bethin

I'd ask him how much he spent on gas when it was $4 a gallon. In one month I spent enough on gas to make a car payment on a Mercedes! Not only are you saving money, but you're also saving the environment. I would gladly take public transportation if it was available. In some countries, especially European, public transportation is the only way to go. Think of NYC. Do you really want to drive from Brooklyn to Manhattan during rush hour??

Same here. I hated being read to in school because I couldn't retain the information but I love to read. I have to see the words to comprehend.

I feel for you. I had a day like that last week. I left early and I was supposed to do CPR after work, but after a RN made me feel like an uneducated piece of pond scum I left (she said this after my shift was over and report given). I hadn't cried in ten years and I didn't make it out the door before it started. I cried all day and I didn't want to go back either. Then I reminded myself that I am better than that, and to never let anyone make me feel inferior again. The whole reason I was a piece of uneducated pond scum? Housekeeping was moving beds and had moved a bed under the bedside chart (little thing that pulls down where you can write). Anyway, this nurse just couldn't muster the strength to move the darn thing. She demanded that I do even though I was busy putting in I & O's and answering the phone. Her response "well, everyone else does it." Felt like telling her that if someone jumped off a bridge she should feel free to follow. Sorry to hijack. Next time you work, go in there with your head held high, smile and say good morning/good night to everyone. Trust me, they'll forget about it and something new will arise. As far as the NM, it sounds like not much can be done there, unless you get a large group of nurses to talk to her boss. If I was in your situation, I'd be looking for another job before the NM really truly hated you (undeserved of course). Good luck!

I don't work ER but I put mine on before I start my car just in case of that freak accident where someone hits you while you're parked. It stays on while I'm in the car waiting for someone. I wear it if I move my car from the street to the driveway. I guess you could say I'm anal about it.

Does your school have a tutoring program? My school had one, but they did more than tutor. They talked about and helped students with test anxiety which I think you could benefit from. I always get books early, I don't wait till the week before classes start. I start reading while on break so I have a head start. Good luck!

You'll love it jnette! I was PC all my life until 2 years ago when I decided to go to the dark side. The support when I needed it was wonderful (and they spoke perfect English) and they were so patient. Everything runs just as fast as the day I bought it. Graphics are much much better and everything is just easier. And no, I still have yet to figure out how to do smilies and post pics in posts.

We have that too. We used to have funnies posted too but management decided that laughing while peeing is a no-no. They also used to have a LARGE poster of a man pointing his finger at with the words "I want YOU to wash your hands!". I tore that sucker down. Made me nervous. I don't mind that that kind of stuff is up. I'm in too much of a rush to read memos while going to the bathroom.

First, you'll have no problems finding a nursing job in Indy. Riley is part of the Clarian network which included IU Med Center and Methodist, all excellent hospitals. There's also Community Hospitals with a several scattered throughout the city and there's also St Francis ad St Vincent. The color of scrubs depends on unit policy. I've heard starting wages around $30, but I'm not an RN. Cost of living is cheap here. I would strongly recommend you contact a recruiter at Riley and see if you can get into a new grad program. Good luck!

Off topic but I also use shaving cream on patients who haven't bathed since the Millennium. Works great at cutting armpit odor.

I use lemon juice.

That's how I look at it. I also think I'm no more tired after a 12 than I am after an 8.

I've done 5 8's and I'm doing 3 12's now and will never go back. I do my shifts in a row and believe it or not that helps me. I do feel that some weeks all I do on my days off is sleep and then by the time I wake up all the stores are closed. Makes scheduling dr's appts hard too. I like knowing I have 4 days off though. With regards to holidays, even though I work 12's, our manager only allows 8 hour shifts on holidays unless you specifically ask to do a 12.

Two Red Bulls, a Mt. Dew, and a large cap with four shots of espresso. I'm someone who needs A LOT of caffeine before I feel any kind of jolt. I don't do this regularly though, only when I don't get enough sleep.

For parents, spouse and kids we get 2 days off. I think that seems a bit light. If you lost a spouse would you be able to go back to work 2 days later? Sure, they can't have someone off for months but people need time to get it together and spend time with family. Also, it's hard if your parents or kids live out of state. Two days to fly out, attend a funeral, probably plan it too, and fly back is pushing it. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc we get 1 day off.

