3/19 What I learned this week: more about employment laws than anything else

[ixchel]

I'm sorry for another late post this week. Honestly, I'm not really sure where to begin. The last few months really haven't been kind, but we might be at the cusp of an upswing. Vacation next week, surgery to follow. If my leave is approved (yes, still waiting, and very anxious about this), I'll be off for quite awhile, which I think I've really needed for my own health. I'm hoping to use a lot of this time to brush up on patho and pharm in anticipation of school this fall. I just wish my employer would communicate with me. I have no idea what is going on.

So, with that said, this week, I have learned:

Malpractice insurance lawyers are not occupational lawyers. I mention this because I see so, so often on here, "contact your malpractice insurance for guidance," whenever someone comes on here with a work-related, potential legal issue. I definitely think no matter the issue, it's good to at least make sure they have your issue on file in case the issue does affect your license or patient care. But, they will not get involved with workplace complaints. Very disappointing and, frankly, scary news in my world right now.

If the body isn't able to be in REM enough, eventually there is a rebound effect during which you will go into REM while awake. Literally, you will be sleepwalking.

Symptoms of the above:

*going from one topic to something wildly different mid-sentence, each thought potentially being understandable or not

*inability to complete things, adequate patient care, maybe even simple tasks, when you may typically be a fully competent, fully functional and great nurse at your baseline

*total personality change in a person who is typically normal and stable

*falling asleep, even mid-sentence

*hallucinations

*essentially appearing to be drunk, doing heroin nods, on acid

I imagine there are plenty more symptoms than that. If you witness this behavior, your first instinct may be send the nurse for a drug test. Certainly that's a good idea. But make sure you send that nurse to the ED for it, so they may be assessed by an MD/NP/PA. Any other person in a hospital with a severe change in mental status would be given immediate medical help. An employee should be, too. This person needs medical attention.

I'm still not sure if I'm employed. This is actually beginning to really bother me.

A dog's normal heart rate is 70-180 with a regular rhythm. Mine goes quite brady and irregular when she's resting. When she gets up, she begins to pant. My nurse brain has decided she needs an ekg while resting.

If you shave your dog to determine if she has a heart block, you may be a little unbalanced. (I did not cross the line. Mostly because of the next line. [emoji23])

It's minimum $600 for an ekg or tele monitor on amazon.

I begged my PRN job's nurse to take a day off because I considered shaving my dog for an ekg. I need to be nursey. I'm craving it!

I left my stethoscope at work.

When I'm not thinking about work's uncertainty, I'm feeling happy again. Legitimately happy. I forgot how good that feels, and I wish I hadn't allowed myself to get swallowed by the big dark cloud that hovered over me.

A lot of very random threads that are older have been getting bumped lately.

TPTB here on AN are working on ideas for better thread visibility. I've discovered my, and guest OPs', WILTW threads have been labeled Journals and I really like that. These things have become journals to me, and I love that I can look back through almost a year now and see where I've been in my growth as a nurse.

I "forgot" how much fun quotation marks can be.

The entrepreneurs hub they just started here has been tempting me, but I don't know how committed I would remain over time.

With all of this uncertainty with employment, I've considered what might be my plan B. I've been stalking a few posters who have mentioned they work from home. Since I'm heading back to school, this may be a good for fit me.

Boy Child is so happy to have his mommy home that I've been stock piling the sweet greetings, snuggles, and unlimited hugs. Girl Child is all like, "whatevs." *sigh*

My step-uncle, who happens to be my grandfather's best friend in this world, decided to move hundreds and hundreds of miles away, when he's never lived more than an hour away his whole entire life. I live hours away. My mom lives twice the distance away that I do. My other living uncle lives an hour away but is very limited in his spare time. My step-uncle was the main support that Grandpa had. Grandpa is going to be destroyed by Grandma's Alzheimer's. I wish I could be there every day for him. I'll be stepping up and being there more for them because I just can't see Grandpa being okay, or asking for any help. I'm furious that my step-uncle would do this, now of all times.

