old skills that we do not use anymore

botch92 · Sep 22, 2004

hello we are still doing that at our facility where we have 6-10 trachs in long term care. Works great for us-- :)

rn500 · Sep 22, 2004

-3-H enemas? (high, hot and hell of a lot!) Of course, that's not how they were ordered!

-Enemas and shave preps for labor pts?

-q4 hr IM Demerol injections for post c-section pts, rather than PCA pumps or duramorph spinals - by the time they went home their poor hips looked like Mike Tyson's face after a boxing match!

-The new nurses I work with in L&D are stunned when I tell them about how we used to labor pts in a "labor room", have them push, then when they were crowning, fly back to the delivery room and make them scoot over onto a delivery table just in time for the Dr to walk in, deliver the kid, and walk out. God forbid they would have to stand there for 2 or 3 contractions before delivery. Oh yes, the part they are MOST stunned about? NO EPIDURALS! :eek:

How DID we manage to have babies back then?

weesyanne · Sep 22, 2004

We still use saline in people's trachs where I work to thin secretions and make them easier to suction out. I have seen Harris flushes used within the last 3-4 years at another hospital I worked for. And I have used a rectal tube with patients once or twice in the last year.

I can remember lots and lots of glass IV bottles, instead of just the few items we have in glass now. Potassium vials on the floor alongside saline vials. Needles that you had to cut off into the needle box. And not wearing gloves for any and everything you do.

CTSCOUT · Sep 22, 2004

Backrubs...used To Be Soothing, Relaxing And Preventative Of Bed Sores...but Appreciated By The Patients The Best...miss That Time Spent With The Patient

apaisRN, RN, CRNA · Sep 24, 2004

We still use Dakins in my Level I trauma center / university hospital. It can't be too out of date! I see it used more often with diabetic ulcers and infected surgical wounds than with decubs.

The med nurse sounds really dangerous. I can't imagine giving pills to people not knowing their story and why they were getting them! You could go giving lopressor to a bradycardic patient, lasix to someone with a high dig level, on and on. You just wouldn't know.

I use rectal tubes on a weekly basis, at least. MICU patients are either obstructed or stooling constantly, usually r/t the tube feed. We are trialing a new fecal incontinence device which has a soft silicone balloon that causes less rectal trauma. It also has a bag you change like an ostomy bag, so you don't have the empty the smelly foley bag q shift.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 24, 2004

Last time I worked we were still using 1/2 strength Dakin's for decubs. (That's Clorox for the uninitiated).

Sugar-dyne -yes it WORKED. Pharmacy would send it up in peanut butter jars. The theory was germs couldn't tolerate the hyperosmol sugar and would burst and then the betadine would kill 'em.

Bismuth and Bourbon for decubs.

Maalox let dry on heels to prevent sheet burn. Speaking of sheets...no fitted sheets, only flat. And no chux just rubber draw sheets.

And epidurals.....OMG why didn't they use them in 1968 and 1970!!!!!!! I would have kissed the feet of anyone who would have provided one.

Trilene/Penthrane inhalers for labor pain....mask & cannister and you inhaled whenever you wanted to. They said that's why my 23" 8/4 baby boy was in an "incubator" for 24h . We both got a little high I guess.

not now, RN · Sep 24, 2004

Trilene/Penthrane inhalers for labor pain....mask & cannister and you inhaled whenever you wanted to. They said that's why my 23" 8/4 baby boy was in an "incubator" for 24h . We both got a little high I guess.

My mother always tells the story of how she inhaled so much she was too relaxed to push. Her doctor told the nurse to take it away from her which resulted in a three way fight between my Mom, the nurse and the doctor.

sassykitkatt · Sep 25, 2004

You must have started about the same time I did about, 15 yrs. ago, And i remember those same things, but now the doctor think that you are his geoffer and lab finder. too scared to look up his own labs and reports. heaven forbid you challenge one of their orders, you might as well be beaten.

Yes I do remember when i loved being a nurse. but it's not all bad, it's seeing a pt. after he's come from the ER to TICU to the stepdown unit to rehab and then see him go home when thought the coroner should have been called. We must hang in there.

I remember days gone by in nursing when blood pressure cuffs on the wall above patients beds actually worked.
I remember when nurses had autonomy, and could actually go to bat for their patients and be respected for doing so.
I remember when there wasn't a shortage of dinemap machines on the floor, and didn't have to steal one from the other floors.
I remember when nurses had time to actually spend with each patient, teaching patients and their family members about things they needed to learn in order to perform their own dressing changes at home, etc.
I remember when WHAT we wore had some degree of respect attached to it.
I remember when it was perfectly acceptable to ask family members to exit the patients room when the nurse needed private time with the patients.
Shall I go on?..........Okay, I will.
I remember when nurses were NOT required to do everything under the sun like they are required to do today, yet with LESS pay and LESS respect.
I remember when patients were admitted to the hospital, I actually had time to fully admit them without fear of the "chart monitor" sneaking around checking off what PAPERS had not been signed within 24 hours.
I remember when I LOVED being a nurse because the respect was there, the thankfulness of the patients and family were there, and no one watched every move I made and wrote down everything I did just in case they needed those notes for a lawsuit.
Come to think of it....does REAL NURSING exist anymore!!! :rotfl:

Indy, LPN, LVN · Sep 26, 2004

I've just gotta know... since it was mentioned so much... how exactly DO you take a blood pressure without a stethoscope?

-Indy

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Sep 26, 2004

-3-H enemas? (high, hot and hell of a lot!) Of course, that's not how they were ordered!
-Enemas and shave preps for labor pts?
-q4 hr IM Demerol injections for post c-section pts, rather than PCA pumps or duramorph spinals - by the time they went home their poor hips looked like Mike Tyson's face after a boxing match!
-The new nurses I work with in L&D are stunned when I tell them about how we used to labor pts in a "labor room", have them push, then when they were crowning, fly back to the delivery room and make them scoot over onto a delivery table just in time for the Dr to walk in, deliver the kid, and walk out. God forbid they would have to stand there for 2 or 3 contractions before delivery. Oh yes, the part they are MOST stunned about? NO EPIDURALS!
How DID we manage to have babies back then?

Oh, and didn't you just LOVE getting the enema with contractions 5 minutes apart, then being told to hold it for 20 minutes?? Not to mention pubic hair shaves (and the maddening itch that accompanied its regrowth) and giving birth in the dead-bug position? Today's moms think such treatment would be barbaric, and they're right.....I sure didn't enjoy it!

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 26, 2004

Indy, you palpate the radial or brachial pulse, pump the cuff up till the pulse disappears, then slowly release air from the cuff till you can feel the pulse again. When you first feel the pulse = systolic BP. Some "guesstimate" the diastolic to be when the pulse remains pretty constant in intensity. Anyway, you can at least get a ballpark systolic BP.

Jamesdotter · Sep 26, 2004

I've just gotta know... since it was mentioned so much... how exactly DO you take a blood pressure without a stethoscope?
-Indy

Palpate the radial pulse as you release the pressure. That will give you a systolic. If there's anything else, I'd like to hear it too!