Throwaway account. I work on a busy med surg floor where my ratio is 1:10 (I’m in northern Canada). At the start of my shift, my patient coded and passed away after two hours of intervention. Family was hysterical. Then slammed with two admissions at the same time. Code on the other side of the unit now. Eight hours into my shift and I am absolutely flying. I check my phone, and my boyfriend of six months (we don’t live together) is INSISTING on coming by to “visit me.” I’ve had issues in the past with people not respecting my professional boundaries, but I’m really struggling to explain it to my current partner. How do you explain to your partner (or even family and friends) that they can’t just casually show up to your job site like they could their other friends? To me it would be the equivalent of showing up on a construction site with no hard hat. I’d never do that to him if the tables were turned. But it’s difficult to explain the intricacies and complexities of nursing.

Hello, fine people of this group, hoping someone works in the Connecticut area for Hartford healthcare that can assist me. I have spent weeks emailing and calling the patient advocacy groups and Helpdesk about a potential HIPAA breach on my MyChart without any luck. Long story short I discovered my husband cheating on me last September and immediately went to my OB to get a very large STD screen to make sure I was safe while divorcing him. During our court date I thought it was odd. he was screaming. I was a whore and when I asked him who he thought I was sleeping with he said obviously you’re sleeping around if you’re getting STD tests. There is no way anyone would know I had those tests on unless they access to my chart. Well wouldn’t you know I found out that his mistress is a nurse for Hartford healthcare. I am worried sick that she’s accessed all of my private health information. Does anyone have a good contact at Hartford healthcare? I am so shocked they do not take this HPA breach seriously they have not called me back. Responded to my emails. I’m ready to Send it to the attorney general at this point. It was bad enough getting cheated on but to have my personal records, rummage through is just terrible. I obviously want to make sure she actually did access the records before I send anything on. This should not be this hard, any help is appreciated.

Just got my results back and I failed my second attempt at my NCLEX in 85 questions. I failed my first attempt at 130 questions and I officially have decided that I don’t want to be a nurse anymore. Thank you to everyone who’s commented on my other post. Nursing school and NCLEX have officially taken over my mental health and I can no longer sacrifice myself. Congratulations to everyone who’s tested this week and passed. I wish this was the case for me but I believe rejection is protection 🙏🏻

My work is doing a bonus where if you work 6 shifts for 2 months, you get paid the overtime plus $10,000 bonus. My parents are extremely cheap and as soon as I told them about the bonus, they told me to do it. I work night shifts so if I do work 6 shifts a week, I will have no days off. My parents said that since I’m young, I need to work. They were both immigrants so they had to work at a very young age. They don’t believe that young people should have fun, but work. They keep pushing me to do it and idk if it’s worth it. I’m single so im afraid they will have to take a lot of taxes out. I do live with my parents and they don’t ask for rent. My parents wants me to give them the bonus.

In the wake of the recent killing of United Health CEO Thompson, does anyone have any idea how to approach making a memorial list/page of patients killed by insurance company decisions, and to help it go viral? I'm just an idea guy, but would love to pass the ball to people who could make it happen!

Update: f you have an idea for a website domain name, share it in the comments!

Update 2: Please comment here if you'd like to volunteer! https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/s/7PVYFsZWlc

Update 3: We've created a new sub where family members, medical professionals, and others harmed by insurance decisions can share their experiences https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeDenied/s/XOJAJHXoUQ

For context I am a new grad, I’ve been a nurse for a year and 23 days. I work nights on medsurg and usually have 7 patients.

At the start of my shift, I get report on one of my patients who comes in with a history of CVA and chronic pain. He’s NPO & getting bowel prep for a colonoscopy tomorrow. He calls at around 7:30 pm to ask if there’s anything he can have for pain, his pain he tells me is 10/10. He is unable to take anything PO, and has nothing for IV. I let the doctor know via text because as I am told by charge, “he doesn’t like to be called”.

I go in to another patients room to assist her to the commode when a doctor walks by the room and calls me by name from the hallway. Asked me to step out, pulling me from my patient. I quickly get my patient back into bed and ask him how I could be of assistance.

