NurseCalamity

As a CNA: 7-3.... lots of lifting and two meals to serve. As an LPN: 7-3 lots of labs, doctor calls, orders to put through... etc and it's the shift state comes in on! Haha.

Thankful to be a nurse! It is truly a privilege. Also, for the new job offered I accepted!

The way you went about it can sound offensive to someone with a different culture background, that's all.

1. 128 bed, but not filled to capacity 2. 1:25, 2 nurses per a floor which can hold 40 something residents. 3. 1:12. They're so busy I feel so bad. 4. Nope, can't provide quality care or even spend 5 minutes with a resident. 5. Nope, we still do the classic Mars, Tars, and charts. All paper. 6. Nope overtime is a choice. Mandating is illegal. 7. LTC- 3 years as a CNA, in my first year as an LPN. 8. No safety. 9. Yes a mix of skilled, acute, rehab, psych.. 10. 18. 50 with 2 raises a year... I don't make enough for what I do. I do my wound care, put the orders through; call the doc, and pass thousands of meds. 11. Pennsylvania.

Anything on your record when you are under 18 does not make it onto your adult record unless you were charged as an adult. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

You start... head to toe lol. Then I chart in that fashion. Start with cognition. Your assessment should start as soon as you walk in the room. Hi, so and so I'm ____ I'll be your student nurse for today. Can I have your name? Go on to find out if they're oriented go place and time as well. How's their appetite and pain scale? Are they aphasic? PERRLA. Mucous membranes. Face symmetrical? Neck supple? Lung sounds? Heart sounds. Bowel sounds. Hand grasps. Edema? Pedal push. Pedal pulses present? It's easier to go in an orderly fashion.

Okay.... so, I've been at my first nursing job for about 2 months..... and I know they say you should stay for a year, but I cannot stay here for a year. I've been very depressed from this job. I feel sorry for the patients (they don't get the best care), one nurse who thinks she runs the show absolutely hates me (never did anything to this woman, she's not management or anything, a cart nurse like me), and I've been accused of being favorited by a nurse who was the only one willing to teach me anything because nobody there would (She is management). I've learned quite a few skills in my short time there, but I'm not happy, I'm not. I know they say your first nursing job isn't ideal, but this is plain old ridiculous. I don't complain, I do my job and go home. Everyone else complains constantly and feels like they don't have to listen to upper management. I have never worked at a place like this. Never. And I never want to again. I can't put too much on this post, but there is further reasons for me feeling the way I do. Any advice is appreciated. I feel very defeated.

There is an online chemistry course on Nursingabc.com. Whatever school you are attending you have to make sure they will take this credit. A nursing instructor from the school I attend for pre-nursing told me about it and my school takes it. The course is $400.00. Good luck!

That's great advice. I'm a new nurse and we have psych patients at my current job. The one guy really frightens me, as he told me one day "I'll f*** you up." I always make sure I don't go anywhere near him whenever he seems agitated and he's rarely in his room so that's a good thing. I totally agree! Too many chiefs, not enough indians.... nursing school can't prepare you for the BS coworkers bring...

I was just thinking back to nursing school and I honestly had a hilarious instructor. She wasn't all tough, like beat you to the ground, she integrated humor into a lot of discussions which made her lectures very interesting. She considered herself "old school" and joked about how much she missed restraints (LOL) so anyways, here's a couple of things I'll never forget from her.... "Become friends with the housekeepers, you will need them." My goodness, isn't this the honest to God truth. When a PT has explosive diarrhea all over the bathroom, they have no problem helping you clean it up. "Calcium equals constipation, Magnesium equals Diarrhea." There was a question about this on my NCLEX! I don't know why it stuck with me, but it did. "Stay out of the way, stay out of gossip, steer clear of the politics and your job will be easier." Very true. Being too involved gossiping and being worried about what is going on in the facility takes way too much energy. All of your energy is needed to focus on patient care. "Make one good friend and you're golden." A job is not a popularity contest, do your best, take care of your PTs, and go home. One good friend is enough. What did your nursing instructors tell you that you'll never forget?

Would you perhaps use the calculation Volume (in mLs)×gtt (drop factor) __________________________________ Time (in minutes)

Everyone is telling me different things and I just want to know the clear cut way it is done by the book. I've seen it done both ways. I thought the op over the wouND would defeat the purpose of the filtering of that wound... I don't know I'm just confused and can anyone answer my tendon question?

I always address my aides by their name.

Yeah, this doesn't fly where I work. Whenever you are a professional, you should be able to accommodate yourself to work with anyone, like them or not. I just try to like everyone so I don't have this kind of problem where I don't want someone to be on my assignment. It's very childish to pick and choose, and throw a fit.

So basically you can use the opsite under the foam if you choose to?

I have a question about the famous wound vac. I've been told people put opsite over the wound, then the foam, then another opsite. I've also been told you can put the foam directly on the wound bed without the opsite first, but I know it will stick to the wound and might cause the PT to need a debreeding to remove the black specks. My question is, what do you do personally and what are your experiences with wound vacs? They're really cool to apply and I've seen them work wonders. Also, if there is a tendon showing in the wound, would that make the wound vac contradictory?

Number 1.... nobody is being cocky, whatsoever. Number 2... I've had my rough days. Number 3.... Nobody at this facility gives a crap to help me anyways so they can go screw themselves, I know the good nurses and I know the crappy ones. I know who to confide in. Soooo... with that being said, sounds lIke you're insecure in your abilities as a nurse, too bad I'M NOT. I'm not super nurse, but I stand confident in the nurse that I am and the care that I give. Good luck with you LTC work!

Indeed! LPN doesn't pay enough for a family I hope to have one day.

Very excellent points. I know the hospitals are pushing for BSN educated nurses only. Where would that leave ADN? Clinics, LTC, SNF, etc and every nurse needs that hospital experience you learn sooooooo much!

The heaviest clinical is in the hospital programs here where I am from. I just think I'd rather specialize than to be just a generally educated nurse.

Okay, so I am an LPN starting my prerequisites for my RN this fall. I'm not scared... I graduated second in my LPN class. My question is.. is the BSN worth it? I know it's a lot of management and does go deeper into A&P and clinical skills. But would a nurse with a certain specialty be more desirable than a general educated nurse? Like oncology cert psych cert, etc? What are your thoughts?

A lot of nurses don't watch lol. But I try to.

It's not necessarily that I don't "trust" anyone, but I don't trust anyone enough to not watch the waste and sign off on it, because if something comes up missing, and I signed off, I'd look involved in it. I have MY LICENSE to protect and it's more important than covering for an addicted nurse. I hope she seeks the help she needs, because she is a fabulous nurse and has taught me a couple of things. I even waste used Fentanyl patches with another nurse. Anything to cover my butt, I do it. It makes me sad that diverting is very alive and well. That is the side of nursing I did not wish to see in my first year of nursing, but I did. The reality of nursing is that there are good and bad nurses, there's no other way you can cut it.... I thought about just not even saying anything at first, but my conscience ate at me so bad that I had to! My supervisor told me "If you were the one diverting, you think they wouldn't throw you under the bus?" She was right, they would so why should I cover for anyone? Im not an addict, I have no desire to steal medication and I don't know what it is like. But I am empathetic to the nurses who do face this issue, it's very real and very scary.

I meant that I don't trust them when it comes to diligently counting the narcotics.

They did. I have to write a witness statement. She's been given way too many chances, seriously. I told my supervisor I will NEVER waste with her again. Especially since she hid the cup in her hand and kind of hid what she wasted. And a Fetanyl patch was missing off of her resident who was due for a new one that day...