micro

nurses are human also..... maybe when we give up on the notion of being supernurses..... then we will get serious.....and just do our jobs to the best of our abilities........... now to treat each other.....and to have management, administrators and again, each other with the same respect......... that we show to our patients............ gotta run and go have fun dispensing medication and patient care at work......... am not being tongue-in-cheek about a very serious subject, micro:p

true enough, abrenrn but again on the positive note of floating...... I almost considering the ability to float fulltime a speciality......... I truly am enjoying it. I do not float out of any area of competence or expertise for myself.....but I am more than capable to move onto a unit, take a patient load and deliver quality care for my patients.....I also do not and will not work in a vacuum, and I develop and work within the structure of the unit, utilizing my charge nurse for that shift as a resource person if need be. floating allows me the simplicity and the quality to just go in and be a nurse.................flexible and autonomous, within the ....... hehehehehehehehehe: I wouldn't want a cardiac surgeon to be a psychiatrist, either, could you imagine. back to the thread, micro

Hey, cool a positive thread about floating. Yes, there is a down side.....and part of the down side could be that a large "float pool" or floating a nurse from another unit, maybe management's idea of helping/fixing the n shortage. But today, I am too up for the downside. I have moved into the "float pool" where I am. I am f/t but float to any of the units that need me. From one day to the next, I may go to ortho, med/surg, surg, med, onc, rehab, snu, pulm, short stay, neuro. For me and my personality, along with where I am in my nursing.....I truly enjoy the variety and the flexibility of this position. I also like the autonomy. I work well within a given team, but I am a nurse in my own right....and feel as if I am allowed to be who I am as a professional nurse within the float pool, without any/or much of the unit politics..... Yes, even though I do carry "some" experience as a nurse....I was given a two week orientation within the float pool when I changed over, just to learn the physical differences and the nuances of each unit, though within the same hospital. It is not a rose garden, every day.....but at the moment....... the roses are beautiful and the thorns are far, far, less!!!!! micro floats.........

I don't mind suctioning, as far as the nursing aspect of it. I know many people, say secretions, yeck.....even nurses. Allevi-----thank you for sharing........ I also agree, I have seen studies that say H202 is no longer recommended. Also that saline is not used just prior to suction. ohbet: hang in there........nursing is not always glamourous..... a little bleeding, shows trauma to the tissue..... too aggressive of suctioning, or too frequent of suctioning..... a little, is sometimes 'par for the ' but risk is hemorrhage......... always provide extra oxygenation prior and during suctioning..... recheck sao2 concentration, pulse ox connections, change connections, etc. look at patient first, ensure all connections together from patient out.....prior to suctioning.....unless need for suctioning is "obvious" always ask for assist in changing trach ties, bagging someone, etc. that is not a sign of weakness or less ability..... it is a sign of good nursing care...... suction only when needed.... no longer to suction (for example: q 4 hours) micro

I am ancient and elderly, but for some reason, I truly love PINK'S music!!!!! "I tried to call the nurse again, but she's being a lil' b____!" micro

Hi, I will be your nurse today. Crack a smile with you, shed a tear, but I also have ___# of patients and will have to split my time. I am an experienced and knowledgeable nurse and am competent and confident in my abilities to care for you. I am also a person down under all this and not matter how much knowledge/experience.....I am just another human in this walk of life, so how can I help you right now? No, I do not say this to my patients each time I meet them, infact never say this word for word......but I do feel this way. Do you have to be a smiley, happy person to be a nurse or an allied health care professional No? Mario, like the dot concept but I would still confuse people......... as I would wear interchangeable colours all the time.............. just who I am..........and the cycle of the moon or something like that but I do enjoy what I do............ adrie........you a hermit too.........oh, i mean also :-) some of the time, most of the time, but then some of the time :) hey, vettech, why do you want to care for the human animal.... there is your answer for you you will do great if it is your true desire microin' out of here:eek: :roll

prioritize, patients come first, and the priority charting..... the rest take to your management and your coworkers, because hours behind is not manageable....... if doesn't change,.........don't become part of the problem if no one willing to work on solutions....... micro