FMLA paperwork requires a diagnosis be disclosed.

The show Cuckoo is hilarious, and I love Greg Davies.

I love that AN has connected me with some of the most amazing, supportive people to help me get through all of the stuff that's going on lately. Far, Ood, WK, and Dogen, I'd be out of my mind completely without you. Thank you!!!

A large number of nurses here only feel comfortable with disclosing their mental health challenges here. On one hand, how wonderful to have this great place to turn to. On the other hand, how sad is it that nursing doesn't accept mental illnesses well in the work place. If you didn't get to last week's thread and you want to bond with others who may share common experiences to your own journey, check out last week's WILTW, which has "ALWAYS taper your SSRIs" in its title.

You guys learn anything good this week? Perhaps something happy?

Small reminder - please try to keep this thread mostly related to topics regarding nursing, employment in nursing (including nursing assistants), or nursing student-related topics. Veering away from this too far will make the thread disappear, but it is okay to discuss side thoughts briefly, and always, always, always respond to each other with encouragement, questions, whatever you'd like to keep the conversation going. This thread is meant for hijacking, provided we stay mostly nursey. Thank you for this! I love these threads too much to see them leave the yellow side.

This week's video?

I'm fairly certain I've accidentally become this song. Except for the whore part.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I'm really hard to make squeamish but you have succeeded with the menstrual cup details!!!

Calling in my depo refill now so my cycle will continue to be suppressed....

I'm on the fence about them...I can't see myself undulating a cup insertion...too many bad memories of female condom use fails and my penchant for loving Kegel's make me content on using tampons.

Can't be on any high hormonal birth control due to my complex migraines and the concern that I basically will increase the risk of stroke-complex migraines are sometimes referred to as "angina headaches" due to the vasospasm properties that accompany the headaches-and since I can see a low dose hormone not doing anything, I'm no longer on birth control and at times it feels as though I'm in the first stages of puberty again.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

I've learned that the menstrual cup discussion makes me SO glad that I'm 5 years post menopausal and can zip right past "that aisle" at Kmart without wondering "do I need to get anything??"

I've also learned that being post menopausal has done wonders for my asthma.

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I've learned that the menstrual cup discussion makes me SO glad that I'm 5 years post menopausal and can zip right past "that aisle" at Kmart without wondering "do I need to get anything??"

I've also learned that being post menopausal has done wonders for my asthma.

Excuse my ignorance, but how does menopause affect asthma?

Apparently, animals have regional accents. I learned this from watching my British shows.

I learned that there has to be a tissue match for organ transplantation. I always thought that it was just blood compatibility.

Large bore IVs for blood transfusions are used to decrease chance for clotting and if administering more than 1 unit of blood.

In acute rejection, more immunosuppressants can be given to hopefully help the pt keep the organ. Hyperacute rejection means that the tissue isn't perfusing and the pt loses the organ.

I was recommended by an instructor to be a flight nurse down the road because I'm so tiny and would be able to work in a cramped space.

[Farawyn]

I love crackle posting her learning. It's like a refresher course!

Are you interested in flight nursing?

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I love crackle posting her learning. It's like a refresher course!

Are you interested in flight nursing?

Glad I can provide learning opportunities for students and nurses! I'll probably forget a lot of this information when I specialize, but at least it's documented.

I never really thought about it. As I've said before, I'm not dying for a certain specialty, but I like fast-paced chaos. I think flight nursing would definitely be an interesting experience.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I've learned that the menstrual cup discussion makes me SO glad that I'm 5 years post menopausal and can zip right past "that aisle" at Kmart without wondering "do I need to get anything??"

I've also learned that being post menopausal has done wonders for my asthma.

Several years before my surgery, I started taking BCP continuously, skipping the placebo week. It stopped my periods almost immediately. After a couple of months I thought "Wow! This is what it feels like to be a guy, except with boobs. No period, no crams, no backache, none of the other nasty things that go along with "that time."

I wish I had done that sooner. It would have saved me, and several others, a world of hurt.