I work med surg, but we did a trial for the wrist cuffs. First we tried it on ourselves, me being the first. My bp runs high all the time - as in 135/90 would be good for me. The wrist cuff read my bp as 80/48. Immediately after the reading someone did a manual reading and got something much different. Tried it on all the staff and not one was accurate so needless to say we don't use them. Even dinamaps run weird sometimes. I can have a walky talky feeling fine pt who gets a reading of 79/38. I do a manual and get a normal reading. You really have to use your judgement.

I've never been to a PA, but one routinely makes rounds for ortho patients when the dr is busy in surgery, office, etc. He is very very nice, more so than the dr and doesn't come with 'that' ego that some dr's have. He even makes it a point to know our names (aides!). That says a lot when someone with a higher degree makes it a point to know the names of the people who wipe butts. He even busy baby presents for nurses and aides when they are expecting.

I check mine once a year and I've never had my employment history on it. Strange that it showed up on yours. It's a catch 22 - you need a job to pay your debts but you can't get hired if you have bad credit. Thankfully, the only debt I have is school loans and medical bills and I still don't like the intrusiveness.

I fell asleep at work once, with the goal only to close my eyes for a minute. I woke up when I fell out of my chair.

Is social work involved? If family is impeding the patient's recovery, someone needs to step in.

I would have taken a picture of it or video. Most cell phones have those capabilities. Then I would have shown it to the police, along with a plate number. You could bypass the police but you don't know where she works.

Moonlighting is ok, as long as you are able to juggle everything in your life and still get adequate sleep and show up to work.

I didn't do anything to prepare beforehand. Pay attention, try to picture in your head what the instructor is saying, i.e., if he/she is telling you how to turn a patient. You will do turns, baths, etc hands on. Pay attention to how others do it and if the instructor corrects them. Honestly, I thought the class was simple as well as the clinicals. Maybe because I had a great instructor. If you're having problems do not be afraid to ask for help. The state exam wasn't hard. The written was very basic. Mostly questions like on which side should you stand if a pt's bad side is the right. Do you take dentures out at night? Things like that. The clinical portion is nerve racking but take your time as there is no time limit on that part. Also, if your instructor is willing, ask for a refresher before the state test to go over procedures. I remember feeling so blessed the day I took my state test seven years ago: the state rep had a stack of cards. We picked one card and each card had three things we had to do. I got really lucky. I drew the card with denture care, backrub, and ROM. Good luck!

Similar thing happened to me. Went to the ER, passed out in the waiting room. My mom later told me that one guy was raising hell because he had a toothache and couldn't figure out why I got to go before him. This really has become a me me me society. I don't work triage but I do help out in ER sometimes. Had one pt come in because her baby was drooling too much and complaining her shirt was getting wet. Dx: teething. Did she not get the baby book that you can buy anywhere? She didn't complain that the baby was screaming, she was upset about drool.

I get two graduates: one for water, one to empty the stool in (best to label them). I grab a bulb syringe and fill it with water. After getting all of the stool out that I can I flush the bag out with lukewarm water. Do that several times and you can get most of it out. It will never look like a new bag unless you actually change it. Also, I keep a wet washcloth and a dry washcloth handy. I use the wet one to get the bm off the end of the bad and the dry to dry everything off. I also lay a towel underneath the bag in case of any spillage.

Technically, you didn't tell him what to do, you ASKED him. I agree with others, him coming closer to you was meant to intimidate you. He probably thought since you were new that he could do this. If your manager does nothing, go over her head. We should work as a team. And besides, pulling up a pt is a 3 minute deal. As an aide, I have my patients that I'm responsible for but if a nurse asks me for help with one of hers when her aide is busy I have no problems helping. I think it's ridiculous to refuse to help someone and then go sit on your *** while the pt suffers. When you go to work, guess what?? You're supposed to work! I hope things go better for you. Sometimes, and this has happened to me, you have to just lay down the law and people will respect you more. I had one nurse who treated me like crap and when I told her privately that I neither wanted nor needed her as a friend, but that I expected the same respect she gave others she completely changed. Some people you just got to stand up to.