Congratulations graduates! You worked hard and now you're prepping for that NCLEX. Some people say it's the hardest exam they've ever taken. You may get nauseated (I did) before it's done.
Please, grads, don't find your way into your state's Board of Nursing (BON) newsletter for getting a ding or losing your license. Trust me, keep it clean and shiny. You are worth it!
Here are some of the things I noticed in this edition:
1. Use respectful language.
Yes, believe it or not, one RN was censured due to this little problem. They just keep piling on the issues, too, as they did for this nurse, if you're really a pain (unauthorized record access, changing orders, etc.)
Just say no.
2. For all of you nursing instructors out there, don't dope slap your nursing students.
One RN did and she was written up in this BON newsletter. One word: priceless. I think some of my nursing instructors may have thought it, but no one ever did it.
3. Don't steal a resident's purse, then get something from the med room and shoot up.
This nurse did. She obviously forgot the video cameras reported her every move.
4. Don't ask nursing students to do the wrong thing.
Telling your student to give a patient normal saline instead of Dilaudid is a perfect example. Someone will notice. The patient did and reported the nurse.
5. If you forget a specimen, get it to the lab. Do not take it home.
Yes, someone actually took a specimen from a procedure home, since the nurse forgot to send it along. A technician found it when cleaning the room. Admit your mistakes, but get it to the lab!
6. Drug testing is not optional.
Just remember: your facility policy is not optional. Compliant is a lot different than "slightly compliant".
7. Do not forget to document drug wastes.
Always, always, always waste drugs per your facility policy (we have special containers for various classes of drugs) and make sure you document appropriately. Your license really does depend on it.
Many happy returns and best wishes for a long nursing career!
Showing posts with label edition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edition. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Just in time for the holidays...
Ah, it is always an interesting time reading the RehabLand Board of Nursing newsletter. So here's today's edition of what not to do as a nurse.
Don't say those licensing people forget the holidays...be careful out there!
Things not to do as a nurse: the holiday edition.
1. Don't sleep on the job.
Yes, that nicely made bed looks comfy, but if you forget to wake up, you have a problem. NOTE: some facilities do let you take power naps, but remember, you are PAID to come to WORK (notice the items in caps).
There are some expectations that come with that.
2. Forget to pay your income taxes.
Here in RehabLand, the Department ofTake it all Revenue can report you if you don't and you can lose your license. According to the numbers, almost 25% of nurses lost their license last year due to tax issues.
3. Don't force someone to do something they refuse to consent to do, like take a bath.
Do the words assault and battery mean anything to you? I knew they did. Patient says no, you document to CYA.
4. Drive while intoxicated.
They shouldn't have to tell you "when to say when" if you are a health care provider. But if you tend to be indulgent, get someone else to drive.
5. Fail to monitor a patient and act accordingly.
The example used in RehabLand's newsletter was disgusting. An RN (old one at that--we can tell by their license numbers) flat out did NOTHING for a patient who became sick in the morning. Let him/her throw up, wait until nights when said patient drops the phone, while satting at 82% (normally 100% person on room air) and passes out.
The night nurse had to call EMS to take this person to the ER.
And finally the topper of this edition:
6. Don't let residents who are supposed to be on the unit (per orders) out.
Another old RN decided to go on a smoke break and six (not one two or three...) residents who were confined indoors got out of the facility. One, Z., was gone for so long that he/she did not get scheduled insulin, had glucose issues, passed out and fell out of his/her wheelchair.
Old RN left Z on the ground, got the other 5 back into the building, hoisted Z back into a chair and told a CNA to take Z to his/her room. No assessment, no documentation, no nothing.
Z sustained a head injury, which was later diagnosed when Z started having other issues.
Don't say those licensing people forget the holidays...be careful out there!
Things not to do as a nurse: the holiday edition.
1. Don't sleep on the job.
Yes, that nicely made bed looks comfy, but if you forget to wake up, you have a problem. NOTE: some facilities do let you take power naps, but remember, you are PAID to come to WORK (notice the items in caps).
There are some expectations that come with that.
2. Forget to pay your income taxes.
Here in RehabLand, the Department of
3. Don't force someone to do something they refuse to consent to do, like take a bath.
Do the words assault and battery mean anything to you? I knew they did. Patient says no, you document to CYA.
4. Drive while intoxicated.
They shouldn't have to tell you "when to say when" if you are a health care provider. But if you tend to be indulgent, get someone else to drive.
5. Fail to monitor a patient and act accordingly.
The example used in RehabLand's newsletter was disgusting. An RN (old one at that--we can tell by their license numbers) flat out did NOTHING for a patient who became sick in the morning. Let him/her throw up, wait until nights when said patient drops the phone, while satting at 82% (normally 100% person on room air) and passes out.
The night nurse had to call EMS to take this person to the ER.
And finally the topper of this edition:
6. Don't let residents who are supposed to be on the unit (per orders) out.
Another old RN decided to go on a smoke break and six (not one two or three...) residents who were confined indoors got out of the facility. One, Z., was gone for so long that he/she did not get scheduled insulin, had glucose issues, passed out and fell out of his/her wheelchair.
Old RN left Z on the ground, got the other 5 back into the building, hoisted Z back into a chair and told a CNA to take Z to his/her room. No assessment, no documentation, no nothing.
Z sustained a head injury, which was later diagnosed when Z started having other issues.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Survival skills: conference edition
What to know at most conferences:
1. Bring a sweater. Those rooms are freezing.
2. Get used to getting close to people. Those rooms are freezing, 'cause they'll pack you in like sardines. I choose the seat near the door, myself.
3. Watch your schedule and move appropriately. Otherwise, you won't get a seat.
4. Keep your eyes open. You never know when you'll run into people you know...or would like to meet. There are famous characters all over the place. The one MD famous for a standard test we do was in a session I was in recently. Very nice fellow, too.
5. And when you see them, and they have time, ask questions. You are here to learn something.
6. Have fun. Learning doesn't have to be all studying, sitting and getting hit by rulers (no rulers here!)
More to come...off I go again.
1. Bring a sweater. Those rooms are freezing.
2. Get used to getting close to people. Those rooms are freezing, 'cause they'll pack you in like sardines. I choose the seat near the door, myself.
3. Watch your schedule and move appropriately. Otherwise, you won't get a seat.
4. Keep your eyes open. You never know when you'll run into people you know...or would like to meet. There are famous characters all over the place. The one MD famous for a standard test we do was in a session I was in recently. Very nice fellow, too.
5. And when you see them, and they have time, ask questions. You are here to learn something.
6. Have fun. Learning doesn't have to be all studying, sitting and getting hit by rulers (no rulers here!)
More to come...off I go again.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Happy Birthday CoS!
It's the birthday edition over at Change of Shift, hosted this week by Kim at emergiblog. Go check it out!
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