steelydanfan

steelydanfan

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All Content by steelydanfan

  1. Compassion required???

    steelydanfan replied to jellyfishmafia's topic in General Nursing

    The ICU is the LAST place for a person who is admittedly lacking in empathy. There is so much emotional expenditure with the patients and families as to make this area a non-starter. I would look into...

  2. "I didn't want to go into nursing because I didn't want to be labled gay"

    steelydanfan replied to NurseLoveJoy88's topic in Men in Nursing

    If they are ALREADY male nurses than apparently some vague stigma did not prevent them from reaching thier goal. If they aren't in school, they should Google "men in nursing". There is even an...

  3. Are nurses "above" menial pt tasks?

    steelydanfan replied to trauma_lama's topic in General Nursing

    Since your mother seems to know nothing about your job's scope or depth of practice; and seems to want to TELL instead of listening, it seems best to avoid those topics all

  4. So do you really...

    steelydanfan replied to LouisVRN's topic in General Nursing

    It's hard to answer this as an experienced nurse, because we sometimes sort of "blend" a bit. I do a complete head to toe, but it won't be the same as a new grads head-to-toe, because I see things...

  5. 0.9 points kept me from graduating with my ADN. What to do?

    steelydanfan replied to Jess1980's topic in General Students

    Sit down with your school advisor and figure out how to retake the course you failed in the following semester. You CANNOT avoid fixing this problem in your learning curve. You WIILL have to sit the...

  6. COPD- 98% O2 sat?

    steelydanfan replied to payang0722's topic in General Nursing

    You pretty much said it all. The pulse ox is only a guideline, it may or may not give you a true reading about oxygen delivery OR use. If your pt. is anemic, they may have a pulse ox of 98%, with an...

  7. Will I be held responsible ?

    steelydanfan replied to NurseLoveJoy88's topic in General Nursing

    You just cannot report on something you had NO knowledge or was witness to. End of story. This falls squarely on your supervisors

  8. Did you already know that area of nursing you wanted to be in before graduation?

    steelydanfan replied to northmississippi's topic in General Nursing

    My grades, clinical assessments and especially my board scores all pointed out surgical nursing as my area to do well in. Never worked in an OR, but I've done med-surg and ICU, and outpt. surgery. I...

  9. What should I do about the patient from hell?

    steelydanfan replied to mountain_biker_88's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    When it gets REALLY bad, when I have NO more empathy, kindness or patience to give; I repeat this mantra to myself: "I get to go home today, you don't". It frees up that extra ounce of patience in

  10. Stetoscope Issues

    steelydanfan replied to lurolphil's topic in General Nursing

    By the time you have searched out, paid for and struggled through reassembling the thing, it will dawn on you that buying a NEW stethescope was worth it all along. Just bite the bullet, and frame...

  11. Patient who is on his call light every 3-5 minutes ALL night long

    steelydanfan replied to hollyberry678's topic in General Nursing

    Go in, have the "come to Jesus" talk with him, and try to assess any mental deficits that might be contributing to his aberrant behaviour. Once you have ruled out or in any pathology, you can...

  12. Shave long arm hair before IV start

    steelydanfan replied to FLVARN's topic in General Nursing

    Just use common sense. If you cannot see the site, than use a clipper. If you don't have a clipper, than use a razor judiciously. But don't shave if you don't have to. Pt's HATE to have dressings...

  13. why double chart?

    steelydanfan replied to grneyes676's topic in General Nursing

    I loved it when we went to computer charting "(you don't ever chart again unless an event occurs)"; and yet 6 months later, the nurse educator was chastising us about not enough nurses notes being...

  14. How do you incorporate faith into your daily nursing tasks?

    steelydanfan replied to orangepink's topic in Spirituality, Religion

    I don't. I find your post to be rather offensive, as if nurses without concrete religious beliefs are somehow LESS effective than those with. An atheist nurse can be just as effective as a Born Again...

  15. Admissions and Privacy

    steelydanfan replied to nursemike's topic in General Nursing

    Well, I'm sorry you got whacked over the head, your colleagues sound a bit uneducated. Since most women have a male OBG-GYN, I don't see how sex enters into the admit process; especially since most...

  16. Admissions and Privacy

    steelydanfan replied to nursemike's topic in General Nursing

    It is all about finesse. If the pt. can speak, when I am at the part of the assessment that deals with abuse, sexual activity, etc., I politely ask the family to leave the room, as this is...

  17. remember when....?

    steelydanfan replied to kjpstmb's topic in General Nursing

    Yep, all of that, but the other thing that sticks in my mind are gastric lavages for GI bleeds; hours and hours of this in ICU at the time.I just laugh now at all the drugs that are now "controlled"...

  18. Is it okay for a CNA to call herself a nurse?

    steelydanfan replied to Mrs. SnowStormRN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    NO,NO and again NO! The only people who have the right to call themselves nurses hold LVN or RN licensures. I just go NUTS when I hear a news story about a "nurse" committing some heinoous act, only...

  19. Customer Service at any cost and its effect on burn out and safety??

    steelydanfan replied to PACURN1818's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Yeah, then joint commission will come in and say that your level of post-surgical pneumonia complications is too high, and then your ceo will implement new in-services re: is use, then on and on and...

  20. GUM! Can you chew it on shift?

    steelydanfan replied to SummitRN's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    I have NEVER seen anyone chewing gum that DOESN'T chomp it! Seriously, you all look VERY cheap! And bad breath fears are NOT an excuse (EVERYONE has 5 minutes to brush thier teeth after

  21. Nurses receiving poor care....

    steelydanfan replied to Mrs. SnowStormRN's topic in General Nursing

    I always am known as a nurse when I check in, (for Gosh sakes, I WORK there)! And yeah, it makes a difference. I WANT people to be on thier

  22. We may need fewer nurses in the hospital...

    steelydanfan replied to Chin up's topic in General Nursing

    "The complete collapse of the system" will certainly be escalated by downsizing the nursing staffs in hospitals. Hospital budgets are unsustainable because of the bad choices almost every hospital CEO...

  23. Small Bowel Obstruction

    steelydanfan replied to smurph1's topic in General Nursing

    First, check the tubes patency. If you do not hear air flow from the keith valve , you do not have a functioning NG tube. Check the placement, flush, and then try to reposition the tube. Even Salems...

  24. Why do we continue to do it?

    steelydanfan replied to BrookeeLou_RN's topic in General Nursing

    I USED to do it because the occasional miracles, or just moments of connection were enough to get me past all the other frustrations. Now, I do it because I like to eat and stay out of debt. I still...

  25. Nursing Priority vs First nursing action

    steelydanfan replied to NurseLoveJoy88's topic in General Nursing

    If your task is to get a urine sample, then that IS your priority; maintaining sterile technique is only one ASPECT of the task. And I think this argument about semantics is due to be