happybunny1970

happybunny1970 has 6 years experience and specializes in Acute Hemodialysis, Cardiac, ICU, OR.

Latest Activity

1. Fresenius as an employer?

   happybunny1970 replied to bill4745's topic in Urology

   Wow. Totally NOT my experience -- I've worked for Fresenius for about 2 years -- Acute, not Outpatient -- and LOVE the company. I have a great team of nurses and techs, very VERY little turnover. A great schedule of 7 on, 7 off that feels like a v...

2. Acute dialysis nurse/patient ratio

   happybunny1970 replied to Chisca's topic in Urology

   I work in a hospital with a 16-bed unit which is divided into 3 bays -- each bay has 2 RNs and one tech, plus we have an additional float tech and an extra nurse who is assigned to ICU (ICU is 1:1 at bedside). I love this setup -- there are always p...

3. Dialysis RNs?

   happybunny1970 replied to uscstu4lfe's topic in General Nursing

   For the most part I agree with Natkat, but each unit is different, and each company is different. For instance, I work 7 days on/7 days off (actually Thur/Fri/Sat, Sun off unless on call, Mon/Tue/Wed). We carry call at night (one night every 3 week...

4. what is it like for other acute nurse

   happybunny1970 replied to tracl's topic in Urology

   Wow, that is a far cry from my Acute unit... We are contracted by the hospital (I work for Fresenius), but they expanded our physical unit some years back... we have a 16 station unit (including one isolation room) and our water runs through the hosp...

5. I Hate Dialysis

   happybunny1970 replied to MizzDo~LPN's topic in Urology

   Dialysis is known as one of those "Love it or Hate it" specialties. But you took the job, so what drew you in? What did you expect to find compared to what you found? It's also important to remember that in this specialty it frequently takes 6 mont...

6. Fresenius or Da Vita new grad

   happybunny1970 replied to NewbiesRN's topic in Urology

   I haven't worked for DaVita, but they have sort of a bad name here in Texas after the whole Lufkin incident... I have amazing benefits with Fresenius, and find it hard to imagine that another company can do better... Your staffing ratios are going to...

7. Epogen SC administration

   happybunny1970 replied to Lacie's topic in Urology

   I work in Acute, and we have always given Epo SQ -- the doseage is less, and the absorption and results are supposed to be superior to IV. We always give the patients a choice: Upper arm or abdomen, their choice. I have had patients vehemently claim...

8. Moving to Tyler- Have a Few Questions

   happybunny1970 replied to emtstudentnurse's topic in Texas

   The problem with the pay here in East Texas is that we have TJC, UT Tyler, and Kilgore College all churning out new nurses twice a year -- the employers don't care whether you get fed up and leave, because they'll just swoop in on the next graduating...

9. Tyler Junior College RN students

   happybunny1970 replied to nursebettybntex's topic in Texas

   Hello, all... I graduated from TJC in 2002, before anyone was really using PDAs... my friend and I bought ourselves Palms as graduation presents back when they were still just black and white! I'm glad to see more people using them... I'm the only n...

10. How to handle inappropriate pt behavior in Home Hemo?

    happybunny1970 replied to starbin's topic in Urology

    Wow. I work Acute, so I don't know what they do in outpatient... Have you talked to anyone in an outpatient clinic about what they do when a patient consistently comes in late? Seems like his should be handled in the same way. Being that there's ...

11. Accessing chest catheter

    happybunny1970 replied to CoolhandHutch's topic in Urology

    The only people aside from HD staff allowed to access the ports in our hospital are ICU nurses. The heparin lock issue is very important -- if that line clots because someone doesn't know what they're doing, we can't dialyze them. The Nephrologists...

12. Question/Concern about pt and Dilaudid IVP

    happybunny1970 replied to Christy1019's topic in Emergency

    I had a patient once who had standing orders for 10mg Dilaudid TID... The doc was trying to get her to take it IM, thinking it would hang with her longer, but she almost always managed to get it IV... with 50mg Phenergan to top it off! And she would...

13. Is DNR (do not resuscitate) a good idea?

    happybunny1970 replied to tam-tam's topic in General Nursing

    I see many patients in renal failure, leading to multi-system failure, both in and out of ICU (if they're not already there, they're heading there...). Our Nephrology docs do a FABULOUS job of explaining the patient's status to family, but ultimatel...

14. Very special case, Nursing as a second job, doable?

    happybunny1970 replied to NYC_NJ_RN's topic in General Nursing

    Once you earn your license, the only thing you have to do to keep it active is renew on time and complete the required CEUs -- it has nothing to do with actually working as a nurse. HOWEVER, I don't see any reputable company hiring a new grad for onl...

15. Is MSN worth it?

    happybunny1970 replied to iamaca2000's topic in General Nursing

    I think when adults go back to school for advanced degrees it's more about personal pride than anything else. But maybe that's me. I also want to obtain MSN so that in 20 years or so I can teach (paycut and all!). I'd be doing it for ME and no one...