u/BornLeave4646

Patient's family insisted it was "totally normal" for a kid to sleep for 36 hours straight after a minor procedure

I work in pediatric post-op and had the strangest interaction yesterday. We admitted a 6 year old after a routine tonsillectomy. The procedure went perfectly fine, but the child wouldn't wake up from anesthesia after the expected timeframe.

After 4 hours, we started getting concerned and ran additional tests. When we approached the parents about the unusually prolonged sedation, the mother interrupted us saying, "Oh, that's normal for him. He always sleeps for a day or two after any medicine."

When we pressed for more information, they casually mentioned their son had slept for 36 hours straight after taking children's Benadryl for allergies last year. They thought this was completely normal and hadn't bothered to mention it during pre-op assessment.

Our anesthesiologist was floored. Turns out the kid has a rare enzyme deficiency that affects how he metabolizes certain medications, which they'd been told about by another doctor years ago but didn't think was "important enough" to mention.

What's the weirdest "oh that's totally normal" response you've gotten from patients or families that was absolutely NOT normal?

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This is a new one for me. I had a patient who had an elective hip replacement last week. He was very nervous before surgery and had a significant psych history. Truthfully, nothing was out of the ordinary as far as level of anxiety, conversation, etc when compared to other patients.

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His surgery was unremarkable but to my surprise I was called in for questioning today. I guess the patient did not want surgery. Emphasis on did not want surgery!!! I’m thinking holy shit did we miss a consent?!(impossible because I’m a stickler for it) and my mind is just going a million miles a minute.

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The person questioning me clarified that apparently the patient didn’t want a hip replacement, but wanted to have surgery with the intent that he would die in the procedure. I was asked several times if the patient consented (he did) and if I ever got the feeling he didn’t want the surgery (I did not).

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Anyways, yeah. This is a new one for me. I feel bad for this patient. I feel bad I didn’t notice, though I realize that I didn’t do anything particularly wrong. Has anyone ever had a situation like this or even remotely similar?

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Edit to add: The patient was unsuccessful and is alive. He voiced suicidal thoughts in PACU and confessed his plans there. At first they thought he was just waking up and talking nonsense. However his story remained consistent even hours after waking and they started to take it more seriously. Admin started an investigation, mostly to understand the situation. I was not in trouble but they were really focusing on identifying any and all warning signs before surgery. No one was in trouble!

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I'm an RN. Earlier this year, I reported a doctor in my department for SA. I made a post about this a few weeks ago but wanted to further discuss the situation with new information.

Not only was he a doctor in my department, but last year when I was admitted as a patient into his ER, he texted me off-the-books medical advice, interpreting my labs, diagnosing me, etc. all via text. He even offered to give me an off-the-books diagnostic procedure at work (which I obviously said no). When I was a month post-op from the surgery that he guided me through is when the SA occurred.

I reported him at work and he was put on "paid leave." I was told he was coming back but he never did, and it's been 6 months.

I made a complaint to my state's medical board, as did my PCP (because I told him about it first). I'm interviewed, he's interviewed. In the meantime, I quit my job, because I was given a safety plan to avoid him which was later taken away. I went on short term disability but my doctor's extension wasn't approved. It was a lot.

I received an email recently that the state board is closing my complaint due to lack of evidence.

I feel completely tired, worn out, existentially exhausted. I have no job, I feel like I should never have reported if this is how I would get treated. I need a new job but am dreading going back to work as a nurse. Words of advice or how to cope with this would be very helpful.

Edit: I reported the SA to the police when all of this happened.

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I've been a nurse for 15 years now, started on med surg, worked my way through ICU, and now I'm in the ED. I love mentoring new graduates, but lately I've noticed some concerning attitudes from newer nurses.

I had a new grad tell me last week that my "old school" approach to patient assessment was outdated because they learned the "latest evidence based practices" in school. This was right after they missed obvious signs of sepsis that I caught during my own assessment.

Look, I'm all for evidence-based practice and keeping up with current research. I take continuing education seriously and I've adapted my practice over the years. But there's something to be said for pattern recognition that only comes with experience.

When I walk into a room, I can tell within 30 seconds if something's off with a patient, even if their vitals look normal. That's not magic, it's years of seeing thousands of patients and recognizing subtle changes that textbooks can't teach you.

