HamsterRN ADN, RN

HamsterRN is a ADN, RN and specializes in Psych/CD/Medical/Emp Hlth/Staff ED.

Latest Activity

1. Would you question this order?

   HamsterRN replied to dura_mater's topic in General Nursing

   I'm not sure what the rationale was the first Doc was using. It's not unheard of to have supratherapeutic INR and a thrombus, since the the thrombus could have formed when the INR was lower and Coumadin won't dissolve a clot. Usually what I see do...

2. Would you cut your hair for your career?

   HamsterRN replied to Claritee's topic in General Nursing

   We have a similar rule where I work but it doesn't group a dreads into the same category. Our policy allow's dreads that occur naturally, such as with AA employees. The issue is with those whose hair can only be maintained as dreads by never washin...

3. If it wasn't charted it didn't happen

   HamsterRN replied to HamsterRN's topic in General Nursing

   Where would you consider it appropriate to draw the line? Do all standards of care need to be charted on specifically? Pt specific standards of care only? Interventions only? How do we define an intervention?

4. PCA discrepancy (too much med?)

   HamsterRN replied to General E. Speaking, RN's topic in General Nursing

   The pump senses the supposed volume based on the height of the plunger, this can vary slightly and I rarely see it say exactly 50ml.

5. Question about staff ratios?

   HamsterRN replied to lag413's topic in General Nursing

   That's extremely unsafe, we can't all be as spoiled as Cali nurses but that's excessive. Normal tele units should not be higher than 1:6, your description of your floors falls somewhere within a step-down unit and progressive care, depending how you...

6. If it wasn't charted it didn't happen

   HamsterRN replied to HamsterRN's topic in General Nursing

   Being a floor nurse myself, I believe floor nurses should have the final say in how they chart since it's their practice and their license. My personal preference is to only chart what others need to know to care for the patient, so I'm trying to ma...

7. If it wasn't charted it didn't happen

   HamsterRN replied to HamsterRN's topic in General Nursing

   Wouldn't every patient have the call light within reach? If so, why chart that was done for some patients but not others. What happens when a patient falls that you didn't see coming and chart specifically that the call light was within reach? Th...

8. If it wasn't charted it didn't happen

   HamsterRN posted a topic in General Nursing

   At my facility, we are going to be changing our charting system to one that will be truly "by exception" and I foresee some friction from some staff. We currently use an EHR that is essentially "by exeption", but it allows a lot of leeway for nurses...

9. Skin Integrity

   HamsterRN replied to hkoreenrs's topic in General Nursing

   In our system, we don't consider an IV insertion site or CT insertion site a wound because we chart on the condition of the insertion sites under the assessment of the IV or chest tube. Once a CT is D/C'd, then we consider it a wound a chart on it a...

10. why dont you monitor prophylactic SC heparin?

    HamsterRN replied to bennett12's topic in General Nursing

    We check CBC's on day 3 of DVT prophylaxis heparin therapy and every 3rd day after that if they don't already have CBC's ordered. I've been told the reason why we don't monitor PTT's on these patients is that while the PTT will rise from the patient...

11. Scope of Practice Question

    HamsterRN replied to Virgo_RN's topic in General Nursing

    Diagnosing and treating is not outside the scope of practice of an RN, in fact it's the bulk of what we do. The procedures you describe are are not by definition outside the scope of an RN, but they aren't in your scope if you are have been trained...

12. Cough related to CCF

    HamsterRN replied to scchalmer's topic in General Nursing

    Coughing is one way the body removes excess fluid from the lungs, lasix helps do the same thing through a different route.

13. Missed diagnosis - just a vent

    HamsterRN replied to Nascar nurse's topic in General Nursing

    So they drew blood first and then did the U/S but the blood draw didn't include a d-dimer? That does sound like bad form if they were concerned enough to do the U/S but didn't think to run a d-dimer first.

14. Filter needles...are they necessary?

    HamsterRN replied to fsaav's topic in General Nursing

    While it is true there are no RCT's involving the injection of glass particulates in humans for the final confirmation of a risk, there are also no RCT's that compare jumping out of a plane with a parachute to jumping out of a plane without a parachu...

15. Filter needles...are they necessary?

    HamsterRN replied to fsaav's topic in General Nursing

    As much as we all hate them, there are a few reasons why glass ampules still exist. The primary reason is that some medications just cannot be stored in any type of plastic. NTG for instance is absorbed by plastic over time. It's not a significant...