Hello, everyone! ixchel has been a trooper, juggling many things on her plate, so I have relieved her for this coming week. Here are some of the things I've humbly learned throughout this week:
1. That confused LOL who presses the call light constantly, and presses it several times while you're in the room with her, is charming for the first 5 minutes you meet her. Every time the call light goes off after that makes you want to run in the opposite direction, as fast as you can. Now, I understand what people mean when they say they hear a call light going off during the night. I've been hearing call lights ever since I got home.
2. I'm almost as giddy as my patient when his Foley and wound V.A.C. are removed after weeks of being hospitalized.
3. I emptied my first colostomy bag and was able to teach my fellow cohorts how to do it as well. I've never felt so happy to see a BM (On a side note, am I the only one who notices that my BMs smell like my pt's later on in the day?).
4. A positive Kernig's and Brudzinski's sign are indicative of meningeal irritation and that's not good.
5. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram negative bacteria that is multidrug resistant. Also, not good.
6. Just plastering a smile on your face throughout the shift can really brighten people's days. Although internally, I might not be feeling it, I don't let it show because, come on, the people in the hospital need a LOT more cheering up than I do.
7. Don't inject air into Dilaudid because it will blow the end off the vial. Thankfully, I did not do this, and my instructor told me not to before I even started drawing it up. I also got to flush a central port.
8. My sarcasm and dark/dry humor is not wasted on my clinical mates.
9. There are doctors who don't see some tasks as "beneath them". Garbed in isolation dress, I poked my head out to have a fellow mate grab me some iced water. Seeing my searching gaze, a passing doctor - who was easy on the eyes - asked me what I needed and then brought me some water for my patient.
10. I've been having trouble with frequent urination, including waking up in the middle of the night, even though my bladder isn't that full. It's been irritating, and I'm wondering if I should go see my doctor sometime. I haven't been too concerned, but since it's been persisting for a month now, I do wonder... I've ran through, in my head, the possibilities of diabetes, cancer, and hyperthyroidism with my current symptoms.
It blows my mind that I can start applying for jobs in January. Like who me? But I just started nursing school, you want me to start being responsible for my own patients when? I'm so so grateful that I live in an area where they need nurses. All the local hospital systems start actively recruiting in January/February, even at my CC.
I live in a similar area...so naturally I want a job outside of that area, because I can never just make life easy for myself.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I received a voicemail from a MI hospital to schedule interview. I have a question, though.
It was for a Clinical Nurse II position, but said that graduate nurses would be considered. So should I not worry about the fact that it's a CN II position instead of CN I?
Likely depends on what the hospital defines as CN I and CN II. My facility defines a CN I as anyone within their 90 day probation period. When that 90 day period is up and it's eval time, they have to pass their eval and then become CN II. So, basically, any nurse working longer than 90 days in my facility is CN II regardless of experience level. If they state considering graduate nurses, I wouldn't be concerned.
Likely depends on what the hospital defines as CN I and CN II. My facility defines a CN I as anyone within their 90 day probation period. When that 90 day period is up and it's eval time, they have to pass their eval and then become CN II. So, basically, any nurse working longer than 90 days in my facility is CN II regardless of experience level. If they state considering graduate nurses, I wouldn't be concerned.
Thanks for that. I honestly couldn't remember which position it was for initially because it was over a month ago. Luckily, I did remember and also learned to write where, when, and what position I'm applying for future reference so I don't have that moment of panic.
Since I'm unable to drive up for an on-site interview, I'm to schedule an interview after I graduate. I'm hoping that I will hear back from other hospitals as well and hopefully can group them together so I don't have to drive back and forth.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I've learned that SSS (special snowflake syndrome) is not limited to the young. Or the new to the profession. Or even to our profession. Dr. Diva, anyone? New surgeon, very spoiled. Came in, didn't like our surgical instrumentation. So instead of getting raises this year, we bought $100,000 worth of surgical instruments. That will get used once or twice a week. It'll take years to recoup that spending, and because of having to maintain, repair, and replace, it'll probably never balance out. Meanwhile, our tried and true surgeons who have been with us for over 3 decades are dealing with instruments that should have been replaced years ago.
I've learned that a lot of staff (even those I thought would never do so) are letting patient safety slide. Policies not being followed, push back against those of us who want to do the right thing. And I'm debating who I need to talk to about it. Today, I had several people ganging up on me for it. I don't really want to talk to them about it because it'll probably be ignored or I'll continue to be ridiculed for actually doing the right thing, following policy, and CYAing myself. But I don't feel like I should go straight to someone up the chain of command yet either. Because we're adults and we're supposed to be able to work it out ourselves.
I learned this week that I *might* be making small strides in getting healthy again. The scrub pants I bought for school last June barely fit. Instead of going on a diet that I will inevitably cheat on or a strict exercise plan , I'm trying to slowly but surely make better food choices and I gave in to a late night infomercial and bought Cize (dancing exercise program). And I'm loving it. He's not hard of the eyes and since I used to dance a lifetime ago finding motivating to use it isn't nearly as hard as any other program I've tried.
I experienced that LOL for the first time today at clinicals. Had a small nosebleed (which I smiled to myself because I remembered the medical term is epitaxis). She pressed the call button repeatedly, even if all I did was walk to the entrance of her room for another pair of gloves!
Everyone in my class is freaking out about our test on Thursday, partly because it's a different teacher for the 2nd half and she's tough. I don't get test anxiety but they are rubbing off!
Despite that anxiety, after I picked up the she children from daycare today i only touched my books to move them out of the way. I'm pooped.
I got a small taste of how physically demanding nursing can be today. I assisted my coassigned nurse most of my short 6 hour shift and 4/5 of her patients were mostly total care. Hence why I'm pooped. Which reminds me that I really need to get in shape.
