Rocktheman

My dad has stage 4 terminal brain cancer. He lately has been having symptoms that I have associated as having a possible TIA, but my family seems to not listen to me when I tell them to report it to the hospital or his physician when he has symptoms. Essentially on about four different occasions, my dad has had to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. My mom notes on several occasions that when this does happens, he sometimes has pronounced weakness on one side of his body, and my mom says that sometimes he walks on the lateral aspect of his foot to the bathroom. When she asks him to correct his foot, he said he cant move it at all. Interestingly all of these symptoms resolve by the morning. Our neurologist informed us that this is due to permanent brain damage, since the chemo he is receiving is very powerful. (called evastin I believe). But as a nurse that is going to be graduating with my BSN in less than a month, I honestly don't think that to be the case. First, off he was prescribed aspirin for the first time by his physician after this started happening. Which is ironic, since he has high BP, cholesterol, Triglycerides, overweight, Type 2 Diabetic, over the age of 60 before he had any cancer and was not prescribed aspirin therapy (like he hits all the criteria). I just think that these symptoms overall are from a TIA and not muscle weakness or brain damage from chemo. I informed my family that its impossible to tell the difference between a TIA and a stroke until the symptoms start to get to severe, possibly worsening the outcomes. Therefore, I said that if he ever shows symptoms like this again, to call either his physician, the hospital or 911 immediately. Is my logic sound? Physicians make two reasoning calls all the time like any human, and they feel that since I am "just a nurse", I don't know what I'm talking about and shouldn't question what the physician says. Id appreciate your insight.

I currently work as a CNA at a nursing home and I am graduating with my BSN from IUP this May. I honestly have fallen in love with Geriatrics. I love my patients to death (from a professional viewpoint of course) and love how close I can get with some of them. I even have inside jokes with some of them, and sometimes come behind them and scare them on purpose, and they do it back (note, I only do this to the ones i know very well). Long story short I love this population. The only thing is I don't know if I wanna work in a nursing home as an RN. The RN supervisor at my facility has little patient contact, and is often doing other things like charting, getting doctors orders etc. My question is what field can i go into as an RN and get plenty of patient contact with geriatrics. Also is there a specific field for geriatrics in the nurse practitioner role? thanks!

She also screamed this at me while three other aides were also present. I am not sure as to report her to the DON or not. This has happened in a much lesser manner on three different occasions (for the tiniest things, like not realizing I left someone's dentures in. Whoop de doo.) At the same time I really don't want to create drama and make it awkward or heated between the two of us if we happen to work again

Hey guys. I'm a male RN student that works occasionally at a LTC faculty as an aide. I agree with the nurse BTW, but I'll tell you the story. It was my last day yesterday before the fall semester began. I felt really energetic and felt I did a really good job. The one woman had a very low food intake over three weeks, and I went in every ten minutes or so to give her a sip of soda to increase her caloric intake. I put everyone in a low bed position. If they have edema in their lower extremities I elevate their feet. I walked all of my patients who were able to walk, and walked one who told me she had not walked in weeks. I got my baths done, fed people, the whole nine yards. I feel I do wayyy more for my patients than most of the people I work with (most don't walk their assigned patients, period)._ Anyways, this was near the end of second shift yesterday. A woman had oxygen in via nasal cannula. Her cannula is a bit big for her, and her nares are always very sore. I told her I would get some Vaseline for her, to help with the soreness. I asked the LpN if I could use some and she said yes. Okay so here's the slightly gross part. I went into another womans room and used her jar and gave it to the one with oxygen. I didn't think about cross contamination or anything, since I always applied it to her with either gloves or a q tip. Anyways, the woman whose Vaseline I borrowed (she had told me it was okay if I took a tiny amount, which I did) told her aide, then the aide told my LPN. Apparently the woman with oxygen had Vaseline ordered, but it was not in her room or bathroom, nor was I even aware she had an order for one. The LPN told me that what I did was gross (looking back, yea it kinda was, brain fart) and told me she hoped I would never become an RN, I was a moron to be in RN school and do that, and swore that if she was a patient she would pray to god I would never be her nurse. Usually I can brush this off, but after my shift was over I just went back to my car and started crying. Am I a bad aide/bad RN? Yes I had a lapse in judgement, but I really do care for my patients and spend time with them and help them anyway I can. I feel horrible now and am wondering if I am cut out to be a nurse. I just feel hopeless. Help? It really hit me where it hurts. Thanks guys.

My orientation was 2 weeks. Overall though, like others have said, the real learning starts when you are on your own. The first couple days by yourself can seem incredibly scary, but you'll adjust. Just do your best. Good luck my friend.

Apparently she does this with several other people too. Like keep up, I'm going to be your boss in a year and a half buddy.

Overall, I did not find it very hard. I found a job within one month of getting my state certification. Although it depends where you live I suppose.

I work 2nd shift at a nursing home. This one aide I report to on third shift, can go kiss my ass. Seriously. I go through walkthrough tonight with her and she doesn't even listen to my report. I get to a room and I'll say "Patient A is weak on transfers..." And then she will disappear into the room, looking for things I do wrong or she doesn't like, and blasts me for it. For instance, I noticed she was placing patients in all room in the low bed position, regardless of what was said to do in their charting. I politely asked why she was doing that. She snapped at me and told me that "oh you care if they fall today, but I am sure you dont care if they fall tomorrow morning". I had two residents on another hall that I told her I was assigned, and before I could tell her anything she sassily told me "yes I saw you didnt even bother to put heel protectors on so and sos feet, way to go". Then she just walked off. Now if I make an error, politely tell me, and I will try to fix my error. But don't be so damn rude. I feel like all I am trying to do when I work is impress third shift. And it is really getting on my nerves. Thoughts?

Actually, I am occasional. So I don't get paid sick days. But at the same time that means I have no reason to play hookie.

I'm still in nursing school, but are you essentially like a float nurse kinda?

I got turned down. She said to call in tomorrow morning. Said it was too early for a "priority" call off or something. She sounded like she didn't believe me though. Maybe its just me. Idk.

As long as you are a good person and treat me with respect, I don't care. At all.

Should I call in tonight? I feel like that's too early.

The flu is bad this year. Like really bad. The one hall I was working on has 12 patients, 8 had an URI of some sort, either flu or progressed to pneumonia.

I am a BSN student working at a nursing home since June as a CNA. I have never called off from work for being sick until now, and am only consciously thinking so because this is my first healthcare related job. Anyways I am working 2nd shift tomorrow. I am achy, coughing, sneezing, have a headache and a fever of 99.8 (or close to a fever). There are a lot of sick people at the facility currently, both patients and staff. I am unsure of my ability to work effectively, and really don't want to spread it around. Is calling off okay? I don't want to be a sissy or anything, but I am sure if I go to work in my current state, I will infect someone. I'm gonna wait till tomorrow morning to be sure, but I'm not sure where to go on this. Thanks for any help you can give.