amy

posting erased...

Yeah that!!!

Just make sure you devote 7-8 hrs (at least!) to sleep. When I was having problems, and first starting taking them, helped for about 4 hrs, added an antidepressant, and it took some time, but all turned around. I joke to my doc that I volunteer to be the lexapro poster-child...

Go to your charge nurse directly, and ask her!!! See what she says...

men only go into nursing to chase women

My all-time favorite?!? "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'N Roses... I SWEAR it's ALL ABOUT the ER... did you ever listen to the lyrics? ".. we got fun and games.. we got everything you want, and we know the name, we are the people that can find whatever you may need... if you got the money, honey we got your disease..." etc... It is SOOO ER...

So, I did my first SANE exam, and I expected it to be much more difficult than it was... I followed all the paperwork, and asked all the questions, however, I did not "dig" for information... I figure it was my job to get the mechanism of the assault, and the physical evidence, right? (not exactly feeling like a cop...) I just remember others talking about how it was such a "nightmare" and not feeling so much like it was like that. I felt like it went well, and I was fairly well prepared... I attended a class in Syracuse for training... a GREAT class, this fall. My question is, is it normal to come out of your first exam NOT feeling like it was a nightmare??? I did learn some valuable lessons re: process of the exam...

I have never had a problem drawing blood from peds/neonate iv, use a 3 ml syringe, not vacutainer... the draw is just too much pressure. I have used 5 or 10 ml syringes, just slowly withdraw with steady light pressure... Hope this helps!

speaking of gastrograffin, did you know you can mix gastrograffin with any noncarbonated beverage, not just water??? many patients tell me that it is quite palatable in apple juice or fruit punch, and now I REFUSE to mix it in plain h2o...

I can understand your frustration re: your phlebotomy skills, but remember!!! you are still new at this... And I know of no nurse who would be practicing for one month and expect to know everything, and do it all correctly every time...

We have a volunteer who is wonderful, but sometimes a touch overzealous. He always makes a list of the empty beds for the secretary, charge, and triage nurses. We have dubbed it a "frank list". The techs will ask, "do you want me to make a Frank list?" and EVERYONE knows exactly what we are talking about...

Any idea of the approximate cost or the companies that produce them?

Re: Ideas for ER nurses week in October ER nurses week starts October 8 (I think) this year. I am a NP in the ER. I will be buying lunch for both shifts one day that week and encouraging others to do the same. I hope we can feed the staff nurses that make us look good all week. Also, on the days I work that week, I will do everything in my power to be sure they have time to enjoy that lunch. I can't sign out meds from the machine, but I can do everything else whilst the staff nurses have a chance to eat Thank you so much!!! I bet it is an honor to work with you, and I am sure your co-workers will be grateful for your thoughtfulness!

I have always referred to the ER as The Jungle, patterned after the song by Guns 'n Roses, "Welcome to the Jungle." Have you ever listened to the words? It really fits, and to me is hysterical. It all started one night when I was driving home from work, and the song came on... "Welcome to the jungle, we got fun 'n games. We got everything you want, and we know the name. We are the people that can find, whatever you may need, if you got the money, honey, we got your disease, in the jungle, welcome to the jungle, feel my, my my serpentine..." etc. Wish I could find the lyrics... it is simply hysterical when you get in the right mindset...

I haven't worked there, but in my experience, peds can be tough AND fun. Kids are still kids, and when you "play" with them, and make them giggle, they LOVE it. Yes, they have been dealt a lousy hand, and yes it sucks, but sometimes the best you can do is make this lousy thing not as bad as it has to be. I've also noticed that when a kid has a chronic illness, many of those close to them treat them different, as if they are 'fragile', and kids notice it, and do not like it! Yes, they may be fragile, but they are kids, and want to play and have fun. One example, I had a kid one time that broke his femur, in traction. Buddied up in a room with another kid, same deal. I used to joke with them that if we put them together, they could take turns, one being up and around and the other stuck in bed, as they broke opposite legs. Then one time I went up and one of them had a monkey w/ the velcro arms and legs, and a "baby" monkey with the same arms and legs, attached to his overbed frame. I started swinging it fast so it would spin around in circles, and every once and a while the baby would 'lose it's grip' and come flying off, onto the kids bed next door. They both giggled like fools everytime, however when the grandparents were there, they did NOT share in the funnies as they FREAKED whenever the stuffed monkey baby hit the traction lines. Never hurt either kid, and they LOVED it! They started calling their room "land of the flying monkeys!" Just remember under that illness they are a kid, and you should be fine. Kids are some of the toughest and easiest patients I know, and if I had a chance to work peds ER I'd do it in a minute!!!

