I never would have thought of that...

I like this thread :-)

First one that pops into my head:

To make a nice warm pack: wet a towel, wring it out, wrap it in a "chux" (blue pad), tape closed and microwave until desired temp. is reached. Re-microwave prn. My patients love them and are a great adjunct to pain meds especially if pain meds aren't helping enough and you can't increase the dose. At a minimum, it makes the patients feel pampered a little a lets them know you care :-).

Microwave popcorn on night shift at 2am. Do not burn.

Dissolve crush meds in warm water when giving via g-tube. They will dissolve better.

Antiperspirant/Deodorant on the soles of the feet keeps away patient stinky foot smells

I'm with you, commuter.

I read with sinking stomach from not understanding a single thing, but when I got to #3....... I murmured "oooooh, hellthat sounds scary...."​

To make a nice warm pack: wet a towel, wring it out, wrap it in a "chux" (blue pad), tape closed and microwave until desired temp. is reached. Re-microwave prn. My patients love them and are a great adjunct to pain meds especially if pain meds aren't helping enough and you can't increase the dose. At a minimum, it makes the patients feel pampered a little a lets them know you care :-).

We used to do this in L&D for back labor. Unfortunately, it was highly frowned upon because the temperature cannot be controlled/monitored and it must have caused burns on someone, once. So instead we would have to order a K-pad, wait for it to be brought up, and then wait for it to heat up to its tepid warmth that wasn't particularly effective.

We put expired IV bags in our blanket warmer and then put them in a pillow case to keep them clean. Or in LTC we have a hydrocollator. Only problem with that is that they get really warm so we need to make sure that we use thick towels.

When I change pressor tubing I prime with the pressor, get an alcohol wipe ready, pause the pump, and have it all switched out in

I only work with adults but when I was a CNA I discovered a coveted trick used on postpartum...if you have someone with a rectal abscess or something else painful in their Netherlands then call and get some newborn diapers sent to you, open up one end and use the ice machine fill it with ice, best ice pack for that area ever!!!

Different area, but should be useful to NICU & mother-baby people.

Need to get heelstick labs from a kid & you're either:

A. Not super-experienced at it

Or

B. Sure this kid is not in a bleeding mood. . .

1. Though inner & outer lower thirds of the heel are safe to poke, the outer heel has a richer capillary bed.

2. Apply your unit's approved heel warmer, if you have it available, secure it not only with that thin useless adhesive strip, also wrap a stretchy piece of gauze around the heel making a heel "cast" out of that heel warmer.

3. On top of that whole set up, wrap a warm burp cloth around the whole lower leg & foot (we keep these in our blanket warmers) and secure that snugly w/a strip of plastic tape.

4. If permitted, elevate the HOB, get gravity on your side to help pool that blood.

5. Use that burp cloth as a protective layer for your bed during the blood draw.

6. Use the gauze to wrap the heel like a little cast instead of using a bandaid, less adhesive. If your kids a real bleeder, stick a smidge of cotton ball right at the heel stick spot, then the gauze "cast".