mcclarke

Agree 100%! This is a wage and hour issue, not a "how can the nurse manager save a little money issue"! Report this to your local Wage and Hour Division before they get rid of the whole Federal Department of Labor!

Why rely on a bunch of strangers from all over the planet for this information? Why don't you open Google and search for this information at your Arkansas Board of Nursing website? I suspect the reason is that it is easier to gripe and be a victim than it is to make the effort to get the accurate information yourself. I suspect it was also easier to just leave the floor instead of getting some help from your manager and other staff with you on the floor that day. I mean this in the nicest of ways——Learning to proactively solve your own problems would be a good thing for you to do.

Coping with the death of a patient is part of the process of growing as a nurse. There is no way to get prepared for it ahead of time. The fact that you care deeply is going to help you sort this out and while a patient's death won't (and should not) ever be "run of the mill" you will find your own way to put it in perspective, to offer a prayer if that's what you do, and to offer kindness and condolence to the family if you can. Identify and reach out for support and insight from your "Short List" of nurse colleagues who are caring, trustworthy AND know what they are talking about. Finally as for the questions from management, this will always occur. In so many situations you will see what looks like panic from management, sometimes nurses seem to just like the drama, always everyone in the hospital will CYA. You should CYA too, but know that: as long as you 1. did what you know you are supposed to do, 2. asked your preceptor for help and instruction, 3. kept the preceptor informed and involved and 4.documented ALL OF IT, this management panic will pass without incident. The next event will arise and pass. Learn from all of it and Best of luck!!