Some Questions

Honey if all you think RN s do is write in charts then you would not like nursing. Being an RN involves everything plus charting. If you would ask a visitor what I did they would say, sit at the desk and chart, becasue the brief time they are there is the only time I sit at the desk. Just think of it this way, I am taking so long to chart because I have been so busy doing things to chart about.

No a RN does not just sit & write in charts. As a matter of fact the chance to sit is rare. I am assuming you are very young & really don't know much about nursing (thats ok we all have to learn). I work 3 12 hour shifts back to back...I had time to eat supper on one of those nights. Here is a little run down on the last night I worked. I am a med surg nurse btw.

I started w/8 pts...discharged one...then got 2 admissions. I gave blood, put one in bucks traction going for sx in the am, did wet to dry dressing changes d/t toe amputations. Started 3 or 4 IV's can't remember, four of these were diabetic so accu checks w/one critical level ( calling the doctor) & one of these accu checks was every 4 hours.

One gent developed hospital phychosis was sure there was an old woman in his room digging a hole in the wall & trying to steal his walker....he wanted his gun to shoot her. He kept trying to get out of the bed & was so weak he could not stand....so I had to try & keep him from falling & hurting himself. He had a bed alarm so it was constantly going off. He ended up setting at the nurses station w/the ward clerk.

Had another one on continuous pules ox which of course kept going off.....his sats were dropping in the 50's every time he went to sleep....the alarm did not phase him...so I was waking him up & telling him to breathe! His nose began to bleed....another ordeal...got it stopped changed him from nasal cannula to venturi mask....alarm still going off.

Went into one room older man 6' or so about 250+ lbs....was setting on the foot rest of his recliner...recliner had tipped forward, so I straddled him & held him under the arms to keep him off the floor.....help on the way...oh Lord my back! In between all this I was trying to pass meds, chart, do chart & MAR checks. The quiet ones I don't remember...but as you can see an RN does not just sit & write in charts.

I am an LPN looking for a program (Bridge) home study to get my RN, I live in Florida, does any one know of any good ones, I heard of Rue and the Nurse Connection, also Distance Learning Systems, they sell you the texts and study guides the you take the tests....Cost $10,000 to $13,000.

The best guide to use when documenting in a patients charts is to think about the following:

- Did I perform any assessments? Yes- Document it.

- Did I observe or do anything that needs to be monitored? Yes- Document it.

- Did the patient voice any compliants/concerns? Yes- Document it.

- Did I follow-up on any existing concerns/compliants? Yes- Document it.

- Is there any information I want to pass on to the interdisciplinary team?

As far as what nurses do...there are many things that nurses do...to many to name...from legal nurse consultant to first assist in an operating room. You kind of need to narrow this question down a little. You may begin by looking at the different speciaties in the allnurse forum to get an idea of the variety of speciaties that exist for nurses.