ViolettaCCU MSN

Our hospital had implemented bedside shift report for the regular floors. Today, administration announced that we will do it now in ICU. The nurses are very concerned as some sensitive areas of the report (like test results) should be for the ph...

Ventilators are a big part of ICU. ECMO depends on the hospital. Knowledge of vasopressors, any acute condition (septic shock, cardiogenic shock, DKA, trauma) and performing central line/art line insertions is important as well as general critical ca...

Thanks for your reply, MaxAttack. We've had some concerns like you stated, also that we'd be getting more questions (from patient and/or family) that would interrupt our report and take more time for the previous shift to leave. We have been doing re...

I feel your pain! It has become incredibly tedious, time consuming and complex for documenting in EPIC, in addition to increased labor workload of more than 2 patients per nurse (Illinois just keeps shelving the Safe Staffing Act). The bigwig CEO ca...

Funny thing, lately I have noticed the scribes using acronyms...such as CTOH - CT of the head, and BRBPR - bright red blood per rectum. Any new ones you've come across?

Fantastic! A couple of these I've never heard before and quite a few gave me a chuckle! We call the celestial demise as "going to heaven" and when there is a rush of cranies, traumas, colectomies, etc - we call it the Blue Light Special of "buy one g...

Hmm...I feel I've been brainwashed! Any suggestions for other online DNP programs?

Thank you for your input, MentalKlarity. I live in Illinois and nothing is cheaper - especially colleges and universities, unlike other states. I am about 1/2 through my program - I am persistent, if anything. GCU, a private Christian school, has bee...

Chicago IL northern suburbs: total census 264 (265 total capacity), 7 rooms with double occupancy, 67 Covid+, 294 deaths associated w/Covid - the only reason why our COVID numbers are down is because the deaths are increasing. we are experiencing the...

In one hospital in Northern Illinois, almost 25% of 230 patients admitted are positive for COVID-19. Nine of those are in ICU with eight of those vented. System wide: Illinois 322 COVID-19 positive, up by 12% over previous day.

Midwest region. We are losing nurses to higher pay agencies. We are stretched. We are burned out...but we keep coming back...our compassion continues to persist in these unprecedented times. I am so grateful for my fellow workers - truly, they make a...

It is still deadly. We have 80% of our ICUs filled with unvaccinated COVID patients. Recently we had only one vaccinated patient who was on immunosuppression therapy that developed COVID, wound up intubated and guess what! He was extubated in 9 days!...

Hello, I am in my 4th class at Grand Canyon University and it is a nightmare! I am seriously considering going to a different school. I completed my MSN through and, despite the antiquated articles provided by GCU, I completed it in 15 months. ...

I am in my 4th class at Grand Canyon University and it is a nightmare! I am seriously considering going to a different school. I completed my MSN through and, despite the antiquated articles provided by GCU, I completed it in 15 months. In the c...

Hello and thank you for your post about DNP schools. I am in my 4th class at Grand Canyon University and it is a nightmare! I am seriously considering going to a different school. I completed my MSN through and, despite the antiquated articles provid...

Thank you for your heartfelt comments. I especially identified with "even heroes have the right to bleed". It has been a couple of weeks (seven!) since I wrote the initial response and, in my area, it the COVID-19 cases are lightening up. When COVID-...

Stop creating new protocols from the comfort of your administration desk at home without fully looking into the equipment resources. An example is a new protocol to change out inner cannulas from recovered COVID-19 trached patients. A clear plastic d...

My university is going to virtual sim education via vSim for Nursing by Walter Kluwer.

It is a shame that there isn't as much support for nurses in Illinois. So much is required and micromanaged and added to the bedside nurse's platter. 6 patients are the minimum ratio. If they budgeted more nurses, they wouldn't get their raises this ...

Hello everyone, I am developing a newsletter just for our new grads/new hires in ICU - trying to think of a catchy name - any ideas? Haven't found any topics like this here and I'm hoping for some clever responses. Thanks!

Hello Ruby Vee, Thank you for your response for ideas on what to name a newsletter for new grads/new hires in ICU. We already have a monthly newsletter for all our nurses in ICU. However, we have found that there is a specific need to help engage our...

We had a "random" drawing with ALL the nurses names put in a hat for about 25 giveaways daily. However, each day when the names were posted, the names were first name alphabetical (A-F on the first day with G-L on the second, K-O on the third, and so...

Hmm...good question. I am also considering Capella.

It seems like allnurses has evolved into a forum for those considering nursing programs. I was hoping I could get information about an area in Texas for nursing jobs - mainly Granbury, Brownwood, Comanche, and Bluff Dale. Does anyone have any know an...

Hello Y'all, Just wondering if your hospital has any protocols for using incentive spirometers? Does your hospital require a physician's order? Who teaches it - the nurse or respiratory therapist or cardiac rehab? Traditionally, incentive spirometers...