'Crimes Of Fashion' Blogger Revelas Hidden Talent
NYFW Dispatch: Marc Jacobs
Recent Comments:
Critical Care With Theresa Brown {AOL Jobs}
Jun 30th 2010 10:24PM Al - I am an RN in NJ where the pay rate is pretty decent. I don't know what nurses are working PART TIME and making $80K, but tell me where and I am there! It is very sad that patient loads are such that nurses CAN'T spend the time required to really care for their patients, but to be honest - there are wayyyyyy to many who are THERE for their whole shift, but don't do half the work they SHOULD while they ARE there.
Luckily, I have a Critical / Acute / Cardiac Care background, so I typically had a 4-6 patient load. There were days I would start at 0645, get report and not even eat, have a drink, pee or SIT until well after noon. I remember nights I left after 11 pm because my patients had needs that I could not ignore, or night shift would "be late" or call out... What it all came down to was that I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO CARED (too much, apparently) so was always the "outcast" - apparently I was making the other nurses look bad... Oh well... Live and learn...
Critical Care With Theresa Brown {AOL Jobs}
Jun 30th 2010 10:14PM Too bad I never worked with YOU!!! I am right there with you - I don't know where this woman was so lucky as to be hired and treated so well as a NEW RN. I graduated with my degree in 2008 after 20 years in Corporate America. Including my AAS/RN, have THREE college degrees, I am a Mensa member (therefore very intelligent), have great common sense, as well as being very people oriented and compassionate. But as a nurse, I was ALWAYS in the wrong... No matter WHAT I did, it came back on me - even though I started in PA and was a "Graduate Nurse," (had not yet taken my NCLEX) and technically should not have been IN A PATIENT'S ROOM without a certified preceptor overseeing me... HA! I guess that rule only applies on paper...
Never mind the cliques and backstabbing and tattling... Pt "care" seems to have become a lost art. I once heard a call bell ringing for about 5 minutes straight (while I was in helping a CNA change/reposition one of my patients who was paralyzed) and took the "long way" around to check on my other patients as well as use the rest room. As I passed a room at the end of the hall (yes, the one who was trying to call her nurse) I saw that the patient had a dislodged PICC line and had a pool of blood on the floor in front of her the size of a dinner plate. She was standing near the door, with such a look of desperation on her face; my heart bled for her. I got her a chair, had her sit down and raise her arm above her head, and RAN to the desk. Who do you think was still sitting DIRECTLY in front of the call box? THAT PATIENT'S NURSE!!! I said "your patient in room *whatever* has been ringing her bell for 5 minutes," to which this RN responded "oh, yeah - she's ok, she is just a pain in the a**" I very sternly but calmly said "NO, she is NOT OK, she is NOT being a PAIN IN THE A**; her PICC LINE HAS DISLODGED AND SHE IS BLEEDING ALL OVER THE PLACE!" So with a huff and a puff and a sign, she got up and literally meandered down the hall...
I WAS MORTIFIED!!! Needless to say, I rapidly began looking for a new position - I did NOT want to be associated with that level of (non)care! I have had 5 positions over two years (one being travel, one being on-call for a local strike, one lasting FIVE DAYS because it was just HORRID!!!). I FINALLY found a job a loved. 8 weeks after I started, I fell and am currently an orthopedic disaster who may never be able to return to nursing. Do I keep my licenses current? Yes. Am I itching to go back to that bullsh*t? No. Will I be devistated if my nursing career is over? Sadly, I will miss the PATIENTS and the NURSING but not the other nurses and things you mentioned in your post (the politics, etc.).
Once I am finished with my surgeries, if I don't end up on perm disability (5 herniated discs) I hope to finish my MSN with a concentration in Education and possibly teach. Maybe the change that I can make is started new RNs out correctly, and honestly let them know what they will face upon graduation. Had I been warned and knew what to expect, perhaps it would have made it easier. But sugar-coating is not effective. The saying that "nurses eat their young" could not be more true!!!
What It's Like Working at Starbucks {AOL Jobs}
Jun 19th 2010 10:22PM I worked at a Starbucks "kiosk" within a supermarket chain while I was attending nursing school. WHAT A FREAKIN JOKE!!! A LOT of what this author states is true - my favorites were "resetting the timer" on the coffee pots b/c "there was too much to waste" or "we close in 45 minutes." Or the changing of the date sticker on the pastries or iced items that had certain expiration periods - to get an extra day out of them. Oh, then there was the blatent stealing that was going on (employees taking items or giving items to customers). After about a week of this (which was really about 4 shifts), I said something to the store manager - he had the balls to say "we never had a problem until YOU worked there!" Ummmm... No, a$$hole - you have always had the PROBLEM, you just never had anyone who cared enough to try to do something about it! Needless to say, that was the end of THAT job, and I have not made a purchase in a Starbucks since (this was about 5 years ago).
What Your Vet Thinks About Your Pet's Name - And About You {Pawnation}
May 18th 2010 8:59AM Our first dog (a hound mutt) adopted US back in the early 70s and at the time my sister was about 2 years old - she used the call dogs "do-do's" so... Guess what his name became??? I am not quite sure how it was ever spelled, but being a Simpon's fan I spell it "D'Oh-D'Oh" now... :o)
We have raised 15 puppies for The Seeing Eye organization in Morristown, NJ, and they have all come to us "pre-named" where each litter is assigned a letter and all the pups have names that start with that. And yes, they usually liked to keep them short and simple. When we would have one be rejected and keep it - of course, at 18+ months old - we would not change the name. So we have had Nan, Leah, Esther, Polly, Nora, Fran, Honey, Spencer, Oak... Out last reject is a Lab/Golden mix named Nikon (people say "like the camera?" and I am like YES... and have to explain the story). In his litter were two Chocolate Labs - the little girl was Nouget and the boy was Nestle! I also have a Chocolate (adopted) who came with the name Harley - very fitting, since he is about the size of a Fat Boy and you can practically ride him! I had an Australian Cattle Dog mix that I named Moonshadow because I was always "being followed by a Moonshadow!" (love Cat Stevens!).
