Any One Eyed Nurses Out There...

Trauma Columnist · Apr 16, 2008

I have strabismus and amblyopia - I have no usable vision in my right eye. Never bothered me. Been a nurse for 16 years.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 16, 2008

I'm legally blind in my left eye (20/200 vision). Other than needing to wear glasses for just about everything, I function just fine.

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 16, 2008

No peripheral vision right eye. Never bothered me in my practice.

MikeInCO · Apr 16, 2008

Wow! Thanks for all of your responses! I am blind in my right eye but have 20/20 in my left w/ contacts or glassses. And so I was a little concerned about my ability... But it seems as though you guys(or gals if it is the case...) :chuckle all do very well. :bow: Thanks for sharing!

-Mike

Simplepleasures · Apr 18, 2008

Same with me ,legally blind in Left eye, 20/200.Just found out last year that the cause of this was a staphyloma, a elongated eyeball caused by an imperfect closing of a fissure in the optic nerve when an embryo.I think that a lot of those with amblyopia or lazy eye have this.

Twitchi · Apr 29, 2008

I was born completely blind in my right eye. I have had an artificial eye since around the age of 2. I have never had issues in jobs because of my vision impairment. I hope it doesn't cause me problems in Nursing. I start nursing school in June.

amowvu96 · Oct 12, 2008

I was born with cataracts, I have no lenses in either eye since I had cataract surgery in the early 80's, pre them putting in artificial lenses. I have 20/400 vision in the Left Eye and 20/25 vision in the right eye with contact lenses. I just graduated Nursing school in May of '08 and I do everything every other RN does on the floor.

Hugs and yes it can be done!

Janine :)

FromNH2VAwherenext · Oct 16, 2008

Hi,

While I'm not one-eyed I *do* have a scarred optic nerve and retina (at birth); esotropia (cross-eyed kinda) and visual processing problems...I wear glasses or contacts 24/7 -- I don't drive. I definitely had a BIG issue with my vision at my last job (only lasted 60 days). Actually, I was gonna post my own thread, but since this one's here, I might as well ride the wave, right?

Here's the deal -- the unit had Accudose (like Pyxis) and MARs (med admin records). I have always had problems tracking from one place/ thing to another (like copying notes from a blackboard). Even with glasses, I could see the board, but I wasn't able to process quickly I love Powerpoint presentations for that reason only :specs: .

I've got the MAR in one hand and I'm trying to pick a med out of a pocket (there's about 100 pockets of different meds). First I hafta find which pocket -- they're numbered kinda funky-ly 1-25 upper left hand corner; 26-50 upper right; 51-75 lower left; 75-100 lower right. THEN I hafta compare the pt's dose with the dose the pills come in (twice the amount, 1/2, etc) by going back to the MAR.

Accudose on my floor, anyway, times out after 10 sec. (or something really quick like that), so I grab a Dilaudid IV, say, and I hafta remember LATER to 1/2 it before I go into the pts room -- I can't prepare it then and there or else Accudose times out (and the RNs waiting in line for the 2000 or 2400 meds start getting antsy).

My preceptor checked the drugs I pulled after I pulled 'em out of Accudose but BEFORE I went over them again and brought them to the pt's room. She saw this as errors cuz I hadn't finished prepping them...

Does anyone have advice? Are there any other med admin systems out there that don't need a quick-fingered nurse pulling out meds? Pyxis is about the same way, but it didn't matter so much when I was only taking care of 1 pt, not 5 (and I know that's a lite pt load!).

Med admin sucks for me and I wanna improve it; going slowly helps some, but then I get hung up checking and double-checking (triple checking!) my work which I know I won't have time for.

Thanks in advance for your advice -- this board ROCKS! :loveya: