SmileyCNAII

Hi all, My A&P class wants to get together to study outside of class. What format does your study group use? Do you sit and ask each other questions or what? I have never been part of a study group before and do not know what to expect. Thanks, Nancy

What is NOK?

I was putting in a cath on a post op patient that could not void. I got the catheter in and the guy says, "Ahhhh, you have majic hands"

I had a 63 yo male tell his nurse that he knew that I wanted to do an EKG on him just b/c all I wanted to do was see his body!!! Yeah right!!

On some patients if you will lay the catheter on your upside down index finger (holding it with your thumb) and insert it while pushing upwards a little it helps to guide it into place.

The issue I see with foreign people coming over to our country (at least with the hispanic population) is that some of them are bilingual and that is a big plus for them seeing as many who come here do not learn the language and our higher ups somehow think that we need to accomodate the non-english speakers. I see job ads now that require a person to be bilingual and it seems to me that they will have the upper hand being able to speak two languages. It may seem short sighted but a great deal of people I know will not learn spanish simply b/c this country is an english speaking one and anyone who comes here needs to learn english. Peace

I can see both sides of the coin. My husband died b/c his Dr. did not pick up that he was in early stages of heart failure. On the other hand I work in the ER and see it first hand every day, people who probably do not need it are given CT's (we do a boatload everyday) and even MRI's...The answer??? I wish I knew.... I had a Dr from India tell me that all surgery will eventually be done overseas, something to do with not being able to sue for damages over there?? Peace....

In NC we can go to school to become a CNA II (2). It takes @ 8 weeks for the course and we are taught to put in Foleys , Straight Cath, oral Suctioning and trach suctioning, Do tube feedings, priming tubing and to change sterile and non sterile dressings that are over 48 hours old (no medication). If I were on a floor or in a nursing home I would dress a wound only after the nurse has looked at it and communicated to me that it is okay to dress (in the ER where I currently work CNA's do dressings all the time after the doc has done whatever he needs to do, stitch etc).

It is so funny that you say that (about the red and black scrubs) because where I work we wear solid red scrub tops and black scrub bottoms. They look ok, at first we did not want red because we thought it would make mad people madder but we get compliments on our choice of colors. I have even had the song "Lady in Red" sang to me before!! Our L&D unit wears pink (with the choice of a pink print) and the floor units and each department have their own color combination.

I work in the ER and love it. We do such a variety of things and the things we see are amazing. I get to help the docs with procedures (pelvics, casting, stitching etc.) At our ER we can do splints, clean the rooms (make the bed, clean up trash), sit with patients that need it. I went to school to be a CNA II (in NC so we have the 2 levels) and I can do urinary Caths, prime IV tubing, suction, etc. We are relied on as the ears and eyes of the nurses and they really appreciate everything we do for them. In a nut shell I love it.

I had a neighbor tell my mother that her dying daughter was on "100% oxygen!". I Wanted to tell her that oxygen that comes out of the tank is 100% oxygen, it is the number of liters they are on that varies..... (unless there is something that I do not know about oxygen and if there is I am sure someone will let me in on it...) Peace..

Constipation......I will admit there are cases where it is a bonifide visit (rarely) but most of the time, just OMG, would you go to an ER for someone to either give you an enema or to dig you out?

Please DO NOT come to the ER for constipation unless you are over 90 years old or have a medical reason for having this condition!!!! I would do everything short of using the garden hose before I went to an ER to ask that they "dig me out" or give me an enema. We seem to have had a rash of people coming in for this lately. Stink up your own house instead of our ER......

Sore Throat x 1 day, via ambulance

CNA's also are valuable in the ED. We: Do EKG's Take pts to x-ray, to the units when admitted, etc Do vital signs, urine dip tests, UPT testing Clean people up as necessary (whether it be from a BM, or blood from an accident) Be the eyes and ears of the nurses, watching for pt safety, pts who need something, etc Help families whether they need something to drink, a blanket, etc Do compressions during CPR We do anything and everything that someone may need on the unit, including stocking, running for items etc. I took an extra class to get to be a CNA II so I can do foley catheters, suctioning, fecal disimpactions (those are fun,,, NOT), and several other small things. In the ER the starting pay is between $9-10/hour There is a good deal of lifting but not near what there is on a floor or in LTC Working in the ER ROCKS!!!!! We see things you would never get to see, meet people you would never get to meet and to do things you would never get to do on the floor or in LTC. Hope that this helps...Nancy