He immediately says in a very angry tone, “let me teach you something. This patient is not in 10/10 pain. He is not screaming, crying, writhing in pain.” I looked at him and said, “Sir, that’s just what he told me his pain was at…” The dr shook his head, cut me off, put his hand up to stop me: “Next time, use your nursing assessment.” He stormed off the unit.

I went back into my previous patients room to let her know I would be back in shortly, but as the interaction was right outside of her door, I am positive she heard this man yell at me in the hallway and basically call me stupid. She was talkative before the interaction, and very quiet afterwards.

I couldn’t help but excuse myself from the room and start crying. I felt stupid. He made me feel stupid. Am i supposed to just tell patients they’re lying about their pain? Next time should I not go by what a patient is telling me? Am I being a sensitive baby? I usually never let things like this bother me, but the fact that this was basically in front of a patient where this doctor is questioning my nursing judgment just felt very… violating???

Thanks in advance, any feedback or advice is appreciated.

I wanted to call her "ma'am" but it came out wrong . How do I fake my death?

Looking for advice and wondering if this is ethical???

My boyfriend was recently put into the ICU unit under 24hr watch. Only his parents were allowed to visit for the first three days. Today he was transferred to a behavioral health unit at a different hospital. A few hours after he left, his previous nurse (same age as him and looks a lot like me) followed him on Instagram, and reached out to him via DM saying “I hope it’s going well over there… how are you feeling? :)”

BTW He shares his Instagram password with me because I help him post for his business. This is his personal/business page.

Is this normal nurse procedure? You’d think it was a little unprofessional reaching out via DM to a patient that only left a few hours prior. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it and feel really put off.

Thoughts??? :(

I made a huge mistake and lost my license for a short period of time. I did all the things necessary to remediate my license. I have an active license but with temporary narcotic restrictions. I’ve been sober since the day this has happened (3 years now) and I regret it every second of everyday. I’ve applied for 50 jobs went on probably 30 interviews to be turned away every time. I just don’t know where to turn at this point. I can’t afford life and the stress of all of this is really getting to me. Has anyone had any luck finding a job with a restriction? What field? How did you convince them to give you a chance? Yes I made a stupid mistake but I’m a good nurse, I have ICU experience and a bachelor’s (that I can’t even pay for at the moment) Am I screwed or should I keep trying? Please be kind. Every mean thing anyone could think of saying to me I’ve already said to myself I beat myself up everyday for this. I just want to be a nurse again and make things right. Please any advice is much appreciated.

I was physically shook by a surgeon I work with yesterday during a surgery because they were upset that I did not have a device that they typically use. I had gone to lunch and the team covering my case did not grab everything on the surgeon’s preference. I did not notice, because I was trying to expedite the turnover of that case, I was focused on getting our patient into the OR. Anyways all of a sudden she asked for it and I realized I missed that. As I was turning to ask my nurse to please grab that device for us, my surgeon grabbed me by both shoulders and physically shook me while she yelled in my face about how could I forget she uses this device every single case. I was so shocked I don’t react I was deer in the headlights frozen. When she stopped she laughed it off and I laughed too, honestly I think because I was nervous. I shook it off but I went home with so much anxiety and stress and I felt like I wanted to ask my boss to give me a break from working with this surgeon. This morning, at 4am I called off my shift today because I couldn’t fathom handling that level of stress. What happened kept bothering me and I finally called my boss to tell her about it and tell her this is why I called off. She told me she is glad I told her and I need to file an incident report etc. my question is, has anyone ever reported a doctor for assault and how did the approach go. I was told I will need to sit down with HR as well. I’m just concerned because I don’t make the hospital millions every year as a doctor but I do make them millions as part of a surgical team. I want to know if I should expect “quiet retaliation” (much like quiet quitting except on the employer’s behalf.) Any nurses ever experience this?

