Emmienme

I am in total agreement with your decision. I am also headed in that direction. Many seem to think the problem is #1 We are "just" LPNs and #2 we work long term care. I do not agree. Becoming an RN or changing fields will not eliminate Greedy administrations, rude , burned out nurses,etc. ..... If I could do it all over, I would not go into nursing at all.

I agree with brownbook . There is more than one right way to do many things as evidenced by all the discrepancies you have observed.

OMG.. I honestly thought I was the only introverted nurse. I am so happy that some people feel the same as me. Well, lets see, where to start? I will never work days mon thru fri. People clicking their high heels across the floor while I'm in scrubs and tennies, up to my elbows in "you know what". .. I will work PMs or Nights when you have gone home. Believe it or not these people still need medicine. I don't attend "Staff meetings" which generally are a bunch of BS. So sorry if I have offended some people, but its the truth.. And you wonder why there's a nursing shortage.

Are you familiar with the phrase " Nurses who eat their young". ?

We do have a " wound nurse" and she works, I believe, 5 days a week. She does just that "wounds" i.e., pressure ulcers, surgical wounds, etc. she doesn't do treatments. skin prep, lotions.

Likewise, the ALF I worked at did not drug test. Apparently, its expensive.

I'm just thankful someone said it before me. After 15+ years I'm ready to call it quits. Nursing is not what I had thought it would be nor is it what it used to be. Going from one "field" of nursing to another doesn't seem to help. However, I am not quite willing to throw away all my schooling and licensing, etc.....I am seriously considering returning to school ( at my age) and possibly getting into a new field where some of my nursing skills may be used.

Most of my nursing experience has been in LTC/Skilled nursing where every so often ( when they would pile up ) expired meds were destroyed by popping them out of bubble pacs into large sharps containers kept behind locked doors. This is time consuming, hard on the thumbs and generally done on NOC shift. I now work in an ALF where they use plaster of paris?? to destroy meds. Does anyone know, is this now the preferred method?, because a couple days ago I walked into the med room where there were about 8 plastic cups lined up on the counter filled with some god-awful lookin stuff that was foaming and different colors.... kinda scary..... just wondering.

I have worked LTC/ skilled nursing for many years. Its only been recently that I transitioned to ALF for dementia residents. I had to re-learn a lot. like, they are not CNA's, they are caregivers. The nurses are not allowed to give any injections, check blood sugars, etc. I cannot give suppositories or enemas. I must call and schedule home health services to do this. Wound care is extremely limited. home health provides most of these services. I am not entirely sure that I will be working here long-term.

I just recently heard a nurse say to me that she " saved a patients life " because she asked the MD to change her medication.. hmmmm. I'm thinking get over yourself.

I am a little confused about proper way to read these test results. I have experience in giving the injection and documenting a negative result. ( which most are ) but, feel a little unsure of myself in measuring a positive result. I have heard many different instructions on this. I am concerned that recently I misread a result as negative which maybe was actually a positive. Any experienced nurses with tips??

thanx for the input. Sorry if I was vague. Most of the diabetics need AC and HS fingersticks. of course, the g-tubes need all the meds and flushes, etc. I am running, yes but primary concern is something important is going to get missed, but sounds like this is pretty much the norm and I just need to deal.

I realize this topic has probably been beaten to death but, please humor me. I am interesting in knowing how many of you feel caring for 30 residents with 3 g-tubes, 10 diabetics and 2 IVs is realistic.

Has anyone experienced problems with nurses speaking in a language other than English on the floor, around patients, etc. besides being rude and against company policy (or so I thought), I am wondering how this affects my Alzheimer's/dementia patients. Thoughts?