beachmom

Any time we discharge a pt. after the pharmacies close, we can call pharmacy to give us enough meds to last until morning. I've done narcotics before. Pharmacy packages them differently. They hand me the little bag with the meds. I give the bag to th...

I've had a C/S, an epidural/episiotomy and a natural - in that order. (Back when VBAC's weren't "dangerous" ). I tell my patients I'll support them in whatever they choose, and I mean it. There are pros and cons to each. My episiotomy gave me more p...

I did med-surg on purpose for my first two years to get that good foundation. I was concerned that if I did L&D first, it would be possible that ten years down the road I mignt move and not find an L&D job. It would be embarrassing to be a 10...

We have a midwife that does foley bulb ripening. The doctors use Cytotec. I think she does it as it's more natural. I don't know statistics, but it seems like it's not as effective to start labor. Pit is often used after either the foley or Cytotec i...

Sometimes the part of the saline lock that the syringe screws into goes bad. (The part on your end, not the pt's end.) Occasionally replacing that part works. Ours come off so you can directly attach the SL to the IV fluids if you want - don't know i...

They may ask you if you can handle babies dying or being born with congenital problems. They may ask how well you can deal with drug moms or family dramas. Working with babies can be the most fulfilling and also the most heartbreaking job.

We're fine with people showing up. However it's nicer for us if they call first so we can be ready for them. Also, a lot of people call with things they are quite worried about, but are just normal pregnancy stuff, and we can tell them no need to com...

Love it!

There was a study done in a hospital on handwashing by employees after using the bathrooms. Doctors scored the lowest. Housekeepers scored the highest - yes, even higher than the nurses. Hmmm.

So if a woman dies in the hospital, would we be talking about banning hospital births??? One bad outcome at home really should not open up any debate. Giving birth has risks, wherever it happens

A young woman was found unconscious in her jail cell. They brought her to the hospital where she started seizing. They tried but couldn't stop the seizures. Finally, they found the broken baggie of drugs in her vagina. She spent a couple weeks comato...

My brother-in-law chose not to do his insulin for the past few months. Showed up on our doorstep 6 weeks ago with a foot infection for me to "fix" since I'm a nurse. 12 days in the hospital, 2 surgeries to remove all his toes, and then he moved in wi...

For lice, blowdry your dry hair. Go over and over the head to make sure your whole head is hot. Fries the little bugs. Be careful not to burn your scalp. I captured a louse once and blow dried it. Died within 2 sec. Don't know about other bugs.

My 21 YO daughter doesn't want a PCP. I got her to establish herself with a PCP. It cost her $180. Later she had a minor problem, 10 min with doctor, another $180. If you don't go to the doctor regularly, after a couple years, he drops you as a patie...

If the pt. is lying on her side, the upper arm will have a lower BP and the lower arm will have a higher BP. If you are taking BP's every 15 min, it would be unreasonable to have her stay in semifowler's for the whole labor so the BP's would be the m...

Thank you all for your replies. I wish the medical system would come up with better answers. We don't usually test them before they go home to see if they are negative, so we are probably often sending MRSA pts. out the doors to hug babies, touch gro...

If someone has strep throat, they are given antibiotics. After they take antibiotics for 24 hours, they are considered not infectious and can be around people. I have noticed that a MRSA pt. may be in the hospital a week or two, and they are with MR...

If you can get into an intern program, do it. We got to spend a day or a week in almost every department in the hospital. I then decided for sure I didn't want OR or ER. But how can you know if you never set foot in there? I did med-surg for the firs...

These are great! I found them on this website, but I copied some of them for you here. Our favorite bumper stickers for nurses! Trauma nurse: your stupidity is my job security. Be nice to me...I might be your nurse some day! Be nice to ...

Hannah Alexander is a good author. Actually it's two authors. A husband and wife team, one a writer and the other I think an ER nurse. The books are Christian. The series that starts with "Second Opinion" is the most medical. The characters are an E...

At our hospital when we have a stat C/S, the L&D nurses get the consent signed, do the preop checklist, give the Bicitra and antibiotic, deal with family, ,deal with mom's pain, monitor baby and contractions, go to the OR with the mom, help the O...

Reader's Digest had a story about a microbiologist discussing in a humorous way all the bacteria in our environment. Near the end it talked about his family. His son was named "Escherichia." That's just discusting, naming your kid after a deadly colo...

After a fetal demise, a family member wondered how I could possibly work in L&D. I told them sad things happen in life whether I am there or not. But maybe I can help and support people and make the sad things bearable. It is kind of a calling. ...

Day one "Linda" comes in high on meth. Delivers precipitously. Planning to put baby up for adoption as she knows DHS won't let her keep her. She's covered in bruises given to her by FOB who was "mad she because was still pregnant." Boyfriend with he...

Unfortunately d/t HIPPA we never find out what happens to the babies after they leave us. This particular baby went to DHS. I think there should be no problem severing the mom's rights, so she should find an adoptive home fairly quickly.