Sunday, January 18, 2009

32 posts · started Jan 18, 2009

cougarnurse Jan 18, 2009, 2:15 PM
Good morning, everyone! It's Sunday again, and it's finally warming up some here. :rolleyes:

So, what's up? Mom and I decided that we should all meet at their house today to celebrate Dad's birthday. No problem there. He was having a heck of a time with the chilled pipes.
AmandaWIRN Jan 18, 2009, 2:37 PM
Am coming down with something.... have a sore throat & runny nose, just generally feel like crap. :(

Had orientation in the ER on Friday, and Tomorrow night I am on my own. Usually 1 day is enough orientation, but I feel totally unprepared to be on my own. I can do all the nursing stuff no problem, but I feel like I did not learn enough about their paperwork, protocols, etc... We did not admit anyone in 12 hours, so I didn't learn their admission process, and it seemed like my preceptor would disappear for 30-45 minutes at a time, so..... I told whoever would listen that I did not feel prepared to fly solo Monday night- everyone just kind of smiled and said "ok", so we'll see what happens.

Like I told the charge nurse- I can take good care of my patients, and document that, but don't expect me to have all the correct paperwork completed when I haven't been taught how....
Robert F Jan 18, 2009, 4:18 PM
Good morning, everyone.

I am just getting off from a long shift on the trauma unit, and I am beat.
I agree with you Amanda, I wish that there was one Universal paperwork protocol for all hospitals in the US. Maybe then when the nursing homes send us a patient; their admit sheet will have a medical necessity on it.

One can dream.
cougarnurse Jan 18, 2009, 4:28 PM
Wait a tootin' second there, Medic! I always call and give report to the ER when I send a patient out, and many of my co-workers do, also. Getting the necessary paperwork done, AND getting patient ready for transport vs. when you guys arrive is not always optimal (meaning you guys fly). Have also found that what WE tell the crew vs. what the crew tells the hospital are 2 different things at times. :p :nurse-soapbox:

Oh, and we have different regulations vs. hospitals, also. Restraints are one of them, paperwork is another.
Robert F Jan 18, 2009, 5:01 PM
I am not talking about when I work EMS. I am talking about when I am in the ER or the Trauma Unit, and they bring in the patient from a nursing home.
cougarnurse Jan 18, 2009, 5:11 PM
Sending out Psych Eval's are even more of a headache. 5 copies of the damned Petition.....2 copies of face sheet (one is for EMS), Med sheets, DNR if applicable (AND on neon paper!)....you get the drift. Oh, and calling next of kin re: transfer. Geez; we have it under control!
orionseal Jan 18, 2009, 5:21 PM
Now Kids lets not fight here.

It dose seem to be that REG's get in the way of patient care though, AWA safety. We as Nurses(EMS too) get the brunt of the paperwork shoved on us no matter what setting we work in. The fact is that if we don't do it, it dosn't get done.
I see a lot of silly little REG's that could just get tosed as far as I'm concerned, but what would the pions from the State Board of inspector-gadgets do for a job if they didn't have us nurses to pick on? They would have to find a new line of work.

I can just see the list of accomplishments on an inspectors resume' 1) able to bully 15 nurses without breaking a sweat. 2)capable of fastidiously nitpicking every aspect of patient care at any long term care facility within moments of arival. 3)Having the distinction of never recieving a death threat because they fear I will haunt them for eternity. 4)able to hand out a ludicriss fine without cracking even the slightest bit of a grin.5) ECT.......

So untill some government agency finaly gets it through that the quickest way to reduce the cost of healthcare is to reduce the PAPERWORK we are stuck doing it.

Untill then we will be blaiming each other, nothing personal toward the EMS people, but it's the only way we maintain our sanity some nights.:nurse-soapbox:
cougarnurse Jan 18, 2009, 5:26 PM
I don't suffer from insanity.....I enjoy every minute of it!

Honestly, orion, 'The State' may have their job to do, but they ARE too nitpicky. WE see the patients day in and day out, NOT them. Charting on 120 patients 24/7? Ok...60 patients; we split them up. I won't go on right now, as I'll blow a fuse on the subject. :nurse-soapbox:

Mind you, I still love my little old folks. :D
orionseal Jan 18, 2009, 5:29 PM
I gave up on the fuses and had breakers installed, that way I have somthing to flip instead of my finger when the inspectors are in house.
cougarnurse Jan 18, 2009, 5:46 PM
Somewhere in the forum is a post or two about the Inspection From Hell. We got 'visited' on a Sunday of all things. Boss not ready for several reasons...the main one I will NOT get into. What a freaking mess.
cassioo Jan 18, 2009, 8:57 PM
my my I missed the fight :)

I went to church this morning then it was pouring down when I stopped on the way home for the paper. I cleared up enough that I ran over and walked a little while on the beach then it clouded back up and poured again now it's clear again....We've just been planning or week in Orlando for Disney. Got a good discount at one of the Disney resorts for the last 3 days of our trip....a week including hotel, meals and disney tickets for less then $1000 for 3 of us not too bad.
cougarnurse Jan 18, 2009, 9:56 PM
Sorry, but no fight here! Just cheesed off at all the poop we put up with.

