foragreatergood

Latest Activity

1. How do you address co workers that are not adhering to social distancing - then coming to work?

   foragreatergood posted a topic in COVID

   The majority of my coworkers are adhering to social distancing - taking it very seriously including not eating out, not having meals delivered at work, only going to work and back home. But we found out that a small group is out socializing during th...

2. How private is your triage?

   foragreatergood replied to foragreatergood's topic in Emergency

   I think its surprising that hospitals aren't more concerned with protecting private health information in the triage setting. So much emphasis is putting on privacy ( minimizing computer screens, removing patient identifiers etc) yet its a free for a...

3. Alternative to shouting a name

   foragreatergood replied to heavydmg's topic in Emergency

   I think using a number would be best - but making it clear when the patient is assigned a number that it not sequential. So random numbers could be assigned - like 67, 4, 22, 952 - then patients would not correlate their number with the order in whi...

4. How private is your triage?

   foragreatergood replied to foragreatergood's topic in Emergency

   We are trying to start a new process of not having anyone but the patient (unless its a child) back to the triage area. Most staff and patients seem to be fine with it. It makes the process faster and less complicated without input from the visitors....

5. How private is your triage?

   foragreatergood posted a topic in Emergency

   Just wondering how important is privacy in your triage area? Do you limit visitors? Close curtains? If a patient had a very personal complaint, could they describe it to you without others hearing it?

6. ED staffing ratios

   foragreatergood replied to EDdad's topic in Emergency

   In our dept the fast track area RN has 5 patients but they are all 4's and 5's. No easy 3's, no kidney stones, migraines, they don't even want the severe back pains. The rest of the dept is 4:1. We have been trying to get this better balanced. It see...

7. Does the ER get easier or is it time to call it quits?

   foragreatergood replied to RNTEE's topic in Emergency

   Stick it out for a year. I lost track of how many times I almost quit, walked out in tears and felt like I was never going to manage 4 patients. 6 yrs later - I still have days I struggle. But I am so glad that people encouraged me to stay.

8. Decreasing Falls in the ED

   foragreatergood replied to widi96's topic in Emergency

   Not so well! But it also prompts the RN to identify that the patient is high risk and implement precautions - leave curtain open, offer toileting, bed alarm, siderails up etc.. The contract always has to be addressed - so the RN, at a minimum, need...

9. Decreasing Falls in the ED

   foragreatergood replied to widi96's topic in Emergency

   A written agreement for high risk patients to sign that states they agree to use their call bell to ask for assistance. Time consuming, but reduced our falls.

10. What if I chose wrong?!

    foragreatergood replied to gemmi999's topic in Emergency

    #1 will earn you a lot of respect and improve your chance of success!

11. 69 Medications Every New ER Nurse Must Master!

    foragreatergood replied to Michael M. Heuninckx's topic in Emergency

    Our ED does still use it. But it's our older docs that order it. It is linked to fatalities related to mesenteric ischemia. From what I understand, the pathophys has not been established but there is enough research out there that many docs don't w...

12. Heavily considering change to Day shift

    foragreatergood replied to rearviewmirror's topic in Emergency

    I worked night shift for about 2 yrs. I took a few weeks off as you did. I didn't realize how crappy I felt until I started sleeping 7-8 hrs every night. As soon as I went back to work I requested a move to days - and was fortunate enough to get it. ...

13. first code/compressions

    foragreatergood replied to buckeyeRNED's topic in Emergency

    Part of ACLS training is to evaluate the compressions and encourage the staff member to adjust them if necessary. We have orderlies come to our codes and sometimes I have to tell them to lighten up - slow down and decrease depth of compressions. Just...

14. question about maintenance fluids and drips

    foragreatergood replied to seventhirtynine's topic in Emergency

    It sounds like you have a tricky medication/fluid admin system. Our system its clearly written how much is ordered, and it keeps a running tally - and it has a stop time. I have found that with critical patients that have gotten multiple bolus's - it...

15. What is correct way to do gastric lavage using NGT?

    foragreatergood replied to rearviewmirror's topic in Emergency

    I have often heard the phrase " getting stomach pumped". Hearing the description of the Ewald tube now I understand where that term came from! YIKES.