With all the literature out there supporting how toxic bovine smoke is I would love to see these implemented in our OR. Certain surgeons and staff are not the best at using smoke evacuators, and I feel the pencils would be great because the evacuator is already built in. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks all!
Wow, just wow! I am speechless! I'd be on the AORN website printing material out like mad and handing it to your manager. The circumstances you describe are not only ignorant but downright dangerous!
Oooh disposable everything would be awesome! Yeah, we still use laundered sheets and blankets as well. Our only disposables are the sets for our open Jackson frames (chest pads, face pad, etc). I'll definitely do some asking around to see if they would consider going this route. Thank you for the link!
My OR is currently split - half of the rooms have the heavy duty rubber safety straps with the seatbelt like metal clasp (easy to clean and disinfect) but the other rooms have the straps that are the same material as a seat belt with wide portions of velcro.
The velcro straps are disgusting. I swear that whenever I utilize them I can see skin flakes and dust flying out of the velcro. I'm sure they are a major source of all kinds of nasty things. I realize that they are under the sterile drapes, but the point is they are often coming into contact with patient after patient, and there is no way they can be really cleaned.
I was just curious as to others thoughts on these safety straps and weather they utilize them or not. I also really want to go to my manager and raise my concerns, so any advice on how to best address the situation would be helpful as well.
The summons stated that we may submit a written letter for postponement or excusal (I'm not sure how long they postpone for either) so I figure it might be worth it just to write the letter and see what happens. It's really just a case of bad timing, otherwise I do think it would be interesting to be involved.
We also have to call the night before, and it is a "one day/one trial" deal. The county court where I'm to report is in one of the most struggling cities with the highest rates of crime and murder in the nation. There are parts of the city where you drive through stop signs at will because it is not safe to stop. It really is like a bombed out third world country in certain areas. Very, very sad. I also have a family friend who is a probate judge for the system and says the corruption within is ridiculous.
Age is really just a number. As long as you stay active and take care of your body there is no reason to believe you should not be able to do anything you do now. I know 50 year olds who are tri-athletes and I've seen patients in their 30's having CABG. It's really just a mindset and a way of living :spin: Plus, doing what you love keeps you young! Look at Mick Jagger, ha ha!
Thanks so far for the replies. The other sticky issue for me here is that the week I have been summoned is my last week on my unit before I transfer (within my hospital system) to a new job. So I'm also concerned about having to serve when I am supposed to be starting a new job. I guess the manager really can't do anything since it's a legal obligation, right? God forbid I am ordered to serve on a trial like Horseshoe's co-worker - I'd be afraid of losing my job before I even started because I wouldn't be able to orientate!
I had the distinct pleasure of receiving this in the mail today and was hoping other RNs would be able to share there experience in this area with me. Have you ever had to serve on a jury or do you find due to our background we are not good candidates? And what is your work place policy for jury leave?I currently work midnights on a closed unit, CVICU. My absence not only affects my co-workers but my patients as well, and this makes me uncomfortable. Hoping they'll be understanding of that in their selection...Thanks for any input!
For most of us, this is OLD news. And I'm sure we all realize that it's not just ER nurses that deal with violent patients - they're in every setting at the hospital. My question to all of you is:
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS?
Does your state protect you against the attack of a patient? Would your employer fire you if you were to defend yourself by fighting back? Is it possible to get legislation and administration to care about us?
It's illegal to assault a police officer, the same should be true of any health care worker as well.
I'm in the process of finding out these answers for my particular state and hospital!
Working in CV-ICU this is completely foreign to me as the question may as well have read, "Would you get together with someone who is old and sick?" LOL! The only situation I can ever see this happening in would possibly be ER (anyone can end up here if injured, including the young, healthy, smart and attractive )
Also, I can't imagine going out with someone I had taken care of. I would have to meet them again way after the fact and under healthy circumstances to even think about it, and even then they would really have to knock me off my feet!
Thanks for the replies. I'm trying my best to try and be there when cases are scheduled - I think it's just slower because it's summer, too. They will be giving us fresh hearts off of orientation, but more likely 'stable' ones so we don't drown!
I'm a registered organ donor, and used to work for the organ donation agency in my state. My mother was an organ donor, she suffered a sudden and tragic brain death at a young age. When we were approached about donation, there was no question in our minds that she would have wanted to help others - it's just the kind of person she was.
The thing is, no one working in a hospital caring for an acutely ill patient typically knows weather or not that person is an organ donor until the question is raised (as in when everything possible has been done to try and save that person, and all attempts have failed). When you are admitted to the hospital, you are not asked if you are an organ donor. If you are brought in by ambulance from a car wreck, no one is attempting to look through your wallet to find out if you are a registered donor. Unless one of my patients were to tell me they were a donor, I would have no way of knowing that. You are not branded with this information, and it would never be used against efforts to save your life.
As a previous poster mentioned, the staff that handles organ donation is a completely separate entity from hospital staff. Hospital staff will only contact these people when brain death has occured, and they do so in every case, because it is the organ procurement agency that will approach the family to find out if the patient was a donor, not the hospital staff.
The fear that efforts will not be made to save you if you are an organ donor is a common MYTH.
My hospital has both a CVICU and a CCU. Basically the CVICU takes care of the surgical patients (CABG's, valves, etc) and the CCU takes care of the medical patients (ends stage CHF, acute MI etc). If you're at a smaller hospital my guess would be that it's probably a combined medical/surgical unit.
With all the literature out there supporting how toxic bovine smoke is I would love to see these implemented in our OR. Certain surgeons and staff are not the best at using smoke evacuators, and I feel the pencils would be great because the evacuator is already built in. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks all!
