caffeinatednurse BSN, RN

Med-surg, telemetry, oncology

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All Content by caffeinatednurse

  1. caffeinatednurse

    To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate, That Is The Question

    caffeinatednurse replied to Joe V's topic in Disaster Preparation

    Please vaccinate your kids and yourself, unless you have a legitimate medical reason for which your physician has advised you to avoid vaccines. Vaccines do not work the way they're intended to if...
  2. caffeinatednurse

    Patients & Pet Peeves

    caffeinatednurse replied to SisterofMary's topic in General Nursing

    If I have to shoo away the police from our unit one more time...
  3. caffeinatednurse

    Recommendation for best nursing tools/items to buy?

    caffeinatednurse replied to NurseinBoots's topic in Medical-Surgical

    A good ballpoint pen. Find a brand you like, and buy a whole pack of 'em. You're going to lose a good amount of them so it helps if you have extras. Highlighters. I like to color code my report...
  4. caffeinatednurse

    Simple Solutions to Everyday Problems

    caffeinatednurse replied to ezckimo's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Always go see your patients immediately after report. Update your white boards, ask them if they need anything, tell them when they can expect their meds. You would be surprised just how much smoother...
  5. caffeinatednurse

    Heparin dttp error- Ready to just out of my skin.

    caffeinatednurse replied to AspiringICUnurse's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Given that you are humble enough to recognize your error (you'd be surprised just how many nurses *refuse* to see their error) and that you reported it to all appropriate parties, I really think that...
  6. caffeinatednurse

    New Grad learning how to deal with manipulative parents/families

    caffeinatednurse replied to atxgirly's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I don't work pediatrics, but I do work med-surg, and regularly work as a charge nurse on med-surg. I put out fires like this non-stop. What I've learned is to maintain defined boundaries and rules...
  7. caffeinatednurse

    Relocating to NORTH CAROLINA

    caffeinatednurse replied to Dayzdaym's topic in North Carolina Nursing

    It really depends, to be honest. I make $24/hour and get around $3-4/hour shift diff for night shift. Add another dollar to that if I pick up hours as a charge nurse or preceptor. I'm not in...
  8. caffeinatednurse

    Ever have a patient complain about you?

    caffeinatednurse replied to love lilacs's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    It happens all the time. I've had pts yell at me, fire me, and report me to management for no reason at all. Sometimes it's things outside of my control - i.e. we were running a rapid response or a...
  9. caffeinatednurse

    I just need to vent

    caffeinatednurse replied to LPN shots's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Your boss seems to have a good understanding of what is going on with her. I would trust that she is handling the situation to the best of her abilities. I would avoid that particular CNA from here on...
  10. caffeinatednurse

    New grad need help

    caffeinatednurse replied to cberry1's topic in Medical-Surgical

    It takes a while to adjust to the chaos of a med-surg unit. You're often too busy to help out your coworkers, and your coworkers are usually drowning just like you. It's not always like that, but it's...
  11. caffeinatednurse

    What's the best specialty for someone who hates small talk?

    caffeinatednurse replied to climbeRN's topic in Medical-Surgical

    I actually don't encounter much small talk, working nights on a busy med-surg unit. There might be a little bit of small talk and socializing until my patients are all tucked in and medicated. Most of...
  12. caffeinatednurse

    Recently diagnosed with Sjogren's & possible MCTD

    caffeinatednurse replied to DowntheRiver's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I'm also youngish (27 years old) with several autoimmune disorders. I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid disorder), fibromyalgia, systemic lupus (SLE), and inflammatory arthritis. I was...
  13. caffeinatednurse

    Is it possible to get my RN while having Lupus?

    caffeinatednurse replied to nikishere33's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Short answer: Yes. It is totally possible to complete RN school with lupus. Being a new grad with lupus is difficult, however, and required some major adjustments on my part. I actually started out in...
  14. caffeinatednurse

    Nurses with SelfHarm Scars

    caffeinatednurse replied to redheadrn86's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    If you're comfortable talking about it with stranger, then I don't see anything wrong with telling the truth. If it makes you uncomfortable, then I second the wearing long sleeves or coming up with a...
  15. caffeinatednurse

    Starting out in LTC?

    caffeinatednurse replied to SiggyStardust's topic in General Nursing

    Absolutely not. I worked in LTC for a little over a year as a new grad BSN RN. I quickly climbed the ranks and ended up working as the sole 2nd shift CN. Then I was orienting new grads and new CNs for...
  16. caffeinatednurse

    Do FNP's really make 80k to 90k a year?

    caffeinatednurse replied to mariposabella's topic in Nurse Practitioners, NP

    "Will work for"? It's not much of a choice, really, unless a nurse wants to move. And not everyone can afford to do
  17. caffeinatednurse

    Do FNP's really make 80k to 90k a year?

    caffeinatednurse replied to mariposabella's topic in Nurse Practitioners, NP

    Unfortunately, no. The area I live in has a high cost of living and a shortage in affordable housing. What healthcare workers are paid has not caught up with the cost of living
  18. caffeinatednurse

    Is it hard finding a job after graduating?

    caffeinatednurse replied to MGK2018's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I live in a rural area, so I really can't speak to the job market in big cities. Acute care (hospital) nursing jobs are plentiful where I live. We actually have a shortage of nurses at my hospital, if...
  19. caffeinatednurse

    Quit while on orientation

    caffeinatednurse replied to Throwaway11's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I would not want to burn bridges with a company I had worked for, for years. What if you change your mind later on down the road and decide that you want to work for them? You might not be able to...
  20. caffeinatednurse

    Nursing with mental illness

    caffeinatednurse replied to qweez's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I have yet to be asked about my mental health. I have several coworkers who have a mental illness or two, and take medications for it. While my depression is currently stable, I have had to take...
  21. caffeinatednurse

    Quit while on orientation

    caffeinatednurse replied to Throwaway11's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Been there, done that. Be aware that your current employer could put you on a black list to keep you from taking up precious orientation resources again in the future. This may or may not be a big...
  22. caffeinatednurse

    New grad sinking fast

    caffeinatednurse replied to Sheika34's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Hand-holding is normal. Feeling uncomfortable in your new role is normal. It's too early to know whether or not you're cut out for this. Remember to breathe, try to learn as much as you can, and...
  23. caffeinatednurse

    Do FNP's really make 80k to 90k a year?

    caffeinatednurse replied to mariposabella's topic in Nurse Practitioners, NP

    NPs clear about $80k starting out in my area of NC. Most RNs start out at about $45k per year. I do know of a few RNs who clear nearly as much as that working 2 jobs (one full-time and another PRN...
  24. caffeinatednurse

    Best choice for emergent desaturation in COPD

    caffeinatednurse replied to CraftyKitten's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Depends on their code status...we had this very same issue a couple of weeks ago on my unit. Pt became unresponsive with O2 sat of 76%. End stage COPD. Pt was a DNI (do not intubate). Thankfully RT...
  25. caffeinatednurse

    Getting back into hospital nursing

    caffeinatednurse replied to sistasoul's topic in General Specialties

    What have you been doing during those three years? If you've been working in another area of nursing, it shouldn't be too hard. I was working in LTC before I decided to go back to med-surg. I could...