The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Nurses reacting defensively is more common than one would think. Nursing in itself is an occupation that takes a great deal of schooling, continuing education, more schooling if one chooses to advance their practice. A nurse has a license to protect. It is one of the few occupations where there are clear differences from who we are as people and who we are as nurses. We have ethical and moral obligations, most of which have to be carried out under the spotlight as opposed to behind the scenes. They may be wildly different than our moral compass outside of work. The culture in which one practices has a great deal of say in how a nurse reacts when presented with questioning regarding said practice. Read More

Small children visiting patients in the critical care setting... thoughts?

I work in the ICU. We don't have too strict of rules in my opinion. One rule we have is that no children under the age of 12 can visit. We have this rule in place to not only protect the children but also to protect our possibly immunocompromised patient population. Family members get soo upset about this rule. They don't understand why their 2 year old can't visit grandma on the ventilator who has cdiff and lines and tubes in every hole. We have made exceptions. If a patient is dying and they want to come say good bye or whatever we let the children in. But if we expect the patient to recover we generally do not let the children come in. I have a 1 year old. I've tried to put myself in their shoes. I don't think I would let my child see his grandparents in that shape, nor would I want him exposed to MRSA/VRE/ESBL/CDIFF and I wouldn't want him to bring germs into the unit.

What are your thoughts? Children yes or no? I had a family member really yell at me yesterday, tell me I was a heartless person that needed prayer. I felt like my intentions were good... were they? Read More

Questions from new nurses...

Remember when you were a new nurse? ... all the questions you had. I'm sure you get a lot of questions from new nurses these days. Post the questions you remember the most. What's your most memorable question/moment? Which is the most often repeated question? Read More

Tattoos/Piercings in the workplace?

What do you guys think about tattoos and/or piercings in the work place? I know it's deemed "unprofessional", but let's be honest, everyone has different thoughts about it.

Do you have any policies for it at your job? I'm just curious. I have a tiny lip ring that can't even be noticed unless someone is dead in front of my face. I know I'll most likely have to take it out before I start nursing school-which is fine with me. As for tattoos, I only have one which can be easily covered so I'm not worried about that at all.

Do any of you have any tattoos/piercings? If so, where are they? Read More

Thought I would have a job by now. Getting depressed

I have been scrolling here and there on this website and I am sure this has been discussed, but I will ask for myself. I am a May graduate with my ADN and I am currently enrolled in the BSN program. I really thought by now I would have a job. I have applied to over 40 positions and I have even applied in the DFW area and still have not landed even one interview. I am really scared. I got into nursing school when I was 29, and here I am 31 now with a young child to care for and I can't get a job. If I go in person, they tell me to apply online. I leave my resume and nothing. I was top of my class and have experience and a trained phlebotomist and our instructors told us of this "nursing shortage" which I am realizing is either not here, or just bologna. I am starting to feel depressed as my student loans will be due to start in October and I just want to work. Any advice? Read More

Reactions to being a NP

When I tell people that I am in the NP program, most of their reactions center around "oh you're going to be earning a LOT!", "you'll always have job security" and "you're like a GOLD!" And though I don't disagree with all that, every time people say that about me and my future career, I feel like it cheapens my purpose for becoming a NP. I cringed when a family friend said to me "oh when you graduate, you can buy a Hermes purse every month!" I was like "Really?!?" Read More

No Barriers

We are nurses; essentially our main role is to "care" for the sick. Working in an institution which caters to patients belonging to different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, I sometimes come up short with the means of communicating with them. Not everyone speaks English and while I can fluently speak the main language of the region, there are other patients who come to us equipped only with the language of their own countries. We have language bank, yes, but the translators can only give us so much of their time. So we are left with hand signals and gestures to help us through our shifts. Personally, I like talking to my patients. I use this as a means of gathering more information about them and using what I learned in planning my care for them. I also would like to think that when I spend time listening to my patients, I somehow help them get through the stress of being admitted in the hospital. Care should know no barriers. Like love, it should transcend all boundaries. As a nurse, it is an essential part of my work to give my patients the care due to them regardless of their race, culture and spiritual background. Even in the busiest of shifts, one must find the time to make a patient feel that he is a person and not a "case of". Read More...

New grad - should I take this ER job?

I'm trying to rationalize a decision about work and weighing the pros and cons of receiving a good rate of pay vs. gaining experience. I've started working at hospital #1 PRN in the acute care unit. It's a great hospital in that it is the largest in the area and growing and I'll have a stable job. Yesterday I interviewed at hospital #2. It's the same distance from my home as hospital #1. They are a much smaller hospital that has been trying to come back from a financial crisis. They offered me a full-time position in either the CCU or ER - my choice. No doubt this is because their rate of pay is $5 less/hour than hospital #1 and they are much smaller. Read More

Does anyone else plan to stay in bedside?

I'm 24 and it seems that all my nursing friends my age and older only use bedside nursing as a stepping stone to CRNP,DNP, CRNA, and NM. I have no issue with that, it just seems like I'm the only one in the group that truly love bedside nursing and when I tell them that they are shocked. I also feel like they think it means I'm settling, but I didn't become a nurse not to work in bedside. I can totally see myself being one of those nurses still working the floor until I'm ready to roll over and die. Read More!

Corrective Action or Bullying?

As I have not been a nurse for long, I am always very upfront when I have questions regarding procedures or medications that I am unfamiliar with. From the beginning, when I asked questions I was frequently blown off or belittled. Overtime, I have had fewer questions, but still get rude responses when I do ask. This is the environment that I work in. This is not just one person being mean, but several managers.

About two months ago, I was called into the managers office about a blood transfusion I had administered... Read More

How to climb up the ladder

I always have felt that my place would be in management/administration. I would like if you would kindly share with me your ways of climbing up the ladder and moving up. I only know ICU and only worked as a staff nurse. Never had the experience of being a charge nurse or anything else. How did you go about going from an RNs to a manager or a director? Read More

New Nurse Pain Med Question

I am a new nurse working my first job in LTC (RN) for about 4 months. I am older (second career---know some of you younger ones question my motives for second career), but it is the job I wanted...anyway, in clinicals we were never to pass pain meds/narcs without full set of vitals, specifically respirations....so here is question. In my facility, I have been watching and NO ONE but me seems to follow that protocol. Specifically resident on Dilaudid.... I always do and chart it. Any answers or responses? Read More