radnurse2001

st4304- I currently work in a special procedures lab. The fact is---it's their turf. I don't agree with it, but it is. The administration wanted the RN's in specials to just circulate a few years ago---that changed drastically with the rad tech shortage. With issues of concious sedation and possible complications, I was actually more comfortable with circulating. Good Luck. Anne

sleepy, When I started nursing around oh.....12 years ago there was a PIA like the one you described on the floor. I remember I cried the first few months I worked there because she would harrass me so badly in report. One day I told her all pertinent information, and she wanted to know what the date of the patients last admission was and what they were admitted for. I did not admit this patient. I stood up, went to the nurses station, grabbed all our patients charts, old records etc... and told her report was over, my notes were good and if she had any questions to look them up. May be not a good answer, but it was mine. Anne

our hospital has a policy that states if anyone calls in more than 3 times in a 4 month period, disiplinary action will be brought. The funny thing is, people keep track of their call ins and will call the day after the 4 month period is over. It is hard to determine when someone is sick or if they are just blowing off. I used to work with a chronic sick caller. She had multiple disipliary actions, including suspension without pay. Nothing helped. She was ultimatey fired---due in part to our documentation. The pattern was discovered. But on the other hand, I work with a nurse who had MS and was sick alot too. I don't personally call off sick unless I can't walk, stop barfing or can't get off the toilet. when these things happen, I stay home. I can't stand people who come to work sick and infect everyone else--one of my many pet-peeves. I tell the people I work with to please stay home--I don't want to get it. So ...The people who call in constantly are annoying and the people who come to work with pink eye or coughing and hacking all over are annoying too. I guess I am hard to please. Hey how about common sense--the one thing we often lack!!!!!! Anne

I am fortunate enough to work with only two other nurses but, this is how we delegate holiday call--- I am the only one with kids, which is nice because they want new years off. If you take Thanksgiving, you are on call Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday. For Christmas, Its the day before Christmas eve, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, and the day after. The same thing goes for New year's--That way we get the whole holiday off. Would your supervisors let you work from home on Christmas? That way you can make the calls, be available by beeper, and still have time with your family. You have probably looked in to this already, but it's just an suggestion. Maybe this could work on other holidays too. Good Luck--- Anne

What do you get when you goose a ghost? A handfull of SHEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little boy (with a slight speech inpediment) went ou trick or treating. The first house he stops at the lady comes out and says"how cute, what are you supposed to be" The little boy replied "A Birate" The lady thought for a moment and said "Oh, a pirate" then she asked "Whats that by your side?" the little boy replied "it's a board" the lady thought for a minute and said "OH, a sword, so what is that on your head?" the little boy replied "thats my bat " the lady thought for a moment and said "OH it's your hat---so you are a pirate, you have your sword and your hat. Where are your buccaneers? the little boy replied "on my bucken head":D :D Just a little humor for everyone's day. Happy Holloween! Anne

:( Keep your chin up. If your "manager" was really a manager this crap wouldn't be happening. I would tell the lazy coworker that the only reason she notices the mess at the nurses station is because she never leaves it, or since she never leaves the nurses station and notices the mess, she could become an overpaid housekeeper and clean it up. After all she has soooo much time on her hands, and obviously her fellow coworkers don't need her......Sarcastic? Yeah. Unfortunately, for some, that's the way I handle things. I am not saying it's right for you, but I have found it effective. Keep DOCUMENTING her actions especially r/t patient care, unite with your fellow coworkers to confront the behavior, and keep your nose clean. Stay in contact with administration. If your manager treats you any differently, document that too. Keep on being an advocate for patients, after all that is why we are here. and keep this in mind---WHAT COMES AROUND, GOES AROUND. I have seen this many times in my nursing career. Good Luck, and let me/us know how you are doing.

