PEDSICU

Frosty It's so sad to have the road blocks you have encountered. I have been a SANE nurse going on 11 years, I'm a MALE, and have only had one person refuse me at first "that was due to another staff member saying something to her prior to me coming in the room" but by talking with her, her family and the physician she allowed me to do the exam. I have done infants, children, teenagers, young, old, male & female and I cannot see why people think the way they do. I have had more problems with staff members then anything. They have no ideal what we do, how we do it and why we do it. In the quote above I could almost say the same thing and that is what I do also. It really is all in your professional approach. I have talked to Virgina Lynch, Jamie Ferrell who started the SANE programs and they will tell you men are needed in this field. It is a passion that you feel deep down when you help someone in need and you should not be pentalized just because of your gender. I have the upmost compassion for someone who has had this happen to them but when you have the passion and the knowledge to go that extra mile you need to do it. I spent 11 years in the ICU and would get called down to the ER to do these cases because no one knew how or felt very unsure of themself. I'm now the educator in our ER at a childrens hospital. During my 15 years here there was only one other staff member who had their SANE Lic. In our state it is a seperate lic process. I have taught from 1st year medical students to attending on how to do this and to go outside the box. Which means any one can go down a list to collect but you need to think outside the box to get it all down. I received my MSN in Nursing education and working on my Masters in Forensics. Please don't let "roadblocks" stop you from doing this type of work. Being a SANE nurse is very tough job because it is emotional rollercoster and is very challenging because you see some of the worst in humans and what is happening day in and day out in the world. I hope you will rethink about it and let your heart and your passion lead you on this road. I alway think about my three children when I do a case because I want what is best for them and not some one who thnks they know what to do.

Wow, Talk about not knowing what is going on in todays world. I have been working in the medical field as a paramedic since 1979. In 1999 I received my ADN in nursing, In 2006 I received my BSN in nursing and in 2010 I'll have received my MSN in nursing. Being a male in todays world in open to everything you just need to decide how far you want to push it. During that time also I spent 21 years in the United States Army, in the Airborne Infantry. In the first 10 years I worked as an PICU nurse and educator and I have just taken over as the Emergency Room educator. Working in the nursing field is great, you meet many different people from many different areas and it is such honor to work in this day and age. It dosen't matter who you rae or what you do in this field. It is about the patient, not you. The other major job I have is that of a SANE nurse since 2000. Now that is a job very few will step up to due to the issues of todays world. I work with the infant to the adult, male and female, in this role and have never had a problem with my patients. I have had more problems with my fellow staff members due to not know what all is done with this type of patient. In this field you also work with many different law enforcement agencies and the court system. You can really make a difference in someones life in this field. As someone else posted, male were being nurses during the Civil War and they have been battle tested from that point on. What is so different about being a nurse? It's a great job, steady pay check, meet lots of people and you get to work with many different discplines in the medical field. You need to enlighten your "friend" about todays world. Tell them to join the service and then they can make judgements on people or let them land in the ICU or ED as a patient and see who steps up to the plate.

siri i have to challenge you on what you said about the sane nurse not being a patient advocate but a support person. being a sane for nine years it's all about being a patient advocate to get them the care needed and not having to sit in a waiting room for ten hours or more. its all about the evidence that we collect but it is also about the compassion to these patients because no one else wants to go into that room. i work with the peds population mostly in a facility that i have had to fight from day one to get great care for these patients. i'm not saying they won't get good care but i put it this way, if it was you or your child wouldn't you want the best for them to get it done right and have that chance to put that person behind bars because you knew what needed to be done. i not attacking you but this is something that i feel very strong about because we are seen in a different light at times.

Need help. Has anyone taken the CPN Exam lately? If so how did you study for it? What did you study for it? I'm looking for some one to come to my hospital to do a review. I would like a one or two day review. If anyone could help it would be great. Feel free to pass on my e-mail to anyone who might be able to help. I'm located in Louisville, Kentucky. Thanks PEDSICU

Jill Hate to bust your bubble but the Norton Healthcare system does not pay weekend shift diff. I came out of school 6 years ago and that was the starting rate 18.50. Norton has a great system with pay rasies over each year, around 2 each year. We do have shift diff for working nights and that is it. Looking at a national poll a couple of weeks ago we are underpaid, big time . I am not for sure, but the starting pay for all the hospitals are about the same. You can make better monies working in a rest home and home health. I have done both. But my love is Peds ICU. Have you tried Nortonhealth care yet? If no let me know & I'll put you in contact with someone. Hope this helps. PEDSICU

Help I am trying to vamp up my Preceptor Program for new grads to my unit. We have anywhere from 5 to 15 at a time 2 to 3 times a year. It wears me out. With each new bunch I try to mix thing up with the end evals that I receive from them. They are usually on 12 to 15 weeks to learn about what we do. We are a high level acuity unit, ECMO, heart, & kidney transplants, heart defects (we have at least 3 a week which will end up on ECMO sometimes) Major trauma, burns up to 25% - 50% at times, septic, resp distress, neuro kids with bolts and just about anything that is wheeled thur our doors. I have a good program but would like to see what other units are using. I have been on both ends of the program. I was hired in as a new grad six years ago. There was 3 of use and we were the test group to see if new grads would work out. (We are all still there.)It worked out with it's ups & downs. Two years ago I created a new postion as a night shift clinical educator for my unit. As far as I know there are no others hospitals or units that are doing this in my area. I did this because I was tired of the night shift being left out or being put out to come in on their days of. It has worked wonders for the moral of the nurses. Any help would be great. If you would want to talk I will be glad to speak with you. Thnk you PEDSICU

We will pull RN to another unit or ED. We may send them home if they want to. We do this when the census is down. They will take a budget oin a heartbeat due to being so busy most of the time. We will also mandat a budget when no one wants one. It depend on the last date they were off. We do the same with all staff, RT, Secretary. Let me know if this helps out or you need more info. PEDSICU

I have worked for 6 years in a PICU in Kentucky. We have a wide mix; 2:1, ECMO, fresh hearts, hemo dialysis, or very sick with q1 hr labs on vents 1:1, High trauma, 2nd day post op hearts, lots of drips, vent kids, one coming in on a crash & burn or a 20% burn patients 2:1, stable vents, of post op surgery 3:1, 3 TCU patients or 1 ICU & 1 TCU patient We have a 26 bed unit with 2 RT on during a 12 hour shift and a minimal of 11 RN for a 12 hour shirt. It changes every 4 hour with the acuity of the patients. A stable pt may become unstable and end up a 1:1 or a 2:1. Hope this helps out PEDSICU