ChevRN

I think all of us, or most of us, have taken a "mental health" day at one time or another. This doesn't only apply to nursing. At my facility we have a bank of sick/vacation time. Also per our policy, as I am sure anywhere else, if we exceed a given number of "call ins" in a given period of time, are subject to getting written up. What's important, is that you consider available sick time, as well as not exceeding your allowed call ins per given month, months, etc. You can call in on a day you just don't feel like going to work and are not truely sick, but if you do that too much, there may be a day you're truely sick or an emergency arises and you need to call in, and that can be the one that leads to disciplinary action. I think many facilities have a "no fault" call in policy. I'm not condemning taking mental health days, but you have to use good judgment and have to consider the "what ifs" for the near future. BTW, this message is for anyone who reads this, as I've had the same dilema.

I prefer nights. I have been working nights for eleven years now. I like the night shift, as it is more easy going than afternoons or days, and you get paid an off shift differential at my facility for working nights or afternoons. My work week involves 2 12 hour shifts, and 2 8 hour shifts. On the 12 hour nights, I work 7pm-7:30am, with an hour lunch, but on nights we are easy going as far as breaks go. The first four hours of a 12 hour shift is the latter half of the afternoon shift, and the less busy half of afternoons.

Ask her if she needs some phenergan and an emesis basin. Actually, just keep the emesis basin handy or offer it to her the next time she belches.

When I was going to school before becoming a nurse, I worked in the dietary department of a nursing home. My duties mainly consisted of the tray line, getting the residents' meal trays together in assembly line fashion. Toward the end of the shift, two of the dietary aides (usually my duty) consisted of washing the trays and dishes. Staffing was okay, but some workers were faster than others with washing the dishes. When slower dishwashers (dietary aides) would work, then sometimes we would leave 15 minutes late. I was not a union employee, but I would address the issue with the union steward. If there is a staffing issue, then you apparently don't have the proper resources to do your job, and it would be unfair to you to be given a bad performance review, if in fact, you are finishing late due to being short staffed.

Let's see: A vampire, as I work nights, and often take blood from patients, or a patient, with a gown, diaper and condom cath with leg bag, and ted hose. No I really wouldn't wear the latter as that would be offensive. I could make up a quick disguise with some of the supplies in the hospital. How about a mummy with plenty of kirlex and ace bandages? How about a glove on the head and be a rooster, and crow in the morning when the day shift comes in! How about stick hypodermic needles in my face and be the guy from Hellraiser? In reality, in my facility we don't wear costumes, but some people wear Halloween print scrubs, cat ears, and stuff like that.

It seems that our society is too carried away with our credit rating. Some people get into debt and have deliquencies on their credit report. However, this should not be assumption that the individual would be a bad employee.

Can of soda a day? lol, I drink a super Big Gulp of Mountain Dew a day! Sometimes more. It's the caffeine, I work nights. I have taken 600mg of caffeine in energy pills once too, just made me a little jittery. I have a very high tolerance. I drank about a 20 oz bottle a day when I was ten (of Mountain Dew).

To my knowledge, handwashing is the best, with antimicrobial soap, which hospitals provide. We also have the sanitizer gel in our patient rooms. They say to use hand sanitizer between patients, but wash your hands if they are visibly soiled.

Do hospitals still use candystripers, ie youth volunteers. I don't see them at my facility. It seems that having volunteers of this kind helps with patient satisfacton. Better yet, if they had "paid" candystripers, who were not volunteers, and not necessarily called candystripers, but something like a "sub nursing assistant", who could do the simple things that ofter nurses and nurse assistants don't always have time to do. Such things could include passing ice water, organizing the patient's bedside table, ambulating with patients who only need minimal assistance and are not a fall precaution, also answering call lights, and then getting the RN or NA if the patient needs something out of the scope of their duties. 16-18 year olds would be a good age for this position, possibly pursuing a degree in nursing after high school. Not to mention, sitters are a need, and sometimes there are not enough sitters for hospitals. This is another thing they could do. What does everyone think?

I agree

Reading through this thread is quite interesting. In Michigan, where I live, we don't have capital punishment. I don't like to think of executing people, nor do I think I would be comfortable helping facilitate an execution. The issue of 'cruel and unusual punishment' is brought up by anti capital punishment groups such as the ACLU and Amnesty International. If a licensed healthcare professional facilitates an execution, then the execution (lethal injection seems to be the most widely used method today) veers further from scrutiny and being considered cruel and unusual. If the licensing boards in nursing and medicine would not be so biased against capital punishment, then executing serial killers and rapists would not be scrutinized by the left and we wouldn't be hearing about botched executions. My own feeling regarding capital punishment and abortion: How can you be against executing a serial killer, but think it's okay to kill an unborn child? A child who didn't kill anyone or do any harm to anyone.

I know someone who refers to his wife's lady parts as her "teddy bear"!

I don't see any problem with women wearing dresses in the OR providing they are wearing pantyhose. They make culottes and walking shorts which go just above the knee, which could be worn with hose, and there would be none of these concerns about 'perineal fallout'. Culottes are more versatile than skirts so are walking shorts.

