Penguinurse

Latest Activity

1. ? central line mistake

   Penguinurse replied to kelly64's topic in Safety

   If you're saying that you started the heparin infusion through the port that you had not already flushed, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as it was patent. And if it wasn't, sooner or later, the IV pump would alarm and alert the staff...

2. The right to use...

   Penguinurse replied to Antikigirl's topic in General Nursing

   God bless you for being so incredibly compassionate! This poor woman is so lucky that you're looking out for her, and letting her know it's okay to still want to feel like a woman even though the outer trappings are gone! Does your facility have a...

3. Public Misconceptions

   Penguinurse replied to annmariern's topic in General Nursing

   -Technology is always a good thing. So sure, I'll go ahead and schedule that bilateral knee replacement for my 85 year old mom who weighs 300 pounds and has such severe emphysema that she can't walk more than 10 feet without crippling dyspnea! -The ...

4. Mean/Rude Doctors

   Penguinurse replied to k_cole21's topic in Relations

   I completely agree with Grimmy's post. In my experience, MD's who are consistently rude/mean are simply acting out their own power trips, and the worst thing to do is to act intimidated or scared. That's exactly the reaction they want, and it simpl...

5. Assisted living- what happens when patients need more care?

   Penguinurse replied to lexilou's topic in Hospice

   My most frustrating experiences have been at ALF's...they are designed to assist basically well people, and the caregivers are generally not trained to care for the ill. Tons, tons, tons of education, frequent visits, and yet more education have hel...

6. Student considering hospice

   Penguinurse replied to INFJ's topic in Hospice

   I agree - there's no place like a medsurg. unit, including tele or oncology, to cement the basic skills you'll need for any specialty area you decide to go for down the road. Get your basics down, then you can build on them when you go to hospice nu...

7. Do Nurses Finally Have a Voice?

   Penguinurse replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

   I think we're getting better at using our voices - it helps that the national nursing shortage is (finally!) getting press! But we need to become as good at advocating for ourselves as we are at advocating for our patients...my experience is that we...

8. Nursing Issue - Medication Aides

   Penguinurse replied to M&MRN2005's topic in Safety

   I work as a hospice field manager, and deal with a few assisted living facilities that use med techs. As an RN, I can tell you it's truly frustrating to have nonlicensed staff giving meds to my terminal patients! I have one ALF that won't allow our...

9. Artificial feeding-Terri Schiavo

   Penguinurse replied to ktwlpn's topic in General Nursing

   A question for those who support reinserting the feeding tube (and this is an honest question, not an attack :): If there were incontrovertable proof, such as a living will or videotaped statement, that this patient wouldn't want to be sustained arti...

10. Nurse hangouts?

    Penguinurse posted a topic in Nevada

    Hi all, I've been in Las Vegas for about a year and a half, and am wondering if there are any organizations/informal groups for nurses to meet up and hang out. Also, any good conventions or meetings held here? (I'm running low on free post-it pads a...

11. Artificial feeding-Terri Schiavo

    Penguinurse replied to ktwlpn's topic in General Nursing

    Mercyteapot - that reference to Congress was simply to point out that we, as Americans, are woefully underprepared to think about (much less plan for) our eventually deaths. Hopefully this whole mess will accomplish at least one good thing, and that...

12. Artificial feeding-Terri Schiavo

    Penguinurse replied to ktwlpn's topic in General Nursing

    I've read lots and lots of posts from people who suspect Mr. Schiavo of really horrible things - does anyone have any documented proof of any abuses, past or present? "I suspect" or "I heard" or "it seems like" are not enough when making serious acc...

13. Tube feeding controversy

    Penguinurse posted a topic in Hospice

    What's everybody thinking about the potential impact of the Florida case on our jobs? Stopping a tube feeding is fairly routine for hospice; do you think the new national attention will change that in any way? I hope that if nothing else it raises...

14. Have you worked outside the OR?

    Penguinurse replied to findingmywayRN's topic in Operating Room

    I did 6 years med/surg and tele before going to the OR, which saved my sanity. :) After a few years of not dealing with awake patients, I'm over my burnout and in hospice, but if I hadn't gone to the OR I wouldn't be in nursing today.

15. What are current Hospice issues?

    Penguinurse replied to kahumai's topic in Hospice

    Hope this still helps, since it's been a few weeks since you posted, but I think a really hot topic (which I recently had a bad experience with) is palliative sedation. It's the process of sedating patients to control symptoms, sometimes for days or...