Charity RN, APRN

You did the right thing. Just can't take it personally, as some people can never "be wrong." At my teaching hospital, we don't hesitate to follow the chain of command. In the past, it has had to be taken to the doctor's department head, and even to a...

"Why, of course, ma'am. If you would please take over performing chest compressions, I'll get right to your mother. Don't worry about that odd feeling as you compress. Those are just his broken ribs."

Your manager can't require a doctor's excuse just because. That should be in policy under what circumstances, or when. Usually it is after a set number of days calling in. Don't answer texts or calls. My manager and supervisor have their own ringtone...

We have some folks who work that shift. To be honest, it is a very difficult one to work, because one has no private life with "regular" people, as you will be working every evening. But it is always a good way to get your feet in the door. One of...

Until this month, we (PACU nurses) thought we could not give Ketamine as it is classed as an anesthetic. The hospital just okayed Ketamine in PCA pumps, to be ordered by our Pain Service only. So I suppose we can, in low doses. I suppose it is sim...

The best resource that I used was Perianesthesia Nursing: A Critical Care Approach, by Cecil B. Drain and Jan Odom-Forren. (I used an earlier edition by Drain alone, but its the same book)

Short answer: We PACU nurses take care of the entire patient, not just what got operated on!

It depends on your state's Nurse Practice Act. Nurses in my state can start art lines if trained by their hospital. (all policy/procedure written, naturally) I don't know of any that do, however. We have hospitals here (not mine, thank God!) that ...

As a junior in nursing school, I had clinicals on a pediatric surgery floor. I loved it. The last day of clinicals, I knocked on the nurse manager's door and asked for a job. I was working there as an SNA less than a month later. I did my externs...

Does anybody know how we are differentiating between H1N1 and the "regular" flu? If they have stopping doing confirmatory tests, do they do a prelim that can tell what kind? I seem to remember a friend whose daughter had it. They told her they coul...

Thanks everyone for their replies.

What type of scrubs/uniforms do you wear in PACU? Hospital issued or personal? Are you physically attached to your OR, or separate. What type of PACU is it? We are looking at our dress codes, but can find little in the literature.

As an acute care nurse, I read "residents" as physicians! You know- intern-resident-fellow-staff. Was I confused!

We are searching for a cute slogan for some tees that we will be ordering for our PACU. Any ideas? A few years ago we had PACU: Wake Up With Someone Who Cares! It went over well. All staff will be ordering this, so it cant be just for the RN's. Than...

With all the nursing schools in the area, I would contact a nurse recruiter at Forrest General as soon as possible.

Well, since we have well over a dozen OR nurses of the male persuasion, it never occurred to me that a guy would have any problem. This is not counting our techs and perfusionists. As far as I know, I doubt a chaperone would be needed as the OR suite...

I had to check to make sure that I hadn't written this post! Except for the years of experience (have a few more on ya there), you could be describing me. I taught for a few years, and enjoyed it. Yet I missed bedside nursing. It has taken years for ...

We staff 2 RNs past 1900 every night and on weekends. If we need a 3rd (and it happens, one stays late or is pulled from another unit). Our other PACUs keep 1 nurse at night, with the OR nurse as the second nurse. Only our Day Surgery OR closes at 1...

our facility uses two forms. er and outpatient services both use a form that a nurse or someone similar will complete. if the patient is later admitted, a separate inpatient form must be complete by the physician. if it is a direct admit, admit day o...

It does vary from place to place. At my hospital "Code White" is for a combative person, whereas "Code Gray" goes to our neuro team for someone having a stroke.

If this is "nurse mode" then keep me in it 24/7. I call it being a decent human being.

I often got my ideas from nursing journals or "current topics." We discussed family presence at codes. New advances in pain management they would be seeing. My clinicals were at a Catholic hospital whose written policy prohibited not only abortions ...

No. In our institution hemovacs are use postoperatively to help control/monitor bleeding from the surgical site. Officially I think they are called "closed wound suction devices." Another type we use is the JP drain. Both of these drains are similar...

Actually a 3L bag of irrigant weighs 6.6 pounds.

I just watched his show tonight. I have not read anything he wrote. On his show, he praised the nurses. "With the exception of one," I think the phrase was. One could tell that he was embarrassed about the youtube video (which I did see). He indirect...