gardengal1

gardengal1 ASN, RN

ED only

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About gardengal1

gardengal1 has 25 years experience as a ASN, RN and specializes in ED only.


ER nurse 25 years

Latest Activity

  1. NO LUNCH

    We never get lunch or breaks - you grab a bite whenever you can. BUT, no lunch break is taken out of our 12 hour shift - we get paid for the entire 12 hours - even if we would happen to be able to take a break. I think I would be filling out the "n...
  2. New Nurse Looking For ER Advice

    Most ER's don't hire new grads - they expect about 2 years of medical/surgical/ICU background before allowing a transfer into the ER. Get your foot in the hospital where you want to work on any floor that you have interest in. Pay your dues, watch ...
  3. We NEVER hold a patient during shift change - that is what the Resource Nurse is for. Admits go up as soon as they are ready, no matter what time it might be.
  4. We use the same computer system as the admitting floors. When we call to give report to an admitting nurse, if they are not available, they MUST call back within 10 minutes, otherwise, the Resource Nurse takes report. During report, they have the c...
  5. Need ideas to reward nurses that successfully pass their CCRN

    Money. It is the driving force behind most all higher-level certifications. Of course, the recognition should come with it but, if others on their unit know that a raise came with this certification, others will follow suit. The personal satisfact...
  6. I DO believe change is in the air. I am within 3 years of retirement, working almost full-time in a busy ER and see all the staff stressed to the max with understaffing, sick call-offs, staff just not showing up for their shifts, a non-existent man...
  7. Succ vs Etomidate

    We use Etomidate exclusively for bedside procedures (reduction of dislocated joints). For intubation, we combine Succ with Etomidate pre-intubation as a 2 drug combo. For procedures, Etomidate is short acting with the patient waking back up in minu...
  8. Vodka tampons?!?

    Regarding the post that kids now will snort anything: I recently had a teen ask me if he could get high from snorting Warfarin. I calmly told him "no - but you will bleed to death". Then came the lecture. Kids believe that anything that comes in a...
  9. Does your facility allow the floor/unit nurses write up other nurses?

    People do this crap in our hospital all the time but fortunately, we never see them. At staff meetings, our boss will tell us we have had some write ups about ie: sending a pt for a MRI with a running IV rather than a saline lock; elderly demented f...
  10. The problem with floating ER Nurses

    We do NOT float, EVER. And, it is the rare occasion that you are allowed to go home ON CALL and must be within at 15 minute response time to get back there when **** hits the fan. I do not have sources for you to check. We follow safe staffing for ER...
  11. ER computer programs

    Am searching for a computer charting program/system for the Emergency Department which you think is easy to use, is complete in it's content and doesn't require you to flip through dozens of screens in order to use. Is there a program out there that...
  12. What do you consider to be nursing's biggest setback?

    Not having the TIME to spend TIME with my patients due to all the other "stuff" we have to do in addition to the unsafe staffing loads.
  13. Triage at the bedside

    We are now talking about bedside registration to see if it will work for us. I have read the posts from the past year and understand that communication is key. What about actual numbers of staff to man the ED and staff it for the very busy days. I wo...
  14. Triage at the bedside

    We are smaller hospital, 19 beds, 28,000 ER visits/year. We have 2 ER techs (most are nursing students or paramedics) who get name/birthdate/presenting complaint and sit at a desk in the waiting room. They have written criteria beside them - shortnes...
  15. Supplies You Can't Live Without

    Kelly clamp and ink pens - everything everyone else has mentioned is at my fingertips in every room. Computers in rooms have micromedix so don't need to leave room. BUT - have my own personal stash of SILK tape which is excellent for buddy taping ...