I am a new grad, 4 months into my new job and I think I may have walked into the most “I’m a nurse because I am passionate about helping people” unit there is. I am struggling because I feel like a fraud. My passion is not helping people through the worst moments of their life. I am sympathetic, respectful, and kind. But it’s not my reason for being a nurse. I became a nurse because I’m interested in the science, the pay, and the wide range of opportunities. I need to get at least a year under my belt, but I'm already dreading my shifts. How do I stay true to my "why" when I'm surrounded by (what feels like) altruistic saints?

I woke up this morning to a suspension following a HIPAA investigation, I had to go to HR today.

Awhile ago I was involving in two traumas that came into our ED, they were a pair who were involved in an MVC. Patient A was in stable condition and patient B was coding by the time they got to the ER. We had a code team working patient B and I was handling patient A with other nurse.... who while in the stabilization process told me, "they're good, go help patient B." I immediately responded back and foolishly said "they're coding room 10," who was patient B. I never said any names.... but the patient A heard me and started crying....

I felt absolutely horrible and cannot believe I made such a dumb mistake saying that. But i was pulled onto HR who argued that this is a breach in HIPAA because patients know what "coding" is and that the patient could have known who room 10 was since they came in one minute apart.

They wanted me to write an official statement about it to submit to out HIPAA officer of the hospital but I told them I didn't feel comfortable doing thay today because I was ill... and I said I would do it monday. They then agreed and asked me if i had my badge with me, right before telling me I would be suspended until further notice.

Seeking any advice here.

Hey nurses,

I just got home from a pretty traumatic experience as a patient in the ICU after some post surgery complications. I was intubated and unconscious for two days and then spent a further two nights under obs.

Most of my ICU nurses were absolutely incredible but I had an experience with my overnight nurse that isn’t sitting well with me.

The shift supervisor came to check on me around 5am and I ended up having a big cry to her while she held my hand, I was in a lot of shock. My male icu nurse who’d looked after me all night was there too, and after the supervisor left he kept chatting to me, but started asking really personal questions and sort of almost emotionally dumping on me about stuff that had happened in his life. At this point I hadn’t slept or eaten for 4 nights, was high on endone, delirious, and feeling very vulnerable having had this nurse cleaning me up all night, changing my pads, etc.

He kept telling me he had a career consultant / mentor side business and was saying he wanted to help me find my “path in life”, got a paper towel and a pen and told me to write my contact details on it. I am a chronic people pleaser and struggle to say no, so not knowing what to do, I actually gave him a fake email but then he said he had a “problem with his email” and asked for my number. He also said he already had my details in the system anyway, but he was asking for my consent and to keep it confidential or he’d get in trouble.

I just wanted him to go away so gave him my number thinking I can just not answer if he contacts me. It started getting a bit weird at this point - he kept telling me I was special and beautiful, his favourite patient he’d ever had in years of being a nurse, and kept touching me more than I would’ve liked (not in a sexual way at all but trying to hold my hands etc, to the point when I was pulling away because it was too much) he also basically forced me into a hug near the end of his shift. I was trapped on the ICU bed so just ended up in a very close hug with this nurse with his face touching mine and I was not comfortable.

I know I should’ve mentioned it to the shift supervisors or asked for a social worker to talk to but at that point, I was so exhausted I just wanted to be out of hospital and forget about it. But now I’m feeling a lot of shame and disgust at myself for letting it happen and just feel confused.

I don’t really know what to do with this now, I don’t want to ruin his job or life by reporting as the guy just seemed lonely and was generally a great nurse other than this weird last hour or two of the shift. I’m starting to question my sense of reality and feel really uncomfortable thinking back on it now. My life was basically in the hands of this person and it was the most exposed I’ve ever felt in my life. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom independently so was in pads and with rhe laxatives they’d given me, he had seen it all that night and cleaned me several times.

The rest of the nurses were so professional and amazing to me on what was the worst night of my life so far, which made the weird behaviour stand out more.

Is this a reportable thing or is it normal for lines to sometimes get blurred in places like ICU? I was so emotional and exposed at the time that I don’t believe I had the capacity to consent to anything, but I still feel sick that I went along with it.

