FST66E

Good description, I agree. Keep the bread and butter cases give me a good trauma crani. or gunshot wound anytime.I love not knowing what will be coming through the doors next. Life is never boring.

I hope to run into you at Ft Lewis some time in the future for a cup of java. I do hope all is going well with you & your family. Susan & I love it out here in the South Puget Sound area. HOOAH! I'm glad you like the Pacific Northwest.I can't imagine living anywhere else. If you and your wife get a chance you should take a drive down the Gorge the falls and the mountains are beautiful. As for the Java i'm not sure when we will be in the area next. My AT is back east this year.

I don't know what your views are on the war in Iraq but if you join the Army Nurse Corps deployment at some time is vertualy guaranteed. I was scheduled to deploy in June but had the mission postponed till November. I have personal opinions about Bush and the war but I am not in the Army for political reasons. I am in the Army to care for the soldiers and civilians who are wounded. I do my job with pride and I hope that if you join any branch of the military you can do the same.

welcome to the pacific Northwest. Bring a raincoat!

You are welcome. I had forgotten that things can get picked apart in some of my replies made about vague statements and loop-holed posts. Actually, the statements I made were not directed at you or anyone else personally. I was speaking in the general sense. I have met some officers that seem to be obsessed with their rank and get a little power trip from holding it over the heads of enlisted personnel. You weren't even in mind with that comment. If anyone accused me of using my gender as a weapon at work I would accuse them of being a chauvinist and an idiot. You chose to believe that I was talking about you. Again, I was not. I have noticed that some (note the use of the word some) people in this forum like to hide behind one or two words in their posts when they clearly mean something else. I guess I just prefer a more straight forward approach. I can take a hit if someone wants to direct something at me personally but they better be ready for return fire. I had come to this site hoping for clear exchanges of ideas in nursing and all I see is bickering everywhere. With little landmines like the ones I see above strewn all around. I have better things to do with my time than to debate and defend every sentence I've written. Especially when being accused of "discontent and name calling" just because someone doesn't like my dissenting opinion. I work too hard every week to spend my time off with this. And with that clear and concise comment by me let us all part ways here. Take care all and good luck in the future.

While I agree that some flirting goes on in the OR I hardly think the OR is the only place where that happens. Any time men and women work closely together some flirting happens. But that is not the same as someone using their gender to get ahead. I have witnessed that in the past and I abhor it. I have called some surgeons by their first names for years. Not because I am flirting with them but because that is what they want from everyone male and female. BTW I am referring to female surgeons as well as male. I stand by my opinion that respect is earned not handed out with a diploma. I treat everyone with respect not just those who went to college longer than me. I have enormous respect for the hard work and long hours that go into a doctor's education but that is not the same thing. I admit that when it comes to the military I am far from the perfect example. I try to abide by the rules and I understand why they are in place but I just don't care that much about rank and promotions at this time. I know that some people work very hard on their military careers and I am by no means trying to belittle their efforts it's just not me... at least not now. I have too many other irons in the fire.

I have to disagree: It's not disrespectful to refer to a surgeon or anyone else by their first name if that's what they want to be called. There were only 14 surgeons at my last job and we all knew each other pretty well. I feel that it would've been unnatural if we hadn't been somewhat close. However, the same doctor that insists that I call him/her by their first name knows I would never call them anything but "doctor" while around a patient or on the floors. I also don't think that just because someone has an education they're automatically entitled to my respect. I respect people based on the way that they treat others, their knowledge of their particular field, their professionalism, etc. Respect is earned, not handed out with a diploma. That goes for housekeepers right on up. As far as the military goes that's another world with its own rules that are written in stone. I don't mind an enlisted person calling me "el tee" but then I'm not that stuck on titles or obsessed with my rank. I also have to disagree with any blanket statement that female nurses are shown gender favoritism. I've worked with plenty of male nurses who don't treat doctors like gods. In fact, where I live the nurses, both male and female, spend time away from work with some of the doctors. Many of us like to mountain bike, road bike, wind surf etc. I don't think it's unusual for people with interests in common spend time together after work. I've worked in the medical field for 17 of my 37 years and I've never used my gender as a tool or weapon. I've earned whatever respect I might have by hard work and honesty. I would be insulted at any insinuation otherwise. Honestly, anyone that would make a statement like that about all female nurses would be both a chauvinist and an idiot.

I find this issue very doctor dependant. Some doctors insist that we all call them by their first names, others would be offended if we did. Having known some doctors for many years, I am comfortable speaking my mind and they do the same. Nobody gets offended because we know that we both respect each other as professionals.

We had a similar problem at my hospital (thankfully before I started working there). A pan of instruments that was supposedly sterile was opened and used and apparently the tech and RN didn't notice the indicators hadn't changed. We now have to chart that the indicators in all sets have changed and "all parameters for sterility have been met". I have a little trouble with charting that the sets are sterile based solely upon indicator color. Even the indicators that are time sensitive aren't all that reassuring to me. I'm being put into the position of guaranteeing someone else's work and I feel that the hospital wants to absolve themselves of responsibility by having the RN sign off on sterility. I know that in a lawsuit the lawyers will still go for the deepest pocked but I hope I never have to be in that position.

The most rediculous thing I have ever seen was a patient who lost a .....sex toy up his rectum. But that was not the funny part, his partner decided to try to get it out with salad tongs the kind with a hinge in the middle. The hinge got caught on the mucosa and he came walking in or with the tongs hanging out of his rectum. :rotfl:

Wow, so much to answer! I am reserves, Army Nurse Corps. I am a newly comissioned 2LT. 915 th FST Vancouver WA. My commander is cool and will help however he can but lets face it he has no controll over conditions wherever we may end up deployed or when we get sent there. If you know anything about FST's, which it sounds like you do, it may help to know that we go to JRTC this spring. Anyway thanks for the insight. I appreciate it.

Does U of P have a RN to BSN online program or is it all classroom?

Just wanted to say i love your quotes!:)

I would be interested in your results. I am working on my BSN and am concerned about how deployment will affect my ability to complete my work in a timely manner.I know many forward units have poor internet connections and time is limited. Don't get me wrong I am completely willing to step up and do my part if I am needed in the box or anywhere else. But the unknown does put a bit of a damper on long range plans. Good luck with your paper!

Nurses scrub at my hospital also. In fact we don't hire nurses who can't scrub. I have worked at hospitals where the administration has convinced themselves that they save money by hiring techs to scrub but I think it is a mistake. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!:)