I apologize if I am sounding stupid now,but I am just curious. We have all heard about the case in California with the 13 yr old,and how she is brain dead. Of course,she is on a vent,and the family wants her to get a trach and gtube.
I have several pts that are "unresponsive" meaning they don't talk, blink their eyes, nothing, no purposeful movement, nothing. All but one is on a vent, and all have trach and gt. At least one doesn't even use a gtube. She has been on Tpn for 1.5 years now for all her nutritional needs. One boy is a Dnr order, but with the understanding that we are to rescucitate him using the Ambubag, but if his heart stops, we do nothing. (I haven't seen a Dnr order like that before, and this is the first one I've seen like that)
It also says "at parents discretion", meaning that they could change their minds and make us do chest compressions. (according to nursing supervisor). This same boy had an EEG,and it shows no activity.
Anyway,I'm not seeing the big issue with the California case as I have several kids with vents, trach, and gtubes that are well...I'm not saying the words.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Well,a coworker of mine had to take all of her CEU's in two weeks because she was renewing her license,and they asked her about them. She didn't have any at the time.Its pretty common for nurses to not have them,or take them within a month of renewing their licenses.Now that I remember,Maxim Healthcare's site and those tests we have to take every year count as CEU's.
I find this incredibly sad, shocking, and unethical. How can one provide the best care to patients if one is not keeping up to date on evidenced-based practice through journal articles, conferences, and other offerings? Saying that one has completed the required CEUs but only actually doing so if asked for records.... that leaves me speechless, and if a nurse is cutting corners in maintaining licensure (unethical and most likely illegal actions), then where else is that nurse cutting corners? A CEU here and there, spaced out over two years, is not too much to be asking nurses to complete. It's no wonder you had/ continue to have no understanding of your patients' conditions re: brain death vs. coma vs. persistent vegetative state. Shocking, and a disservice to nursing as a profession.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Aparently,two pts....Zack Dunlap and Stephen Thorpe,were declared"brain dead" yet woke up.Google them. No,they were in a vegetative state nor coma,and on was on the table to have his organs harvested.It isn't as simple as brain dead is dead.The Terri Schiavo Foundation is assisting the family with finding other arrangements.Why can't they send her home on hospice at least?(Of course,with tubes and vents)What really got me annoyed is that Mom is reporting that some hospital staff,including nurses,are referring to her child as "that body" and "deceased".I really hope that isn't true.
Do some homework on what hospice care entails, then think through why this would be a totally inappropriate option.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
The laws didn't change THAT fast.
yes they do. I cannot tell you what your patients are or aren't but if they have been vented longer than a year they are not brain dead. These other cases that you mention each had flaws from the facility and shame on them. Zack in particular should have NEVER been declared brain dead before 36 hours had passed...shame on that facility. These cases that are always mentioned always and cast doubt...yes there is shoddy medicine...thank god it is far and few between
I don't blame the Mom for being skeptical but in the case of Jahi enough is enough.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Aparently,two pts....Zack Dunlap and Stephen Thorpe,were declared"brain dead" yet woke up.Google them. No,they were in a vegetative state nor coma,and on was on the table to have his organs harvested.It isn't as simple as brain dead is dead.The Terri Schiavo Foundation is assisting the family with finding other arrangements.Why can't they send her home on hospice at least?(Of course,with tubes and vents)What really got me annoyed is that Mom is reporting that some hospital staff,including nurses,are referring to her child as "that body" and "deceased".I really hope that isn't true.
You are listening to the news reports and not what the hospitals said. They family is saying brain dead...but were they and did the hospital use that terminology. The only case I know of is Zack and the hospital was wrong to pronounce him "brain dead" in under 72 hours. They didn't follow protocol. You refuse to hear what is being said and refuse to learn on your own and think it's ok to not have CEU's as required....
Yes they require it,but its only if they ask you to present them.They don't ask all the nurses that need to renew to show them.
Yes they require it,but its only if they ask you to present them.They don't ask all the nurses that need to renew to show them.
Uhhhhh... no. It's a requirement. Period. When you renew your license you are signing acknowledging that you have completed the required CEUs. If you have renewed your license without completing the required CEUs, you can lose your license if you are audited.
Well,a coworker of mine had to take all of her CEU's in two weeks because she was renewing her license,and they asked her about them. She didn't have any at the time.Its pretty common for nurses to not have them,or take them within a month of renewing their licenses.Now that I remember,Maxim Healthcare's site and those tests we have to take every year count as CEU's.
No, it's not "pretty common" for nurses to not have them. Nurses are licensed professionals who are bound by law to complete the required education for their licenses. I've never known any nurses so flippant about this requirement as you seem to be.
This is probably totally irrelevant and possibly even wrong -- but I feel like this entire thread completely embodies how isolating and even alienating from the rest of the nursing and medical community PDN can be, especially when you fall into PDN as a new-grad (like the OP) and never get the chance to leave.
*I* started in PDN as a new-grad BSN before I went into acute care. In acute care, I can bounce questions and ideas off NPs, doctors, and my dozen or so RN coworkers. When I started in PDN, I was pretty much confined to the insular world of (maybe) the same on/off coming nurse (who may or may not have had odd ideas about things) and the family who also may or may not have some misinformation or even outright crazy ideas floating around.
This is probably totally irrelevant and possibly even wrong -- but I feel like this entire thread completely embodies how isolating and even alienating from the rest of the nursing and medical community PDN can be, especially when you fall into PDN as a new-grad (like the OP) and never get the chance to leave.*I* started in PDN as a new-grad BSN before I went into acute care. In acute care, I can bounce questions and ideas off NPs, doctors, and my dozen or so RN coworkers. When I started in PDN, I was pretty much confined to the insular world of (maybe) the same on/off coming nurse (who may or may not have had odd ideas about things) and the family who also may or may not have some misinformation or even outright crazy ideas floating around. So....yeah...
This is it in a nutshell.Nobody to ask questions too.Yes,there is the web,and Allnurses.A previous post from 2004 was where I got my information,for the most part. I think I read that one in 2004. Yes,I know its been yrs,but its a painful subject,and people are very uncomfortable talking about it. As I did say,my Supervisors didn't have an answer either...they still don't.Its not something spoken about,because they are kids. When I was talking to a pt in a vegetative like state,the nurse asked"why are you talking to him,he can't talk.Others used to chart the kid was watching tv,when he had "doll eyes".The one titled"Do you talk to your brain dead pts"?
What? Not brain dead because she's lived too long? How are you pulling this stuff out the replies you're receiving? Oy vey!
Are you saying its possible the 13 yr old in Cali. Isn't brain dead,because she has lived too long?Are you saying its possible for brain dead pts to have cardiac death even if they are on a vent and pressors?
JustBeachyNurse, LPN
13,957 Posts
Exactly. Perfection is not required to not commit fraud.
Old articles from Advance magazine have expiration dates and are only valid if submitted to Advance for CE credit.