mamiekay

mamiekay specializes in Med/Surg GI/GU/GYN.

Latest Activity

1. SHOES... glorious shoes

   mamiekay replied to FLmed's topic in Med-Surg

   At the hospital I switched between my Danskos, which I really like but do not love, and a good pair of either stability or motion control running shoes. I wore the Danskos when I was on the floor and the running shoes when I was charge. I usually put...

2. Nursing care for diverticulitis

   mamiekay replied to FORTHELOVEOF!!!!'s topic in Gastroenterology

   What is your role? Will you be providing long term care or short term, hospital stay care? Long term, every one of her co-morbidities will affect her outcomes. However, you can't bombard her with too much information. Start simply, post-op care &...

3. "Stop Trying to Help Him---He's Not Worth It"

   mamiekay replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Geriatric

   And THOSE are the moments, precious few and far between for some of us, that make us remember exactly why we got into nursing. We give and we give, we care and we care, and there are a few of those who just seem to suck it all up and need even more, ...

4. Not hired...because of post intervie thank you note..yes, really

   mamiekay replied to Gratefulprn's topic in Job Hunt

   Perhaps the person you knew on the panel has reasons for not wanting the others to know where he worked previously??? You never know. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you.

5. Looking for Advice-New Grad, 8 patients?

   mamiekay replied to RNRapunzel1029's topic in Med-Surg

   I am curious about where RN's work that they have to take so many patients! I've got a little over 3 1/2 years' experience, I work 12's and I usually have 6 patients at night. Our day RN's never have more than 4, and that's a full day's work! Of cour...

6. Time in Nurse Handover??

   mamiekay replied to summerscoopy26's topic in Med-Surg

   Our shifts overlap by 30 minutes so there's time for report, e.g. night shift ends at 7:30 am, day shift starts at 7:00 am. We do written sign-outs online and then do a verbal hand-over when the next shift is ready. That generally takes 5-15 minutes,...

7. Meperidine vs Morphine for Pain, Acute pancreatitis

   mamiekay replied to JP Salting's topic in Med-Surg

   We use either morphine or hydromorphone for acute pancreatitis. In our facility, meperidine is rarely used on a med/surg unit. The following article explains why meperidine is not the drug of choice. http://www2.kumc.edu/druginfo/pharmkey/Meperidine%...

8. Patient refuses discharge what to do? long...

   mamiekay replied to chapsticknurse's topic in Med-Surg

   The patient was "just a bit difficult to handle"?!?! She was in a hospital, not a hotel! When I have patients like that, first I explain to them that the hospital treats hundreds of people every day and we may not be able to accommodate their own per...

9. Do you consider 0-1 void overnight decreased urine output?

   mamiekay replied to cokeforbreakfast's topic in Med-Surg

   I work on a GI/GU/GYN floor and I, personally, don't consider 0-1 voids overnight decreased urine output...generally. If my patient has been voiding WNL during the day, I'm ok with that. Many people don't get up at all overnight at home, and if they ...

10. Where do you put your stethoscope?

    mamiekay replied to newbiepnp's topic in General Students

    Around my neck with a roll of tape on one side...unless I'm going into an iso room. I tend to take mine off & lay it on my desk when I'm charting, then forget to pick it up before going into a patient's room. IMHO, it looks far more unprofessiona...

11. Electrolyte and Mineral Replacement

    mamiekay replied to kayakmary's topic in Med-Surg

    Our hospital's protocols take into account the patient's lab values. For instance, or potassium protocol checks not only the K+ level, but also the creatinine & whether the patient is on diuretics. It even states something to the effect, "If pat...

12. Checking "residuals" q4hr-capped NG

    mamiekay replied to theLostRN's topic in Med-Surg

    If you place a NG due to bowel obstruction or ileus, the gastric contents are not moving through the gut. The body is continuing to produce fluids that are building up in the stomach, causing nausea, vomiting and severe discomfort. You hook the NG up...

13. Checking "residuals" q4hr-capped NG

    mamiekay replied to theLostRN's topic in Med-Surg

    As always, FIRST check your facility's policy. In our hospital, when checking residuals through a NG on someone who's been hooked up to suction, we don't return the residuals. The reason behind it is that it's just sitting there, it's not going anywh...

14. Moments You Wouldn't Wish To Be A Nurse !!!

    mamiekay replied to hoope's topic in General Nursing

    Those are exactly the moments I DO want to be a nurse. There to hold someone's hand, to provide a little encouragement or comfort, to just be present when patients are going through those hard times. Yes, it can be emotionally & spiritually drain...

15. White Toe Syndrome

    mamiekay replied to NurseHotFlash's topic in Med-Surg

    Obviously we can't diagnose here but it sounds like your toes are a) scrunching up against the ends of your shoes and b) your feet are sweating & toes are staying moist for long periods of time. Definitely get it checked out by a doctor & the...