CrashED replied to wildlaurel's topic in Emergency
We have pharm techs in our department and have for a while now. Our techs do medication recs once the patient is placed in a room. It has really assisted in getting appropriate med lists, as they contact the pharmacy (community) and get proper update...
CrashED replied to lawandaluxnurse's topic in Emergency
I moved to the ER almost 3 years ago with a background in General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Urology. (And before that had worked Neuro and Rehab nursing). I found the transition was overwhelming at times, but it was the best thing I ever did. The fi...
It completely depends on the environment you are working. My ED is broken into 4 parts, fasttrack where the ratio is 1:9, Acute where the ratio is 1:4-5, and Critical/Trauma area has a 1:2 ratio. In fast track or minors it is completely acceptable ...
In my area we are in a nursing home shortage, so half of our acute care beds are being taken by LTC patients...so unfortunately when you work Med-surg, It turns out to be a bunch of seniors awaiting nursing home beds...really makes you miss the skill...
CrashED replied to the big nurse's topic in Emergency
We are working on that at my trauma center, more so because our medics have rediculous protocols. Anyone with fall or mvc below the age of 5 or above the age of 65 automatically comes in boarded and collared, even without neck or back pain! So due to...
I don't know about any of you, but at my hospital if a code blue is called, so many people arrive that it can spin someones head. We run our own codes in emerg, and it runs smoother then any floor code! The last floor code I went to, as the ER RN I h...
I have only been an emerg nurse for a few years but my previous back ground is Gen Surg. And I have seen the wait and see approach to a ruptured appy many times. There is obviously certain criteria that go allong with it (IE: No trauma to the cecum f...
Emerg drugs are scary, because we deal with everything from pain and nausea meds to antibiotics and PALS/ACLS Drugs. See if your facility has a parenteral drug therapy manual. We have one and it is marvelous! We have one at every medication dispensin...
CrashED replied to Anna Flaxis's topic in Emergency
Does your hospital not have policy for venipuncture?? We are only allowd 2 attempts per RN unless its an arrest/emergency situation and then we pull out the old IO to get things going until we can get IV access! I personally am a difficult stick, le...
CrashED replied to celticcare's topic in Emergency
We have several nurses in our department who preceptor Medic Students. It gives them an eye opener of what goes on once they drop the patient off. As their clinical rotations, they do several shifts in the ED shadowing a nurse. They also do some shif...
Good old smoking cigarettes with the home O2 cranked at 6lmp via Nasal Prongs....KABOOM! (((And they didn't learn the first time, because it happened again)))