mattcastens

mattcastens

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All Content by mattcastens

  1. An interesting question about product placement

    mattcastens posted a topic in General Nursing

    I just wonder about the product placement I see in medical movies and on shows like ER. Not about things like soda or cars, but about things like stethescopes. I realize that 3M (makers of the...

  2. Hemodynamic leveling

    mattcastens posted a topic in Cardiac

    Anybody out there use laser levels to level your PA catheters? If so, what company do you go through? I'm looking to contact some product reps, but haven't had any luck on the internet.

  3. What Do You Want To Hear When Receiving Report?

    mattcastens replied to rebelwaclause's topic in General Nursing

    I used to have that problem until I said, "you're an intellegent nurse -- read it yourself." I also broke the habit by simply not using the flowsheet to give report -- I do it all off the top of my...

  4. Question about gtt titration

    mattcastens replied to New CCU RN's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Usually the neighborhood of 30mcg is the upper limit. If you get that high, watch for tissue necrosis in the extremeites -- you can be they aren't being

  5. Taking Call

    mattcastens replied to Kansas_RN's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    At our hospital there is no mandatory on call for us (unless a nurse works in OR, the cath lab, or other possible emergent areas). If the census drops we are asked if we would like to take call -- if...

  6. An interesting question about product placement

    mattcastens replied to mattcastens's topic in General Nursing

    Here's another example: I was watching "Scrubs" last night and noticed that the Pyxis machines in the background had a huge "Pyxis" emblazoned on them. Honestly, who's this going to influence? It's...

  7. New use for Tylenol?

    mattcastens posted a topic in General Nursing

    Occasionally I have run across old ladies that say they use Tylenol to help them sleep (not Tylenol P.M., mind you -- the regular stuff). I would always blow it off, thinking that it was all in their...

  8. Eecp

    mattcastens replied to sunnygirl272's topic in Cardiac

    Would it be used in conjunction with milrinone -- also used as an outpatient treatment for

  9. Eecp

    mattcastens replied to sunnygirl272's topic in Cardiac

    I've only sort of heard about it. It's sort of a combination between MAST trousers and a balloon pump. The idea is that this inflatable suit (well... from the abdomen down, anyway) inflates rapidly...

  10. Hemodynamic leveling

    mattcastens replied to mattcastens's topic in Cardiac

    Um, I don't know about you, but I find it very easy to not shine the laser in people's eyes. Or we can all wear sunglasses and be "Joe (or Jolene) Cool

  11. Hemodynamic leveling

    mattcastens replied to mattcastens's topic in Cardiac

    I'm currently doing the research on whats available. What I've been using in the meantime -- and might recommend to the unit -- is a $13 laser pointer from Target that I can easily place on the...

  12. Telemetry newbie

    mattcastens replied to Amyi's topic in Cardiac

    Don't worry! You will get the hang of it. People learn at different rates, but eventually you'll be able to read a monitor or an ECG as easily as you're reading this. Start learning now! Get some...

  13. A squeaking heart

    mattcastens replied to mario_ragucci's topic in General Nursing

    Some of it is from experience, some of it is from studying, a lot of it is from asking questions. We are all continually

  14. A squeaking heart

    mattcastens replied to mario_ragucci's topic in General Nursing

    Mario -- A couple of possibilities: 1. Transient heart murmer. Sometimes people get what are called "high output" murmurs. That is, when the heart starts pumping more blood than it is used to,...

  15. Incident report happy nurse

    mattcastens replied to ohbet's topic in General Nursing

    I'd have to agree here, but i think it depends on your hospital culture. Where I work, no one is offended by an incident report, and much improvement has come of them from faster lab and pharmacy...

  16. A question of code status

    mattcastens replied to gpip's topic in General Nursing

    You know, I attended a critical care symposium last week and listened to Tom Ahrens, CNS, PhD speak. (If you ever get the chance to attend one of his talks -- especially if you work in critical care...

  17. Titratable gtts

    mattcastens replied to Stormy's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Sounds like you guys are setting up your unit for a huge med error sometime. We get all of our critical drips pre-mixed from pharmacy, and they're very good about getting them to us. In the rare...

  18. Cell phone use in hospitals

    mattcastens replied to deespoohbear's topic in General Nursing

    First of all, don't confuse cellular phones with cordless phones. One of the hospitals I used to work in had all the nurses use cordless phones that looked an awful lot like cell phones, but they...

  19. RNs Intubating???

    mattcastens replied to nurseyperson's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    I don't think it's "ACLS guidelines", but rather a change in teaching practice. ACLS is ACLS is ACLS, but the fact is (as indicated above) that nurses usually don't intubate. In a code situation...

  20. Hospital Food

    mattcastens replied to RNKitty's topic in General Nursing

    I agree about the food. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory of having to make so much in bulk. It's true, though, that improvements could be made. I am a firm believer in healthy food. Not a...

  21. medical lightbulb jokes

    mattcastens replied to nurseybikerchic's topic in Nursing Humor

    How many residents does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Just one, but an ICU nurse has to tell him how to do it. (Particularly appropriate after the night I've

  22. What's the difference?????

    mattcastens replied to VickyRN's topic in Cardiac

    Good question! Since the population I work with is almost purely cardiac (both medical and surgical), this is what I've found: I love phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine)! We have found this is the perfect...

  23. feeling inadequate as a nurse *all* the time

    mattcastens replied to Adrena's topic in General Nursing

    Don't worry! I've felt this way a lot since becoming a nurse three years ago. It happens! Two (or three) points: 1) I often felt this way until a I was recovering a patient who had just returned...

  24. Color Coding Nurses

    mattcastens replied to BrandyBSN's topic in General Nursing

    I have always received compliments on how professional I look, and I don't wear white. I hate white! It's possible to look like a health care professional without white. Our hospital's policy is...

  25. Taped report vs. verbal report

    mattcastens replied to deespoohbear's topic in General Nursing

    The way to solve this is to do exactly what management says. I simply tell the family that I'm giving report, I introduce the oncoming nurse, and I give them a realistic time frame in which they can...