Med-Surg IV Meds

[Gyh]

I am starting a Med-Surg job soon and I have never worked in the hospital. Nurses who work Med-Surg what are the common IV push and IV medications? I want to review most common IV meds so that it's not too overwhelming when I start the job.

[Googlenurse, ASN, BSN, RN]

OMG, med surg is scaring me! I might back out of the position I was hired for! 

Who has the brain capacity to remember all of this? Or who has the time to look up medications and what you can dilute them with before giving them while working? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

I've never done IV push meds, or hung potassium and I’ve been a nurse for some time now. 

[jobellestarr]

13 hours ago, Googlenurse said:

OMG, med surg is scaring me! I might back out of the position I was hired for! 

Who has the brain capacity to remember all of this? Or who has the time to look up medications and what you can dilute them with before giving them while working? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

I've never done IV push meds, or hung potassium and I’ve been a nurse for some time now. 

You’ll be fine. And of course, you have the time to look up your meds. It takes less than a minute and then you’ll have it in your brain ? Lots of resources at your hands. Apps, pharmacy and even the Pyxis. Take the time and you’ll be a great nurse. 

[Googlenurse, ASN, BSN, RN]

On 12/9/2022 at 10:16 PM, jobellestarr said:

You’ll be fine. And of course, you have the time to look up your meds. It takes less than a minute and then you’ll have it in your brain ? Lots of resources at your hands. Apps, pharmacy and even the Pyxis. Take the time and you’ll be a great nurse. 

I will have 6 patients. It will be a mix of telemetry and med surg patients. There is no telemetry tech , so I have to read my own strips. It’s a small community hospital. The big hospital hasn’t called me back yet. But it’s the same ratio, expect it is all telemetry. 

[jobellestarr]

8 hours ago, Googlenurse said:

I will have 6 patients. It will be a mix of telemetry and med surg patients. There is no telemetry tech , so I have to read my own strips. It’s a small community hospital. The big hospital hasn’t called me back yet. But it’s the same ratio, expect it is all telemetry. 

I understand. I’m a 40 yr RN with mostly a M/S background. You still have to follow the standards of nursing for yourself and your patients. I understand your anxiety but you’re talking yourself into panic. These things will come in time. ❤️

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

If you’re on a telemetry unit you might have to run cardizem or amiodarone 

both are pretty simple in terms of titration — cardizem goes up until you get the heart rate you’re aiming for (~90) and then you take it back down, amiodarone starts off at 1 and then you half it after six hours.

you just have to make sure to keep an eye out on your telemetry to make sure the rates aren’t going too slow or getting wacky. Also have to take frequent BPs, especially with cardizem.