MelissaLPN ASN, LPN, RN

MelissaLPN has 5 years experience as a ASN, LPN, RN and specializes in ICU.

Latest Activity

1. Abandoning family in the ED during the holidays

   MelissaLPN replied to SubSippi's topic in Relations

   Its not the staff but the out of town/ never visit family who remember Granny from the late 1980's. They show up and insist something is terribly wrong and granny better be sent to the hospital before the "family" presses charges against the facility...

2. Student Nurse w/ Erb's Palsy

   MelissaLPN replied to Duttygal86's topic in Disabilities

   Some of those Luer locks can be hard and require a lot of pressure to attach the syringe. I have trouble sometimes myself. My advice would be to take home a syringe and iv tail and practice at home. You can try different approaches with out feeling s...

3. Hard copy of icufaq.org

   MelissaLPN replied to JUSTanLPN's topic in Critical

   I have the book and really like it. I don't have time at work to read it but after work or anywhere I am waiting I take it. Very good information and it is well put altogether. I like the authors style and at time it's laugh out loud funny. I recomm...

4. Share Your Funniest Patient Stories...

   MelissaLPN replied to Trvln Nurse's topic in Humor

   True story while working in the ED. An elderly man comes in with his wife c/o possible hypoxia with blue fingers which his wife states they consulted their neighbor who was a nurse (I am doubtful she really was) and the neighbor advised them it might...

5. Favorite things you bought during RN school to help your studies?

   MelissaLPN replied to northmississippi's topic in General Students

   The best things I ever bought were : a book stand to hold up my giant med/surg book, gel highlighters that don't bleed through the page, a smart phone and a drug guide app . I honestly couldn't do nursing school with out my book stand, it really sav...

6. Patients that made you go "How are you even alive?!"

   MelissaLPN replied to Cuddleswithpuddles's topic in General Nursing

   I once had a little old lady come into the ER BP 300/150. I know because I did a manual myself! I also had a guys bg so high the lab couldn't read it, he was on an insulin drip for 5 hours before the lab called with 1700. I also had a guy fall fro...

7. Filling the gap

   MelissaLPN replied to pockunit's topic in Job Hunt

   I say accept which ever job you get first. You do not know if or when you will not only interview but start said job! Sometimes the waiting for people to be done with vacations, call backs and second interviews only to find out you have to wait anoth...

8. Family Members and their pearls of wisdom...

   MelissaLPN replied to R!XTER's topic in Relations

   Ok the setting, LTC, the resident is almost a hundred and her son is not much behind her. Tells me his mother is getting dizzy. I state "yes I know, I have assessed her. The doctor is seeing her in the morning." Son states " I want you guys to check ...

9. Combining Med Passes

   MelissaLPN replied to wearinwhite's topic in Geriatric

   We have changed our format to some ranges 4-7pm and 7-11pm. Some medications are still at five and 9 but with the ranges along with the q shift it helps. I start out passing the 4pm's and when I get close to 7pm I start passing them all. I have a few...

10. RN vs LPN Clinicals

    MelissaLPN replied to SheldonCooperPHD's topic in LPN-RN

    I found my RN clinicals to be a real joy. Outside of having the pressure of having to perform infront of someone grading you, its a nice thing to only have one patient! I definitely felt way more respect from the staff as well as my instructors. To ...

11. Behaviors and Failing to Chart Them

    MelissaLPN replied to Tired_Mommy's topic in Geriatric

    When I was a new nurse I used to document behaviors all the time but a few nurses pulled me aside and said I was opening myself up for liability because I was not including that I did anything that relieved the behavior. For some of my people, all th...

12. Feeling discouraged lpn -rn programs take forever!!!!!!!!

    MelissaLPN replied to Ericad85's topic in LPN-RN

    I can understand the feeling. I started working towards my RN after graduating from LPN school in '08, I took one class at a time and have done a traditional ADN program ( NO bridge was available). Whenever people would hear my expected graduation da...

13. Abnormal pupil shape/response

    MelissaLPN replied to MelissaLPN's topic in Geriatric

    I swear you are probably talking about my resident! I sent her to the ER for the above complaint, gave report to er charge nurse stating that there was a neuro change, after a fall. I send paper work stating she had a change in neuro/pupil response, ...

14. IV calculation

    MelissaLPN replied to nursingstudent_88's topic in General Students

    Yes. Now the adjusted rate may be less than 25% or it may be going too fast ( unlikely but possible) in which case you would decrease the rate. For instance in the case you mentioned due to what ever complication ( bent elbow or something) the rate n...

15. IV calculation

    MelissaLPN replied to nursingstudent_88's topic in General Students

    Well start with the original rate of 100ml and hour and know that you can only increase by 25% or 0.25, so you multiply the rate times 1.25 to receive 125% of the original rate. Now the orginal rate was easy, 100ml an hour but it may have been someth...