Santa brought my daughter a Tabby kitten on Christmas the year she was 5 (and the cat has the same birthday as her!). We are huge hockey fans and John VanBeesbrouk had been drafted in the expansion from the Rangers to the Florida Panthers. Well, Rebecca took one look at this kitten and said "it looks just like the cat on Beezer's sweater!" and so, yes, we have a 12 year old female tabby named BEEZER! We have had a few others - mostly calicos - and have named then after Greek Godesses; Athena, Persephone, Rhea... And then we adopted a Seal Point Siamese Mix who is VERY APPROPRIATELY named PRINCESS!!! (indeed she IS ONE!).
I definitely think that each animal has it's own personality, and I know every time we adopt an animal, it can take weeks to come up with an appropriate name. I think it's not only a reflection of the OWNER but of the animal as well!!!
Dollar store stars - purchases that last and last {WalletPop}
Mar 9th 2010 8:54AM HAIL TO THE DOLLAR STORE GODS (and Godesses!). LOL
Cleaning items, SOME foods (check expiration dates), bagged candy, spices (3x the amount of McCormicks in the grocery store for 1/4 the price!), paper, plastic and foil items (summertime, picnic season is coming!), kitchen utensils (but NOT can and bottle openers - very poor quality!), SOME tools, seasonal items (garland - who saves that??? use it and toss - for a dollar!), gift bags, at the holidays - ANY HOLIDAY (Valentine's, Easter, July 4th, etc!) cookie tins and buckets, activity / coloring books, etc...
We "Adopt a Soldier" every year at the holidays and I start in October picking up toothpaste, deodorant, cotton swabs, word search books, playing cards, whatever I can find. Sometimes I grab a dozen stockings or the cloth "wine bags" and pack the items that way! Amazing what $50 can get you compared even to Wal*Mart - it usually costs me more to SHIP the box overseas than I spent!
I am a Nurse, and have worked travel assignments, and rather than spend ridiculous money to stock or decorate temporary housing, I hit the $ store for placemats, coasters, kitchen towels, etc. My sister's motto is "when you need something, check the dollar store FIRST!" She bought a BIBLE there about 2 years ago; I had to laugh but she carries it with her in her suitcase - errrr... pocketbook! - and it has not fallen apart yet!
Burger King to Introduce New Line of Coffee {Slashfood}
Feb 18th 2010 4:24AM I don't eat breakfast out at ANY fast food place very often, and usually bring coffee from home when I go out. If I can't stop at a Panera (yummmmmmm coffee!) I WILL stop at McD's for their regular coffee b/c I think as far as the whole "fast food" convenience thing goes, it is indeed a very decent coffee for the $. BK's current "Joe" sucks! But once they switch over, if I am ever faced with my java emergency, I will give it a shot. At least the workers at my local BK speak english and always get the order right (on the rare occasions I DO hit their drive through, usually for my husband or my puppies - LOL!). The McD's next door - you might as well not even ORDER, just pull up to the window and let them hand you whatever they feel like, because that's pretty much what you get there anyway! LMAO. Speaking of which, need a java refill... Have a great day!
How Many Names is Too Many? {ParentDish}
Feb 5th 2010 6:27AM When my brother was born (in 1977), he was to be the last of 5 children and, as luck would have it for him, the only boy. We all chose names to add to his moniker. Greg Robert Geoffrey David Adam Garren M*****. To this day - at 32 years old - we still call him Grgdagm... LOL!
Anderson Cooper's Fire Sale {Housingwatch}
Jan 30th 2010 8:51PM yeah, bummer... I would like to slide down HIS pole. LOVE HIM!!! and very very cool digs. maybe he will invite us to his housewarming party - and if it gets TOO warm. maybe there will be a leftover firetruck in the garage to hose it down... LOL
Mom Who Cussed Out Principal Faces Charges {ParentDish}
Jan 17th 2010 2:54PM YOU GO GIRL!!! LOL - Ironically, I did the SAME EXACT THING a few days before my daughter's school's Holiday Break. My daughter was suspended for something that she "may" have done, was accused with NO PROOF of her actions, and I, too, not only tore the school principal a new one (AND told her that I did not want to hear any of her psycho-babble b***sh*t) but tore up the two vice principals that were in attendance at our meeting also. Oh, wait - let me back up... We live in Northern NJ, affluent area, but we are "old school" of this town - I graduated from the same HS in the 80's. My family does NOT consist of doctors, lawyers, or wall street brokers, and we do not live in a "McMansion." If we had to move today, we could not afford to live here. AND my daughter is half black... It's ok that she was ridiculed and taunted and bullied and harrased at a school event in October last year - called a "dyke" and a "n*gger," as well as pushed and shoved, and - guess what? None of THOSE kids were suspended! But there is a "chance" that she may have done something inappropriate and she is out for two days. You bet your a$$ I am throwing the F*BOMB when you work me to that point! Back any mother worth her weight in salt into a corner to protect her child - what do you expect?
Puppy Nips Owner, Animal Control Imposes Quarantine {Pawnation}
Dec 9th 2009 4:59PM WHAT???? My fingers were going too fast for my brain - I MEANT - I completely DISAGREE. Where did disagress come from? That is not even a WORD! LOL
