castens

castens specializes in Clinical Educator - Critical Care.

Latest Activity

1. What meds/labs can ICU nurses give without a doctor's order?

   castens replied to platon20's topic in MICU

   Yup. That's the point of something like ACLS - you're covered in an emergency (if you're doing the correct things, mind you), but as soon as a physician is around to take over, they do. How often I would wake up docs would depend on our working rela...

2. Instructors...solve this mystery for me..<please>

   castens replied to justme1972's topic in Educators

   This is a great point - much better than I said previously. A great misconception is that academia exists to teach. Rather, academia exists to store knowledge. While teaching and professional training are a part of that, they are not the biggest p...

3. Instructors...solve this mystery for me..<please>

   castens replied to justme1972's topic in Educators

   It IS difficult making tests, as I'm sure you've discovered when you've had a bad test. Questions have to be valid. Actually it's not necessarily the "ABCD" questions that are hard but when you have a good essay question or case study or critical thi...

4. Instructors...solve this mystery for me..<please>

   castens replied to justme1972's topic in Educators

   It's not that they don't want you to have the information on the exam... it's that there's a lot of money that can be made by selling exam copies online. A lot of money -- like hundreds of thousands of dollars. For that matter a lot of money has be...

5. Grey's Anatomy star designs scrubs

   castens replied to bethin's topic in General Nursing

   Rather... she doesn't get paid if they changed nurse characters. She gets beer money if she designs scrubs.

6. What meds/labs can ICU nurses give without a doctor's order?

   castens replied to platon20's topic in MICU

   It sounds like her unit (as are many) is covered by a slough of standing, or preprinted, orders. That is, the doc will write, "Admit to ICU using Intensive Care Unit orders." That order set then has things along the lines of: "RN may order XXX at h...

7. Oh God, A NURSE is my pt!!!!

   castens replied to CaLLaCoDe's topic in General Nursing

   I advise newer nurses to watch themselves when they have a nurse or MD as a patient. If you find yourself double checking meds and namebands or examining skin or doing a more thorough assessment with nurses and doctors -- ask yourself why! Your sta...

8. Lose dose dopamine

   castens replied to zacarias's topic in Medications

   While this is not even close to an issue in my hospital, I just want to say that this is a fastastically coherant and well-written argument. And spot on, too!

9. iabp

   castens replied to Feldner's topic in CCU

   Always 1:1 - no exceptions.

10. What's the best way to build a good relationship with your preceptor?

    castens replied to SICUsForMe's topic in MICU

    The best way? Flowers and a brown nose. Seriously, though, I think the best way is to think out loud. Hands down. If you think out loud (even the obvious) they will automatically know what you know and what you don't know. Example: "His lungs sound a...

11. Pacemaker learning

    castens posted a topic in Educators

    I'm wondering if anyone has a good, fairly succinct, learning packet about pacemakers - focusing on sensing/pacing problems. I'm looking for something that is more concentrated on permanent pacers, rather than TC or TV pacers. I've noticed that quit...

12. nailbed pressure

    castens replied to gasmaster's topic in Neuro

    ...and when you get the "double bird" you know that they are definitely following commands (and probably ready to extubate, for that matter).

13. Real World v. School World

    castens replied to Trophywife81's topic in General Nursing

    Which did(do) you like better--school or the real world? Why? I much prefer the real world, because I know I'm making a difference. Of course, school is important so that you can learn HOW to make a difference, but there's nothing like the feeling of...

14. unit based educators

    castens replied to syb's topic in CNS

    We have staff educators at our hospital, of which I am one. Our educators aren't unit-based per se but have extensive clinical experience. Most have Master's degrees or are Master's-prepared. I am actually the exception (I have a post-bacc ADN), but ...

15. Experience-based vs evidence-based practice - sub q drugs

    castens replied to bethem's topic in Medications

    All of this from UpToDate: [All emphasis mine.]