accessqueen

accessqueen

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About accessqueen

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  1. 5 french vs 6 french PICC

    I think the population you serve really determines the sizes. We use primarily DL 4's because our adult population tend to be of smaller stature (native americans from mexico, central america, etc). When we used all 5's we definitely had more throm...
  2. A day in the life of an IV/Infusion Nurse

    There is a wide variation in how VA dept are run in different hospitals. In smaller hospitals, (such as mine), we combine outpatient infusion with inserting PICC lines, and being the go to nurses for all things IV as needed. We work 8-5 Mon-Fri, exc...
  3. PICC Nurses: How long did it take you to become proficient

    I make the nurses I precept take a tray home and practice setting up for the PICC insertion. I tell them to memorize the tray and repeat setting up until they can do it automatically. I tell them to even use a pretend arm so they get a feel for the...
  4. How to run vancomycin by iv

    Duriing vanco tx trough levels must be drawn. They used to be before the third dose, our pharm is now doing before 4th dose. Therapeutic levels have changed as well. If the pt is MRSA the recommendations have become 15-20. Other infections the lev...
  5. Sick of the complaining!

    My favorite thing to do when people start being verbally abusive is to just stop what i'm doing and quietly stand there, calmly, and NOT SAY A WORD. The people rant and rant. And if they pause to breathe, I still don't say anything, so they continue...
  6. Midline kits

    DO NOT cut down a PICC. Someone is going to think it's a picc, because it looks like a picc and they will hook up TPN or something equally innappropriate. Seen it happen too many times. BARD for one makes midline kits. I know other companies do to...
  7. Drawing blood

    One thing that hurts a lot of people is the old advice to "go in at a 20-30 degree angle, and once you get flash to lower the angle". Forget the angle. Go in at as flat as an angle as you can. As a previous person noted, go for a vein that you c...
  8. OK, Cultural question here, please forgive the stupidity.

    Wearing a head covering is a religious issue. For you to wear a head covereing would be hypocritical. Living in this country they encounter scarfless women every day, I think if you wore one it would be disconcerting. That is different than making...
  9. Ultrasound PICC

    The place to get started would be to call the reps from whichever company would be supplying the PICCs. As an example, BARD which is who we use, has an on-line PICC insertion course. That is the starting point. When you complete the course they send...
  10. Finding a lucrative niche in a warm weather state.

    I live in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They are ALWAYS looking for nurses. I make 31.00/hr but that's with 30 years exp. However, the housing is ridiculously cheap, and the cost of living overall is way lower than just about any warm climate areas. The...
  11. Feeling guilty

    You have to remember that you are dealing with a '70's female who just lost her husband'. The same thing may have happened even if you h ad spent all day in her room. You can take all your meds and still have a stroke. May be she lost her will to...
  12. horrible attitudes

    Bottom line, when you're in a professional environment don't say anything about anybody that you wouldn't want repeated in front of that person. A huge percentage of the posts on this site are related to issues where people are saying things, repea...
  13. Hierarchy in Nursing?

    I don't know as I'd call it hierarchy, it just seems that you tend to socialize in the groups that you have the most in common with. I've worked in places where people were very standoffish all the way around, and other places where everyone is frie...
  14. Whistleblower Blues in Fort Worth, Texas

    Your describing a different situation, with different legal ramifications. Reporting something about a fellow emplyee, without proof can be labeled slander. The person who supposedly saw the picture taking should have been the one to report it. Th...
  15. Whistleblower Blues in Fort Worth, Texas

    The original post states "I was told of another nurse taking pictures. . . .etc". You were told???? and then reported this 'hearsay' to a supervisor??? Did you have any proof?? I'm not surprised people are out to get you.