PICCONE

I'm a MED/Surg RN of 24 years with most of the time spent in ONCOLOGY. I'm always looking for that PERFECT job. Number 1. MONEY If it's quality and experience you want you must be able to match or offer sl more than other facilities in the area for an experienced RN. Second priority is user friendly! By this I mean adequate benefits,straight shifts,possibility of creative shifts. Many RN's are trying to go to school and still work full time or have smaller kids whose care doesn't fit the regular nursing hours. Last but not least word of mouth really works the best. In this way nurses get the inside tract they are looking for that can't be found in an ad/interview/. Hope this helps! Arlene Cowen RN [email protected]

I feel for your situation. We recently have had to work with more agency personel and much of the time I feel things would actually run smoother understaffed. How do you feel about LPN's in general? I work with only a handful. My regular LPN is great but even so many days I resent doing some of the work she can't do and I know even on good days I have to watch her patients a little closer as some of the problem solving skills just aren't there. I guess I should feel lucky that if my supervisor gets called she generally will let the RN handle the problem and make these kind of decisions. Also we call the MD ourself if the resident can't handle the problem directly. Maybe you could sit down with such a manager and discuss roles for the future. Sometimes managers are pleased and agreeable to giving more responsibility to the Staff RN if she feels confident in them. It also makes her job easier to delegate some of this type of role. Arlene Cowen RN [email protected]

1.RN 2.24 3.Chgo Illinois 4.yes if I never had to pay taxes 5.Yes , with new administration finally got a 401K plan 6.Yes, Always worked straight days 7.Yes 8.No, anyone in Nursing could never say yes to this question 9.yes fairly ok 10.Yes I still love Nursing 11.No,but they beg a lot 12.15 min AM & PM + 30min lunch on a good day 13.Straight days unless it's vacation time and they might ASK if we will cover another shift 1-2 days 14.Usually every other unless I offer to work more for the extra pay. 15 Divided, would need more specific info 16.Yes 17.I want to know what has happened to the quality of nursing schools in the past 15 years? Hard to find a new grad that I don't feel I'm reteaching basic nursing school to.

Dan I work in a trama level hosp. in Chgo. We don't have a regular IV team. I manage the PICC line insertion team which consists of 10-12 RNs who place lines on a daily call basis. All of my RNs work full time on an inpatient unit. They are compensated with 1.5 hours of pay for each PICC inserted even if completed during regular shift. Every RN and some LPNs insert periphral IV's. Each unit has 1 or more IV resources RN's for help if needed. This system works for us. Arlene Cowen RN [email protected]

Just one stupid question. Why get your supervisor involved? Normally an RN acts independently except for unusual problems. Why didn't you access the site, make your decision,speak with the patient about what you wanted to do, and then replace the IV site. Other options could include seeing if the patient really needed the IV or could they take PO especially if there was a good chance the IV would be D/C'd in AM. Arlene Cowen RN [email protected]

DON'T GIVE UP!!! I have been an RN for 23 years in a large Chgo. hospital and a preceptor for countless new RN's. Most of the time the problem is in two areas beyond your control. First most nursing schools despite the program don't provide enough clinical time for learning and doing skills. Second few if any provide experience in coodinating more than 1-2 patients at a time. Any wonder you feel overwhelmed? FIND A MENTOR! Many RN's will brush you off. You've been through orientation / What's your problem? That is unfair. On your unit their must be one seasoned RN who you respect and admire. Latch on. It takes about a year to feel comfortable will all the technical skills not to mention organizing time and priorties to take care of multiple patients and that is on a good day when none of your patients crashes. I have stayed at the bedside working staff rather than going up the promotion chain just for those reasons. I love my work and that includes being a good mentor. It will work for you but it will take time and you will learn more than you thought possible. GOOD LUCK Arlene Cowen RN [email protected] ------------------

I am the new manager of a hospital based PICC line insertion team. Are there any other RN's out there with a similar position? I would like to find out how your team operates and try to come up with answers to problems I'm encountering.Any information would be welcome. Arlene Cowen [email protected] ------------------