Is this a legal issue of some sort?
When employees are injured on the job at the hospital I work for, we are made to go to another unassociated health clinic. Is this standard practice?
Thanks!
Wow, just wow! I am speechless! I'd be on the AORN website printing material out like mad and handing it to your manager. The circumstances you describe are not only ignorant but downright dangerous!
Oooh disposable everything would be awesome! Yeah, we still use laundered sheets and blankets as well. Our only disposables are the sets for our open Jackson frames (chest pads, face pad, etc). I'll definitely do some asking around to see if they would consider going this route. Thank you for the link!
Our red boxes have the best of both worlds - once side is the foam for suture and the other is magnetic for blades. I would think it best to have both
My OR is currently split - half of the rooms have the heavy duty rubber safety straps with the seatbelt like metal clasp (easy to clean and disinfect) but the other rooms have the straps that are the same material as a seat belt with wide portions of velcro.
The velcro straps are disgusting. I swear that whenever I utilize them I can see skin flakes and dust flying out of the velcro. I'm sure they are a major source of all kinds of nasty things. I realize that they are under the sterile drapes, but the point is they are often coming into contact with patient after patient, and there is no way they can be really cleaned.
I was just curious as to others thoughts on these safety straps and weather they utilize them or not. I also really want to go to my manager and raise my concerns, so any advice on how to best address the situation would be helpful as well.
Thanks all!
The summons stated that we may submit a written letter for postponement or excusal (I'm not sure how long they postpone for either) so I figure it might be worth it just to write the letter and see what happens. It's really just a case of bad timing, otherwise I do think it would be interesting to be involved.
We also have to call the night before, and it is a "one day/one trial" deal. The county court where I'm to report is in one of the most struggling cities with the highest rates of crime and murder in the nation. There are parts of the city where you drive through stop signs at will because it is not safe to stop. It really is like a bombed out third world country in certain areas. Very, very sad. I also have a family friend who is a probate judge for the system and says the corruption within is ridiculous.
Age is really just a number. As long as you stay active and take care of your body there is no reason to believe you should not be able to do anything you do now. I know 50 year olds who are tri-athletes and I've seen patients in their 30's having CABG. It's really just a mindset and a way of living :spin: Plus, doing what you love keeps you young! Look at Mick Jagger, ha ha!
Thanks so far for the replies. The other sticky issue for me here is that the week I have been summoned is my last week on my unit before I transfer (within my hospital system) to a new job. So I'm also concerned about having to serve when I am supposed to be starting a new job. I guess the manager really can't do anything since it's a legal obligation, right? God forbid I am ordered to serve on a trial like Horseshoe's co-worker - I'd be afraid of losing my job before I even started because I wouldn't be able to orientate!
I had the distinct pleasure of receiving this in the mail today and was hoping other RNs would be able to share there experience in this area with me. Have you ever had to serve on a jury or do you find due to our background we are not good candidates? And what is your work place policy for jury leave?I currently work midnights on a closed unit, CVICU. My absence not only affects my co-workers but my patients as well, and this makes me uncomfortable. Hoping they'll be understanding of that in their selection...Thanks for any input!
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...-this-and-more
For most of us, this is OLD news. And I'm sure we all realize that it's not just ER nurses that deal with violent patients - they're in every setting at the hospital. My question to all of you is:
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS?
Does your state protect you against the attack of a patient? Would your employer fire you if you were to defend yourself by fighting back? Is it possible to get legislation and administration to care about us?
It's illegal to assault a police officer, the same should be true of any health care worker as well.
I'm in the process of finding out these answers for my particular state and hospital!
Working in CV-ICU this is completely foreign to me as the question may as well have read, "Would you get together with someone who is old and sick?" LOL! The only situation I can ever see this happening in would possibly be ER (anyone can end up here if injured, including the young, healthy, smart and attractive
)
Also, I can't imagine going out with someone I had taken care of. I would have to meet them again way after the fact and under healthy circumstances to even think about it, and even then they would really have to knock me off my feet!
Thanks for the replies. I'm trying my best to try and be there when cases are scheduled - I think it's just slower because it's summer, too. They will be giving us fresh hearts off of orientation, but more likely 'stable' ones so we don't drown!
I'm a registered organ donor, and used to work for the organ donation agency in my state. My mother was an organ donor, she suffered a sudden and tragic brain death at a young age. When we were approached about donation, there was no question in our minds that she would have wanted to help others - it's just the kind of person she was.
The thing is, no one working in a hospital caring for an acutely ill patient typically knows weather or not that person is an organ donor until the question is raised (as in when everything possible has been done to try and save that person, and all attempts have failed). When you are admitted to the hospital, you are not asked if you are an organ donor. If you are brought in by ambulance from a car wreck, no one is attempting to look through your wallet to find out if you are a registered donor. Unless one of my patients were to tell me they were a donor, I would have no way of knowing that. You are not branded with this information, and it would never be used against efforts to save your life.
As a previous poster mentioned, the staff that handles organ donation is a completely separate entity from hospital staff. Hospital staff will only contact these people when brain death has occured, and they do so in every case, because it is the organ procurement agency that will approach the family to find out if the patient was a donor, not the hospital staff.
The fear that efforts will not be made to save you if you are an organ donor is a common MYTH.
My hospital has both a CVICU and a CCU. Basically the CVICU takes care of the surgical patients (CABG's, valves, etc) and the CCU takes care of the medical patients (ends stage CHF, acute MI etc). If you're at a smaller hospital my guess would be that it's probably a combined medical/surgical unit.