ArenRN BSN, RN

ArenRN has 48 years experience as a BSN, RN and specializes in ICU.

Latest Activity

1. Happy Nurses Day

   ArenRN replied to hoolahan's topic in General Nursing

   happy nurses week to all!!

2. Nurses week Cheap gifts from admin.

   ArenRN replied to nilepoc's topic in General Nursing

   Sick Leave is a benefit to be used whenever needed. I make use of that benefit everytime I need it, "even mental health days" I still have close to 1,000 hrs in my balance, and I sure will not leave them when I know that I will not get a penny for...

3. Floating nurses

   ArenRN replied to babsRN's topic in Management

   As you said... there is an unwritten rule. Why not write the policy? If the ICU is low census then those are the nurses to be floated. There is no reason to float Telemetry nurses since they are not the ones with low census. I work ICU and absolutely...

4. Bcma

   ArenRN replied to night owl's topic in Government

   It is a national mandate for all VA´s to implement BCMA. We have been using it for the past 3 yrs. Everyone hates it as it is very time consuming. I can understand using it if the nurse´s duty was only to pass meds. We have lost too many nurses to ot...

5. Just curious; Would this pt be one-on-one in your ICU?

   ArenRN replied to grouchy's topic in General Nursing

   If census allowed that pt would have been a 1:1. If not, paired with a stable patient. The PACU nurse would have been in the unit recovering the pt and I would take over again after recovery period.

6. An open apology

   ArenRN replied to 2ndCareerRN's topic in General Nursing

   Why make a public apology? It would have been better to make the apology to Sweetnurse in the individual posts. Because there were several where she was chastised. Or is this a way to rally support in not answering questions from what some think are ...

7. What should I do???

   ArenRN replied to starr234's topic in General Nursing

   The best choice is NLN accredited. It matters for employment and future studies I also thought that is required for you to be a grad of an NLN accredited school in order to take boards or get reciprocity.

8. Nurses week Cheap gifts from admin.

   ArenRN replied to nilepoc's topic in General Nursing

   Last year the Chief Nurse came around with a cart : cookies and Kool Aid. I asked her to work on giving us a coupon for 12 hrs Excused abcense to be used anytime during the year. (This is what we used to get at another VA.) She said she would check ...

9. The legalities of a blood pressure

   ArenRN replied to mattcastens's topic in CCU

   I would have my book opened at the section where it explains aortic insufficiency and have him read it as soon as he starts on the subject.

10. What would you do?

    ArenRN replied to thisnurse's topic in General Nursing

    As a rule dialysis catheters are not to be used for any other purpose but for dialysis. You need a nephrologist order to use it as IV line, and generally they only allow it in emergency situations. Coags will be innacurate if drawn from those caths ...

11. Scared to death...

    ArenRN replied to catlady's topic in General Nursing

    What do you mean about bad vibes? It is normal to feel somewhat aprehensive in a new job. It would be better if you can get a position in a place where they offer an adequate orientation period,where you can get to know the routine, location of supp...

12. Heparin vs NSS

    ArenRN replied to javahead's topic in CCU

    Look at articles regarding Heparin induced thrombocytopenia... We have encountered so many of these cases that we have adopted the NSS for ALL invasive lines

13. "Is this patient abandonment?"

    ArenRN replied to prn nurse's topic in MICU

    This is how it would be viewed in the hospital where I work: If an RN was covering for them is not abandonment. ( if the other RN agreed to cover for her) The one that had the aide cover for her, abandoned her pts For the one that had another RN cov...

14. Charge Nurses

    ArenRN replied to LRichardson's topic in MICU

    We have a charge nurse responsable for MICU and SICU at the same time. There is no extra pay for the charge nurse duty. There are times when the charge nurse has to take patients ( if someone calls in sick, or someone is needed to float to the floors...