jerenemarie

As a nurse you are the patient's advocate, you made the right decision! thanks, Jerenemarie

Please don't forget...your employer must accomodate you under the Americans with Disabilities Act! And if they won't help you, then report them to your state Civil Liberties Union! Thanks, Jerenemarie

Yikes...sounds to me like your facility needs to have an infection control inservice! Soiled briefs on the floor??? Big infection no-no, if any health dept inspector would see that they automatically give out infection control citations (at least i...

night shift staff are awesome to work with, they are a special group! they do not get the recognition they deserve, instead the day shift comes in & starts complaining right away, grr! thanks, jerenemarie

I retired over a year ago after working full time as an RN for 28 years, was an LPN for 3 years prior to becoming an RN & was an aide prior to working as an LPN so I've been around awhile! I loved the nursing part of being an RN but hated the po...

A social worker careplanned on a quad. patient & his needs for sexual gratification...she expected nursing to perform oral sex on him! That is one dumb thing I'll never forget!

Don't forget, you are responsible for your staff & residents 24/7 which is alot on any RN's shoulders, much less a new grad.! And be prepared for the state survey team to grace you with their presence...any problems they find is "blamed" on the ...

The state of Minnesota looks at impactions as a BIG problem...one of the first questions they have is the patient dehydrated or not & what type of meds are they on to contribute to the problem (psychotropic meds which cause dry mouth, etc). I'm ...

Here a few preventative tips I used with care planning: 1. Making sure they have their glasses on & that they are clean, this goes with hearing aides too! 2. No throw rugs in rooms. 3. Follow toileting schedule. 4. Having a program in place for p...

Manually removing fecal impactions is risky with too many potential problems that could arise. Best thing to do is call the physician & get an order for an oil retention enema (suppositories do not work on impactions) but if there was bleeding p...

I've gotten orders for a low dose of Morphine for someone who is having resp. difficulty as this helps with the distessed respiratory status & it also helps with relaxing the patient. It works great, I think it is much better than ativan. Thanks...

I have decided to take Chinup's advice, I will just forget it & be thankful I'm no longer working in that place!! Thank you for your replies! Jerenemarie:yeah:

10 months ago I was unexpectedly terminated from an A.L.F. by their brand new V.P. of management:down:. One week ago I get a phone call from their Administrator asking me if I had "reported" her to the county for wrongfully obtaining public assistan...

I wouldn't worry about intruding on their stomping grounds, your number 1 priority are the residents & you are doing the right thing when giving them prn pain meds before the pain becomes unmanageable! Not only that but a med tech cannot give an...

For those folks who have problems with reddened & dry, chapped skin...udder balm works wonderfully! It has no scents, is "natural" so it is free of harmful ingredients. I've had nursing staff look at me like I was nuts when I would suggest this...

Strain urine using a coffee filter for those patients you suspect might be having a problem with kidney stones...works well in LTC when there aren't any urine strainer devices around!

What I'm used to, & it works great, is the team leaders tape report. Then they are available on the floor until the next shift listens to the report. The nurses aids make rounds together (days go with pm, etc) so they can get report from them &...

I really would advise you to get some experience first. The MDS is part of the RAI process which is how LTC facilities are reimbursed. Sometimes it is called "charting for dollars" which is really the truth! MDS nurses must code to the highest pos...

It still amazes me how many seasoned MD's & nurses argue over what DNR means. I've taken care of numerous residents in LTC with a DNR status...they still continue to get treated for UTI's, CHF, etc. DNR means just that, Do Not Resuscitate, it i...

Employees who work in facilities where their significant others also work (this also goes for family members who work in the same facility) are to be considered co-workers when on the clock. I worked in a facility where the mom was a nurse & her...

I've used B & O supp. also with success for bladder spasms which cause leakage. I also found at a urology conference that large foley's (greater than 16 Fr.) can contribute to spasms & leakage so I never use any foley larger than a 16 Fr. (u...

You did the right thing pharmgirl!

If I accidently got the foley in the vagina, I would leave it in as a "marker" so I could see where the urethra was when I opened a up a new foley for insertion! I was also taught by a urologist when cathing men to insert the foley up to the hilt (u...

I've shed tears with families when a loved one had passed away. This was in a LTC facility I worked in for many years in a small rural town so I knew these people. I don't see anything wrong with it; it shows you are caring & human!

One time I was caring for a lady (LTC) who was complaining of constipation; I assessed & I knew she was obstructed with her abdomen being so large & tympanic. She was so miserable & anxious with the pain. So I called the doctor to let h...