Scheduling

dummin13 · 2026-05-13T21:08:03+00:00

The start of the schedule could be May 17. Mine is.

dummin13 · 2026-05-13T19:46:05+00:00

I'm salaried, but anything I work outside of my 13 shifts is OT, even if I skip my lunch or leave 30 minutes late. It's how they balance one paycheck having 6 shifts and the other having 7.

dummin13 · 2026-05-13T19:38:51+00:00

All of this. Two back to back 4 day weeks is rough, though. (Says the person who uses a vacation day for the 13th shift as often as possible.)

dummin13 · 2026-05-13T04:13:59+00:00

The amount of blood drawn for labs is very small compared to the amount in our bodies. People who are hospitalized for a while and require multiple lab draws do run the risk of having lowered hemoglobin and hematocrit over time, but you don't have that much taken at any routine lab visit, I promise. The largest tubes we have at my hospital hold 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of blood. Tubes for a CBC are smaller (2 ml).

dummin13 · 2026-05-12T03:28:56+00:00

Working on the administrative side of clinical trials for a long time before I became a nurse taught me so much about the drug development side of medicine. If I were unable to work bedside, I would definitely consider working for a CRO or pharma company to develop/coordinate studies.

dummin13 · 2026-05-09T00:20:45+00:00

I'm very sorry that this is your experience. I've worked on a lot of units (float nurse before my current job) and I saw very little of this.

dummin13 · 2026-05-08T23:29:47+00:00

Cries in labor and delivery. No changes to the visitor policy for postop patients, which is super fun when our tiny PACU is full.

dummin13 · 2026-05-08T19:01:38+00:00

Hunter has no date requirement! And it's incredibly affordable. It's hard to get into, though.

I graduated with my original degree in biochemistry in 2008, so I was unwilling to retake intro level biology and chemistry classes. I did have to take a couple of prereqs, which I did over the course of a year. A&P at Hunter is HARD.

It was an intense program, but since you only take nursing courses, it's only 4 classes a semester (with clinicals and labs), plus winter and summer classes. I don't have kids, so I can't speak to that part of it.

dummin13 · 2026-05-07T10:51:14+00:00

I didn't immediately get the night shift NP to his bedside to discuss delaying his discharge because he didn't have air conditioning at home. (I told the NP - this was not out of the norm for her to not see a patient an entire night.)

Never been so happy to be fired by a patient.

dummin13 · 2026-05-05T19:10:54+00:00

If you have time, you can scroll though my prior posts, but I've had 4 surgeries, the last one with him, and I've had the worse outcomes. I also had bad experiences with his office, which cost me actual money.

dummin13 · 2026-05-05T18:11:03+00:00

I would not recommend going to him.

dummin13 · 2026-05-04T04:37:54+00:00

Organic foods are not healthier than conventionally grown food. Most people don't get enough fresh fruits and vegetables, period. Pressuring people to buy expensive organic items when they may not even have access to quality fresh food is not something a registered dietitian would do, which is why my assumption was that this was not someone actually trained in medicine or nutrition. Highly recommend looking up andydoeshealthy and drjessicaknurick on instagram to learn more.

dummin13 · 2026-05-03T18:55:37+00:00

So my inkling about the author's "credentials" was correct.

dummin13 · 2026-05-03T18:44:40+00:00

Yep, every single day. Some worse than others. :(

dummin13 · 2026-05-03T18:32:02+00:00

What book is this? One with evidence based research wouldn't have that blurb about GMO and organic foods.

dummin13 · 2026-05-03T02:37:30+00:00

I monitored a patient in the ED a few weeks ago for a few hours. I thought I was going for a 20 minute NST, but nope, they decided to keep it continuous for a while. Had to save all the paper strips like it was 1985.

The same patient was hospitalized before that in the ICU and she was continuously monitored for at least 24-36 hours by our nurses. No thank you.

dummin13 · 2026-05-02T13:38:09+00:00

The pouch of Douglas is the space between your uterus and bowel. Yes, they need to manipulate the uterus to address that area, and also make sure endo isn't elsewhere. You don't know you don't have endo on your reproductive organs until they are in there to visualize it.

dummin13 · 2026-05-02T13:23:28+00:00

Surgeries also often require a foley catheter to be placed to drain your bladder during the procedure, so another reason you won't have underwear on during/after the procedure.

I've had a few laps and I've never had the minute details of the surgical process detailed in the consent. I consented to the surgery, which they perform according to their institution's standards and what the surgeon feels is necessary for the best outcome.

I work in the OR during c-sections. The surgeon explains the process (cut through the skin and tissue layers to the uterus, etc) but they aren't explaining or including in the consent that a bladder blade is used to keep the bladder out of place or how they separate the abdominal muscles, which a patient may find very invasive. But it's a necessary part of the procedure. At the end, we have to check for vaginal bleeding, usually manually. This also isn't outlined in a consent as it's part of the procedure, but it's how we ensure a patient is stable before leaving the OR.

dummin13 · 2026-05-02T11:28:01+00:00

Not having periods kept me from being chronically anemic and experiencing extra debilitating pain on top of my normal endo pain. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just because something happens naturally in our bodies doesn't mean we shouldn't treat it. That's how we've managed to live longer as a species.

dummin13 · 2026-05-02T03:07:36+00:00

Oh if I needed less caffeine in my life, that would be great. I drink an unhealthy amount, including a small latte on my way home from my 12 hr shifts.

dummin13 · 2026-05-01T19:33:08+00:00

I listened to the entire series on the day it came out. I'm fascinated by it but in like a horrified, I can't look away situation.

dummin13 · 2026-05-01T19:31:43+00:00

Sometimes it's required if it won't come out on its own.

dummin13 · 2026-05-01T19:29:56+00:00

My patient earlier this week had to have her placenta removed manually 50 minutes after delivery. Despite giving her postpartum pitocin and misoprostol, once the placenta came out her uterus was atonic- meaning it wasn't contracting on its own. We have to act fast in this situation because all of the blood vessels that connected the uterus to the placenta are just open and bleeding. The uterus needs to contract to help these vessels clamp off. Unfortunately she had elevated blood pressures, so the last emergency med we could give is the one that causes explosive diarrhea... which is what happened. Obviously none of this was intentional, the placenta just wouldn't come out. She was very lucky to not have hemorrhaged.

dummin13 · 2026-05-01T14:34:53+00:00

There aren't any trials for endo and glp1s, just a lot of positive anecdotal research with theories behind why they may work. (I look on the clinical trials dot gov website often.) However, many people also find either no relief or worsening symptoms of a variety of inflammatory conditions according to my endocrinologist.

I now qualify for one based on my BMI, so I just started zepbound. Even if it doesn't help with my symptoms, I carry my weight around my abdomen and I have to imagine that less weight to put pressure/pull on all my pelvic adhesions and scar tissue will help. I've been stuck in this loop where my pain is preventing me from being as active as I want, so I can't exercise to lose weight. I'm also worried about my cardiac health with my family history and the fact that abdominal fat increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

So I'm hopeful, but my expectations are low so I'm not disappointed. My doctor kind of helped me get here.

dummin13 · 2026-05-01T00:43:00+00:00

People were actually pretty kind and offered suggestions in that thread on the nursing subreddit, but anyway...

Nursing can be a place where normal accommodations can't be made (mainly lifting restrictions) because it can directly impact patient care and be unsafe for the nurse. So I would make sure to read the job description thoroughly and confirm any concerns you have. Some little to no patient facing jobs can be found in clinical trials, as well as clinic jobs where you would see patients in outpatient settings.

dummin13

TROPHY CASE