[mc3, ASN, RN]

Thank you so much. *hugs* We never expected him to get laid off. It was a small mom & pop company & the owner would always talk about how family comes first (he was a God fearing man) & blah blah blah. But actions speak louder than words & his actions never lined up with his words so I never liked the dude.

When they laid off my husband they said they would help him get unemployment, well that couldn't be farther from the truth. What they told the unemployment office makes it sound like he quit & can't work. Which is making us worry if he is gonna get unemployment or not.

I tried working & I did for 2 weeks but then my bipolar disorder swung her nasty fist at me. I was picking apart my job & soon enough I just hated going to work. I'm sure even if I had the perfect job I would've done the same thing. I tried a different job, part time but I didn't even make it to orientation. By then my depression had set in & I was in too deep.

I don't know if I'll ever work again, I know it'll be awhile if I do. But for now I need to focus on me & not job hop. Maybe once I have gotten my bipolar disorder under control I can become an RN.

If they deny his unemployment claim make sure to appeal it. My husband went through the same thing and was initially denied, but won on appeal. (((hugs)))

mc3

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

If they deny his unemployment claim make sure to appeal it. My husband went through the same thing and was initially denied, but won on appeal. (((hugs)))

mc3

Awesome! Thank you so much! We will be sure to do that!!!! [emoji2] *hugs*

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

Awesome! Thank you so much! We will be sure to do that!!!! [emoji2] *hugs*

A vengeful former employer once tried to block my unemployment.

It went to an adjudicator. We were on a conference call with her (by voice alone she reminded me of Judge Judy lol). I told my side, they fum-fuh'd their way through some half assed excuses (I had all my ducks in a row, i's dotted and T's crossed-VERY important!!).

The Clinical Director actually tried to interrupt the adjudicator at one point. She was told "This is how it works. When you hear my voice, you sit and listen. When you don't hear my voice anymore, then you may talk". I had to mute the phone briefly because I couldn't stop laughing.

They were then pretty much told to sit down, shut up and stop trying to block my benefits. I got paid back to where I was first denied.

Sometimes the system works. Just remember to state the facts, keep your cool, don't get emotional (that was the hardest part for me; I was so pissed I was ready to bite lol), and follow the adjudicator's lead.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

A vengeful former employer once tried to block my unemployment.

It went to an adjudicator. We were on a conference call with her (by voice alone she reminded me of Judge Judy lol). I told my side, they fum-fuh'd their way through some half assed excuses (I had all my ducks in a row, i's dotted and T's crossed-VERY important!!).

The Clinical Director actually tried to interrupt the adjudicator at one point. She was told "This is how it works. When you hear my voice, you sit and listen. When you don't hear my voice anymore, then you may talk". I had to mute the phone briefly because I couldn't stop laughing.

They were then pretty much told to sit down, shut up and stop trying to block my benefits. I got paid back to where I was first denied.

Sometimes the system works. Just remember to state the facts, keep your cool, don't get emotional (that was the hardest part for me; I was so pissed I was ready to bite lol), and follow the adjudicator's lead.

Wow! That's terrible & I'm sorry you went through that. It's for my husband & he is a lot better at keeping his cool than I am. If it were me I would be screwed. Lol. I flip at the tip of a hat sometimes. But he can keep his cool in some of the craziest situations.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

No time to read any comments but when I read the part about REM. I have to opine. When I worked nights (paying my dues); I could not sleep during the day; period. I would be a literal zombie by day 3...and that's when it started happening. I was at work standing there listening to someone saying something and I just went into this dream. It was literally playing out in living color (how I usually dream) while I'm standing acting like I'm engaged in this total idol gossip. I shook my head and it went away. That's when I knew I had to get off of noc shift. Every now and than it would happen again, but I very quickly changed shifts (eve I hate). Than eventually a day position opened and it was my turn! I will never forget the dreams during the wake hours; astounding.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I learnt that being a full time nurse with fibromyalgia is sometimes really really really hard.

I've learnt that I really love working with elderly who have dementia

I've learnt that our health care assistants really do an amazing job and make my job so much better