lizzieB05

I work on a cardiac care unit and we see A LOT of chest tubes. Recently we have learned that one particular doctor wants the nurses to pull the chest tubes when he decides they can be dc'd. Anyone have any thoughts? I am kinda annoyed at the idea-as if we dont have enough to do. But before I get too worked up I was wondering if anyone else out there pulls chest tubes for the docs. Is that even in our scope of practice?

I have a wonderful little girl who I only see about three days a week at the moment. I have been working a lot of four day weeks and picking up my daughter only to get home at about 830 and put her to bed....wake up the next morning and do the same thing. I am looking for anyone who may have suggestions for a better schedule. I would even prefer to work four and five 8 hour days a week just to get home and spend some time with her everyday. I contacte:(d an agency and they dont have 8 hour positions available. I could do PRN I guess but then I would have to float around every unit. I guess I'm just not sure which way to go. There must be a few options out there.

Thank you for the positivity. I did decline the position simply because I dont feel ready and I have seen the stress in causes. I do feel like someday I would like to do more....just not sure what that means for me yet. When I was asked to fill the position I did ask my supervisor how many turned it down before she came to me. She said she thought of me first because she knew I was looking for 8 hour days instead of 12. Our floor is one with high turnover mostly because people get a years experience and then go to ICU, ER, or on to CRNA school. There are only 6 other nurses who have been there longer than me. So, what she says may be true...who knows. But I appreciate all of the insight.

OK. So my unit is attempting to remedy our scheduling problems. We self schedule at the moment and it is all on a grid. The problem is that people pick what they want to work and most of the time several shifts are overstaffed and some are understaffed. We are supposed to schedule ourselves for one weekend day per month but a lot of people dont. So, our supervisor is thinking about having set weekends....dont think it will work. How do other hospitals deal with this and what works for you guys? Any tips on keeping it as painless as possible when the schedule does come out? Thanks for the input.

Thank you all for the feedback. I honestly was flattered for about 15 minutes at the offer and then looked around me. It's just not the right time and I'm not so sure that management is what I am searching for. I think my supervisor was just hoping that my desire to work 7-3 would be enough to pull me in. So, I will stay and I will learn until I find the right 7-3 work for me. Thxs again. :wink2:

I have been a nurse on a cardiac care unit for 9 months now. A few days ago my supervisor approached me and asked if I would be interested in taking the clinical supervisor position for our sister floor (the floor below that is cardiopulmonary). I smiled at the flattery but said no. I cant fathom being a supervisor when I havent even been a nurse for one full year. WOW! I am 30 and I have a 2 year old a home, so the hours and money are appealing but seriously. Is that doable? Am I nuts for turning it down or am I right in thinking is just too soon? Plus the MAIN reason I like my job is because or the people I work with. New floor means new people.

LOL!!! I just came off of my fourth 14 hour day and was on my home to see my family. I got pulled over for not coming to a "complete" stop at a stop sign. I was in uniform with my name badge clearly in view. He even asked me where I work. He wrote the ticket and had me sign.....20 minutes later he showed up at my doorstep with ticket in hand because he forgot to hand it to me. As he walked away chuckling at himself I was thinking if he only knew half the crap I went through these last few days. To top it off....the ticket was 110.00. UGH!!!

I have been on a cardiac/telemetry unit for 8 months now and I do "like" my job. I have learend a lot about nursing and about myself. I enjoy the fast pace on my floor and the people I work with are great (if it werent for them I may have left already). My concern is that I am wondering where to go from here. I have cross trained in ICU....but not really my thing. I am considering either MSN, CNS, or NP. I just dont know. I plan on stcing with this unit until I figure something out. Any words of wisdom? Thanks.:redpinkhe

Had my first nursing test last week and made my first C ever. The layout of the test totally blew me away. I wasnt expecting it to be soooo in depth. The professor said she writes her tests to prepare you for your boards. WOW. I totally underestimated how challenging this was going to be. Granted it is an accelerated program but I always thought I was a pretty good student. I guess I better hit the books harder. Next test is in three weeks.

WOW! Had my first chem test today and all I have to say is wow. My professor is on probation for failing too many students but from what I saw today, that hasnt changed the way he tests. I studied and felt good about it going in but by the time I was done my brain ached. There were atleast five that I had to work at for a while. Only about three people actually finished before time was up. I am truly trying to make an A in this class but I may have even gotten a C on this test.....yikes. I hope the rest of you are having better luck. I am pretty sure we get the grades back tomorrow and we shall see. TTFN!

I am a resident in lafayette louisiana and I am also a nursing student. I understand that all medical volunteers are desprately needed here but many have no place to stay. I would like to offer my spare room and/or sofa bed for any of you who are willing to help. We are in a state of emergency here and I am afraid that without adequate medical personnel many of these people will die in the days and weeks to come. I am sick to my stomach and overwhelmed with the desperation. I wish that I were already a nurse so that I wouldnt feel so completely helpess. So, to any of you who wish to make the journey here where we need your help....please come. I welcome you with open arms. God Bless!

Hey guys! I was just accepted into UL's accelerated program for 2005. My GPA is a 3.5...not a 3.7! You have to have certain pre-reqs to apply. I was lacking CHEM 125 so I am taking that this semester along with two nursing classes that the department already put me into. I didnt have to schedule anything but CHEM....the others I was automatically added to. They do only accept 10 students each semester which is scary if you dont have a good GPA. You also have to sign a 3 year contract with one of the four hospitals around Lafayette. The hospital pays for eveything and there is usually a little left over after tuition and books. If you are planning to stay in the area it is a great way to get school paid for and have a job waiting for you when you are done. They also have a program to help you pay back old student loans once you are officially an employee. I am excited about it all. I know it will be work but it will also be worth it for me. I have two years to go and I will have a great job, which is something my BS couldnt offer me. I hope you all find what you are looking for though. Good Luck to you all!! If my optomistism changes I will be the first to let you know.

If you have a BS, I would suggest looking into accelerated programs in N.O. at Tulane and there is one at ULL in Lafayette. There are also several other ASN programs throughout Louisiana. If RN is what you are really going for it is worth looking into. Either way, I hope you settle into what you want. Good luck!

I have been reading about the many RN's that are set against working anything other than days. I went to meet with the CEO of the hospital that I have a contract with and she actually told me that nursing students and new graduates want less to do with bedside care and only want to work days. I guess that is in her experience or maybe I am out of the norm but I would love to work at night from 7-7 or 11-7. It seems like when you work 7am-7pm you miss the whole day by the time you get home and wind down. Am I crazy or am I missing something? I also wanted to say that this site is great for all nurses but I think it is extra beneficial for nursing students like myself. There is so much good information on a wide variety of topics and it has become part of my routine to read up on all the new chit chat. :) TTFN

I will start my first semester in an accelerated nursing program on the 22nd. I cant ell you how excited I am to know that I am finally going to be that much closer to my goal of becoming a CRNA. I have researched a little on what it takes such as a BSN and critical care experience. I am sure that there are steps that I am not aware of and I am hoping for a little advice. What does it take? Is there a high demand? What are the pros and cons? What schools have the program? Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer up some ideas.

WOW! I was so glad to read all of the comments on this topic. I too am about to begin my first semester in an accelerated program. I am also trying to decide when to start my family. My husband and I have been married for almost four years and time is ticking. I am afraid to wait too long to have our first child but I am also afraid of compromising my education. What to do? Reading all of the replies has helped and I am beginnig to feel as though a family should come first and I think I can handle them both. So, thanks for all the helpful info.