We obtain a pupillometer reading on admission for all our neuro patients. Our protocol is to call the MD for: NPi CV %change >1mm difference between pupils We also trend the NPi and if there is a difference between R/L pupils of >0.7 or if the...
We treat any stroke symptoms the same with the standard benchmark goals. Door to doc in 10 minutes, door to CT in 20 minutes, door to CT read in 45 minutes and door to TPA in 60 minutes if applicable. Our hospital uses a "stroke alert". The important...
Grab a textbook, preferably by Hickey and look at it then draw it. I always learned better when I drew the subject (like the Circle of Willis). I think I drew the COW a million times when I was studying for the CNRN. If you can draw it you can visual...
An update: we are seeing great success using the Flotrac. Our goal is SVV40 and CVP>8 for non-vented and >12 for vented patients. If two of the three parameters are not in range we bolus the patient. No more swans...YEAH! Just recently had a p...
Have you tried a bedside report? If you are having trouble remembering what happened during the day go in the room and talk about the patient. Chances are you will remember and the patient will appreciate knowing how thorough you were with report (if...
Our unit has a shared governance with 4 different quadrants: customer service, quality of worklife, practice and research, and education. Each quadrant has a chair and co-chair as well as the chair and co-chair of the shared governance. Ours meets on...
bellehill replied to EyeSeeYouRnOhio's topic in MICU
In our neuro patients it seems to work very sporadically. We were just inserviced on Precedex and it is not to be used for the patient when they are wild. Ideally, you would get the patient calm with Ativan/Haldol/Versed and start the Precedex drip w...
Is anyone watching "One Born Every Minute" on Lifetime? It was taped at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. I work there (not L&D) and I love to see the exposure. Even if you don't work at Riverside, what a great opportunity for Central Ohi...
I worked in a busy Neuro ICU my entire pregnancy. I was supposed to work the night I had my child. It is like any nursing job. You take normal precautions just like you would with any patient, even if you aren't pregnant. If you want to try neuro the...
Thanks. We are going to be looking at the SVV, SVI and CVP. If 2 of the 3 numbers are below the parameters the patient will be bolused. This has worked well so far!
One thing I see in new nurses on our neuro ICU is they do not understand the emotional toll they will encounter everyday. The neuro ICU is a sad place to work. We do have those cases that really lift you and and make you proud, but they feel far betw...
We recently started using the Edwards FloTrac for our Triple H patients. The first round went really well, the second round did not go as well. The problem we are having is the variability with the numbers. We are following the Stroke Volume Variatio...