Should I just chalk this up to a weird night and forget about it or would the other nurses at the hospital want me to report it? I don’t know.

Update: I am completely overwhelmed with the responses to this post but wanted to thank you all for validating my experience and feelings that something wasn’t right here. I’ve read every single comment and it has helped me find me the strength to tell my family about it, who will help me get in touch with the hospital and report the incident this week. If I can prevent any other patients feeling the way I did coming out of that experience, it will be worth it.

I also wanted to say that the past week has left me in complete awe of the work ICU nurses do. You are angels on earth and the kindness and dignity that every other nurse showed me in my darkest moments has changed me forever and will stay with me for life. One of the nurses brushed and braided my hair while I was intubated as it had become so knotted from me thrashing around under sedation. Another shared tears of happiness with me after she removed my nasogastric tube. The night shift supervisor had been an ICU nurse for 25 years and was the most badass, compassionate lady I’ve ever met. It broke my heart to hear about some of the abuse and dangerous situations you all endure at work. You guys are truly amazing and make the world a better place with the work you do.

L&D nurse here. In the past two weeks I have seen or heard of around half a dozen patients want to decline vitamin K for their newborns. Now thankfully nearly all of them have changed their minds after speaking with the pediatric team.

This cannot be a coincidence as this used to be a once in a year or so thing. I am suspicious because instead of being concerned about ingredients or big pharma nonsense, these people are saying it's just unnecessary, we went thousands of years without it.

Is anyone else noticing this? What's the root of this nonsense? I'm curious because I'd like to find the root of the misinformation to have better quality conversations with my patients.

I am feeling overwhelmed and defeated! Let me start by giving a little context. I am from Wisconsin. I went to nursing school in Wisconsin, took my NCLEX, passed my first attempt and currently hold an active WI Compact nursing license. Sounds great right? Well, I just recently moved to Florida. We’re talking a week ago. I was just made aware, that only a few weeks ago, Florida changed their licensure by endorsement requirements!!! Now, in the state of Florida, if you are applying for licensure by endorsement (hold an active license in another state and are changing your primary address to Florida) YOU MUST BE A PRACTICING RN FOR 3 OUT OF THE 4 YEARS PRECEDING YOUR APPLICATION!!! If you do NOT meet the 3 year rule, you have to RETAKE THE NCLEX! I have called and emailed more people than I can count and the bottom line is that although I am licensed in Wisconsin and have been an active RN in WI for 2 years but because it hasn’t been 3 years, I NOW HAVE TO RETAKE THE NCLEX IN FL!! I am feeling defeated, angry, frustrated and all the above. How is this legal?!? How can I feel confident that I will pass my first attempt again?! I don’t even remember how to study for it!! Good job Florida!! The state with the lowest NCLEX passing rates and creating an even bigger nursing shortage for yourself.

LTACH. I've only been a nurse for 3 years, so im looking for some advice, please tell me if/where I went wrong.

I was walking a newer nurse through her very 1st IV insertion. pt was young, but frail and chronic, tons of commorbities and pain. Fluids ordered for slight hyponatremia (134), nothing acute, happens about every 3-4 months. pt has a very dark skin tone, so no bright blue lines to follow. Not many options for veins either, but there was a skinny, palpable and visible vein in the hand that I thought would be perfect for a first time and handed her a #24.

She nailed it, secured it perfectly, was so proud. I was so proud for her! She hung her fluids and was beaming ready to update the charge. Supervisor and 2x seasoned nurses immediately told her "that's too small and it's gonna blow right away, they need at least a #22" and told her to go try again.

22 is standard at my facility, #20 for blood. Why they said "at least a #22" for NS was wild to me, but I digress..

Maybe im wrong, and that's why posting here to learn more, but I think a #24 is fine for NS @ 125ml/hr for 16 hours. Obviously a #22 would've been ideal, but after 1x miss we were running out of real estate, and I just wanted my girl to succeed and be able to run her fluids safely, which I genuinely believe a #24 was sufficient.

I was pissed for her that her big accomplishment was immediately shot down by the seasoned nurses that she looks up to.

