We had to learn how to rate adjust with the roller clamp in school (graduated in 2014). We were told that during Katrina people didn't know how to adjust rates on IVs because the roller clamp method wasn't being taught anymore. I don't know about other schools but ours teaches it.
It doesn't really matter if it's still taught. It was taught when I graduated. I haven't done it since. I couldn't do it now. If I googled it I could relearn quickly, but of their pumps weren't working I doubt internet was available.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
I was goosed by a surgeon. I was so stunned and shocked I didn't do anything.
Docs groping or putting the move on nurses years ago seemed almost commonplace.
For example, back in '86 or '87, while working in OR, I recall an anesthesiologist pinching a cute little blond nurse coworker while we were wheeling a patient to recovery. She turned around, slapped him hard in the face and yelled 'You SOB!"
I don't recall any negative ramifications as a result of this situation.
The tables have turned a bit. For example, a couple of my female colleagues have pinched and patted my behind recently. I consider these coworkers my friends, so aside from me saying, "Hey! Watch it!", nothing has ensued.
However, in the past year, I have been written up for absurd comments I have made toward a couple of female coworkers who I've worked with for sometime.
In one scenario, a few of us were standing around the nurses station, complimenting a social worker on her job performance in dealing with psych patients. Someone said, "Yeah- you're really good." I replied, "Yeah, you're so good, I've seen your name written on the boys bathroom wall!" I precisely remember also saying, "I hope you know I was joking." The social worker assured me she was okay with my kidding, but reported me to the department manager. "Can you see how this could be taken as sexual harassment?" the department manager asked me.
In the other scenario, a few of us, a female RN, a female LPN, and a male Tech were clocking out, kidding around. The female RN, who I've worked with for years, had given me report on an admission. I happen to mention that she gave me a good report and that she had a really nice telephone voice. "Maybe you should consider getting a job as a 900 number lady", I said. We all laughed, but she reported me to HR saying my comment made her "feel uncomfortable".
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Mistakes are the portals of discovery.
-James Joyce
Reading these posts and coming up with my own has afforded me a review of my nursing career, so I've asked myself, "If you had to do it over again, and were aware of the outcomes, would you change anything about your career path?"
1981 - I worked 3-11 shift, pediatrics. Ampicillin IM at 4p and 10pm to almost every kid with any kind of infection. No IV antibiotics. I got good at IM's quickly.
And counting syringe wrappers . . . haven't been in a hospital in a long time but I suspect they don't do that anymore!
I love those who mentioned time taping glass IV bottles . . . . feeling a little aged!
Specializes in MICU/CCU, SD, home health, neo, travel.
Wearing whites in ICU (well, everyone in the hospital was still wearing them; we were the first unit to go to scrubs.But we didn't have to wear caps!)
Murphy drips for TURP patients.
IV pumps *only* in ICU, and then only for stuff like dopamine, lidocaine, etc. (I actually once got a patient sent up from ER with dopamine on a roller clamp line because "they couldn't find a pump"!)
ETOH drips for DT prevention--yes, we had a couple of old-school docs who did these. They worked pretty well.
We had BARD pumps, the best mini infusers EVER. Meds were in syringes and this thing pushed the meds, either straight into locks or concurrent with IVF. Working night shift, I loved that they would not alarm.
The gloves [or lack of] was hard for me to adjust to. We never wore gloves unless we expected to be in contact with bodily fluids as it was "insulting" and the human touch was considered way more important than any kind of infection control. I hate to admit but I still can't get the knack of wearing gloves for blood draws. I seem to miss that vein the first time with them on so if it's a draw I know will be difficult I don't wear them.
I still hate gloves and routinely only wear them when i expect body fluids.
blondy2061h, MSN, RN
1 Article; 4,094 Posts
We give tincture of opium all the time for our GVHD patients' diarrhea.