Nursing 10 years ago

[kauffman]

I was just wondering what nursing was like 10years ago and how has it changed?

[KYCNM]

You're not playing fair!!! The OP said ten years!

Sorry, I just thought 40 years ago was more interesting

[RNperdiem, RN]

Restraints were used more at the nurse's discretion. It didn't require the same amount of paperwork.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Check the pH of what??

The pH of what you suck back into the syringe to make sure you are in the stomach and not the lungs

[smk1, LPN]

Check the pH of what??

You are taught to aspirate and check the pH of the contents, more acidic y are in the gastric area, alkaline you're in the intestinal area. The air bubble auscultation method is taught as well, but the preferred way (after CXR for true placement) is to aspirate the contents and check pH.

[aprzx84451]

Check the pH of what??

Check the pH of the gastric contents, this will tell if your are in the right place by how acidic the contents are. How do you do an air bolus to ck placement. I might have been taught, but can't remember.

[cari rn]

Okay - maybe someone can clarify this one for me, but 10 years ago urine caths were sterile. Now, a nurse recently told me that they are a "clean" procedure (I'd taken a few years out of nursing, just back to Emerg). Has the whole sterile thing changed in 10 years? Or does this nurse need to go back to school?

[aprzx84451]

Okay - maybe someone can clarify this one for me, but 10 years ago urine caths were sterile. Now, a nurse recently told me that they are a "clean" procedure (I'd taken a few years out of nursing, just back to Emerg). Has the whole sterile thing changed in 10 years? Or does this nurse need to go back to school?

I am in block 3 and when we were taught to place urine caths, they were very strict on us to make sure that we were sterile and not to contaminate ourselves. now in real life, some times it is not always the case especially when a pt had a cardiac cath and had to have it twice ( went through both femoral arteries) and I was not able to bend either legs. I do think it all depends, but as far as I know it is a sterile procedure.

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

Wasn't 10 years ago yesterday?

That's what I thought too!

[TazziRN, RN]

regarding checking the ph of gastric contents:

i got it, guys!!!!!

[VegRN]

You still have narc keys?? We still have to count with the Pyxis but it doesn't have to be done at every shift change anymore, just once a week.

Lucky you, we have a pyxis and we still have to do it every shift. blech.

[imenid37]

No HIPPA! Just common sense to a larger extent. Less efforts to save patients from their own stupidity at every turn.

[TazziRN, RN]

I think HIPAA is too stringent but at the same time I'm glad it's in effect, because a lot of people don't have common sense. When I got pregnant my husband and I decided not to tell anyone right away because we'd decided to terminate if the amnio came back bad. Within days the entire hospital knew, because someone in the lab blabbed.