EuropaRN

EuropaRN specializes in Intensive care, ER.

Latest Activity

1. What's the meanest thing a patient has said to you?

   EuropaRN replied to fangirl's topic in Relations

   One mid 50s woman after a poly pharm od in 4 points called me literally any word she could come up with. She called me a d**k slayer, which I found pretty impressive actually. The one well meaning older lady told me my biological clock was ticking a...

2. What I learned this week (7/4/15)....

   EuropaRN replied to ixchel's topic in General Nursing

   I learned that etoh withdrawal is terrible. I only remember learning about the first few days, ativan and seizures... I don't remember learning that it can turn you into a completely incomprehensible mess for weeks afterwards. How sad that our societ...

3. Vasoactive drips

   EuropaRN replied to Momma1RN's topic in Med-Surg

   I believe Tele floors at my hospital (360ish beds) can take cardiac drips but cannot titrate. I'm not sure if that applies to nitro or not. Curious though, if you are moving from the area, are you planning on working in the new area? Maybe this woul...

4. Now THAT'S a lab result

   EuropaRN replied to emtb2rn's topic in General Nursing

   I've seen troponins >50 and triglycerides 4500 range. Both lived. The triglycerides patient also had pancreatic issues and had actually drank himself into DM type 1 and his blood had the same issues previously described... Turbid, settled intI a w...

5. Most drips at once

   EuropaRN replied to delphine22's topic in MICU

   I think 8. Heparin (then argatroban), insulin, bicarb gtt, arivan, fent, neo, levo, vaso, and then fluids with abx and lyte replacement riders. He was on crrt and obviously vented. Came to us because he was in dka. Actually damaged his pancreas from ...

6. Question About Call

   EuropaRN replied to mrsd's topic in General Nursing

   We are required to take two 12 hour call shifts per month if we are in the first two groups to schedule (priority). If we are in the third group, we get the left over regular shifts, but only one 12 hour call shift.

7. Med Error

   EuropaRN replied to XNavyCorpsman's topic in General Nursing

   Come back and let us know how you feel when you eventually give an actual wrong medication, or give bp meds to a hypotensive patient. When you're off orientation and have 5 patients to take care of, and you just have to get this one thing done before...

8. Accessing central lines/IV starts

   EuropaRN replied to misselena's topic in Home Health

   Use sterile technique. I would look to see if YouTube has videos on accessing a port, there seems to be so much there. Feel the edges and feel for the central hub, find a visual landmark to aim for. I always flush with 10 before and 10 after. As far ...

9. My PT called 911

   EuropaRN replied to joyful_wanderer's topic in Emergency

   I had a pt call the hospital from her cell phone and had them page her cardiac surgeon because I couldn't give her any more pain meds! Twice she did this. The first time the operator called the unit to check but the second time the pt gave a differen...

10. Starting clinical tomorrow... Tips?

    EuropaRN replied to vregino36's topic in Male Students

    I would so much rather have loose fitting but modest scrubs than all your bits hanging out. If they are clean and not wrinkled you'll look fine. This doesn't apply to men, but I hate this trend of messy buns to clinical/work. Totally fine if you're ...

11. Pushing meds through NGT/OGT with the plunger

    EuropaRN replied to delphine22's topic in MICU

    I always run my meds through by gravity (ng/og/peg) unless there's some resistance or if the meds get cloggy in the tube. That's just how I learned in school. If it's a small bowel feeding and there's no Lopez valve attached, and depending on how muc...

12. Making Mistakes?

    EuropaRN replied to nursingmymind's topic in General Nursing

    re: computerized med scanning, the same thing that the pp described happened to me with a dose of Lasix. It was fairly large and pharmacy had to send it up. Well it was a po dose in an amber syringe when it should have been iv. I had the pt the night...

13. ISU aBSN

    EuropaRN replied to RookieRoo's topic in Indiana

    You too! I'm not that creative :-) Not at all, 2 nurses did their capstones in Indy and were hired. We had to make decisions by October, I think. As for pharm, learn the classes and you'll be golden. Memorize the few names that didn't match the suffi...

14. caught a med error. ...stress. ..

    EuropaRN replied to thatnurse17's topic in Medications

    That's what I was thinking too, some meds we stock have to be wasted and there's no document of that in the emar. It's documented in the pyxis of course, but I haven't looked to see if a staff rn has the capability to see what was wasted.

15. Slamming in IVP meds and Running Incompatible Meds Together: Is it as bad as they say

    EuropaRN replied to RNdynamic's topic in Medications

    I always always check compatibilities, especially if I come on to many lines y-ed in together. Recently my hospital has adopted a policy to reuse secondary tubing for compatible iv antibiotics and I've heard only a few nurses complain about having th...