jessica1983

We don't have a pixis where I work. Instead we have the old fashioned med carts with a drawer for each patient with all their meds in it. I don't see how a nurse pulling meds from a pixis and putting them in baggies is any different from a pharmacist pulling meds from the pharmacy and putting them in patients drawers. I don't see how it's unsafe if you check the meds again AT THE BEDSIDE against the MAR. If you picked up the wrong baggie or the wrong meds or anything, you'd be able to catch it right there before the patient took the meds. I've walked into patients rooms before with meds for other patients, usually a patient also in the room. I only do this rarely when I'm crunched for time where all my patients simultaneously want all their 10p meds right away with sleeping pills and pain meds so they can go to sleep. So I go in the room with say, pain med or whatever for one patient in one pocket, and the other roomates meds in the other pocket and check against my kardex before giving. Hasn't resulted in any errors.

Some ICU's require ACLS before hire. I've been hired in a SICU after working two years on tele/stepdown. I'm taking ACLS in december and I assured them I would have it before I started. After reading through the book (it was given to me three weeks before the class) things that I've seen in codes and medical emergencies make so much more sense now. I don't know why all nurses don't have it, since, at least where I'm working now, the nurse is expected to participate, even though she may not have ACLS, and may be like I was, gripping the clipboard with white knuckles, desperately trying to grasp what's going on and write it in the appropriate spaces on the flow sheet, trying to form sentences when the doctors ask questions about what happened and the pt's history while trying not to look wide-eyed and petrified. Not to scare anyone though. While in orientation we did a couple of mock codes, medications and protocols where thrown at us in such a manner that we all partially grasped it. So in short, definitely take ACLS. Or at least try to get a hold of the protocols and understand them.

I'm on a cardiothoracic surgery unit, and our tele monitors are in the nurse's station. Just three screens (one main and two with the patients rythms) and one printer. No nurse is assigned to monitor them. We print our strips at the begining of our shifts and they are put directly into the chart. We keep an eye on them and an ear out for alarms, but no one sits in front of them all shift. Also, different units have different tele systems. I think our unit's is newer. Oh, we do confirm arrythmias with a 12 lead.

On my unit the NP does it shortly before discharge (either a day or two or that morning). They check the INR before, and the patient just lays flat for an hour after. We don't do EKG's (our patients are on tele) and we don't check VS pre and post, just at our normal times.

We use them too. There is a lock somewhere on it, it's either towards the back or bottom. I've never found I needed to use it, so I'm not sure of it's exact location. It just bugs me how people think they know everything about healthcare and patient needs when they have no background or prior experience.

That's been happening to me a lot, the, "you're a nurse, what do think about (insert something I know nothing about here)". I've been working for 5 months (almost), and I still don't really feel like an RN (but I do have the urge to write it after I sign my name on a CC reciept out of habit). It's like, someone threw this title at me, and I worked my butt off to earn it, but I still feel like I'm not deserving of it. I'm feeling more comfortable in what I'm doing, but RN? Me? Really?

Scary. I've been on my unit for 5 months now, and I think I would have a nervous breakdown. We don't have a charge nurse persay, we call it a "clinical resourse". I asked about how and when they put you in that role, and I was told usually not until at least a year, and basicaly you walk in that day and there your name is on the board. No orientation, no class. You just hope that by then you've picked up on what the role entails.

I graduated in August, took the NCLEX in October (I was one of the first in my class to take it simply because I trusted my own judgment about when to send the app not the rumors about the bottom of the pile thing). I started interviewing way too early (let's just say that didn't work out too well). I think I got the job in September (one of the last people in group of friends from my class), but started in late October. I took the NCLEX a week before I started working and found out the results a few days before. Let's just say I was a nervous wreck. Everyone goes at their own pace. A few of my friends worked on permit and studied when the got home from orientation. They were pretty overloaded.

My boyfriend found it for me after I took the NCLEX and was becoming extremely nervous (it shut off after 76). I guess I have a keeper.

Hang in there! It's supposed to be tough the first 6m-1year. But your hubby's reminders are peeving me. If you are this stressed right now, you may have trouble concieving, and then being pregnant AND on your first year? That would be so taxing on your body. It's one extra stress you don't need right now. If I knew him personaly I'd give him a lil piece of my mind, but it's probably good that I don't! Good luck!!

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica, and I just found out yesterday that I passed my boards! I'm starting work on Monday on a cardiothoracic surgery unit (this hospital separates medicine and surgery units). I'm quite nervous, and I think I'll be coming to this board often for a bit of advice and support! Congrats and good luck to all the other new nurses!

I didn't get any new format questions either. Is that a bad sign?

I just took my exam today too, and it also stopped at 75. I also felt the test was really difficult. I got lots of priority questions, and the "care is appropriate" types. I felt sooo nervous afterwards, and had that feeling like if I went on a rollercoaster and it was the most awful ride of my life and I say I'm never going on that thing again. But then I was anxious and smiling, and sorta happy. I think I will feel this way for the next 48 hours until my unofficial results appear. Good luck to everyone taking the test!