nsgnva

nsgnva has 40 years experience and specializes in Med/Surg...psych...ortho...geriatrics....

Latest Activity

1. What precautions do we need to take?

   nsgnva posted a topic in Oncology

   I have a general question for all you oncology nurses out there. We have a resident (patient) in our LTC/SNF facility who is receiving radiation and chemo (temodar) for glioblastoma. It's been a very long time since I worked the oncology unit at my l...

2. What is wrong with my sister?

   nsgnva posted a topic in General Nursing

   My sister has been having these bizarre "spells" that sound like either some sort of syncope or seizure. She had a 3 day portable heart monitor and nothing showed up, her labwork was good. She is on a stable dose of Synthroid and no other medical pro...

3. Tell me the good things about LTC!

   nsgnva replied to NewEnglandRN's topic in Geriatric

   I couldn't help but comment on this one....If your LTC is anything like the one I work in, you will get PLENTY of PSYCH experience:bugeyes:

4. What about Consulate Health care(formerly Tandem)?

   nsgnva posted a topic in General Nursing

   Well, our facility is being sold, so I was wondering if anyone out there works for (or has worked for) Consulate Health Care.? I only know of one other nursing home in the area and I heard they cut their staff from 2 nurses/60 residents to ONLY 1 nur...

5. Help me with a portacath question

   nsgnva replied to nsgnva's topic in General Nursing

   Thank You! I've always been concerned in LTC with some of the things they tell the LPN's they can do. It's always "it's a facility decision" or "the state lets you do anything under the supervision of an RN" (even if we have only 1 RN in the bldg an...

6. Help me with a portacath question

   nsgnva replied to nsgnva's topic in General Nursing

   I'd like to thank all the nurses who answered my questions about portacath procedure. I give due respect to new nurses, because I trained in 1973-74,worked in a hospital for 15 years, but was limited in things I could do as an LPN, but my gut instinc...

7. Help me with a portacath question

   nsgnva replied to nsgnva's topic in General Nursing

   thank you for your response. I should've been more specific about the RN's "hands on" training.The RN at our facility told me the procedure and then stood by me and talked me through it step by step so if there were problems or questions, she'd be ri...

8. Help me with a portacath question

   nsgnva posted a topic in General Nursing

   I work in LTC. Several years ago a resident of mine went in the hospital for portacath placement. I went to visit her so I could observe the ICU nurses accessing and flushing, because if this resident ever needed flush/meds, I'd need to know how. The...

9. Psych drugs and BP's

   nsgnva replied to Patti 2nd gen RN's topic in General Nursing

   Another thing to keep in mind is the effects of psych meds on BP when you think the drug is no longer in the system. I had a case of a woman who was in her 40's and took 0.5 Ativan one evening. The next day, long after you'd think the drug was metabo...

10. Psych history, decreasing drugs, who to tell?

    nsgnva replied to Pat_Pat RN's topic in General Nursing

    I agree with the other responders....don't tell the people at work! Sad, but true, some in our society aren't very understanding. Things happen at work and I hear "probably that nut job on the psych meds did it" Without my Wellbutrin XL , I'd have ki...

11. LTC questions

    nsgnva replied to matt59's topic in Geriatric

    You sound like a great "hands on" kind of manager. Yes, I would be very grateful if I had a manager who helped out. But that's not the case where I work. We have a wound nurse for the bldg, two MDS nurses. The manager does not answer the phone, do ad...

12. LTC questions

    nsgnva replied to matt59's topic in Geriatric

    Would you be my supervisor?!! I had an admission on the weekend, in addition to all my regular duties, and the supervisor said "oh, I'm sorry to hear that" ( on the phone, no less ). There are only 5 units in the entire bldg. and I never even see her...

13. LTC questions

    nsgnva replied to matt59's topic in Geriatric

    AMEN TO THAT!!! I LIKE HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS BETTER FOR THE SAME REASON....MANAGEMENT JUST GETS IN THE WAY

14. LTC questions

    nsgnva replied to matt59's topic in Geriatric

    Do any of you responding to Matt's questions, and any regarding LTC, have other nurses on the unit, serving in other capacities? Such as treatment nurses, or "charge" nurse ( overseeing the unit, md rounds,orders, etc)??Or have a unit clerk who answe...

15. Med Pass Timing in LTC

    nsgnva replied to mariyahsmommy's topic in Geriatric

    with a rude and nasty co-worker like that, I'd seriously think about looking for work elsewhere, or ask for a permanent floor as soon as one is available. Tell your DON that you don't feel like you can give the quality care you desire when working in...