K9lover

I've pondered this since I was eaten for lunch as a new grad upon discovery many fellow RNs just rejoiced at new grad mistakes. I loved school; very intelligent and aced everything from my degree through the RN program however RN program did not leave me feeling very well-prepared for the actual position nor did my 30 days with preceptor. My prior work experience was not in healthcare and I felt ill-prepared for the level of responsibility. Actually that is putting it mildly, I was absolutely overwhelmed with both the job and the abject exhaustion working night shift and scraping by on 3-4 hours sleep. Now, previous work experience if I did not know something I'd ask and my fellow bartenders or waitstaff would just tell me, show me how to make a Long Island etc...not so in nursing, asking was per se considered evidence of my ignorance and my colleagues superiority. Actually the mere fact that I was a new grad was 'evidence' of their superiority thus I learned early on to figure it out, it gave colleagues cause to feel superior when mistakes were made; never mind patient welfare, that was secondary to the boost other RN's received to their egos. God, I was so stressed and depressed I felt as if I had made the most massive mistake of my life for that first year! I was so grateful I had others' on my life who cared although they could not relate so much to work-related issues. I thought this was a new grad phenomena until, with much experience, I did a bit of traveling. Some facilities were good @ staff helping out re where to find items etc...last travel assignment @ facility starting with 'K' and ending with 'aiser' I had actually been warned was hideous toward travelers; fellow RNs @ that facility went above and beyond eating their travelers! They'd assign based upon traveler availability, i.e. if they had a traveler they'd give them the'd highest acuity patients; traveler would arrive and, if unexpected, they'd change the 'fair' assignment to meet this end. I'd add that I spoke with other travelers and they all experienced this. if one had the temerity to ask where a blood warmer was they'd tell you 'regular staff' may need it @ some point that day so go to another unit and see if you could scrounge one up. It was nearly as bad as new grad. I swore I'd eat out of dumpsters before ever taking another travel job and got out of hospital nursing completely. Last/current position working in custodial setting @ jail wonderful, even if there were travelers/young/old/PD to eat they wouldn't have need to because they treat the patients with such patronizing contempt they have no need. I get along with colleagues, am kind to patients, do my job and go home, with exception of long-term friend from college and an RN who actually protected me from the hateful ones I do not socialize with other nurses reason twofold, all events colleagues attend or create involve copious amounts of alcohol & I prefer keeping professional life separate. My last post on this site only confirm that many RN's just derive great joy from witnessing others RN's fall/fail and appear to derive the same joy out of this which others' derive from taking a walk in the spring and seeing the Lilacs begin their bloom. I do not pretend to understand this; is it lack of overall intellectual capacity in non-nursing balliwicks' of life? Is it fragile ego or massive ego? not spending time on this...happy to have an accommodating job, happy my issues were resolved after CHP misconduct was established which results in no case. One RN pleasant...the remainder served to remind me that RN's still eat their young, old, travelers et al.

Don't be ridiculous. This comment is rather akin to saying if they did not go to the police and report having accidentally ran a stop sign hence lying by omission next thing you know they'll be running red lights, driving 100 MPH in school zones and plowing over pedestrians when opportunity presents. God you are sanctimonious.

Wow you are a ***.

Indeed, then my husband must have 'imagined' same officer being at our house on a non-cite report and officer telling my husband he (the officer) was concerned because he'd tried to 'help me get to work' on that day. Does officer telling a 3rd party help of events help you on that one? Perhaps my husband had 'implanting of false memories by proxy' from long-term association with me? I specifically wrote this as clear and concise as possible and, Asytole, my opinion of your sanctimony is duly noted.

It is not incoherent, just complex.

It reads to me as 'wrote to DA myself as (my) attorney failed to mention this factoid.' I am not a lawyer however it is my understanding that law enforcement cannot legally advise someone to drive when individual states they cannot. It is also evidence that officer #1 did not note anything more than fatigue.

5 deaths is an 'exponential skyrocket'? Cigarettes killed more people in the time it took me to type this...

When you state you have 'no filter' that indicates you say whatever is on your mind, this is not a chactertistic which serverves anyone well...unless, of course, the only thing on ones' mind is cute puppies and pretty rainbows. Levity aside I was once fired from a clinic job when a particularly unpleasant and never happy (that I could ascertain) after I uttered a curse word; the clinic was not open yet, she and I were only staff there. She freaked running to nearest phone to advise manager of my curse word. Well, when manager arrived she told me "FIRED" and had me sit in a corner, I wasnted my clipboard and they told me it was to be collected by another...so freaked out were they I was tempted to say "I probably shouldn't have brought the gun collection in either (this was decades ago but still I could see levity would not be appreciated.) It was treated as if I had something under that tiny clipboard... Ironically I almost never curse anywhere! Just no filter that day after RN unpleasant went with one to many blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...about something until I'd stated "how the %$# was I supposed to know this?" My colleague told manager she'd never heard that word causing me to wonder how she knew it.

