Alternative Medicine Job

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

noooo.... beware of that place.... i don't like the sound of their business practices... is there any other nurses working there? can you check with the BBB to see if they have complaints lodged against them?? i would not do things " their way" ... i would put on my nikes .. and run..

elkpark · Apr 3, 2008

I can see checking your IV skills in the interview process if starting IVs is a large part of the job -- it's the "herbal substances" and "we have our own techniques" parts that spook me! I agree; run, don't walk!

squeakykitty · Apr 3, 2008

I was wondering if this place should be reported to someone. I have never heard of legitimate herbal IV infusion. What about sterile technique?

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

That kind of freaks me out---yet I am sickly interested in hearing more. Only because I am guessing places like these are becoming more and more common.

I would be totally freaked out to admin their meds.

My MIL is an "herbalogist" of some sort--passing phase I am thinking--but anyways she gave my hubby and I some tonic once to help improve memory and I wouldnt drink it, it had a home made glued on paper label and I told her "how do i know this stuff wasnt made out of someones garage?" she bought it online.

I threw it away after she left.

I am all for vitamins/minerals, I just want to make sure I know they are processed in a clean safety inspected factory.

Spritenurse1210, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

well the IV infusions are mixed by those whom I assume are nurses.........I wasn't really paying attention to the other women's credentials, I was more shocked at the fact that one of my responsibilites would be to mix the herbal stuff with the saline.... :eek:

TNNurse92 · Apr 3, 2008

Sounds to me like there is a lot to be leery of! I doubt that there has been FDA approval for the preparations and as such, I wonder what your liability would be in the administration of such preparations? I think it would be too risky to put my license at stake (not to mention the lives of those who would be receiving the IV herbs)

MIA-RN · Apr 3, 2008

yikes. I would check with your BON...just in case there is something fishy going on there. I would never give "herbal medicines...I mean remedies" to anyone IV. Good gosh, so many of the herbals remedies sold at the store aren't even FDA approved--and to put it IV???

Run as fast as you can!!

Dental Hygienist · Apr 4, 2008

Is it chelation therapy do you think?

Gosh, I've seen some questionable stuff, and I've heard of some even worse stuff. However, with a good ND and proper science and protocols I don't think alternative medicine would be a bad or dangerous place to work...this facility doesn't sound too great though.

Alex_RN2b09 · Apr 4, 2008

When I make a list off the top of my head of all the things you can give IV that won't kill you and all those that will...

Guess which one is longer.

RUN!

Also do they have a website or anything? I'm really curious how they are presenting this to the general public versus what they are actually supplying.

suzy253, RN · Apr 4, 2008

RUN don't walk away from this job.

Do you want to put your professional license in jeopardy.

no amount of nursing insurance would cover this.

Dental Hygienist · Apr 4, 2008

HOLY CRAP!!!

http://http://www.chelationwatch.org/safety/mmwr2006.shtml

Here's an excerpt, there were 2 other cases of chelation related deaths:

Texas.In February 2005, a girl aged 2 years who was tested for blood lead during routine health surveillance had a capillary BLL of 47 µg/dL. A venous BLL of 48 µg/dL obtained 12 days later confirmed the elevated BLL. A complete blood count and iron study conducted concurrently revealed low serum iron levels and borderline anemia. On February 28, 2005, the girl was admitted to a local medical center for combined oral and IV chelation therapy.

The patient's blood electrolytes at admission were within normal limits. Initial medication orders included IV Na2EDTA and oral succimer (an agent primarily used for treatment of lead poisoning). The medication order subsequently was corrected by the pediatric resident to IV CaEDTA. At 4:00 p.m. on the day of admission, the patient received her first dose of IV CaEDTA (300 mg in 100 mL normal saline at 25 mL/hr). At 4:35 p.m., she was administered 200 mg of oral succimer. Her vital signs remained normal throughout the night. At 4:00 a.m. the next day, a dose of IV Na2EDTA (instead of IV CaEDTA) was administered. An hour later, the patient's serum calcium had decreased to 5.2 mg/dL (normal value for pediatric patients: 8.5--10.5 mg/dL). At 7:05 a.m., the child's mother noticed that the child was limp and not breathing. Bedside procedures did not restore a normal cardiac rhythm, and a cardiac resuscitation code was called at 7:25 a.m. The child had no palpable pulse or audible heartbeat. Repeat laboratory values for serum drawn at 7:55 a.m. indicated that the serum calcium level was

An autopsy revealed no results of toxicologic significance. A postmortem radiologic bone survey indicated areas of sclerosis at the metaphyses (growth arrest and recovery lines compatible with lead exposure). The cause of death was recorded as sudden cardiac arrest resulting from hypocalcemia associated with chelation therapy. The hospital's child mortality review board findings indicated that a dose of IV Na2EDTA was unintentionally administered to the child.