Common Bedside Emergencies

[bodz01]

This is critical for all new grads. Nursing is a learning process but we should at least know the common ones that happens so that we are always armed and prepared for anything. I haven't landed a job yet but I'm certain this thread will be very helpful considering there are tons of new grads struggling to get a job, and basically have not tried any common nursing procedures.

Experienced nurses, we need your HELP.

Below are some common GI emergencies (I could think of) and I would love anyone to share their thoughts with on what to do when this comes around.

: What if my patient stops making urine?

: Makes too much urine?

: Pulls his foley out?

: Twice?

: Develops hematuria?

: With clots?

: Without clots?

: What if his BUN and creatinine are doubling every day?

[Ayvah, RN]

Re: Making too much urine. I took care of a quadraplegic who drank so much she depleted her sodium...I'm talking the woman would put out in excess of 1500ml urine in a 8 hour shift. She eventually required a fluid restriction b/c of this problem. So too much urine, I'd check for hyponatremia or something like diabetes insipidus/siadh.

I'm curious, how much was that woman drinking per day? And how low did her sodium go?

[Wondergirl0905]

bedside emergencies from icufaqs.org = godsend

http://www.icufaqs.org/BedsideEmergencies.doc

This is great. I have been working on an inpatient surgical unit the last 8 months and still worry that I'll miss something. We have a huge variety of patients (vascular, CT, transplant, bowel) that it makes my head spin to keep up with all of the possible things that could happen over the course of a shift!