Suction canisters are never emptied at my hospital either. Once installed, they're only replaced when full or when needed. Nothing in the canister will backflow, especially as long as the filter is left in place (I've worked with nurses that remove...
As a med-surg nurse at a busy hospital, I understand and sympathize. I cried what seemed like every day after work most of my first year. I was exhausted. I never felt I was doing as good a job as I wanted to because I was constantly running, chas...
AR_RN replied to circularstaircase's topic in Med-Surg
I've done team nursing some. I prefer not to though. As said above, it depends on who you're working with....I've had nurses use "team nursing" as an opportunity to sit on their backside and order the others around. That's not how it works. If yo...
AR_RN replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in General Nursing
If I feel that the number pain rating I'm getting (say from an elderly patient) doesn't mesh with what I'm seeing, I'll FLACC them, while also making a note of the number they rated it. I also do this on occasion with that patient that rates their p...
AR_RN replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in Spirituality
I'm fortunate enough to work in a Catholic hospital. I'm not Catholic, but the nuns that visit each patient daily are a great comfort to many of my patients, regardless of their faith. Have I talked about faith with scared patients? Sure. Have I p...
There are so many factors to consider, and you recognize most of them. After 5 years in a hospital setting with 12 hr shifts, I need to point out that 3 12s is a lot of time away from your child. On those days, if you work day shift you won't see h...
As said before, more info would be helpful, but humiliation is an emotion you may just have to tame. I was crushed and embarrassed and on the verge of tears the first time I was called into my mgr office. Now, I take it in stride. Not only does sh...
I had a great one last week. The family pushed the call light and said the patient needed help with her IV. I went in and they informed me that they had unplugged the IV and assisted the pt to the bathroom, then gotten her back in bed, but now were...
Oh, I forgot one of my other faves. The call light goes off and we answer it from the desk. "May I help you?" Instead of a response we hear this: Did you hit the call light? No, why? They said you hit the call light. No, why would I hit the call l...
I'm loving this thread! My favorite call light story was a man who was aox3, generally very polite and no trouble. Suddenly his call light started going off constantly. He'd deny pressing the button and I'd go in to check on him only to find the c...
One I've learned that I don't think I've seen here.... Don't take your girlfriend's psychotic meds thinking they will help you sleep, then wait three days for the resulting erection to "get better" before you seek help. It gave new meaning to the te...
You guys make my stomach hurt from giggling. Things I do include knocking on the pyxis room door, forgetting or mixing up words, answering the call light with the full "Thank you for calling ___ hospital, this is AR_RN, may I help you?", and.....the...
I do both med-surg and peds. I hear it more on the peds side, but often on the med-surg side too. Frankly, I typically consider it a complement, whether they think they're giving me one or not. :chuckle If they couldn't do it, it's a good thing I...
I have to weigh in here with something worth thinking about. While I was in nursing school, I said the same things. I did NOT want med-surg. I was willing to do nearly anything but, and the thought of being stuck doing med-surg nearly bored me to ...