Well, have you ever been to Ann Arbor, Michigan? That's a good place for left-wing events, particularly around University of Michigan's campus. I know it is quite a ways from Connecticut. Personally most of my viewpoints lean to the right, but I am open minded. The western part of Michigan is nice for hiking and camping particularly around Saugatuck/Holland. ChevRn

It seems that at least here, nursing homes are leanient with the dress code in the summer, whether with or without air conditioning. Nurses and CNAs, along with laundry, housekeeping, and dietary are allowed to wear shorts, providing they are of appropriate length (about 2 inches above the knee when standing. At hospitals, which are all air conditioned, shorts are not allowed. To be more exact, I occasionaly see women wear skorts, the shorts with the flap in the front that looks like a skirt, walking shorts, and capris, however they always wear hose. When I was in nursing school, one of my instructors (an older and very nice lady who always had good stories) was shocked that the nursing home in which I was working as a CNA while attending school allowed employees to wear shorts - infection control probably. I myself am layed back with the dress code, and don't have a problem with wearing shorts, however I will share a couple gross experiences which would discourage some people from working bare legged. First, I got a little "poopie on my leg" from a patient that was semi-continent while helping her to the bathroom. Second, while showering a patient with a PEG tube, his tube came open and curdled tube feeding and gastric juices leaked out on my white shorts and my leg. No big deal to me, just washed my leg, more concerned with the stain on my shorts.

Does anyone work at a facility that allows you to wear shorts in the summer? The nursing home I worked at would let you wear shorts May thru Sept. This seems to be commonplace in my area in the Detroit area, particularly at facilities without air conditioning.

We use that term where I work. Of course not an official code, but even if it was it would not have to be called, as the smell usually does the job.

Sometimes giving multiple crushed meds per peg/pej can be unpleasant. I don't like the situation in which I am giving the meds through the thin pej tube with water, get some resistance, then splash!, I get hit in the face with water and bits of crushed pills and maybe a hint of gastric juice. ChevRN

Yes Somtimes work can get stressful, but I think there is stress in any job. Nursing school (BSN) was quite a task, that was the most stressful part of my career. I have been a staff nurse (floor nurse) in the same hospital on the same unit for over eight years now. You can always learn something new, but for the most part I say I am one of the unit's most "seasoned" RNs. I like driving, and tell my wife that being a truck driver would be fun. Just making a delivery, then coming back home, not being on the road more than 8-12 hours. Nursing pays well, and you always have a job. Everyone including my superiors treat me with respect. If I make a mistake, I admit to it and try to learn from it. Whether we are doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, pharmacists - we are all human and errors can happen from time to time. I found that if you have a positive attitude and not seem stressed, this can help you deal with irate patients and irate families (not one of the things I like about nursing). Although I have complaints from time to time, and there are policies I don't always fully agree with, I would say yes I would choose nursing again. ChevRN

Is this an epileipsy monitoring unit? I used to work on one. Patients who are candidates for resection surgery (usually temporal area) are in either phase 1 or phase 2 monitoring. In phase 1, the electrodes are glued outside the scalp. In phase 2, the electrodes are surgically implanted in the scalp. I have memories of working there. I work on a neurology/neurosurgery general practice unit. For a while the acute stroke unit and epilepsy monitoring unit were integrated with the neuro/neurosurgery GPU. RNs who received training would take turns going to the epilepsy unit and stroke unit. In phase 1 and 2 monitoring, patients were on 24 hour video monitoring. Most of the time I would just be watching the patients on the video monitors. As far as standard orders, from my experience I could note some, including: All patients having patent IV access, Ativan iv push for seizures, bilateral soft restraints and Posey vest for patients with implanted electrodes, in order that they do not pull them out if seizing. Oxygen nasal cannula and suction setup for seizing patients. ChevRN

I always knew that the salary of a dental hygenist was comparable to that of an RN, but never really looked into it. If I had become a dental hygenist I would have to hide the fact that I drink 2 liters of soda (not sugar free) a day. ChevRN

Worse: eating chocolate pudding out of a bedpan (albeit one that has never been used), total gross out. Yup popping zits can be fun and gross. I like squeezing blackheads.

That button is silly, and seems belittling. I would object to wearing it. It reminds me of the button the waitress/waiter at Denny's wears stating something like if I don't suggest juice, it's free. Or Toys R Us if I don't suggest buying batteries tell the manager.

I am a floor nurse at a major hospital. I have worked the same unit for eight years. Early in my career, I would worry about not completing or forgetting something when I would come home. At that time I worked the afternoon shift (3pm-11pm) which was busier with more admissions. I now work the midnight shift which is not as busy. For the most part I leave my work at work, and don't discuss a typical night at work with my wife. I will share with my wife, however, extraordinary occurrences. Most nights on the general practice unit are uneventful, some nights are pretty busy, a little busy one time then slow others, or slow and not busy at all. I seem to have plenty of time on the midnight shift to do my work plus some down time. I like leaving my work at work and having a life with my wife and kids. For this reason, I could not see myself being unit manager, as at my facility they have to be on-call when not on vacation for unit related emergencies. We do not have on-call for non management nurses.

When I tell others I am a nurse, they look up to me and respect my profession. They look at my job as one that is professional and of high responsibility, also well paying. This is my experience from personal friends and acquaintances. In the media, however, I have seen this differently. Take, for example Ben Stiller's role as Greg Focker in "Meet the Parents/Fockers". In "Meet the Parents", he is belittled by the Byrnes family and their friends. What are the other personal experiences of other nurses.