For someone who states seeing all sides of the scenario you sure seem to accept everything this student states as gospel from EMS not knowing how to do a BP to c-collar on a 'body' in the road. 'Tis possible person iin road had fixed/dilated pupils even with someone breathing and we only have her word on 'EMS not knowing how to do a BP...unless she is wonder-nurse she'll encounter everything from "son did get ANYTHING for pain in days!" to Mom did not have a BM in a week!" on her watch...

Cocaine is still a thing? Why the heck did you agree to a test knowing, at minimum, it would be positive for cocaine when you could have turned down the job? As for THC I am a bit surprised that would show however you state using that more frequently, when I had a background for corrections the detective with whom I interviewed told me in no uncertain terms that marijuana was disallowed even though recreational use is permitted in my state. It was not anything which floated my boat to begin with. He did not so much like my extensive use of drugs in the 1980's although I did not do IV and had never tried heroin (both of which would have disqualified me.) When asked how many times I'd used cocaine between heaviest use '85-'89 I told him I honestly could not recall due to my blackout drinking, that and it sounded better than telling him I used it every day which ended in 'y' during those years; be cautious with it, I tried it 1st time age 15, thought it was sort of boring but used it on and off and did not become addicted until age 24. Cocaine is sneaky, if used with any frequency the crash coming down is brutal, most God-awful depression I'd ever known and I would do anything to avoid it (and the only way to avoid it is to keep using until too exhausted to continue.) Being an alcoholic I already had that misery to deal with. Meth was beginning to take the place of cocaine and the very few times I used it I thought my mind was becoming unraveled, thankfully I was only a few weeks away from getting clean and sober. I took various electives and did not begin my pre-nursing until I was sure being clean and sober was a true commitment. You do not sound as if you have any addiction which is good, don't let any get you and best of luck with this.

I don't know why they teach that narcotics must be diluted. Very few RNs did so, when I did bedside nursing I never diluted narcotics and the only problem I ever encountered was if the previous RN did so without explaining to patient so I'd get the rare patient who thought the previous RN gave them half a 5 CC syringe of all Dilaudid. I'd tell them that 5 CC's of Dilaudid would be lethal and most of that previous dose was NS, if they wanted it pushed fast I'd push it fast...they'd get their 2 second rush (and know it was Dilaudid.) I am not their 12-step sponsor, this sort of thing did not faze me.

I was raised by an LAPD Sgt who retired after 30 years & went on to work at public defenders' office for next 20 years and we talked about law endlessly, I would have given a shot at law school had I been able to afford it. Law interests me so i read up on it frequently (that and I want to know what new laws go into effect such as having to use headlights if windshield wipers are being used etc...) However much of what my father advised me on was legal matters prior ro 2002. From what I have read on this site everything will show up when it comes to BRN being able to see it. Your last DUI was quite some time ago however you have 3 so hope you no longer drink at all. Why is the prostitution arrest a felony? I thought that was a misdemeanor...that being said getting everything expunged is wise. I don't know about endorsement, I'd ask Az BRN on that as you posted this in July and have not received a replay on that one. As mentioned getting them expunged is a good idea and the DUIs' will go much easier on you if you no longer drink. As for showing up on background from what I have read here and elsewhere in matters of healthcare licensure everything shows up.

Good Lord, you don't know how she feels about it, she could be crying herself to sleep each night for all you know and you have diagnosed her as a sociopath because she asked if this driving offense will have an impact on her nursing license! She came here to ask a question specific to a traffic ticket and you have determined she lacks judgement, should have her nursing license effected and is beset with severe psychiatric issues. Would you suggest she prefaced this question with statements that she attempted suicide over the remorse, ran to the bus begging forgiveness of the children as a sobbing wreck, offered the parents half of all her future earnings after changing careers to a school bus crossing guard and, if Catholic, completed 50000 hail Marys? Wow, you sound like the detective with whom I interviewed for work in corrections who adjudicated me as having gotten away with 100 felonies for 1980's cocaine use prior to getting clean & sober (also in the 1980's.) Really, nobody knows anything about this nurse other than the traffic ticket she received and I have seen some harsh replies but yours tops this list.

