I was a member of the WSNA (Wisconsin) when I was a student, and all these years later I am still glad that I got involved. I ended up being quite active at the state level (President of the state board) and was lucky enough to be able to go to many ...
I'm a native cheesehead. I moved to Maine about 10 years ago and have been very happy here. I think the weather is very similar and Maine has the added bonus of the ocean and mountains. I live in central Maine (near Lewiston/Auburn). Close enough to ...
I'm an ICU nurse of many years and, for a variety of reasons, have recently been looking for a new job. I saw an ad in the local paper for an RN Case Manager at a local Hospice agency and decided to investigate. The more I learned about what a Hospic...
CarpeDiem2004 replied to CarpeDiem2004's topic in Hospice
I'm an ICU nurse of many years and, for a variety of reasons, have recently been looking for a new job. I saw an ad in the local paper for an RN Case Manager at a local Hospice agency and decided to investigate. The more I learned about what a Hospic...
CarpeDiem2004 replied to justgoofie's topic in Neuro
From your description of the patient's movements and the scenario, it sounds to me like it was posturing you were seeing. To avoid this sort of problem, I frequently go to see my patient with the nurse I am reporting to or am receiving report from du...
CarpeDiem2004 replied to moonshadeau's topic in General Nursing
I don't see how you can adequately take care of ICU patients without knowing about the IV drips that we so frequently use. Are they planning on not assigning you to these patients until after the year is up? This is an integral part of an ICU nurse's...
I agree with jwk. In my institution, we use propofol on vented patients all the time. If it's going to be used for conscious sedation, it must be given by anesthesia or by an intensivist. It is a wonderful drug, but I've seen plenty of patients that ...
CarpeDiem2004 replied to 1styrnursingstudent's topic in Student Assist
I believe that being a good nurse begins with being a strong patient advocate. Sometimes we are the only ones that a patient has speaking up for their best interest. Good luck on your assignment.
The ICU I work in has a 12 bed capacity but we average 5-7 patients so we staff for this number. We frequently have patients that come into our ICU who are inappropriate admissions, and many who stay longer than they should and take up an ICU bed jus...
CarpeDiem2004 replied to nursemary9's topic in General Nursing
At my institution, we check vital signs pre transfusion, every 5 minutes for the first 15 minutes, then every 30 minutes for the duration of the transfusion. A complete set of vital signs includes temp, BP, pulse and resp. rate. A rise of 1 degree in...
I've been working in the ICU for 11 years and I love it! In my experience it takes a mix of personalities to make an ICU unit strong and an enjoyable place to work. On the other hand, the "strong" personalities I've encountered over the years can mak...
I've been working in the ICU for 11 years and I love it! In my experience it takes a mix of personalities to make an ICU unit strong and an enjoyable place to work. On the other hand, the "strong" personalities I've encountered over the years can mak...
I'm planning on going back for my masters in nursing with an education emphasis - not because I expect to make a huge amount of money when I'm done, but because I would really like the opportunity to pass on my knowledge and experience - possibly in ...