suseliz MSN, RN

As a new grad, I had the opportunity to work labor and delivery my first job. I really wanted to, but decided I wanted other experience first. (I know, not post partum as was specified in the letter.) No one would ever hire me for labor and delivery ...

I have been in nursing 41 years. Started out with a BSN, got my Master's 20 years ago. How did I last? You can say a lot about nursing, but it is always changing, if you are doing it right you are always learning something, if you ever reach the poin...

I had a confused patient in ICU back in the late 70's. I noticed a pair of glasses on her bedside table and put them on this little old lady. They were huge! I came on the next day and she still had them on. Her doctor came by later in the shift and ...

Means, modes, and EOC's. Whatever the heck those were.

"I wanna be a work from home nurse when I grow up. Probably hugely stressful in its own right, but I prefer to be stressed in my Jammie's." I work from home, and in my jammies if I want to. It can be less stress as complicated patients are to be refe...

After 20 years practicing as a Family nurse practitioner and doing many physicals, I would vouch for general ignorance of female genitalia by women. Many women feel that area is "gross". I get comments as I sit down to do a pap, "How can you stand to...

Once I didn't show for a night shift. They changed my schedule from what it had been for years. The night supervisor called, I got out of bed, got dressed, and went in to work my shift. Nothing else was ever said.

I hate the pain scale. I have asked many a patient how they would rate their pain reminding them a 10 is how they would feel if they were run over by a truck. Then the lady who was chatting on her cell phone, perfectly made up and hair done, looked m...

Yes. It is one of the big regrets of my life. I have two sons who are physicians (both of whom went to med school on military scholarships so don't have huge debt). The only reason I didn't is because I didn't think I could.

I'm dating myself and it wasn't a doctor show but I was incredibly impressed to watch Edith Bunker (All in the Family) give CPR exactly right.

18. I graduated with my BSN at 22.

I hardly remember the staff ratio that day, I'm remembering only myself, perhaps an other person. We had maybe 16-18 patients and two staff on a post neurosurgery floor. They look easy in the Kardex (remember those?). But are are unsteady on their fe...

Absolutely. I have for 40 years.

The reality is that working nights takes a physiological toll on your body. I shudder to think of all the near misses I experienced driving home from working nights, even after sleeping the day before.

My son didn't sleep before his shift because of a "mandatory" meeting in the middle of the day when he worked in a group home. He fell asleep driving home and caused a 3 car pile-up. When he was a resident he would pull over and sleep. I've had all s...

"Does Malpractice pays fees to protect from the BONs or the public? Not sure... I paid $7000 to my lawyer and we didn't even go to a hearing. The BRN.charged me with $15,000 in cost recovery. My lawyer got it reduced to $9000." Both. My malpractice i...

Does Malpractice pays fees to protect from the BONs or the public? Not sure... I paid $7000 to my lawyer and we didn't even go to a hearing. The BRN.charged me with $15,000 in cost recovery. My lawyer got it reduced to $9000. Both.

"How much did it cost for all the legal fees? If you don't mind letting us know, just to have a ball park of what getting a lawyer costs if we're ever in such a situation?" This is the reason for getting malpractice insurance! They pay your costs to ...

I have not had a board complaint, but my late husband had a complaint from his professional board. We learned 2 things. 1) Carry your own malpractice insurance in addition to what your employer carries. Your own malpractice will cover and represe...

I was working my 5th night in a row. I realized my mistake before I walked out of the med room. However, it was a serious enough potential error, I called in sick the next night. I was just too tired and I did not usually work 6 nights in a row.

Ageism? I think it depends on your point of view. I left hospital nursing in 1994 when I decided I could no longer provide safe nursing care with the current staffing levels at my hospital. I became a Family Nurse Practitioner, so I could see my pati...

My only regret about nursing is that I turned down an ER job way back when.

"I'm not sure if I can stick it out for over a year in this place. What would you do?" I don't think it would hurt for you to start looking. It may take awhile to find something new.

"Having hospice can let a spouse just be the spouse, not the full-time nurse." My husband died two months ago from bile duct cancer. He had been suffering from fatigue 6 months previous to that and not letting on how really terrible he was feeling. ...

I am so sorry for your loss. I lived it as well. My husband died from bile duct cancer on March 23, 7 weeks from the day we knew something was really wrong. For several weeks we were told they didn't know for sure what was wrong. Being on the other s...