I've seen new grads who think they know better than seasoned nurses, dismiss advice from experienced colleagues, or assume that their fresh education makes up for lack of clinical experience. It doesn't work that way.

Your instructors taught you well, but they also taught you in controlled environments with predictable scenarios. Real nursing is messier, more complex, and full of gray areas that only experience can prepare you for.

I'm not trying to put anyone down, we were all new once. But respect goes both ways. Learn from those who came before you. That "old" nurse might just save your patient's life one day.

Is it even worth the time, $, and energy to do an FNP in today’s economy?

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Is this possible?

What's your story

I graduated my ADN program on the 8th, got my authorization to test email from my state’s BON on Monday, and there was an opening for a test 2 hours away the next morning. I figured, what the heck, and scheduled it. I didn’t do any extra studying. I looked at some meds the night before and the antidotes, and looked back over therapeutic levels and critical values really quick, but I didn’t buy any extra resources and I really just listened to some free YouTube videos in the car the night before. I passed in 85 questions. All this to say, if you feel confident, go for it! don’t listen to the haters who try to knock down your confidence! Now I have 2 weeks to relax before I start my new job instead of thinking I need to study for the NCLEX every free moment of every day. :)

Disclaimer: I did pretty well in school and I’m usually a good test taker. I scored over an 1100 on my last two exit HESI exams, the one at the beginning of my last semester and the end. But if you’re doing well and you feel confident, don’t let anyone ruin that for you!

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… should I be surprised to be offered a position that would pay me 215k annually? No start date yet. They will train me for 6 months. 14 pts max. 5x8s. Specialty clinic. VA LA. Are they that desperate? I would take it for sure. What’s your experience? 26 days PTO 13 Sick Time 11 holidays. This is a dream offer. Imposter syndrome is kicking in.

EDIT: I spoke too soon. They rescinded the offer. Back to Indeed! 🥺🥺🥺

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I got into the only RN program I applied to!!! I’m a mom in my 30’s. I took prerequisites just over 5 years ago and this is the only school that accepts them all so I was stressed!! I took the teas 4 times (64,66,62 then 77.3 ) they needed at least 60 but only takes the top 80 teas score . I’m just so grateful to God

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Hi! I'm a hs senior wondering if the better path to bsn is a direct admit private school (costs about 30k for the four years) or a public city school (provides refund after all my financial aid). The public school is hunter college in nyc, which is so hard to get into. However I am willing to work as a cna during school, and have heard that hospitals will sometimes cover tuition - not too sure how reliable that is though.

I'm really stressed rn and would be so grateful for any advice!

I’m not an NP but am an allied health professional with a story to share. My brother had some routine labs drawn by his primary care nurse practitioner a few months back. His bilirubin came back elevated (its familial) and his NP was exceedingly thorough and ordered an abdominal ultrasound just to be safe. This ultrasound incidentally detected a likely cancerous mass in my brother’s kidney. He had a partial nephrectomy today and is awaiting biopsy. There’s a high chance it’s a cancerous mass but due to the size of the mass(from early detection on this ultrasound), there’s a 99% chance the nephrectomy was curative. His NP likely saved his life by trusting her gut and reviewing his H&P thoroughly. I truly believe that your profession has such distinct value and that this may not have been caught by other healthcare professionals. I know many of you work in thankless jobs with unrealistic productivity expectations. I just want to thank you all for what you do and tell you that you truly do make a difference

I know people always say don’t go to NP school for money. Well I went to NP school cause I was burnt tf out from COVID. But surprisingly I landed an outpatient RN job at the end of my schooling.

I’m located in Cali.

I make close to $80/hr as a per diem staff. Then I got a second job, $65/hr as part time RN staff outpatient.

All the NP jobs near me are ranging $60-70/hr which is crazy.

To see 25+ patients a day. No thank you.

As an outpatient RN, I do mainly admin stuff and vaccinations… chill most of the day. I tried an NP job and that was crazy. Seeing patients back to back, people noncompliant, endless notes… why do people even go back for NP school now and days.

I even know many case managers who are outpatient making 150k a year who get to work from home. It’s crazy.