Does anyone routinely get a BUN and Creatinine prior to CT scaning?Who orders them? How does the department get the results? What is the cut off for to scan or not to scan? Who do you hydrate? Who do you use mucomyst on? How soon before the scan do you get the blood work? Can the bloodwork be, say, a month old? I am trying to write a protocol for this and make the referring physician responsible for it. I would have no problem having the results sent to me and logging them for CT and setting up a short stay bed for hydration. Oh, another question, How much fluid do you hydrate them with?Any help would be appriciated. Thanks in advance.... Anne Patterson RN, CRN

We have a tone that is used for code blue, fire and trauma alert. The tone is followed by either blue team and floor, trauma alert and time frame(ie 5 min, now etc..), or coding 333(fire) and the location. The tone also preceeds neuro alert. It is nice because all members of the blue, trauma and neuro teams know to respond and where. It also alerts the ancillary departments like x- ray to respond or Cat scan to get ready to accept a patient. The tone is nice because it says pay attention to this overhead page. Question, does anyone have a system to differenciate adult vs pediatric blue teams?

It certainly sounds like crap.

Hang in there. I still cry at my unsuccessful codes, and I've been a nurse for 11 years. I agree you should take a ACLS course, it does help. I remember my first code like it was yesterday. He was a renal patient who ruptured his decending aorta. It was a nightmare. I was a student and made a pretty good IV pole. For the first few codes, if you can, record. It will teach you how a code is run, what meds are used etc... Don't be suprised if even after all that you still freeze up once in a while. Also don't be suprised when you start to notice that "code look", and can predict who will code. The first few times are spooky. Good Luck .

OH BOY TIM, YOU ARE A TYPICAL MANAGER!!!! You claim to remember what it's like to be staff nurse, but you really don't, otherwise you would understand why a forum like this is so crucial to our sanity. You lead my counterparts into their responses and lashed out when you read what you didn't want to read. I think they call it bait and hook. It must be great to have a job you love 100% of the time. I like my job, but there is always those days you want to scream. I think this is a great website---to exchange ideas, to meet new people, to gain perspective on other areas of nursing, to catch up on new and existing legislation, and YES, to vent. I think perhaps, you only looked under the threads YOU could complain about. Take some time and read some other threads before you judge...unless you are a typical manager. PS I am sorry if I offended any good managers out there. I know you exsist. I've had a few great managers in my career. Again, I am sorry.

I sedate a lot of adults but under this subject one particular patient comes to mind---- a 46 year old man who stated that he has pain (10 out of 10) while lying down (on disability) and is clautophobic to boot (needed a MRI for lumbar spine). I medicated him with a total of 5 mg of versed IV and 125 mg of demerol IV with "no effect" per patient. This after the gentleman denied a history of drug use. During the scan, he had presence of mind to crawl out of the scanner and demand to be taken to the ER. My question---if the pain was sooo bad, how could he crawl out of the scanner? The kicker is the "gentleman" asked me who pays for the medicines in the little vials (Versed). I told him I think we do (the state) and he replied "in that case, can I have the rest to take home?" At first I thought he was kidding---but he wasn't. he had his wallet out ready to give me $20. I told him absoultely not and he preceded to start yelling at me and demended to be taken to the ER. I did take him to the ER and informed them of all that went on. They checked their files and sure enough he was under "drug seeker." MRI scan under anesthesia 2 days later was negative. What the he$$ gets into these people.

Does your insitution have 12 hour shifts or weekend program? I found these very beneficial until I stumbled into my 8-430 job. Luck was on my side.) good luck!

OK! OK!~ my favourite famous name---Dick Trickle My favourite physicians name Richard Head My favourite physician office sign.. Dr. SOnSO (can't remember the name) Proctologist---Parking in rear These are honest to God sightings from Greenville S.C. to Erie P.A. Also love Barium Springs

You must report this individual to an instructor immediately. If you intructor won't take action, go to the DON of your institution. If no action is still taken , go to your state board. Be sure to document all your contacts and get names. The nursing profession is stessful enough, we don't need to babysit an obviously deranged and demented person. This would be the nurse that kills a patient. I had a LPN that I used to work with that was horribly incompent. There was a nursing shortage. She would make mistakes left and right. We wrote her up several times, our managers respose was we can't afford to lose another nurse. We took the matter to the DON she reviwed it for several weks, in that time this LPN hung a Cardizem gtt as a bolus and killed a patient. We documented all of our attempts to rectify the situation and when the court case started, none of us were called to testify:( She lost her job and her license but it was too late. The only thing I regret not doing is going to the board of nursing. We could have saved that patient.