monkeyhq

monkeyhq's Latest Activity

1. 

   How has Obamacare affected you and your employer?

   monkeyhq replied to ProgressiveThinking's topic in Activism

   Here are some facts for you about the healthcare system in the US when compared to other nations. Now I have to go take care of sick people, so I am out.... http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article9542817.ece/alternates/w1024/Davis_Mirror_2014_ES1_for_web.jpg
2. 

   How has Obamacare affected you and your employer?

   monkeyhq replied to ProgressiveThinking's topic in Activism

   As as it is 2:37 AM, here is the short version... You did not use care in reading my statement. I buy my insurance through the ACA marketplace exchange. I am not covered under an employer plan. I had no coverage until this year when the ACA became reality. Explain to me, exactly, how the quality of care will suffer? You have no data to support that theory. Millions of Americans now are receiving care. Explain to me how the UK system--the #1 in the free world--manages to provide healthcare for all and beats the U.S. in all categories of care (including quality), if a reduction in profit is such a killer to the industry and innovation? Nearly all European nations best the U.S. in quality and affordability. On one thing I will agree, there are some even better options than the ACA. It is called Universal HC. But the ACA is better than where we were, and a step in the right direction. If I feel like arguing with a tree, I will respond more fully when I wake. In my opinion, the most forceful statements against the ACA that actually take the time to mention "Obama" come from those who are deeply rooted in anti-Obama propaganda, no matter the truth of an issue or policy. Not my first rodeo, and I know how this usually rolls with one so deep in their political propaganda that they refuse to recognize evidence they know to be logical and true. Release politicizing the issue. When I speak positively of the ACA and its affect in my state and on my life, I don't say "oh, thank you, Obama my President". But if one doesn't agree with the ACA just because they are anti-Obama, they almost always throw in the name. Bed now.
3. 

   Choosing a date to die?

   monkeyhq replied to CarryThatWeight's topic in Headlines

   I watched a documentary on Netflix a few years ago entitled "How to Die In Oregon". I think it was very informative about the law, and it followed a few terminally ill patients who made the choice, and the rationale for their choice. It is heartbreaking to watch, but I do believe it gave me a better understanding of why some choose the path less traveled, and I highly recommend seeing it.
4. 

   How has Obamacare affected you and your employer?

   monkeyhq replied to ProgressiveThinking's topic in Activism

   I will respond, in part... a) due to the anonymous nature of this message board, and your desire for facts to back up some statements, I feel the only facts you would accept are those that unmask the annonimity of the poster by identifying the hospital, location, etc. b) the very implication that surely one must be lying or making statements pro-ACA because they support the President or democrats, blah, blah, blah, says more about your own political leanings than it does for NURSES making pro-ACA statements. After all, nurses supporting healthcare for all is just such a pretentious politically motivated thing to do and must indicate secret tree-huggin' Obama embracin' liberals... c) CANCER. Yeah, I had it. I had the great fortune of being employed by the government at the time, so the $749,000 worth of chemo and four surgeries was covered. After I quit my job to go to nursing school, no one in the US would insure me AT ANY PRICE. If I had suffered the misfortune of recurrence, I would not have been covered at all. Now, with the ACA, I pay a modest sum for fantastic insurance and I don't have to worry about being denied care, or losing a job and thus losing healthcare coverage. d) states that did not participate in the expansion are not doing as well as those that did, so the results are not the same everywhere, and costs are not the same everywhere. The KY system and Ohio systems, for example, are doing incredibly well, and the opt-out states, not so much. e) Corporate greed is the biggest problem in healthcare, and it has been this way for decades, not because of the ACA. Tip a hat to those who thought profits were more important than wellness--they had a good run, and it will soon be ending. The ACA is not perfect--even the exceptional UK system is not perfect--but it is a step in a positive direction for millions and millions of people, and it has already saved lives. And I don't care if a republican or democrat started it, I am a nurse and just glad it is here and that the time of kicking the poor and afflicted to the curb for their lack of sufficient funds (or genetic misfortune) is nearing an end.
5. 

