stephen1992

Most of my pediatric Caths in the ED are part of workups trying to prevent a lumbar puncture. Very much so worth it to prevent that.

As an ER nurse in a teaching hospital, the most frustrating thing is a lack of structure in the treatment of low acuity patients. If someone is sick, they will take several room visits regardless. It's is frustrating when a patient with an extremity deformity has X-rays, then pre op labs, then some pain control, and finally an NPO order. This would be great all together, but frustrating over a few hours. They are all going to be ordered by someone, I don't care who. After ortho sees them they'll have a spur of other labs. Why not just order them? If I, the nurse, can trend orders why can't the MD? I pretty much just "protocol" my own orders lately and verbal them under doc I know that trusts me. It saves time for my self and the patient but I know that this is not 100%appropriate. Long story short, trust the nurses, try to order your work up in one spurt. I don't care how many tubes, but just how many trips to the room.

Two years of pediatric long term acute care. (Trachs, vents, TBIs, and occasional hospice within the specialty). Two years of ED in a level one trauma center, level two pediatric trauma, and comprehensive stroke center. (Pretty much everything besides burns.)