phoenixfire

Latest Activity

1. Grad school? NP program for new grad, first week in ICU. Is it worth it?

   phoenixfire replied to cirionrc22's topic in MICU

   I'm in a similar boat... been off of orientation in ICU for a couple of months now, looking at ACNP. I think it would be manageable, but my problem is that I have no desire to leave my hospital or the area that I live in, and there are no jobs here f...

2. Can I bolus this patient? A legal / practice question about sedatives and narcotics

   phoenixfire replied to simvee's topic in MICU

   I know that the hospital I work at says NOT to bolus.. but here's the thing: not every patient will respond the same way to the same sedative. Propofol is what we usually use, but some people don't respond well to it. If your patient is requiring sev...

3. New to ICU? What have you learn so far?

   phoenixfire replied to RN28MD's topic in MICU

   I've made a notebook I labeled "ICU Pearls" full of the 'pearls of wisdom' i've collected from the seasoned nurses. Some of the best tips I've gotten are: 1- always make sure that your pump is programmed for the concentration of the drip you are runn...

4. ICU visiting hours.. What is reasonable?

   phoenixfire replied to TigerGalLE's topic in MICU

   I'm kind of on the fence with this one... on one hand I feel like its extremely difficult to care for a patient when I have to worry about their family member too. On the other hand, I wonder if allowing one family member (usually the spouse) to stay...

5. New to ICU? What have you learn so far?

   phoenixfire replied to RN28MD's topic in MICU

   Something I learned recently... be aware of what the costs are if you work with Medicaid pts. I had a pt that needed a Flexi-Seal, and two things happened. One, my coworkers said I could call the MD in the am to get an order to cover the tube, and th...

6. how to deal with this intensivist

   phoenixfire replied to fiveofpeep's topic in MICU

   Being a new grad DOES NOT MEAN YOU TAKE ALL BLAME! I can't stress that enough! I recently got thrown under the bus by a seasoned nurse that I thought I could trust, and when the write up came, I refused to sign it because it was a complete lie! No on...

7. how to deal with this intensivist

   phoenixfire replied to fiveofpeep's topic in MICU

   I'm slightly less polite than this... if he continued to hang up on me after the first time, I would simply continue to call him back, and when he finally answers or stays on the phone long enough, I would say sweetly and kindly "Sir, I very much nee...

8. Urine output: When do you let the MD know?

   phoenixfire replied to SiempreBella's topic in MICU

   I keep a little list in my head of things to do before I call the doc: VS, I&O flowsheet (we use computer charting, so I can pull up a list of the last few days) for a positive or negative fluid balance, manipulate Foley tubing (move it around to...

9. New Grad and my stress level is at a MAX!!! Help

   phoenixfire replied to harder88's topic in New Nurse

   I've been working as an RN for about 8 months now in ICU, and while I'm by no means an expert, in ICU I can tell you that you have to have a passion for it. We learned lots of things in nursing school, and most of it is relevant. One of my senior nur...

10. Got my eye on CCRN, but intrigued by Trauma...

    phoenixfire posted a topic in General Nursing

    Hi all... I've been hooked on this site since nursing school, but now I have a different dillema... I'm learning to be a critical care nurse, with an eye towards CCRN sometime in the next few years, but a few days ago, I happened to be the first pers...

11. New to ICU? What have you learn so far?

    phoenixfire replied to RN28MD's topic in MICU

    One thing I have noticed on my unit is that the seasoned critical care nurses are more helpful when I ask for their opinion if I tell them a) what the problem is and b) how I plan to fix it. The more experienced nurses know that we don't know everyth...

12. Want to cry

    phoenixfire replied to aerorunner80's topic in MICU

    I think we are wearing the same shoes! All I can tell you is focus on those around you... look for people you respect, and ask them questions. I'm lucky enough to work in a place where even if my preceptor is not around, the other nurses will answer ...

13. Health Care Bill

    phoenixfire replied to VerbalGrl715's topic in General Nursing

    Amen!! The money we could save in preventatives alone with socialized medicine would be sufficient to pay for it, and then some. I know too many people who waited until they couldn't wait anymore to see a doctor, and what happens is instead of spendi...

14. Organ Donation Opt Out

    phoenixfire replied to XB9S's topic in General Nursing

    One thing that has to be addressed in this discussion is how much education the family members get when they are approached about this particular topic. Most of the families I have run into are concerned that their loved one will be in pain, or will ...

15. HELP imbalanced nutrtion less than body requirements...

    phoenixfire replied to TD2011's topic in General Nursing

    With ulcerative colitis, think of things that are non-irritating to the GI tract (ex. stay away from caffiene, spicy foods, etc). Stick with a bland diet that is higher in the elements your patient specifically needs (check your nutrition book). Also...