CryssyD

Smile a lot, and touch a lot. Tell your little patients that there's going to be an owwie, and we are going to see who can yell louder, you or me. Recruit parents into doing the dirty work--"Mommy is going to hold your arm so the straw can get into...

Nursing isn't for everyone, it's true. Still, you may find a niche somewhere that will pay the bills until you decide what else to do. One of the best things about nursing is that it's such a broad field--most people can find a specialty or sub-spe...

First, so glad you caught the CA early; I hope you are doing well. I never was unable to produce, but I am sure that my case manager would have blown a gasket if I had been. My program was absolutely "no excuses" about anything--not producing a spe...

Ok, this is going to sound paranoid, I know. But honestly I think they lied to you, just to see if you would fall apart and "confess." I don't know how they could possibly justify such behavior, but I don't think they worry about it. From where th...

In the program I was in (used Affinity), a "non-negative" meant the test itself was negative but wasn't counted "negative" because the creatinine or specific gravity were abnormal in some way (ie--dilute). It meant there is some possibility of tampe...

Awesome!!! You did it! YAAAAYYYY!

If I remember right, here in Virginia the program tests up to 56 times a year--I think the minimum is 47 or so. If you test positive, you can expect the total number, as well as frequency, to go up--way up. I paid over $3500 over 5 years, and that ...

I got my DUI for using a muscle relaxant that was prescribed for me. Had nothing whatsoever to do with my being a nurse, except that I should have known better than to take it before I got home. I did anywhere from 2 to 4 tests a month for 5 years,...

I am so proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself. Yay you! You are on the right path--stay on it. Be good to yourself, and love yourself--you are precious. I feel that you are a strong person--you will recover. Don't let depression drag ...

Yes--it was such an anti-climax: After all the anxiety, all the worry, all the oh-my-god-it-never-ends....it was over. I tried to check in and found I couldn't. I called Affinity in a panic--"You need to talk to your case manager." Called her, an...

Go up the chain, all the way to the administrator if you have to. This CNA is putting the patients assigned to her at risk. Is a patient going to have to get injured before this person loses her job? I would do it nicely, but try framing your next...

There are a lot of things in this world that we don't yet understand. People can perceive things in ways we haven't quite discovered how to describe yet--some people can see past events in others' lives, some can discern a person's character instant...

Awesome attitude--I'm glad you're doing well! We do bad-mouth the programs a lot--they are one-size-fits-all, it's too expensive, they are too nit-picky about stupid stuff--but if it's helpful for you that's great. I think it's wonderful you're so ...

State: Virginia Program: HPMP--nasty people, lousy program, never got the feeling anyone really gave a crap, I can't say enough bad things about them; I hope they've changed, but I doubt it. My first case manager didn't give a rip, my next one was...

Hmmm. How do I say this nicely? The only nurse I ever worked with who said she went into it for the money (after years of bartending, which can actually be quite lucrative in the right setting) was a fairly lousy nurse. Not to impugn your character...

Congratulations! Wow--Hawaii--I am so jealous! What a wonderful place for a new start--best of luck to you!

Wow. I agree with many of the above posts. If it really is happening every day, it's waaaay beyond outpatient therapy, even 3 days a week. Your observations indicate that the present treatment is not working. This poor child needs inpatient evalua...

I feel you. I put on 30 pounds within 2 years--food was my substitute for cigarettes, and those times when I REALLY needed a drink. All those healthy coping skills I didn't have--it really showed in stressful situations, and me and my family went t...

We could probably give more useful advice if we had some idea of your background and prior experience, but I'll toss in my two cents. I started out in peds, then moved to big people after about 15 years. It was a bit of a shock--I had to brush up on...

So sorry! For the whole monitoring period I lived in dread of a false positive, because the attitude was so totally "no excuses." I will keep you in my thoughts/prayers.

I strongly second the above post--brand new nurses just don't belong in corrections: you don't have the assessment skills or the general experience that gives you confidence. Your actions (or lack thereof) will be challenged often in prison by pers...

I worked 5 or so years in a medium-security prison. I thought I would hate it, but I really kind of loved it! My previous experience has been all over the place--all ages, PICU to long-term psych, walk-in clinic to hospice; I get bored easily and s...

Completely normal--you're a new RN, you shouldn't feel you know everything; new nurses who think they know it all scare the bejeebers out of me. I've been an RN for a long time but I recently changed specialties, so I know where you're coming from. ...

To answer your initial question, YES it does--there is a light at the end of this tunnel! Keep trying and keep believing--you WILL get a job! Only 3 reports a year? That's awesome--my stips included monthly reports for the whole 5 years. I tried nu...

In my state, nurses who diverted narcotics for personal use were eligible for the program; those who were found to be diverting in order to sell were not eligible. As far as finding out about other investigations, etc, it's up to you how much you w...