Am at the folks right now, chilling out. Trying to do pt. teaching on Mom, but it's pretty hard. *Sigh*
cougarnurse Jan 19, 2009, 1:18 AM
I just knew it, 'Manda! I can just tell you're gonna have to keep an eye on Soldier. Methinks 'the boys' are gonna be planning something real soon. :p Geez....male bonding! :nurse-rofl:
Robert F Jan 19, 2009, 1:44 AM
orionseal wrote:Now Kids lets not fight here.

It dose seem to be that REG's get in the way of patient care though, AWA safety. We as Nurses(EMS too) get the brunt of the paperwork shoved on us no matter what setting we work in. The fact is that if we don't do it, it dosn't get done.
I see a lot of silly little REG's that could just get tosed as far as I'm concerned, but what would the pions from the State Board of inspector-gadgets do for a job if they didn't have us nurses to pick on? They would have to find a new line of work.

I can just see the list of accomplishments on an inspectors resume' 1) able to bully 15 nurses without breaking a sweat. 2)capable of fastidiously nitpicking every aspect of patient care at any long term care facility within moments of arival. 3)Having the distinction of never recieving a death threat because they fear I will haunt them for eternity. 4)able to hand out a ludicriss fine without cracking even the slightest bit of a grin.5) ECT.......

So untill some government agency finaly gets it through that the quickest way to reduce the cost of healthcare is to reduce the PAPERWORK we are stuck doing it.

Untill then we will be blaiming each other, nothing personal toward the EMS people, but it's the only way we maintain our sanity some nights.:nurse-soapbox:
Now Kids lets not fight here.
Who's fighting?
SoldierNurse Jan 19, 2009, 2:06 AM
AmandaWIRN wrote:Methodist Main, in the ER.

My wife works NE Methodist Cath Lab Holding. Part of her orientation was at Methodist Main. I don't envy your daily commute. Hope you get to feeling better soon.
SoldierNurse Jan 19, 2009, 2:11 AM
cougarnurse wrote:I just knew it, 'Manda! I can just tell you're gonna have to keep an eye on Soldier. Methinks 'the boys' are gonna be planning something real soon. :p Geez....male bonding! :nurse-rofl:

Cat, please behave. Again, I have no idea what you are meaning. Wife & I live near and work in SA so naturally I was curious which hospital in SA Amanda is at. Just as I was curious you ignored my grandpa thread. :p
AmandaWIRN Jan 19, 2009, 2:28 AM
SoldierNurse wrote:My wife works NE Methodist Cath Lab Holding. Part of her orientation was at Methodist Main. I don't envy your daily commute. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

The commute isn't too bad- my company has me in an apartment on Medical Drive, less than a mile from the hospital, but yes, this area can get pretty congested.....
cougarnurse Jan 19, 2009, 2:44 AM
Soldier, you obviously forgot about the thread where you and Medic were running rampant, then you didn't show up for a while. The 'joke' (which you keep forgetting) is that you were MIA getting back from Medic's place. Sheesh. Thus, 'Manda has to keep an eye out for you. :rolleyes:
SoldierNurse Jan 19, 2009, 2:50 AM
AmandaWIRN wrote:The commute isn't too bad- my company has me in an apartment on Medical Drive, less than a mile from the hospital, but yes, this area can get pretty congested.....

That is awesome your apt is so close.
SoldierNurse Jan 19, 2009, 2:53 AM
cougarnurse wrote:Soldier, you obviously forgot about the thread where you and Medic were running rampant, then you didn't show up for a while. The 'joke' (which you keep forgetting) is that you were MIA getting back from Medic's place. Sheesh. Thus, 'Manda has to keep an eye out for you. :rolleyes:

You scare me sometimes.
cougarnurse Jan 19, 2009, 3:01 AM
Well, I'm not the one who went MIA! Sheesh! No sense of humour anymore.

If I were you, I'd personally be more worried about my upcoming trip in the late summer. TRUST me on that one. Had to have other half talk me out of a very hare-brained scheme. :rolleyes: Then again, you might just be all for it, and wanting to help.....
SoldierNurse Jan 19, 2009, 3:19 AM
cougarnurse wrote: I might as well call it a night. Hope to see quite a few of you tomorrow. :)

LOL, you definitely need a good nights sleep. Maybe then you will make more sense. :p
SoldierNurse Jan 19, 2009, 3:39 AM
cougarnurse wrote:Well, I'm not the one who went MIA! Sheesh! No sense of humour anymore.

If I were you, I'd personally be more worried about my upcoming trip in the late summer. TRUST me on that one. Had to have other half talk me out of a very hare-brained scheme. :rolleyes: Then again, you might just be all for it, and wanting to help.....

How can be worried when I have not a clue what your saying.