Pondmud

Latest Activity

1. CNA - Any thoughts on pre-occupying a dementia patient?

   Pondmud replied to tonyapinion78's topic in General Nursing

   In so many ways, we do best when we meet people where they're at. If your patient had trouble with "furosemide" but is comfortable with "water pill", I don't think it's wrong to call it a water pill. So let's say you've got a Dementia pt who believe...

2. Samuel Merritt ABSN Summer 2015

   Pondmud replied to redandgold's topic in School Programs

   I graduated 12/2011 from San Mateo, and can tell you I got my acceptance phonecall on Halloween for a January 3 start date. If that timeline is their baseline, then I guess you'll hear at the beginning of March for a May start date. Stressful, but ba...

3. palliative meds

   Pondmud replied to Kissy1818's topic in Hospice

   While there is validity to sedating an agitated person as a means to provide comfort, I think medicating someone with the primary goal of sedating (as opposed to relief of something else that brings a sedative side effect) them requires deliberation....

4. Brand new to Hospice Inpatient Unit

   Pondmud replied to countrygonecity's topic in Hospice

   Actually no wait - my brain just farted. You've now been on the job for 2 weeks - congrats!! There is all that. There are standard-ish orders for pain, nausea, agitation, congestion, constipation and etc., and I can tell you what ours are, but each f...

5. Have you ever been assualted by a patient?

   Pondmud replied to pfeliks's topic in Hospice

   Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to you. I get what you're saying about whether you will be able to care for him the way you'd want to, should he be re-admitted to your facility. The worst that happened to me was that I was punched...

6. palliative meds

   Pondmud replied to Kissy1818's topic in Hospice

   We've used versed and ketamine NCA for terminal stages, but only rarely. I don't know if it's written up as such in the P&P's, or if this is how our medical team views these meds, but we treat it as palliative sedation and there are a *lot* of pa...

7. CHPN certification

   Pondmud replied to Elle23's topic in Hospice

   Agreed - the test was quite heavy on the oncology knowledge (I still don't know how to predict metastases from the venous flow), even though there are just as many cardiac and pulmonary patients out there as onc patients who end up in hospice. Firefl...

8. palliative meds

   Pondmud replied to Kissy1818's topic in Hospice

   Same here - lorazepam or diazepam are choice #1 and #2. We may use the IV route if it's a picc line, but in the absence of that, and if the patient cannot take PO even as a slurry, we will go with the subcutaneous injection. Maintaining IV access pre...

9. How do you know if Hospice Nursing is for you?

   Pondmud replied to Serenyd's topic in Hospice

   Well, it's certainly a plus that you would like to get to know your patients and their families better. I am afraid that there are certain nurses attracted to the "slower" pace of hospice so that they can pass their meds, give some sleepy-time PRN's,...

10. Brand new to Hospice Inpatient Unit

    Pondmud replied to countrygonecity's topic in Hospice

    Oh gosh. This post was from a year ago. I bet you can answer all your questions now :) If not, I might be able to fill in some blanks?

11. CHPN certification

    Pondmud replied to Elle23's topic in Hospice

    I just sat for and passed the CHPN exam yesterday :) Here's what I can tell you: I think it's highly possible your previous experience may cover for the 2 years hospice-specific experience that the exam recommends you have You know how to assess a p...

12. medical abuse?

    Pondmud replied to sfaithj's topic in Safety

    There may be a consent to treat, implied agreement as evidenced by the patient consenting to be admitted to the hospital; but upon admission don't we all have our patients sign a Patient's Bill of Rights, reminding them that they have the right to re...

13. medical abuse?

    Pondmud replied to sfaithj's topic in Safety

    I think the context surrounding why she was straight-cathed is important. What if she were retaining urine, and they didn't want to go with a continuous catheterization because 1. they hope to resolve the problem and return her to continence, or 2. t...

14. Continuing Ed specifically for Home Health?

    Pondmud posted a topic in Home Health

    Hi everyone - I'm very new to home health nursing, and I've got a question for some of you more experienced nurses since I'm just learning the ropes: In my initial meeting with the client, I was told of some of their experiences with nurses from othe...

15. Samuel Merritt ABSN Spring 2011

    Pondmud replied to Victory925's topic in California

    As one student at San Mateo, I'd say that YES OMG the program is intense. However, it is possible to complete. While there are some professors whose teaching styles haven't been a perfect match to my learning style, every single person has been helpf...