Fun nursing interventions!

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

We all have our own tricks of the trade when it comes to doing odd tasks for patients.

Last night I finally got to work with young children :). An 8 year old with an r/o appy, and a 3 year old who fell on something sharp and cut the tendons in their wrist needing surgery. And boy oh boy did some creativity come out to play...and it was actually fun!!!!

For one child...well you know what can be a real pain with a horrid case of the runs...you guessed it, and it was inflamed and very very burning painful. I got a glove (making sure there was no latex allergy), filled it with cold water, put a smiley face on it...and presented it to them to put wherever the burning was...I called it her own personal "helping hand". The child and parents were thrilled, and even the MD thought that was cute! And besides some good barrier cream...this worked wonders for their pain!

I wound up doing the same thing for the post op 3 year old to encourage voiding by filling it with warm water and him putting it on their pelvis! WORKED! And to encourage eating...MR. Banana had a smiley face too, and I made hot cider for them putting fun stickers on their cup...they thought they were in a fun place instead of a hospital!!!

MR. Helping Hand worked like a charm, and I have done various other creative things for elderly and demented patients as well! (I once put up mirrors in a facility on the door of a patient that went out nude all the time...worked! And I can't tell you how many uses for warmed towels or blankets can do and make pts feel so cared for!).

What are your favorite creative tricks to help with tasks???

[bethem]

Those are fantastic, creative ideas! I love them. I haven't started nursing yet, although I just finished orientation for an AIN job (equivalent to CNA). I think these tips would be really great for new nurses, whatever their designation. Well done, you sound like a great nurse!

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Triage,

Sure sounds like you are enjoying your new work. Good for you. I admire your creativity.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Wonderful ideas with the glove. Ill have to remember that one.

[lpnadmin]

I actually drew up a care plan for a resident on how to care for their record player and records. Since I have about 1500 LP's and a record player (and appropriate interfacing equipment for converting them to CD's) I jumped on the opportunity.

The rationale was that since records themselves and replacement items like needles are in short supply, there was a possibility that their quality of life could be impaired by breakdown of the phonograph r/t mishandling. Most of the plan revolved on how to place the tonearm on the outer edge of the record and picking it straight up when the record was finished, as opposed to sliding the needle across the surface of the record. The record used was an old Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass LP. (Danny Davis is not only a bandleader but was a staff producer at RCA Records in the early 1970's)

lpnadmin

As seen in "Presleyana" by Jerry Osbourne, 5th ed. Jellyroll Books (2003)

"ask me about 'silver top stereo' LP's and 'dog on side' 45's"

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Awesome lpnadm! It is kinda fun finding those things that really make a difference and thinking up ways to preserve quality!

Speaking of elderly...I worked in assisted living, and many of our female residents use to knit a lot! Well over time many gave it up due to arthritis, poor coordination, poor vision, or just plain old depression. I felt this was such a shame, especially seeing the lovely work that they did proudly displayed in their rooms!

So one day I went to a craft store, and found a knitting loom called the knifty knitter! It is basically a round or square (dependant on your needs) frame with pegs that you wrap the yarn around and use a crochet hook to loop yarn over the pegs and continue this. I thought WOW, not all my residents will have the fine motor skill to wrap the pegs, but so many would!!!!!

I got so many elderly women back to knitting again, and the smiles were worth buying a few myself and donating them!!! The knitting club, which was just three still stands at about 10! And the activities coordinator is thrilled and using this to help many demented patients that enjoy tactile (even if they don't make anything...it is fun work with lots of different feels of yarns!).

I was kinda proud of that, and I have to give credit to my son who actually said "hey mommy, can your ladies use those to make knit caps for people who got hurt by the hurricaine"...and boy oh boy are they making caps!!! (don't know if they are sending them anywhere yet...but I suggested that to the activities coordinator...and then it would be a real win win win!!!!).