I'm still proud of her, and that IV was still going strong 8 hours later at shift change, so homegirl succeeded IMO.

A lot of venting, but please educate me if I'm right or wrong.

So i just finished my second day on my own off orientation last night on a neuro medicine unit (I had 5 days of buddy shifts), and I was working a 12hr nights.

Apparently I was supposed to pick up another patient at 11pm even though I had two admissions during the shift. However the nurse that was leaving at 11 never came up to me to give me report on the patient I would be picking up for her. She didn’t leave a handover note in epic either. She just left.

It also wasn’t on the assignment board either, apparently the charge nurse decided I would be picking up the extra patient sometime during the shift and wrote it on a piece of paper where the assignment is written on.

It wasn’t until 4am where the charge nurse was like “how is (patient I was supposed to pick up) doing” I told her I don’t have that patient. She then said yes I do and showed me the paper. I told her I was never given report and never assumed care. She said the patient is still my responsibility because her room number was next to my name on the assignment sheet and I should have checked the sheet at 11pm, even though at the beginning of my shift it said nothing about me picking up an extra patient. She said she had decided that I would take the patient around 9pm. I asked her why didn’t she tell me that if she had decided during the shift. She said she doesn’t need to chase me down I should check.

Therefore, nobody had done anything for this patient from 11pm-4am. Thankfully she’s been on the unit for a while and was doing okay and stable, and no missed meds.

The charge nurse told me she would be reporting it to the manager and I had to fill out an incident report. I just don’t understand why I’m the one who’s catching all the blame. The charge nurse was a huge bitch about it, and so was her buddy next to her at the nursing station. I overheard them talking shit about me when I was on the other side charting.

Ok maybe I should have checked the assignment sheet again, but the person who just left without giving any report gets off scot free? Wtf?

Am I in the wrong for this?

I had a patient fasting for theatre today. I asked the patient what procedure they were having done and she said “a scan of my arm”. She was already consented for the procedure so I called the surgeon and asked what procedure they were having. Told it was going to possible be an amputation. Told them to come back and actually explain what’s going on to the patient. They did but they pulled me aside after and told me next time I should just read the consent if I’m confused about what the procedure is. I told them that would not change the fact the patient had no idea what was going on and that it’s not my job to tell a patient they are having a limb amputation. Did I do the right thing?

Edit: thank you for affirming this. I’m a new grad and the surgeon was really rude about the whole thing and my co-workers were not that supportive about this so I’m happy that I was doing the right thing 😢 definitely cried on the drive home.

Nursing admin hung this sign around our facility after emailing it to everyone. I understand speaking English in front of patients who only speak English but it feels super cringe and racist af to see signs like this hung around a professional establishment. Have any of you ever had to deal with this? The majority of staff I work with are from other countries.

Bare bones basics: A patient known to be HIV+ intentionally splashed 3 emergency department staff members simultaneously with their blood. Two have incredibly low transmission risk, one (a contractor, not a hospital employee, it’s relevant) has a high risk of transmission.

The facility management initially refused to cover pep for the contractor, saying that the cost needed to be processed through the contractor’s personal health insurance instead of worker’s comp. They ultimately changed course, approved, and provided the pep.

The staff members involved wished to press charges against the patient, but the facility management discouraged them from doing so. They are new nurses, and did not call the police for fear of retribution. They instead were told to offer the offending patient a turkey sandwich and a taxi voucher to his destination of choice.

This happened in a state the has no legal criminal code regarding intentional exposure.

Any suggestions on how they should proceed? Should the call state OSHA? The state board of nursing? An attorney? All of the above? Thanks.

A CNA came to work drunk. She smelled like alcohol, was being very emotional, not doing her job well, was being sloppy. She also was in recovery from alcoholism. I heard a PATIENT tell her she smelled of alcohol. One other nurse and I agreed she smelled like it and both thought it best to report to our DON and I was the one who ultimately called the DON.

It was so hard to do because I consider this CNA a friend. But it’s what I felt I needed to do to protect patients and my license.

