2bnursenikki82

2bnursenikki82 specializes in ICU, Psych.

Latest Activity

1. First job where? and Length of orientation?

   2bnursenikki82 replied to debblynn13's topic in New Nurse

   I've worked in a Med/Surg/Trauma ICU for just over a year now. We're a Level II Trauma center that functions as a Level I minus major cardiac surgery and appropriate research (we just got audited by the ACS) so we get some sick patients. I had four ...

2. Need opinions: pro's & con's of 2nd shift

   2bnursenikki82 replied to Sarahtonin's topic in New Nurse

   I work night shift and here's the thing about working holidays: the holiday is whenever you and your family celebrate it. If it's Thanksgiving the night before, then that's when Thanksgiving is. If you have to do family dinner and presents on Chri...

3. How high have you titrated levophed?

   2bnursenikki82 replied to racing-mom4's topic in MICU

   I've gone up to 100 a few times (they both ended up dying- that high you're just buying time for family to get there). We add vaso at a sepsis dose (0.04) generally if we're up around 50 of levo and not seeing any changes. That's ICU for ya...you ...

4. Labs and vasopressors..new icu nurse needs advice

   2bnursenikki82 replied to icu26RN's topic in MICU

   I've had a few pedal A-lines. When you need a line, you need a line. We let our residents stick twice and then either an attending or one of the nurses with the A-Line cert do it. We RARELY have RT do our gases. They do them a lot in ER and on t...

5. Overdoses

   2bnursenikki82 replied to HeatherISU's topic in MICU

   Our ER tubes OD pt's almost immediately. They don't play!! I had one like that a month or so ago...tubed in ER, kept her sedated over night and they extubated at 0700. (then we had to sit on her and her suicide precautions for 2 days because tele...

6. Dealing with ICU visitors

   2bnursenikki82 replied to leesespieces's topic in MICU

   In theory we have visitation every other hour for the first half hour from 6am to 10pm limited to two visitors at a time. Of course, this never happens. Our rooms are generally full of people. When I get admissions, I try to make it clear when I ...

7. Do you have a unit-based pharmacist?

   2bnursenikki82 replied to labcat01's topic in MICU

   Our pharmacy has a satellite office on the unit, but we still end up mixing a lot of our pressors and stat cardiac drugs that aren't in the pyxis. Plus...they are long gone by the time night shift rolls around so you have to call pharmacy at the beg...

8. Please interpret this med order

   2bnursenikki82 replied to Jennabugs's topic in Medications

   Our pharmacy would enter it in the system as three entries: 5, 10 and 15mg each separate entry with a 3 hour window. Were it warranted, you could give rotating doses every hour on the hour. If a nurse were brave enough, he/she could give up to 30mg...

9. Things you'd like the ER to Know

   2bnursenikki82 replied to CraigB-RN's topic in MICU

   give me more than 5 minutes!!! When our ER calls report and says they're on their way...Darnit, they're on their way!!!

10. If you weren't a nurse...

    2bnursenikki82 replied to jhns9vl's topic in MICU

    When I was little I always wanted to be a cheerleader... I loved teaching preschool too.

11. mistakes made during your first year...

    2bnursenikki82 replied to RNmaria's topic in New Nurse

    So can I just say that I am SO glad that I'm not the only person who has endured GT spray!! I did this in ICU clinicals with a not so understanding preceptor who made me feel like a big ol' butthead. I've given too much of a med (mixed levothryoxi...

12. Help! I can't get a job in the ICU!

    2bnursenikki82 replied to nursingdude78's topic in MICU

    Look for a hospital that has an ICU internship. They may be called different things, but at the hospitals I applied at (and the one I got hired at) they were all seperate listings from other RN jobs. They were listed as either RN I or GN Internship ...

13. It was Difficult!

    2bnursenikki82 replied to jnsf's topic in NCLEX

    I took mine yesterday and I am SOOOO anxious to get my results!!!! I got 78 q's and I'm not sure I can name 5 that I know for sure I got right...they were hard!!!

14. All you New Grads

    2bnursenikki82 replied to suni's topic in New Nurse

    We have a 12 week orientation for the ICU I work in. The first three weeks are spent in the classroom going over policies and covering specific things we'll see on the unit by body system. Some of it is a little nursing school all over again, but w...

15. How long did it take you to get a job?

    2bnursenikki82 replied to december2905's topic in New Nurse

    I sent out a bunch of applications in mid/late June and had interviews by the first week in July and job offers during those interviews and I graduated last week. I was VERY proactive with my applications and follow ups since I am moving.