I do care for my patients, because they are people in need. I am punched in and responsible for their care. I will provide the technical care.....and if able will go the extra bit.....and I believe that that is part of nursing too. There is a fine line..... Watson........been too long out of school........ don't remember if I learned Watson or not..... As a nurse, and technical ability.....I learned the basics in nursing school.....the rest on the job..... The caring side of it.....comes from a small % from nursing school, a large % from experience, and just in who I am........ If I am the patient, I just want a nurse to be competent and professional in their care. If they go that extra bit.....that is way cool. When I walk out the door. I am not a nurse, but a person. I have to detach......

what is the correct term, i just go grab it from the cart.... probe sensors that plug into the pulse oximeter instead of the "plastic" SaO2 clip. these are the ones, especially designed for forehead, ped's/infants, fingers, ears, etc. they can be modified and used as necessary on other areas..... and adapted, as seen much..... as in the above case that Quiigley stated and in more common situations where the best site for adults is a little toe=the infant probe connection works best. two days off and I sit here discussing nursing.....:-/

I have looked at moving to Alaska also. Would be interested in the above answer and any other to present situations in Alaska.

Wow! Poor lil' tyke. My hats off to my fellow nurses that work in pediatrics. Thx Qwiigley for sharing this nursing experience. We have much to learn from one another. micro

Linda, do you teach. You could. Explained so easily and so succinctly. Back to the original topic. micro

a total side comment, not meant to digress..................... used correctly, we are under the general nursing discussion forum, correct? this is not off topic.... so I ask all of you nurses, and nursing personnel why do we feel still unease about using the correct terminology about human anatomy..... if you are not uncomfortable in your work settings, then why in a 'professional' discussion? asking this ??? seriously and please don't even reply, just think about it..........it comes across with your ease in nursing and how you come across credibly with your patients, families, doc's and coworkers........

the standard clothespin portable pulse ox version....for a spotcheck.........also refer to as you stated to is circulation compromised at this site....etc. continuous pulse oximetry....... is an absolute necessity with various conditions and patient situations/nursing care.... but is problematic at the least..... sometimes it is the connection to the pulxe oximeter itself...... sometimes it is the patient and impaired connection for whatever the reason.........skin moisture, poor circulation, just the adhesive wearing off.......... :chuckle one time, I found that a sheet had a SaO2 level of 82%, something wrong with that ......... which always tells me to look/assess the patient first...... you can see if the patient truly has desaturated or if it just a problem with the connection or probe.........by assessing if the patient's presentation......... another thing you can do, is confirm the continous pulse oximeter with a portable oximeter.....both match.....then picture pretty guaranteed to be true........ changing the probe sites.....sometimes often....... foreheads work most times the best, but for those pickers..... they often do not like that "fly" "wire" on their forehead........ the peds/infant one's.......work great on an adult patient on a lil' toe covered with a sock, etc........(that is if nothing is compromising neurological/circulatory peripheral .........) not checking any probe connections for two days.....yee haw!!!!!!! micro

I think I was about one year into my nursing and I went to change the dressing on the stage 4 ... and I literally went into ... the ulcer to change the dressing... Ya'all catch my drift... I touched the bone, not just the muscle mass and fat tissue. Flipped me out... but I think I kept talking normally and did the dressing change. I must have I didn't pass out. IT IS THOSE FIRST TIMES OF EVERYTHING in nursing that get you. No matter how many years you have been around the block ... every once in a while those first times just jump up and bite you.

NRSKarenRN You said it better than I could even begin to. Ignorance on the part of staff and believing one of the "suctioning myths" floating around out there. do not mean any disrespect to anyone here, but i have heard this one for many years............. Have found yes, that some patients do like to be suctioned quite frequently........when not needed. I think the furthest thing from their mind is any kind of sexual pleasure..... and please disregard anything as factual that micro types below..... because it is only purely nursing conjecture.... possibly a security need...... a fixation on the ventilator and the need of being suctioned..... anxiety......... a way to get staff's attention............. BUT THE ABOVE DO NOT MEAN THAT I AM INSULTING THE PATIENT OR RESIDENT IN ANY WAY.......... to be on the other end of this nightmare...........well, this is probably a coping mechanism.....maybe not the most healthy, but a coping mechanism no less....... but it does not disclude that the patient can feel the need and rightfully so to be suctioned, but is not symptomatic of this action........ it is a tough call and ability to educate the patient that is experiencing such..........that they are okay..... you try fighting for air, not being able to breathe without a ventilator....then they start weaning you on a trach collar..... and they(meaning us nurses, etc) tell us how good we are doing..........and we feel like we can't breathe......SUCTION ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! suctioning is a necessary nursing action..........but you need to not overly suction..... it does damage tissue..... can cause bleeding and hemorrhage......... it does deplete the O2 level......... you must hyperventilate, hyperoxygenate the patient before suctioning and monitor......... for a patient now resident.......that stays with a longterm trach...........what a life this person must face....... with physical demands..... and mental changes......... and .................... nursing is not an easy place to be..... but it is a rewarding one............. it is nice to feel good when the day is done!!!!!!!!!