I had three options:

1) Don’t report and let it slide, maybe see if it happens again. But because another nurse noticed it and a patient and my license, I felt this was not an option.

2) ask her directly if she was drunk. I considered this, but then I was worried she’d say yes, I knew I’d have to report her, and then she would definitely know it was me. I couldn’t risk 100% knowing and not reporting and management finding out.

3) go directly to the DON, ask for anonymity, while also expressing that I think the world of the CNA and hope she can get help and get another chance. I know the DON and her have a great relationship.

I went with three. But now I’m wondering if the DON kept it anonymous because it’s obvious she knows — since then it’s been very uncomfortable at work and she is very different with me. Not disrespectful, but not engaging like she used to and also I just noticed she must have blocked me from social media.

Now I’m feeling like asshole. But I’m also pretty pissed off because I shouldn’t feel this way, or should I? She put me, her friend and also an RN, in a shitty position.

Nurses, AITAH????

Edit: at my workplace, we don’t have a house supervisor or charge nurse and my first person in the change of command is my DON.

Thanks everyone for your support! I feel like I was being gaslit.

!update again! Been awhile since this happened. She and I actually have been getting along relatively well (which I attribute to the new job giving us space). We talk but never more than an hour unless I am out with her. She has made comments about my vaping nicotine and how I’ll never be able to have kids because of it (I desperately want children and have PCOS) but other than that all fine. I’m glad, but I think another reason it’s better is her boyfriend broke up with her. I always considered she may have borderline personality disorder because she always needs one person who she’s all over, and everyone else doesn’t matter.

!update! She was probably bluffing. She did not take me off her insurance, gave my ID back, and hasn’t spoken to me other than for important things in the past three days. Idk what her ultimate motive will be but it seems to be better…for now.

I am 22 and still living with my mother. I’ve been trying to quit vaping but have not succeeded and my mother has found out again. She is wanting me to quit my brand new job as a new grad in the ICU to go back and work with her in a skilled nursing facility so she can “monitor me”

She says if I don’t she will make sure I get fired and report me to the BoN for what? Idk because I’ve never done anything to warrant that as far as I’m aware. I love my new job, but if it risks my nursing license I’m scared. I already made my manager aware of the situation, is there anything else I should do? Edit: it’s just nicotine that I’m smoking. She took my ID, she has access to my bank account from hers.

I just need to vent and talk this out, otherwise I feel like it’s going to devour my mental status. I’m shaken up to say the least.

I’ve been proficiently knowledgeable with administering first aid/CPR since I was 18 and have kept up my certification for the last 12 years. I’ve only ever had to utilize it in an acute care setting (mainly at work) and thought nothing of it; this is was I was trained to do in emergencies.

Tonight, I’m sitting here sobbing. My baby and I were sitting in the living room watching bluey, and he was enjoying an apple (cut into wedges bc I’ve been teaching him how to take small bites from large foods and he was doing fantastic!) my husband got home and I went into the kitchen, no more than 15 seconds later, I heard a weird noise come from out hallway. As I went to see what it was, I saw my baby starting to turn blue and I immediately knew he was choking.

I grabbed him and immediately started to administer back blows. First 5 did next to nothing but a little came out however it was still lodged in his throat, I swiped it out and gave 5 more back blows. More apple came out but he still wasn’t breathing. I switched to heimleich, more came out. 5 more back blows and the chunk of apple dislodged.

He’s crying, I’m crying and rocking him in my lap, and my husband and eldest son are standing there staring at us, I assume to process wtf just happened. My baby reached out for his dad and didn’t want to be near me. And I know he doesn’t understand what just happened, why I was hitting him, and I’m sure was scared as hell. But it just hurt my heart so much that I couldn’t console him after such a traumatic experience.

My husband is being extremely supportive, telling me he was proud that I knew exactly what to do and that I saved our child’s life. I’ve never had to perform life saving measures on one of my own children before and the look of my baby’s face when he was choking is burned in my brain.

I can’t shake this feeling of anxiousness and fear and sadness. Nurses that work with peds, are there any measures you take to recoup after something like this?