SaraO'Hara

LTC, Subacute Rehab

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All Content by SaraO'Hara

  1. SaraO'Hara

    Is it okay to dress like a "nurse"?

    SaraO'Hara replied to Jo Dirt's topic in General Nursing

    I wore dresses every day until last year (just a comfort thing). The patients generally liked it; when my husband brought my lunch, he'd ask the receptionist where he could find Sara O'Hara... "Who?"...
  2. SaraO'Hara

    Simulating arm veins for practice IV's

    SaraO'Hara replied to linda2097's topic in General Nursing

    My IV instructor had an interesting idea... He took foam noodles (like pool toys), dug a shallow channel in the top, laid down rubber tubing (maybe 1/4 inch), then wrapped swimsuit fabric over it...
  3. SaraO'Hara

    What type of a nurse are you?

    SaraO'Hara replied to CaLLaCoDe's topic in General Nursing

    I'm like a Whack-a-Mole game... if a problem pops up, I hit it. Hard. Slow to become flustered, but compared to a blur when there's lots to
  4. SaraO'Hara

    Where Do You Dispose of Narcotics?

    SaraO'Hara replied to All4Seasons's topic in General Nursing

    We have something that I affectionately call "The Black Lagoon" : a bottle filled with water, kept in the bottom drawer of the med cart. Any pills, injectables, old Fentanyl patches are to be dropped...
  5. SaraO'Hara

    Where would YOU live in California?

    SaraO'Hara replied to SteveNNP's topic in California Nursing

    I'm from SLO... it is a very nice place. Would be nicer if it rained more often
  6. SaraO'Hara

    Nurses aging

    SaraO'Hara replied to Vtachy1's topic in General Nursing

    Ditto to the laying out for good shoes - I wear New Balance sneakers, replaced q 6 months. Sleep will come first if I have to work the next day, and I always unwind with "House" or a book before
  7. SaraO'Hara

    how much time for AM med pass?

    SaraO'Hara replied to retread71's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I legally have one hour before and after the scheduled time. I start my 9 am med pass at 0800 and (with 12 sub-acute pts) usually finish at 0915 - allowing time for prns, taking phone calls, finding...
  8. SaraO'Hara

    Lowest Blood pH

    SaraO'Hara replied to EricTAMUCC-BSN's topic in MICU, SICU

    6.69 on a patient of mine, per ER report - two months later (Saturday in fact), she discharged from our rehab facility to home. GI bleed leading to respiratory failure - survived with mentation and...
  9. SaraO'Hara

    A Patient Bit Me!

    SaraO'Hara replied to ChristineN's topic in General Nursing

    I've been gummed - never bit. I did once let my guard down for a second... and ended up with one of the "girls" given a malicious tweak by an 85-pound demented
  10. SaraO'Hara

    Positive ppd test

    SaraO'Hara replied to foster's mom's topic in General Nursing

    Same experience here... but I got through LVN school. Just had to show the + test result report and negative CXR report with my
  11. SaraO'Hara

    How often do RNs clean up poop? (thinking about majoring in nursing)

    SaraO'Hara replied to gwchem's topic in General Nursing

    Every day. I have twelve patients and one aide; if the aide is busy, I toilet. Think of it as what may be your one opportunity that shift to assess the patient's
  12. SaraO'Hara

    Nurses, where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

    SaraO'Hara replied to learning08's topic in General Nursing

    RN, Vancouver, Trauma ICU. That would be a change from LVN, California, short-term
  13. SaraO'Hara

    Do you sign "RN' after your name OUTSIDE of the hospital?

    SaraO'Hara replied to uscstu4lfe's topic in General Nursing

    Sometimes. Usually when tired - I almost never sign my name outside of work, so "S O'Hara LVN" is sortof engrained in my muscle
  14. SaraO'Hara

    Bright personality required??

    SaraO'Hara replied to cherryharlean's topic in General Nursing

    I'm the same - (almost) unfailingly polite, but very reserved with new people. I tend to think five seconds for every one I spend speaking. Patients and coworkers still like me, and they will like...
  15. SaraO'Hara

    PICC line cap change question!

    SaraO'Hara replied to sweetieann's topic in General Nursing

    I would clamp it - I tend to use the snap clamp on saline locks too... just because one time the patient presented me with a positive pressure cap that had come unscrewed, leaving the lock totally...
  16. SaraO'Hara

    Best experience as a nurse/worst experience

    SaraO'Hara replied to hemlok2's topic in General Nursing

    One of the best - today I caught a DVT in a post-knee-replacement patient. Pt has an excellent prognosis. Worst - being treated like a waitress by family members. I don't mind getting water, food,...
  17. SaraO'Hara

    Strangest thing you've heard a co-worker or patient say?

    SaraO'Hara posted a topic in Nursing Humor

    Today, from a charge nurse, after he evaluated a patient's lung sounds (and let me listen; "textbook wheezes" with some crackles): "It sounds like her lungs are playing 'The Devil Went Down to...
  18. SaraO'Hara

    To treat or not, that is the question

    SaraO'Hara replied to cubangirl's topic in General Nursing

    I had a positive PPD and took the County Health Department's 6-month INH course. I have to have a CXR every four years, iirc (which doesn't come up till
  19. SaraO'Hara

    I'm only 22 years old.

    SaraO'Hara replied to oncologynurse77's topic in General Nursing

    I'm 20... I became a CNA at 17, now an LVN. I think it helps that we, as nurses, can do something more than standing by while people are in pain - pharmaceuticals or no, we have
  20. SaraO'Hara

    Are you forced to practice IV's and injections on each other in nursing school?

    SaraO'Hara replied to kroegerk's topic in General Nursing

    We practised wheals, SQ, IM on each other in school (after passing on a dummy), and did fake arms and then live sticks in IV certification class - we had to have 3 successful life IVs and lab draws to...
  21. SaraO'Hara

    Do you take any stimulants?

    SaraO'Hara replied to PopeJane3rd's topic in General Nursing

    200mg per pill - about 2 cups of coffee. If I take a whole pill at once, I get
  22. SaraO'Hara

    Do you take any stimulants?

    SaraO'Hara replied to PopeJane3rd's topic in General Nursing

    Usually 1/2 a No-Doz pill when I get to work, and another 1/2 around 1600... with some diet Pepsi... then I take Nyquil Cough when I get home to sleep! Darn noisy
  23. SaraO'Hara

    Crazy schedule proposal

    SaraO'Hara posted a topic in General Nursing

    When I was transferred to my building last month, the DON proposed that I eventually work two day shifts and one night shift per week. I reluctantly said yes at the time. A few days ago, I attempted...
  24. SaraO'Hara

    Crazy schedule proposal

    SaraO'Hara replied to SaraO'Hara's topic in General Nursing

    Well, she called back, and was very understanding, so we'll work something
  25. SaraO'Hara

    How do you address your patients?

    SaraO'Hara replied to anonymurse's topic in General Nursing

    For men, usually Mr Surname; with women, it depends on what kind of rapport I have. It's either Ms/Mrs Surname or Miss Firstname (eg Miss