today, no time at all..... day off.....yee hah!!!!! k' when I do work......across the river I must go....... it depends which bridge I take........in town or the interstate....... 30 minutes gets me there for real........... if not before..... without my heavy foot......... or cop car behind me......... but not to test the theory again until Monday, my friends......... micro has flipped out again......... " --

ya'all know when those old *discombombulated* old ladies or gents reach up and they have a grip that is mightier than 'atlas shrugged".............. walking out of the room with my shirt torn off in shreds....... or this may or may not be my most embarrassin moment.....but it is one of them.............. and why do i not apply at Wendy's......... rhetorical ????? ya'all do not have to answer this...... micro

if someone is a "fullcode", then cpr is started automatically.........and code is called......... even if all "hope" is gone..... if patient is a DNR and expires.....the doc has to officially give the order to pronounce, but a t.o. is sufficient.....it is up to doc choice if doc comes in to talk to family......... in a fullcode situation.....a doc has to pronouce and .......... what I find ??? interesting.....is "chain of command" or not..... we are all trained in cpr, right....... if patient'resident is found "down"............the first person on the scene should initiate the code, start cpr and then when the charge or supervisor is brought into the situation, they can call 911, etc..... sounds like too much buck being passed and not enough common sense policies....... I wouldn't want to be charge in a situation like that..... like what is the time frame between biological to clinical death...... if resuscitation is possible.......... and of course, we have all seen situations that we know are not, but you have to CYA, CYA, CYA.......... sad to say.... it is a legal world where we work......... in the community.....I am just me..... if I find a person down, i have a choice to start cpr or not..... and the good samaritan law is there to cover me but this doesn't apply in the health care setting......... advance directives along with doctors are essential.................

you hit unsubscribe........like, I do not mean duh, but duh' with luv'

"Floating is all about cost issues for the suits, and is not nursing-oriented. It is stressful for healthcare personnel and dangerous to the patients." help is short........I/we do appreciate floats, but do not agree with the principle behind it............... wanna retire at 41.......anybody need a flower arranger' k' just micro dreaming again.........:-) micro and out..........

When someone floats, they should be given the caseload with the type of patients that they are most familiar with. You cannot expect a float nurse to work with ventilators if they never have. etc. Where I am at, we appreciate the people that float to us, because we need them often.....but never try to misuse them. Help is in short supply. Work is work, even if it is your avocation.

nrsKaren....... wow...... had to repeat to just reread and reinforce myself.......... I do not have trouble discussing in anyway advance directives and anything else related to it today, but it has taken a few years of seeing too much.........to bring more ease to it........ Ethics committee......wish that they had all the answers, but we can all do only the best that we can do............. wow and i state again, kudos and love to all and strength for all that we see and deal with daily............. keep on keepin on....... micro

"We will make it better" "They have to get better" "Make it better" "Better" what is better..... tough stuff we see and deal with.......... from the nursing aspect.......... and when it touches us personally......... It is tough to be the one that delivers the news of the imminent or just "passed" when all hope has been put out there..... micro and out for now..... because others words more eloquent than mine..... keep on keepin on all bbrn and adrienurse....and all

the gap is surely there........... the use of patients in experimentation and $$$......... "Death is what needs to be addressed in the light of necessity of health care." thx for letting me quote you Renee...... well written and thanks for your elegant reply....... tough subject to discuss even as nurses.....that have seen it all........... but it is a necessity............. brings up many more ??? and issues.............. micro and out....for now