Pghfoxfan1

Latest Activity

1. ICU for EP Lab?

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to CardiacRNLA's topic in Cardiac

   I believe that we do require ICU experience but, I feel that almost all of EP is learned on the job. I'm also an EP nurse and I can tell you that after 17 years of working in an open heart ICU, I was lost in EP.

2. Paced and Vtach

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to FWRNCA's topic in Cardiac

   You should always care about VT even when someone is paced. Granted there are some VTs which do not affect the blood pressure as much as others (RVOT VT), most will cause some bit of hypotension, causing dizziness, syncope and possible callapse. Yo...

3. EP Nurses

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to SMYSJanie's topic in Cardiac

   I have worked in the EP lab since 2002. I had worked 17 years in an open heart ICU before that. The reason I mention that is because, I felt so dumb when I started working in EP! For the first 20 years of my nursing career, I prevented people from...

4. EP Nurses

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to SMYSJanie's topic in Cardiac

   ALmost always trained on the job. PCU is a great start.

5. Homelessness

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to Beldar_the_Cenobite's topic in General Nursing

   You may be able to rent a room in someone's house till you can get on your feet

6. Is leaving before hurricane abandonment?

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to CNAbutLPN2be2017's topic in General Nursing

   Listen, we are all nurses here. And we KNOW that MANY of the patients in the hospital don't need to be there. For starter, all patients that CAN be discharged SHOULD be, and be sent home early enough that they can also protect themselves. Heck, it...

7. How not to puke on your shoes during your first real ICU shift?!?!

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to dogmombyday's topic in Critical

   Remember a few things. You are there to do your best to help the patient...but, don't blame yourself, sometimes people die. Sometimes families can be a pain in the butt but, think of what they are feeling and going through with their loved one in ...

8. PPM and Magnets during Cardiac Arrest

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to Catticus11's topic in CCU

   Placing a magnet over a pacer will make it pace asynchronously. (While placing a magnet over an ICD will ONLY turn off tachy therapies and do NOTHING to pacing) If prior to the code blue, the patient's pacer had "failure to sense", placing a magnet o...

9. IABP Alternative

   Pghfoxfan1 replied to HeliKel's topic in Critical

   Bi V pacing can help increase EF but not always instantly. The IABP is a great tool. Not all hospitals have the Impella . I agree with Dobutrex for it's inotropic properties. Epi will vaso constrict increasing after load. Primacor Ntg and Nipri...

10. IABP waveform clarification

    Pghfoxfan1 replied to Catticus11's topic in CCU

    Any "seasoned" nurses remember doing Endocardio viability ratios "EVR's" back in the "olden days" to wean IABPs? Oh, the good old days...

11. Lpn told me she works ICU??

    Pghfoxfan1 replied to Runnergirl84's topic in Critical

    I worked with an LPN in an open heart ICU. We had to do her IV meds, but she did everything else. BTW, some of the best nurses I ever worked with were LPNs. And the best nurses I ever worked with were LPNs before becoming RNs.

12. Where are all of the holistic nurses?

    Pghfoxfan1 replied to PaleoNurse's topic in Holistic

    Been a nurse 35 years. I have always thought that touch was very very important. That is the reason I learned Reiki. I am now a Reiki Master. I also believe that essential oils have their place in medicine. I am only beginning to learn and unde...

13. Learning about Sutures

    Pghfoxfan1 replied to lnp0205's topic in Operating Room

    Great post! Thank you! I also want to say that 0 silk is used when you want to hold something in place forever, for example a pacemaker/ICD tied to the chest muscle, and it's leads. You wouldn't want these sutures to absorb/disappear in time because ...

14. How much documentation is too much?

    Pghfoxfan1 replied to Pghfoxfan1's topic in Operating Room

    When I saw what the OR documents (hardly anything), I questioned that we are documenting way too much.

15. How much documentation is too much?

    Pghfoxfan1 replied to Pghfoxfan1's topic in Operating Room

    I do too! Why do nurses do this? Are we covering our asses?