Help with terminology?

Agency, in a different country...thats a tough gig...even the meds are different names here.

Well these are regular terms on a ward specially neuro, meaning neurological, obs include the glascow scale of consciousness...can't remember whats it called anyway start with the pupils and a torch checking for dilitation, check if equal and reacting onto gripping hands equal strength or weakness same onto feet, strength. and check for papinksys? reaction on the soles of the feet. Its a long time since I did neuro obs. and if they are ordered 2 to 4 hourly you would do these obs 2 to 4 hourly.

IV ....all RN and now EN are expected to run their iv's usually 6, 8, 12, 16 or 24 hourly. Usually on a iv pump these days, but as the RN it is up to you to set up the pump and IV. Not all nurses canulate, so that no biggy. 12 hourly means just that, its to administered in 12 hours,, if my memory serves me....thats 84 mls an hour.... usually litre bags, 80% it ordered to be normal saline, or dextrose, this is ordered by a doctor.

How are IV rates ordered in the states?

Obs is short for observations. This is what we call vital signs. Neuro obs means neurological observations.

A 12hourly or 8 or 6 etc bag pertains to the rate a 1 litre bag of IV fluid runs at. It is insread of saying 83mls/hr or 125mls/hr as 90% of IV fluid orders are for 1 litre bags or flasks.

As many of the drugs have different names here your best friend is either a hard copy or an on-line copy of a MIMS. It is a drug reference book. Your other friend in the drug world is the Australian Injectable's handbook. This is a comprehensive guide on how to mix and administer all injectable drugs. It is invaluable in checking compatibility with fluids that are running through a burette. Do you need to flush it or can you add it to the burette. 80% of antibiotics have to be reconsititued by the RN on the ward.

No such thing as a Div 1 these days. All RNs are RNs and what was a Div 2 is an EN. Welcome to Oz.

Hi Sarah - welcome to AN and to Aus :) Feel free to ask away here - I can't imagine how much new information you have to process. Kind of like a grad, without the support and with the experience you've got being countered by the things you don't anticipate being different. If it's any help, you'll catch up quickly!

I think K+MgSO4 answered your questions; to answer ceridwyn's question, my understanding is that our 4/24 IV fluids would be prescribed at Q4-hourly in the US.

Hi what is a burrette? How do you get a copy of the MIMS without paying a forturne. Have asked a couple of times at the doc's office and they say "next time."

http://www.millpledge.com/images/ANIFLOW_BURETTE.jpg should get you an image of one. Ask at the pharmacy for a recent one. There is very little changes in the common meds. Or see if there is one on the wards that you work on. there should be loads in the wards of the public hospitals this time of year with all the new grads about.

Ok....this US to OZ nurse would like to know what a TOE is? I know it's NOT one of the pendages at the end of feet. lol

Trans-oesphageal echocardiogram ("oesophagus" has an 'o' here :), making your GERD our GORD!)

Moved several posts from this thread to a thread on it's own as off topic, you can find your posts here https://allnurses.com/international-nursing/moving-us-australia-545419-page2.html#post4918267