Yahni

I appreciate all of your input. I see both sides. Some of you admitted that you have hugged your patients in the past and I still feel that there is definitely a grey area for some while there are strict boundaries for others. I was a massage therapist for 10 years before becoming a nurse so touch has always been a huge part of therapeutic healing for me. I completely understand that the two fields are very different. I also completely understand that situational awareness is very important. The patient I hugged was on a psych unit but wasn't there for behavioral or violent issues. I had worked with him on almost ever shift I had for over a week so I didn't feel unsafe making that decision. Sometimes as a human, we just need a dang hug and while I don't plan on hugging all of my patients or making a habit out of it, I think that sometimes exceptions could be made. I sincerely appreciate everyones feedback though and as a new nurse, you all definitely helped shine a new light on the topic for me with your views and experiences. It's hard for a person that is a natural hugger but it's something I know I will have to dial back especially since psych is my favorite field and where I'd like to stay as a nurse.

Hey Everyone, I am finishing up my very last clinical for nursing school. 180 hour preceptorship on a psych unit. We have a mix between addicts, mood and thought disorders, depression, Suicidal and Homicidal Ideations, Auditory and Visual Hallucinations and everything in between. It's a VERY busy unit. Some of the patients have some serious mental health issues. Some get involuntarily committed because they were deemed to be a threat to themselves, some were admitted because of overdoses. I have worked on a med surge, Tele, Neuro unit for almost 2 years now. When patients get discharged, it isn't out of the ordinary for them to try to give us a thankful hug. Hugs are amazing. As humans, we crave touch. Hugging releases all the "feel good" feelings and is a healthy action to have in your life. So, my question is. Why is it so taboo, so to speak, to hug a patient that is on a psych unit? Now I understand that looking out for your safety is important. Being a good judge of character is vital and taking your safety and the safety of others into consideration is of utmost importance. On a psych unit especially, there is always a chance of having pedophiles, rapists, murderers, stalkers, etc but isn't that a chance you take on any unit? Shouldn't safety precautions be taken on every unit? Why do health professionals add to the stigma of mental health by avoiding touching their patients at all costs? As if they have a invisible plague that encapsulates their body and the only way to pass it is through touching? I had a young patient that was all smiles for 2 weeks. He never complained. He never showed any other emotion other than happiness. An overdose scared the crap out of him and he realized how lucky he was to be alive. The last day I worked with him, he had a moment of clarity. He realized all the bad he'd done. All the people he hurt. All the damage he'd done and he broke down sobbing in the middle of the unit. As a human being, he needed a hug. I gave him a hug, asked him of he wanted to walk with me and talk to help him calm down. It helped. 20 minutes later, he had calmed down and put a few things in perspective. I was immediately reprimanded for being "too close" with a patient. But isn't that the point of being a psych nurse? To help your patients with coping skills? Show them a healthy way to calm down and react? I dont want to be a conveyer belt nurse. Just passing out meds, patient after patient and asking the generic assessment questions every day. I want to help. I want to make a difference. I want my patients to know that someone cares about them and is rooting for them to succeed. So, I'd like to know. Do you hug your patients? All the nurses I've asked so far have said that they either don't or that there's a grey area and while they shouldnt, they either give side hugs or just don't make a habit of it. What are your thoughts?

Hi everyone! I'm a nursing student and currently a Nurse Tech on a med surge unit. My responsibilities are taking vitals every 8 hours and 4 for tele patients and blood sugar, giving bed baths, turning patients, feeding patients, cleaning patients over and over again, cleaning rooms, taking patients down to discharge, running labwork to the lab, helping patients ambulate, bringing patients and their families snacks and drinks, transferring patients from one bed to another, answering call bells and a million other things. Lol. In 8 hours of working, I usually never stop moving except for my mandatory lunch break and my step count is ALWAYS well over 18000. I usually have anywhere between 16 and 30 patients. I'm in my second semester of nursing school. And all we have really learned so far.. when it comes to patient care.. is how to do the things I've mentioned that I do as a Tech, and things like trach care, wound care, medication, charting, and admitting/assessing a patient. The nurses on my unit have a total of 3-5 patients on average. And I'm honestly very curious what your typical day looks like as a nurse that has a cna/tech/assistant on your floor. It seems like a lot of the nurses on my floor have a lot of downtime. I'm assuming this definitely depends on what type of unit you work on or where you work so just wanted to get a better idea of what to expect. What does your day to day look like? If you were a tech before becoming a nurse, what was something you didnt expect that happened after becoming a nurse? Did you think being a tech was more challenging? Thanks!

The questions for Kaplan entrance are VERY specific for the Science portion. It has questions regarding what happens to the lungs when you breath, what a negative feedback cycle is, parasympathetic mode, ...... umm... There was a question about the renal system, digestive system, gout, asthma, blood flow of the heart and a few others that I can't remember. Good news is that it really is all about physiology and nothing else. I took A&P 1 and 2 and aced both classes and ended up only getting 65% on this portion the first time. You kinda either know it or you don't. I feel like having a broad understanding of each system is the only way you'll pass it. Should definitely take AnP before attempting. The math is very simple. Adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions, percentages, conversions and ratios. The reading and writing were simple but long and tedious. As long as you have a basic understanding of grammar, spelling, punctuation, verbs, nouns, etc... you should be fine. Good luck everyone!!! xox