RachRN66 replied to RachRN66's topic in Disabilities
I wish you all the best. I have 6-7 years of managment/CM/DON experience in home health and hospice. I NEVER want to be in the office again, I am not a paper pusher (although that seems to be what HH is becoming). I didn't like managing staff, I d...
I know that the "care homes" or "group homes" that are established by individuals in the community have different laws and regulations than to SNF/LTCF/ALF. About 8 years ago I was assigned this "home/ALF" group of residents that consisted of about ...
RachRN66 replied to Jfarmboy's topic in Male Students
RN in training: I am a female with a VAGINA, but foleys go into the urethra of a female, not in the vagina... wouldn' be very effective IN the VAGINA if the purpose is to assist with the elimination of urine. Urine doesn't come out of the VAGINA in...
RachRN66 replied to cayenne06's topic in Home Health
I've been a home health nurse for a very long time. Yes, we start PIVs. Mostly for lasix protocol for CHF patients, but often we get a short term antibiodic in the home that we will do with a PIV. If the antibiodic is to last for longer than 3-4 w...
RachRN66 replied to Catch22Personified's topic in Emergency
This is an example of a nurse in one discipline of practice (ER) thinking she is much better skilled and qualified than another discipline of practice (LTCF/SNF). You all took the same NCLEX or LPN version of NCLEX (I don't know what this is called)...
Why do you have to communicate? To 1) get to know them 2)elicit pertinent information 3) be a NURSE..nurses are treating the whole body HOLISTICALLY, that means the entire person, not just their diagnosis, meds, etc. You need to be able to address ...
RachRN66 replied to CabanaDay's topic in Home Health
I would also recommend barrier cream applied librally and thickly to the skin before going to bed at night and then cleaning as soon as possible in the AM. Using a thick barrier cream with zinc oxide is my preference...like desitin, balmex etc.
I have dealt with many sci patients over the years, some on a personal level and some on a professional level. I can tell you that no matter what you read, every patient regardless of where their sci is located, is different. No matter what you rea...
RachRN66 replied to All4NursingRN's topic in General Nursing
I am an old nurse. I went to nursing school before HIV/ AIDS was known, graduated when AIDS was treated by suiting up in a martian like outfit and approaching the patient. We, as medical professionals have come a long way. I recall my aunt, a RN n...
I don't call for other disiplines or other doctors. If they need information relayed then they need to relay it. I work in home health and do a lot of MD calls, but a week or two ago I was called by my manager in the office to say that OT wanted me...
RachRN66 replied to RachRN66's topic in Disabilities
My supervisor seemed a little "stunned" like she was almost put in her place when I told her about my conditions. I did not mention specific medications that I take, I just told her it was not safe for me to be out driving and seeing patients withou...
RachRN66 replied to RachRN66's topic in Disabilities
I have been treated for BiPolar for many years, and have been on and off so many meds that it makes me sound like a pharmacy if I'd list them all. Some meds with terrible side effects then I'd have to take other meds to combat the side effects. Xan...
RachRN66 replied to emilysmom,RN's topic in Home Health
Your company should have a policy/procedure about how to manage PICCs in the home setting. For example, our company says to flush unused PICC lines with 5ml of 10:1 U heparin daily, PICC line dressings 'and end caps are changed weekly. IF the PICC ...
I'm a nurse with 20+ years of experience. I have worked at the same home health job for more than 10 years. In that 10 years I once was out of work for 2 months because of my Bipolar disease. I had been hospitalized with a lot of med changes, and ...
I read through this entire thread, 22 pages. I see some people whining, and some people here with some genuine concerns. I want to say a couple of things. To the nursing student that c/o failing a test because the teacher put things on there that ...