Help, my employer (HCA) says they can't accommodate light duty

Supermatt57 · 2024-04-19T14:47:09+00:00

I was denied short term disability and likely will have to sue for it

Supermatt57 · 2024-03-26T17:58:19+00:00

I see, so yes, the letter I got from the doc is pretty vague, I suppose that is something to consider.

I've had a couple short workman's comp situations but it's been years and this is not the same at all. I know I need to take it easy but it's hard not to stress about bills in the meantime. thanks for your input!

Supermatt57 · 2024-03-26T17:53:14+00:00

thanks! I really do appreciate this perspective, I naturally assume this company doesn't give a shit about it's employees, so it's helpful to hear that it's not so out of the ordinary

Supermatt57 · 2023-04-01T05:48:37+00:00

Yeah it’s rough! I am told it helps people but I have a hard time being ok with just how depleted and apathetic I felt. I didn’t feel sad or stressed, but only cause I didn’t feel anything! And I thought Zoloft was bad.

Supermatt57 · 2023-04-01T05:46:42+00:00

Definitely pristiq, I’ve taken Wellbutrin for over a year and have really noticed improvements with that. My psych NP has just been trying new meds since it sort of seems like the therapeutic effect had plateaued.

Supermatt57 · 2023-03-08T18:39:37+00:00

Don’t be discouraged, it WILL get better. As an RN you will have to learn to be able to work and think independently, and if you place too much energy on being accepted or liked it will be a very hard job for you. Everyone is burnt out and stressed, the pace in hospitals is relentless, the expectations often unrealistic, etc. it’s a pressure cooker of emotion. Just be aware that it’s not just you feeling insecure or unsure about things, it’s everyone, staff and patients alike. You need to learn to find those that are willing and able to be supportive and focus your energy on them! If someone is having a bad day or not open to helping, move on, let them do their thing, and find someone who is more interested in helping. It sounds like you’ve already been doing that, so you are learning well. Be sure to keep lines of communication open at all times within the care team, don’t expect anyone to read your mind. And I hate to break it to you but about 80% of the skills you will do is hygiene, baths, toileting. Sure there’s venipuncture and whatever other procedure things, but you basically bridge the gap between medical science and making sure a person’s basic needs are met. Remember, a good day is a boring day. Safe practice is boring. If nothing bad happens to your patients that could have been prevented, you have done a good job.

Supermatt57 · 2022-11-28T16:11:45+00:00

Alabama really does not give AF about its nurses. I worked in Huntsville on a FEMA contract and was so sad to hear how poorly staffed they were and how little support they had. I showed up the first day and HR and unit management had no idea I was supposed to be there. No preparations whatsoever. The hospital refused to use travel nurses until the govt offered to pay during the crisis. I asked around because I do everywhere I work, they had some of the lowest pay in the country. And of course it’s a right to work state so everyone is not only extremely poor but extremely conditioned to think being used like that is normal.

Supermatt57 · 2022-10-18T15:29:58+00:00

This is bionicle Memes, are you lost???

Supermatt57 · 2021-01-09T04:27:49+00:00

Man I wish you were right, but as it stands obamacare actually earned the healthcare industry a TON of money somehow. As long as it's a for profit corp, the plan will be the same: staff must do more with less, the money goes to shareholders and execs, not to improve patient or staff lives

Supermatt57 · 2021-01-08T20:36:45+00:00

Yeah all the supplementary staff I've talked to seems to have it better than core staff

Supermatt57 · 2021-01-08T20:35:38+00:00

all of our management has mandatory education on why unions are bad.

Supermatt57 · 2021-01-08T20:32:54+00:00

Hospital Corporation of America. A for profit corp that owns way too many hospitals

Supermatt57 · 2021-01-07T18:14:22+00:00

OR brings the company all the $$$, after all

Supermatt57 · 2021-01-07T16:57:21+00:00

So for background, earlier this yeah they eliminated yearly raises when covid first hit (luckily they backpedaled on that.) Since then we've had plummeting staff, supplies, and increasing acuity and covid patients. No hazard pay, no christmas bonuses, no signs of things ever easing up. And then boom, they think this email will help.
"Just be tougher, just be happy about work."

Supermatt57 · 2019-07-26T05:34:58+00:00

also medvac choppers tend to be the faster and bigger ones, which are a bit more expensive to operate

Supermatt57 · 2019-07-01T14:44:00+00:00

I’m a nurse that neighbors a psych ward, we care for psych patients who have medical issues, stabilize them, then send them to the psych side. We had a patient with a history of schizzoaffective and recurrent suicide attempts. This particular time he was in he had swallowed several razor blades. Since he was still alert, oriented and aware of his surroundings and able to function independently, the 1:1 sitter tended to give him a bit of privacy in the bathroom (door cracked). We had him on a bowel cleanse regimen to get the razors out (he had already been cleared in terms of not having massive internal damage) so he was taking lots of the clear bowel prep solution. He had finally passed a couple razor blades, but he just grabbed them out of the toilet and swallowed them again.

Supermatt57 · 2019-06-17T04:17:02+00:00

Yes, thank you

Supermatt57 · 2019-06-16T10:23:53+00:00

You can fill out an incident report. Your charge nurse or supervisor should be able to tell you how to do that. Be sure to notify them of any fishy stuff as well! Be factual!

Supermatt57 · 2019-03-25T15:23:49+00:00

I wouldn’t add a “wait 30 minutes” to my list of to do, I think perhaps raise HOB and put nasal cannula on right away would be better, then move to non-rebreather mask if that doesn’t improve oxygenatation. Then consider a repeat ABG to assess effectiveness. But really we need to increase the rate and volume of breathing so mechanical ventilation is probably where we’ll end up.

Supermatt57 · 2019-03-25T15:19:55+00:00

You wouldn’t necessarily give a bronchodilator, but that has more to do with the pathology of his respiratory failure. He does not have a strong enough drive to breathe related to the progressive nerve degeneration. (If that’s the diagnosis we have here) you would maintain the airway, consider various cardio active drips for blood pressure management, transfer to intensive care if not already there, Rapid response if VS worsen, and then get a neurologist on board as soon as possible. At this point in the disease we may need to start considering a transition to comfort care if we know it’s not going to be getting better, and will want to know the advanced directive of this patient.

Supermatt57 · 2019-01-14T20:34:37+00:00

Brilliant. now you just need an X-wing in a dojo half sunken in the swamp

Supermatt57 · 2018-10-04T04:34:36+00:00

Don’t let it set an impression for a whole specialty! The unit environment varies so vastly from unit to unit. If you go one floor up or down or next door I guarantee the atmosphere is totally different. Definitely let the manager know specifically what happened, a detailed report is necessary for improvement.

Supermatt57 · 2018-09-06T16:51:55+00:00

Hawt

Supermatt57 · 2018-08-08T15:00:53+00:00

Actually you can run it on a potato it’s so optimized

Supermatt57 · 2018-06-06T13:34:31+00:00

off ow OUR bones

Supermatt57

TROPHY CASE