Too tall for the COW

[bostonbakednurse]

I started a new assignment in which they gave me three days orientation with the nurse educator. Then three days on the floor with a preceptor. I thought I had gone to nurse heaven. Great nurse manager and staff, good cafeteria, excellent CNA's and secretaries, on site parking, lots of teaching and support and on and on.

I hadn't used the COW since they first came out about fifteen years ago. (?)

I'm 5'10 and wear reading glasses. I continually had to bend over (it was placed at it's highest level) Also had to drag that sucker with me to the med room to remove meds and then to the patient rooms to administer them. By the end of the first day I felt like I was in a car accident. Then the second day of orientation it took me four hours to pass out morning medications between the pain and not being able to observe the screen at eye level. It was horrible.

I did not go back for the third day of orientation and explained my problem to the nurse manager and my Travel company. The nurse manager even went as far to obtain a COW two inches higher. I did decline and they still let me out of my contract. Not only that, the nurse manager gave me a glowing review for the short time I was there.

Now I feel terrible but I just can't stay in pain for a paycheck. Might be time to do something else. I can't sit for long periods of time either. I need to be continuously on the go with short periods of sitting for documentation. Any suggestions?

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

Can you just use a laptop and carry it around with you? I see nurses do that all the time in clinic settings. Obviously it is not as convenient as a COW, but it might work.

[bostonbakednurse]

Wow, that's a great idea!!! Thanks so much.

[RN Zeke]

COW is now WOW due to patients thinking nurses are calling patients COW'S.