   Choosing a date to die?

   monkeyhq replied to CarryThatWeight's topic in Headlines

   Exactly my thoughts. I have seen so much suffering. Sometimes there is just not enough morphine to provide relief. If an individual makes a well informed personal choice to end/avoid that suffering, I respect their choice. I cannot, for my own reasons, knowingly cause the death of a human being by administering a drug cocktail designed to end life. That said, I fully support the terminally ill and their right to self-administer. Same goes for capital punishment. Even if the most heinous person in the world was in front of me, I could not initiate that IV, or administer the drugs to end their life.
6. 

   How has Obamacare affected you and your employer?

   monkeyhq replied to ProgressiveThinking's topic in Activism

   The ACA has been a dream in my state. More nursing opportunities, more people seeking medical care when they need it (instead of when an emergency takes place), more compliance with medications (no pill splitting and/or sharing with others because of the expense). More truly ill young adults are receiving nursing waiver services, people who previously were disqualified due to pre-existing now have the care they need, those who require surgeries not previously covered now have coverage. No man, woman, or child will go without chemo because of a lack of coverage. The ACA has been a God-send for the healthcare profession, and has made an enormous impact on wellness. Health is a human right, and everyone on this planet should be entitled to receive affordable (or free) healthcare, not just those who can afford it.
7. 

   New nurse ,ltc

   monkeyhq replied to neenerow's topic in Nursing

   What do you mean by working on your own? Do you mean you are going to be working a shift at this LTC facility and no one has shown you the job duties, or do you mean you are leaving the LTC facility and going into private duty nursing? Are you RN or LPN?
8. 

   Need help coping with death of a loved one while in nursing school

   monkeyhq replied to lobatse's topic in General Students

   With a death in the immediate family, most schools will allow you to make up clinical days. I am so sorry for your loss. ((hugs))
9. 

   What can you tell me about C. diff, thank you!

   monkeyhq replied to HelloWish's topic in General Students

   I have an old top loader W/D set in my garage--all scrubs, BF's work clothes, and shop towels go into these machines. The nice front loading set is in the house and they only see scrubs for the first wash off the rack. Neurosis, keeping us all healthy-ish...lol
10. 

    Nurse, Madonna, and waitress??

    monkeyhq replied to Nola009's topic in Relations

    I can sing (like Carol Channing)! And play drums (like a chimpanzee on crack)! Can I be in the band (noise makers in white)?
11. 

    Best Shoes???

    monkeyhq replied to agape_loveRN's topic in Uniform/Gear

    I wear the Dansko Pro XP Box Leather model. All leather, non-slip, incredibly spongy and light (when compared to wood sole Dansko clogs). I also like the Nike Free 7.0 (which they no longer make) running shoe. The Free collection is incredibly flexible. The 5.0 aren't as spongy/shock absorbing on the bottom as the 7.0, but they are still pretty good as an alternative. The 3.0 is way too thin for impact resistance, in my opinion. Only issue with a shoe like this is that they are mesh/nylon materials and you must machine wash them if you want to clean them effectively. That, of course, breaks them down faster.
12. 

    Has being a nurse changed your outlook on...

    monkeyhq replied to richardgecko's topic in Nursing

    I have a young 'locked-in' ALS with vent, g-tube, colostomy, cath, no communication methods, no narcs, no anti-anxiolytics, still on FULL CODE! (left all decisions up to spouse who can't let go) This is my worst nightmare. All mental faculties intact, sensation of pain intact, and absolutely no voluntary body movement or means to communicate suffering. NO WAY. I'm checking out in those circumstances. Push the Ativan and Morphine, it's sleepy time.
13. 

    What can you tell me about C. diff, thank you!

    monkeyhq replied to HelloWish's topic in General Students

    Don't forget to scrub those shoes, too! I make it a habit--no matter what care environment I may be in--to always take off my shoes in the parking garage/lot and bag them before getting into my car. I don't want hitch hikers tracked through my house on my hardwood floors and carpet. I have a shallow bin in my garage where I place my shoes, and I use a solution (1 teaspoon of bleach to one pint of water) to wipe down the uppers, and dip the soles (so the solution gets into the tread). Clorox wipes are pretty effective for everyday use to wipe down shoes, but if C-diff is known in a facility, I would be sure to dip the soles. I also rotate shoes every other day. I only buy scrubs that I can wash in hot water and dry on high heat. And I use a scoop of Oxyclean in addition to a good detergent. Maybe I am a bit neurotic, but I don't want my family and friends to hang out in my house and catch a nasty.
14. 

