The RPN and RN Struggle

If there is one thing I cannot stand, it's Registered Nurses who undermine me as an RPN. For the most part the RNs on my floor are the most wonderful nurses I have ever met. I have been an RPN for just over a year now and have run into several RNs that brush me off simply because I am not a Registered Nurse. The ironic thing is that RPNs are equally skilled to the old diploma RNs as we have exactly the same amount of education; two years of college.

While I can't hold a candle to Registered Nurses with years of experience over me, I expect to be treated as an equal and with respect. I have even had an RN come to me and say that "RPN's should know there place." It is a shame that some RNs hold the mentality that we are still the Registered Nursing Assistants of yesterday.

One thing I do realize is that whenever I obtain my degree, I will not forget that I was an RPN first and foremost. We are all equals with value and I treat all of those I encounter, from cleaners to doctors, with the same level of respect. I urge my fellow students and colleagues to respect each other. After all, this is a profession based on altruism and sincere caring.

The Flu Shot and Ethical Dilemmas

The other day I was at work surrounded by a sea of second year BScN students. They are on my floor, two days a week, for their clinical placement. Prior to shift start, the clinical teacher came up to me and politely asked that I reserve any flu shots for her students to administer and I agreed. Because I am a student myself I want them to experience all that they can. We ended up getting enough participants so that every student could administer a flu shot. The instructor helped them draw up the fluviral shots in syringes and they all had needles in their hands. I glanced at the needles and noticed that they were all subcutaneous needles that we use for blood thinners like heparin and I blurted out "those aren't the right needles" without thinking.

I ended up making the instructor look incompetent in front of all her students. While I felt extremely guilty for the remainder of the day I forgave myself much later. I feel that Registered Nurse responsible for teaching students should know the appropriate length of an intramuscular needle. If I could repeat the situation I would have pulled the teacher aside instead. While I had no intentions of undermining the teacher, a person in an educational position should follow proper nursing procedures.

Thank God for Technology!

Technology is definitely aiding health care personnel at working proficiently. As a nurse on my unit, I am able to contact our resident MD, on call at all hours on his blackberry. This has been particularly useful in emergency situations or when direction is necessary. We use an internal messaging system via the intranet, called MOX that allows staff to be aware of the latest news at the hospital, as well as converse with management, colleagues and other disciplines. I cannot imagine what life was like before we had these particular communication technologies. I depend on them immensely. I wish that health care would progress faster into the electronic age, as I believe it will assist me in being the best nurse that I can be.

President Elect!

After a long, drawn-out Republican abomination of reign, we finally have a fresh young face to lead our neighbors to the south. I couldn't sleep the night Barack Obama won the race for president; I had an overwhelming feeling of joy and relief that United States is no longer doomed. I was ready to write-off the United States a totalitarian nation after two terms of Bush. Naturally, with the current global economic crisis, this is a significant outcome for the United States, Canada and the entire world. It is without a doubt that the worldwide recession is largely attributed to the most powerful nation on earth.

President elect Obama is the epitome of democracy and invokes a feeling in me, that anything is possible. God bless America indeed!
P.S. Obama actually apparently quit smoking prior to the election.

Lest We Forget

Sadly, we lost a patient dear to me a few days ago. I came on shift and he had passed away a mere hour before I started work. He was a 92 year old veteran. I was looking forward to being in his presence on remembrance day as it's always a celebrated and momentous occasion on my rehab unit. I remember caring for him and being astounded by the the deep scars he had. He told me "they were nothing" but they clearly weren't. I later learned from his son that he had several medals of honour including some of the highest in recognition. He was one of the kindest men I have ever met. I admired his modesty the most.

Vets will always have a special place in my heart. My first clinical placement ever as a student was the Veterans Wing at the Sunnybrook Hospital. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and provided me with confirmation that I wanted to be a nurse.

My First Blog

Hello all,

Being a former web designer turned RPN I know a thing or two about blogging. Needless to say however, this would be my first blog. I think blogging is a great way to network, share ideas and keep your family, friends, and co-workers up-to-date on whatever topics you choose. It is a quick and easy way to have your own informal web space. I think of it as an online journal. As you can see, I have embedded some html coding to display the local forecast from The Weather Network and I have added an RSS feed from CBC Health News. I have also completed the About Me section for those of you that are interested in knowing more.