brainnurse

brainnurse has 25 years experience and specializes in neurosurgery and neurology.

Latest Activity

1. Skull bone flap

   brainnurse replied to gnom's topic in Operating Room

   Hi, There's nothing wrong with flashing the skull flap...it does get a little soggy, but like the surgeon said, it hardens up in situ after a few months. No more than 3 minutes, though (3&5) I once put one in for 20 minutes thinking longer would ...

2. UCI Medical vs. Hoag?

   brainnurse replied to IVyPush-her's topic in California

   I reinforce the recommendation for UCI. The cardiac nurses rule at Hoag, and unless you want to be on that team (which you can't, unless you're young, blonde and white), you'll feel like an ugly stepsister. They are Dr. driven and do lots of elective...

3. Comparing Wages in the OR setting

   brainnurse replied to dmclung's topic in Operating Room

   This isn't about levels of responsibility, liability, or personal value and worth. Hospitals have very rigidly designed hierarchal pay structures for job description categories or lisencure, and new grads RN's start at the bottom. The years put in as...

4. Comparing Wages in the OR setting

   brainnurse replied to dmclung's topic in Operating Room

   Yeah...it is a huge compliment, and a concession on the part of HR. Unfortunately, hospital pay structures are very rigid. You are in a nursing compensation category based on how many years you've held a license. Your years contributed to the organiz...

5. End Stage Parkinsons Questions

   brainnurse replied to AtlantaRN's topic in Hospice

   Watch out for putting scopolamine patches on PD patients. It's an anticholinergic and will worsen rigidity and drooling...may also worsen existing cognitive problems. I would ask to d/c permax and amantadine...they are for earlier stage PD management...

6. Latex Allergy

   brainnurse replied to kleinbbc's topic in Operating Room

   Please say she didn't really tell you to do that??? If a patient were allergic to PCN, but you already drew it up....I guess by her thinking, you shouldn't have to waste the syringe. Just squirt it out and refill with Vanco, right?

7. longest surgery?

   brainnurse replied to love2shop's topic in Operating Room

   One time I took pity on a surgeon who'd been scrubbed over ten hours and still had a long way to go. I took him in the substerile and held a urinal for him.

8. Stupid little mistakes....

   brainnurse replied to RNOTODAY's topic in Operating Room

   Nurseinlimbo........ I finally got out after 25 years, but I don't know how badly my soul was damaged by the abuse. Fer Chrissake, who else in your circle of friends goes to work every day and get's yelled at, demeaned, belittled, maybe something thr...

9. Stupid little mistakes....

   brainnurse replied to RNOTODAY's topic in Operating Room

   You won't forget those things once you get them into an automatic sequence. Every case, no matter what discipline, starts in a certain sequence....turn on the lights, plug in the bovie, plug in the suction, etc. If you do it in the same order every t...

10. Why are OR nurses so mean????

    brainnurse replied to brainnurse's topic in Operating Room

    Corvette Guy, Will you tell us your OR story?

11. Is anyone an admission nurse?

    brainnurse replied to brainnurse's topic in Hospice

    I accepted an admissions nurse position with Vitas, here in So. Cal. It's a bit less $$ than I was offered at other agencies doing case mngmt, including admits, but there is no call requirement, and that was meaningful to me. I really do not want to ...

12. How does this sound?

    brainnurse replied to photorn's topic in Hospice

    I'm sorry that happened to you. It's pretty healthy of you to think of a way to turn those experiences and feelings into a vehicle to help someone else. Do you think it will be hard for you to take a peds case? Or perhaps it would be exciting, becaus...

13. Is anyone an admission nurse?

    brainnurse posted a topic in Hospice

    And do you like it? I am leaning towards admission nurse instead of case manager. I think I would do pretty well at managing these discussions, and would probably enjoy assessment more than actual management. Pro's and con's of both? Thanks, Ro I sur...

14. How does this sound?

    brainnurse replied to photorn's topic in Hospice

    Those are great questions to ask. Photorn, it sounds really good. What made you decide to pursue hospice? It seems like many OB nurses gravitate to it.....must be something about the life/death continuum. It would be an interesting research project....

15. Why are OR nurses so mean????

    brainnurse replied to brainnurse's topic in Operating Room

    Thanks for listening to me rant and vent. My husband and friends are sympathetic, but don't really "get" it, having never been in that world. I should add that even though it sounded like I lumped all OR nurses together as meanies....of course they'r...