Two weeks ago... Callus on foot x 2 months...

Had a patient last night, MCA, TRASHED his bike, and had broken wrist and clavicle that we know of. MD absolutely REFUSED to give pain meds, lots of documentation, until we obtained urine specimen. Xrays come back, fx his first rib. Yes, he eventually got his pain meds, after each one of the nurses refused to do any of his other orders (none were life-threatening patients) until he medicated this poor man. Every once and a while, nurses do stick together...

Not so much a reply as a comment... I am an ER nurse, who worked Public Health for about 1 year. Many of my coworkers stated "I don't know how you could work there-- it must be so hard." Well, I've got news for you... for me, it's easy. I found Public Health to be one of the most challenging career moves I had ever made (I did return to ER.) I truly believe Public Health nurses are a special breed, and it is a specialty in and of itself!! I could not do what you all do (for very long), and I felt I did not do it well, even though my coworkers stated otherwise to me. So, all you Public Health nurses... rock on with your awesome selves!!!

I would not stop the infusion of NS. If you flush the line after antibiotic administration you should be fine. Most all current IV drip sets now are produced with an anti-reflux filter or valve which prevents backup of medication up the line. This looks like a small disc surrounding the line between the spike and the highest administration port. Be aware, however, that many long practicing nurses may give iv pushes thru a running line and not fllush after if the rate is running at a decent clip...

I love stupid people tricks!

I have been the recipient once by my DH, and he got me GOOD!!! About 2 weeks before our wedding, in April, he got me up on the 1st, to see the nerws. He told me the reception hall had a fire, was gutted, and was on the news. Well, they had our $, so I was off. He let me go on about 1/2 hour before he April Fooled me. He got me good, and I was so proud of him! And much relieved, of course...

All in one day; - "my ear hurts" s/p using a telephone antenna to scratch inside it - "every time I have sex I get a headache" x > 3 attempts - ingrown toenail x at least a week-- was the GROSSEST looking toe I have seen in a while, how can you go that long with green stuff oozing out of your body and just think it will go away?!?

I LOVE the "punitive wait times"!!! I will use that today when I go in!!! "Hello, welcome to McER, can I take your med order? Would you like a voucher with that? How about a work note to go?" Thank you, please come right in!

The best one I have is a 20-something male came in because he was masturbating, which he stated he did 2xweek, and his ejaculation was not as strong as normal. He wanted to know if there was something wrong with his member, if it was broken, was he getting cancer, etc. Md came in and told him to go to his doctor, and not to come back unless he was bleeding or couldn;t breathe. When MD saw triage note he asked me if I was kidding! I just HAD to go in for the MD eval!!!

As a nursing student, one of my clinical instructors assisted me in obtaining a nursing assistant job in the float pool of a large community hospital. Singularly the best experience I had ever had. Again, same kind of feelings... woefully inadequate at the job skills required, however, I learned alot, and learned quickly as I was excited about not only the opportunity, but the raise in pay, and it worked out well. My biggest tip? Go in there, and just be a sponge. Don't be afraid to jump in and help, if you see instruments on a table, don't touch them unless specifically directed, and expect your learning curve to be long and extensive. Sometimes just an extra set of hands or someone to talk to the patients is a HUGE help!!! Oh yeah, and don't feed/water ANYONE until the nurse or Doc says ok (in case they are going to the OR!) Good luck and please, keep us posted!!! Amy