    Opportunity in Oncology for a Survivor?

    monkeyhq replied to monkeyhq's topic in Oncology

    Not exactly the job for which I applied (they went with another person), but something a little different! Because of the potential for severe psychological implications, I am going to do new patient intake twice a week--standard and focused assessment, health histories, etc. It is a good chance to get my feet wet at this very personal location. My ONC DOC suggested this path instead of full on hire. If I can handle that during the 3-month PT period, they are going to move me to FT, but not in 'my' location, in their other location (which is a lot smaller). If I handle that well for a year, they will slowly transition me to the infusion atrium. The PT position is going to begin the first week of October. The 90 day 'trial' is a good thing because I don't have to quit my current patient (end-stage ALS), or lose a massive amount of salary, and can still try out oncology. So I am delighted to give this a shot! Thanks everyone for the amazing support. I truly am grateful. ETA: SCAREDSILLY, I tried to PM you and your mailbox is full!
15. 

    4.0 in nursing school?

    monkeyhq replied to RubySlippers:)'s topic in General Students

    I have been the neurotic overachiever my entire life. I had an incredibly strict upbringing, was not allowed to make mistakes without severe punishment, and my free choices (like shaving the sides of my head to make a mohawk) were met with abuse. As long as I received A's and B's, my mother was cool with my grades. But she was not so cool when it came to any other mistakes. Even with straight A's, I wasn't allowed to shave my legs, get my ears pierced, or talk on the phone with boys, until I was 16. Learning was something that always brought me peace. I had no sense of personal inadequacy whatsoever, I knew I could break free by learning. And learning gave me power. From my perspective as an adult looking back, my academic performance has always been something I could freely control without interference from anyone or anything. I was allowed to read whatever I wanted, and take classes outside the normal primary education system. It expanded my world view, and brought me incredible joy! It was like being taken out of a cage. When I first went to college, I chose accounting...that did a lot to deter me from my goals of perfection (tongue-firmly-in-cheek)! 20+ years later, and having been through a nightmare health condition just 12 months earlier, I went back to school for nursing. Perfection was a habit at this point, and my own expectation, except it doesn't come as easily when you are older. I had to work incredibly hard. And I almost killed myself with this terrible drive. But there was more to it than that...having just been out of a severe illness, I was going to show the world who was boss! I couldn't control the health outcome, but I sure as heck could control my education destiny. Surely, it would give me power! And it has all mattered for what? Nearly dying over something dumb (like not peeing when you have to so you can just sit and read, read, read nursing books all night)? It was really stupid. I gave up friendships, special family time, entertainment, everything that is fun about life, to reach some ridiculous goal that in the scheme of things didn't mean jack squat. I am a nurse. I am pretty darn good at it. But that GPA doesn't do anything but sit on my transcript and collect dust while I am still doing the exact same work I would have been doing if I had a 2.9. It is great to shoot for the moon. But as someone said, don't forget to stop and look at the stars.
16. 

    4.0 in nursing school?

    monkeyhq replied to RubySlippers:)'s topic in General Students

    Late to the conversation here, and I will admit I haven't read every response (on my phone so it's difficult). I am a neurotic over-achiever, and I finished school 2nd in my class of over 100. That said, I had to bust my butt to get those grades, developed 2 bouts of pyelonephritis, septicemia (3-days in ICU), anemia, nutrition deficient alopecia, insomnia, and dropped to 98 pounds. The pressure I put on myself to achieve perfection was ridiculous, and my body and mind suffered terribly for it. It took months of recovery before I felt 'healthy' again. Don't do that to yourself. I almost died from that nonsense, and that is no joke. Study hard, but don't sweat getting a 'B'...if you get A's and B's, you will still finish with a very high GPA. As a new nurse, a good GPA is very attractive to employers, but that doesnt mean you will be a great nurse. A high GPA can only help you in two ways: It might stop your new nurse resume from being tossed on the wood pile for your FIRST job, and it will help to meet entrance requirements if you wish to earn an advance degree--and it doesn't even have to be a 4.0 to do these things. Otherwise, GPA matters very little. Instead of destroying yourself to get a 4.0, focus on absorbing the teaching and skills in a meaningful way so that you can be a fantastic bedside nurse. That is what truly matters. Best of luck!