AmyCardsNP RN, NP

I think a spreadsheet is a great way to study all of the cardiac meds. Rather than memorizing each drug, learn HOW the class of drugs works in the body.... it will be easier to remember side effects if you can remember the "how" For example, the ACEs...

We use velcro straps to secure high risk patients to the cath table for angiograms. Deciding who is "high risk" is at the discretion of the staff in the room. Personally, I consider any patient who is having difficulty following simple instructions t...

Hey everyone- I was wondering what you do with your rings when you scrub? I don't scrub all day long and I don't like being without my rings all day, so leaving them at home or in my locker isn't ideal. Does anyone have any contraptions set up to hol...

Thanks for the replies everyone - I don't work in a sterile environment all day (I float back and forth), so I would like to be able to wear my rings for the hours that I am not which is why I was asking if there was a way people secured their rings....

As a nurse with experience in an inpatient area as well as a procedural area (as well as a current NP student), I would say that floor nursing will give you a better background for what your long term goals are. While working in the OR will give you ...

I wear a pedometer (http://fitbit.com) every day to work and depending on how busy I am in the ICU, I walk anywhere from 2-6 miles in a 12 hour shift. It's great to see how far I've walked during the day, especially after an exhaustingly busy shift.

ACLS recertification does not require you to know rhythm interpretation to pass. It only requires that you recognize fatal rhythms (Vtach, Vfib, Asystole). They do cover heart blocks, afib, aflutter, etc during lecture, but they do not adequately tes...

Every once in awhile an article comes along that I love. Heck, I've even been known to rip out an article and put it in the nurses' lounge at the hospital a time or two. In September 2009, they published an article titled "Patients' Perceptions of Nu...

Yesterday, I had a new experience as a nurse.... I was bitten by a patient. I was team leading (same as a relief charge nurse) & helping another nurse admit a patient to the ICU from the cath lab. He was in his 50s, had a heart attack, and the l...

It doesn't sound like you use electronic charting yet at your facility, and when you transition, it gets a lot easier to keep track of medications that your patient is on. Instead of having to flip through a thick paper chart, you can just click a bu...

It seems to me that the use of Swans depends on the physicians in the unit. I primarily work in a CVICU and all of our patients come back with swans in place s/p open heart surgery. Although, when we have patients with huge MIs (that could benefit fr...

I definitely agree with traumaRUs's reply - there are a number of factors that go into deciding if a patient needs dialysis. In my unit, we recently started new dialysis on someone whose Crt was only 2.9, but they were not making urine, fluid overlo...

I graduated in Illinois and took the NCLEX (and am practicing) in Arizona. I didnt have any issues with the process.

We rolled out the same thing about 2 years ago... all of the nurses wear red tops, techs wear navy blue, unit clerks wear teal, etc, etc. When we all learned we were going to have to start wearing uniforms, no one was very pleased- we were happy with...

We induce hypothermia on patients post witnessed cardiac arrest using external blankets. The way I've often seen patients "go to crap" during the rewarming phase is resultant from electrolyte shifts. We don't replace potassium during the 8 hours prio...

The CCRN has a lot of questions on swans, ABG interpretations, titrating mutliple vasoactive drips at one time, and ventilator weaning. I think the PCCN would be a great test for you to take with your current experience (and getting that certificatio...

I have copies of all the cards in my wallet, but not the original

I had a patient that reported to be allergic to potassium... and another patient who reported to be allergic to insulin. How do their bodies work?!?!? :)

Agreed. Our managers only make a few dollars an hour more than the staff RNs

When deciding to hold BP meds, in a situation like you are describing, there are so many different factors, as I'm sure you're aware of. Of course, you want to look at your physician order... did he/she write "hold if SBP I also will look at the his...

I have seen many more positive outcomes based on swan readings than negative outcomes from having a swan in place during my years in CVICU. So often we look at our PA pressures, CVP, and CI to let us know that a patient is in need of fluids despite a...

Our CVICU has one tech, he works 4 days a week from 4am-2pm. He has no patient care responsibilities (does no accuchecks or call-light answering) but is responsible for our supply room and equipment, such as cables, IABPs, aquaphoresis machines, etc....

Is anyone doing SLED on their units? I just recently got certified to run it and was wondering how it was going for everyone else. A lot of alarms/issues while running? Thanks!

Could you explain your rationale for taking a cuff pressure every hour? I'm curious to the benefit for the patient if your Aline is correlating.

I said that for ULTRAFILTRATION alone, (aka aquaphoresis) the patients are not 1:1. Using the aquadex system, there is only 33ml of blood in the circuit and the manufacturers website states that 1:1 care is not required. Heck, it even says that ICU c...