My dad was a 30 year LAPD vet and an invaluable source of all matters legal which he impressed upon me in driving-related matters. That and my adult son had his share of 'driving adventures' when young. I would get a lawyer and attempt to get that misdemeanor reduced to an infraction given even with no effect on nursing license it will effect your insurance rates dearly and if you wanted to work in home health/hospice would effect that. It is 2 points on DMV record and you want to avoid that if possible (a DUI is 2 points also so that does impact insurance et al) If you can get it reduced it would be worth it, if you say slide in the snow and hit a car this winter that is one point for DMV, that leaves you one point away from an automatic 6 month drivers license suspension. So while it will not likely cause any issues with the BRN you want to avoid issues with the other less than forgiving governing bodies...the DMV and your insurance carrier. I'd get an attorney and at least find out what your options are. best of luck.

Beat you up? Tough nursing school...sounds like the attempted initiation I encountered 1st day at continuation high school.

It is over-inflated, some were hospice and we do not know how many were comatose, actively dying. If death was hastened by one minute by heat the families who did not take them home will sue. Given it was heat rather than a hurricane where were the families taking them home? While I am sure they were not all aware of this scenario don't different residents get visits such that there would be a number of visitors at any given time because, of what I've heard (of) SNF facilities they crawl with complaining family members. Again given it was not a hurricane/earthquake/totally flooded out where was the rest of staff? God, I hope that the tiny number of staff all of whom were new to facility is not all they used!

California ratios are in acute care. I don't know about SNF.

Remember it well..

What was the discrimination? All you mention is that upper management is all white.

You do not indicate much behind the hospital demographics of the hospital, are these thoughts based upon any actions against you or is the thread based upon anything? I have worked in many areas wherein I was the only white person and never given thought to it.

What are the demographics of the city, is it all white? I have lived in Southern California all of my life and everywhere I have worked; restaurants, motel maid et al and any/all workplaces. have been very diverse workplace, with colleagues up to any/all management, but the general population is diverse in Florida isn't it?

Many places have a much, much lower cost of living than California. That is a struggle in San Diego.

Don't do bedside nursing anymore but when I did it made me crazy to get a 20 minute report on one patient (not ICU, MS-Tele where 4-5 to get report one.) I really don't care if they had tonsils out in 1965...

Southern California for the county, $50/h for starting wage with experience.

Wow, what a horrible thing to live with, I have both reported and not reported. Working nights as a new grad I had a Pt with a horrible cancer and an order somewhere @ 0.1 mgs Roxanol, 0300 and I could barely keep my eyes opened combined with a pharmacist who was supposed to question this on a non-hospice unit, he was a full code. The fact that it had an eye dropper just went right over my head, I gave the eye dropper a cursory glance and that was it. Soooo, completely oblivious to eye dropper I pour him 10 ccs, 10 times the ordered dose. Still oblivious I check on him 5-10 minutes later asking him about his pain. He smiles and drawls/smiles "Nooooo pain."I look at his pinpoint pupils and think to myself that I killed him! I call the doctor and do not disclose; told doc he must me sensitive to opiates and obtained order for Narcan which I immediately administer, he came around a bit but short-lived. I was completely unfamiliar with my meds; I had no idea Narcan had such a short half-life so I'd given him 3 doses and by shift change his pupils were looking good and he was A/O. I thought to myself "I fixed him without having to get in trouble!" Well...when I returned that night it would seem that by the time day shift RN goes in to assess him pupils were once again pupils pinpoint and he was feeling no pain in his state of euphoria. They followed the paper trail (this was 20+ years ago) they discovered I'd given him 10X the ordered Roxanol and attempted to Narcan him back to normalcy. Well...Narcan wasn't going to cut it and much to my dismay upon returning that night I was advised he had to be transferred to ICU and intubated. Given I was so new I did not catch it too bad, I had to writ out a paper listing absolutely everything about Roxanol down to the last molecule and admonished not to resolve mistakes via the 'cover it up' method. The pharmacist was not unscathed either as he was quite experienced and should not have been sending Roxanol to a general medical unit. Oh what a tangled web I wove & did not attempt again. The family had a sense of humor about the whole thing giving him a Morphine nickname, they transferred him back to same floor after he was upgraded with caveat that I not be his nurse. Addendum; in the interest of HIPAA various details have been changed. And my God my dear, let yourself off the hook. If the supervisor told you there were no unusual incidents I am assuming she did not die, that would certainly qualify as an unusual incident in the patient you describe. If the IV dose was appropriate for that patient I cannot imagine she suffered any untoward consequences. A lot of patients are on IVs which would be POs at home, if it were all PO they'd be at home, you were sent an IV, honest mistake from which you learned, you are years overdue to stop beating yourself up.