26 days until the semester ends. I have 2 quizzes, 2 lecture tests, a Kaplan Test, a lab presentation, a paper, and a final in said time frame. I did NOT have this crunch last semester. I don't like it, but I'm partly to blame because I could've handed in that paper whenever and still can.
I got my first choice for clinicals for semester! So thankful because it was the ONLY option that didn't require me to find extra babysitting outside of daycare. But it means driving an hour for my Psych rotation. Oh well. Small price to pay.
My boss gave me a substantial raise. If she gives me another raise anything remotely like it, it would be competing with starting wages for new grads. And I think I'm going to have to find a way to keep this job (work from home) and a full time nursing job AND do my RN to BSN online. My boss is absolutely amazing and has given me bonuses in times of financial crisis with no strings attached, I'd find it very very hard to leave my job and her completely I think.
Viva, I literally have no idea what you must be going through, but hugs from me too !
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I learned that going to the oncologist (tomorrow) for follow up still scares me, even though I have been feeling OK for the most part.
I also learned that I am still apprehensive about follow up appointments with my ortho specialist, whom I'm seeing right after the oncologist. This visit is going to mean the difference between being stuck in a boot for even more months, or finally getting to look for some shoes. Haven't done that in years.
I've learned that SSS (special snowflake syndrome) is not limited to the young. Or the new to the profession. Or even to our profession. Dr. Diva, anyone? New surgeon, very spoiled. Came in, didn't like our surgical instrumentation. So instead of getting raises this year, we bought $100,000 worth of surgical instruments. That will get used once or twice a week. It'll take years to recoup that spending, and because of having to maintain, repair, and replace, it'll probably never balance out. Meanwhile, our tried and true surgeons who have been with us for over 3 decades are dealing with instruments that should have been replaced years ago.
I've learned that a lot of staff (even those I thought would never do so) are letting patient safety slide. Policies not being followed, push back against those of us who want to do the right thing. And I'm debating who I need to talk to about it. Today, I had several people ganging up on me for it. I don't really want to talk to them about it because it'll probably be ignored or I'll continue to be ridiculed for actually doing the right thing, following policy, and CYAing myself. But I don't feel like I should go straight to someone up the chain of command yet either. Because we're adults and we're supposed to be able to work it out ourselves.
Sounds like you have a lot going on. I have found that, in the facilities in my areas, while some of the nurses are excellent and skilled, they don't have the resources to maximize and maintain patient safety. Even doing the best they can with what they have falls short occasionally. I hope that some changes are implemented to promote patient safety!
The nurses here are so appreciative when we're on the unit because we help with med passes and ADLs. Overall, I view the reality of understaffing and the customer service model as one of the biggest challenges I'll have to overcome as a graduate nurse. Hopefully, I'll be at a facility that seeks to adequately staff the floor, but that seems to be the exception rather than the norm these days.
I learned that going to the oncologist (tomorrow) for follow up still scares me, even though I have been feeling OK for the most part.
I also learned that I am still apprehensive about follow up appointments with my ortho specialist, whom I'm seeing right after the oncologist. This visit is going to mean the difference between being stuck in a boot for even more months, or finally getting to look for some shoes. Haven't done that in years.
I am really enjoying AspiringNurseMW's posts!
Thanks! 2 AN compliments in one day! I feel so special. Hahaha.
Sidebar.. I just noticed the new badges alongside our names on the desktop version on AN. I have almost 850 posts and it's all I can do not to comment randomly on every post I see because now all I want to do is get to 1000.😀😆🤓
When a lumber puncture returns CSF with sandy particles in it, that's usually bone fragments and not a good sign.
I have never seen that before; thanks for bringing it up! What sort of ICU did you have your rotation in?
Thanks for that. I honestly couldn't remember which position it was for initially because it was over a month ago. Luckily, I did remember and also learned to write where, when, and what position I'm applying for future reference so I don't have that moment of panic.
I kept an Excel spreadsheet with columns for hospital name, unit type, residency program yes/no, application date, and interview yes/no. It was the only way to remember what I'd applied to.
I just didn't even know I could hit this level of tired. School plus work has been really bad... paper due last Monday, paper due last Tuesday, test last Tuesday, quiz yesterday (Monday), test today, poster presentation today, and I worked 48 hours last week and am set up to work another 48+ this week. I am trying to achieve this round of overtime incentives at work but I am so busy with school it's been almost impossible. It didn't help that the guy who evaluated my poster pretty much ate me alive. I really wanted to say, "You know this is an undergraduate level class, right? You can take your years and years of research experience and shove them somewhere unpleasant right now."
Not to mention work has been almost unmanageable this week as far as stress goes - lots of people crumping when I'm already overloaded with three patients, lots of families being very emotionally needy. I got cried on twice this week and I can usually go months without anyone crying on me. Patient families are kind of like cats, I think - they sense when you don't have the energy and then practically come sit on you all shift. I turfed some of the emotional stuff onto the chaplains this week. God bless the chaplain service; it's nice to have someone else come talk to the patient families when all they want is the feels and I don't have any feels left.
Major kudos to everyone else working and going to school right now. We are amazing for living through it! :)
This week I learned that I really don't care that we're family focused, as the wife of a patient requested her 6th cup of coffee. My patience thin, I explained (straight up lied) that we were out of coffee until dietary restocked us, and that she should get some rest.
I'm not the nice nurse I thought I was.
I also pushed for something the doctor didn't think was necessary, and after explaining why it was, he ordered it. Win for the patient, first for me. I felt good afterwards.
Purple_roses
1,763 Posts
I live in a similar area...so naturally I want a job outside of that area, because I can never just make life easy for myself.