Period.

I believe Nevada also requires nurses to have a license in their state if you are speaking w/ residents there.

Years ago in nursing school we were told not to wear perfume. Don't they still teach this? It is common sense. It's the choice between spritzing yourself with a scent which is nonessential to you and your job performance and potentially bothering patients or not. The sense of smell is a funny thing. It can vary so much from person to person. While you may think the scent you are wearing is wonderful, light and lovely, another person forced to smell it may hate it. That's apart from triggering any other problems. The sense of smell triggers memories as well. My mom is allergic to many things. Herbal essense shampoo comes to mind. It triggers her to sneeze, her eyes water, she coughs etc. So do many perfumes. If my mother were ill and in a hospital and some nurse made her worse because of wearing a scent, that nurse and I would be having a talk. I cannot fathom why any nurses would be so insistant on wearing perfumes, strong scented lotions etc in a hospital setting.

For what it's worth: I always thought the idea of changing into scrubs at the hospital was a good one. Can't hurt. I was alway careful about my tennis shoes. I had 1 pair just for the hospital, never wore them elsewhere.

I'm down in Bloomington. I moved here almost 1 year ago and am loving it. I've been an RN for about 15 years, and a LPN for about 14 years before that. Thinking about going back to get my Masters. I haven't really looked at anything yet programwise.