Jun 12 - Jun 18 Hottest New Topics

• Grow Brave Through Reflection: Moral Distress in PICU (Part I)
• Unequal Care Access for Children With Public Insurance
• Second Chances
• THAT Moment...
• Now, if ALL places were run like this...tell me what you think!
• The "dirty" side of nursing...
• For the new crop of CPNE study-ers ....
• Where have all the jobs gone?

• Clinical Supervisor III OR (CH) - Valley Health System - NV
• RN-ED/TRAUMA-SPT - Froedert Health - Milwaukee, WI
• RN-ED/TRAUMA-SPT - Milwaukee, WI
• RN - Observation Unit - Baylor Health - Dallas, TX
• R.N. II - Citrus Valley Health Partners - Covina, CA

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Grow Brave Through Reflection: Moral Distress in PICU (Part I)

Pediatric critical care nursing is a distressing profession on many levels. The innocence and vulnerability of our patients, the emotional needs of their families, the frenetic pace, the immediacy of our actions and the complexity of the care we provide all contribute to our discernment of distress in our workplaces. But perhaps even more difficult to quantify is the impact of moral distress on our coworkers and ourselves. This four-part essay will examine moral distress from the unique perspective of a PICU nurse, identifying stressors, related behaviours and healthy methods of coping.

Unequal Care Access for Children With Public Insurance

Access to outpatient care is restricted for children with public insurance compared to those with private insurance, according to a study published in the June 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Second Chances

I failed 2nd semester nursing school.I wallowed in misery for a bit, then I picked myself back up again. I did my remediation and was given a second chance. Woo-hoo, I moved onto 3rd semester:) and I encourage those who are at their breaking point to look into their soul and make a plan.

THAT Moment...

During fourth semester clinical on a hospital trauma floor, several members of my clinical group were invited to observe placement of a wound VAC on an unusually large, open wound. Because I have learned, through my clinical experiences, that I am very fond of large, open wounds (never thought I would say that!), I quickly accepted the offer to observe. As I entered the room, I admit I was shocked to see a partially covered, morbidly obese male in his mid-twenties lying in the bed with a gangrenous wound covering most of his right leg. I quickly said hello to the attending doctors and nurse, and retreated to an area of the room where I could covertly observe.

Now, if ALL places were run like this...tell me what you think!

I was reading a few threads on 'customer service' running amok, and wanted to share how things work at my current clinic. I swear, if all places would impart these rules/guidelines, the world of nursing would be so much better to work in.

The "dirty" side of nursing...

I'm a nursing student and as dumb as this may sound, does the gross side of nursing ever get easier to handle? Does dealing with poop and sputum start to gross you out less after a while? Do catheters and genital upkeep become less uncomfortable? These are the areas I'm kind of having a hard time stomaching right at the moment and its making me question my decision to enter nursing school.

For the new crop of CPNE study-ers ....

Just a tip about practicing your grid: get yourself an 8.5x11-sized erasable white board and use it to practice making grids. I wrote the different AOCs on pieces of paper and would draw 3 or 4 of them at random out of a baggie, then make a grid. It was helpful -- I could do my grid in my sleep by the time my CPNE rolled around. Haha ... it was 3 years ago TODAY that I completed my CPNE, how funny.

Where have all the jobs gone?

About a year ago I began to get the feeling, as the economy dove, the places paying bonuses and reimbursements would dwindle. They did and are now all but extinct! I then began to feel that in order to get a job you might need more than just a diploma and license. Did I fret? NO, I have years of nurse assistant experience and quite a good attitude and thought as long as I put my foot in the door a job will line itself up.

Enter Portland.....a land where they happen to be hiring gobs and gobs of nurses, as long as you have at least one year EXPERIENCE. Then there are the rest of us who graduated from a hard and tear-producing nurse program, wide-eye and bushy tailed, ready to enter into the rest of our lives. And there are NO jobs, anywhere. Not LTC, SNF, Home Care, Hospital, Clinic, etc.

So now what?