bellehill

bellehill RN

Neuro Critical Care

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All Content by bellehill

  1. Can doctors go against hospital policy?

    bellehill replied to bellehill's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    Thanks everyone. that is exactly how I felt about the situation. I don't see the hospital backing me up if I did not follow their policy. I am going to contact the legal department and get some...

  2. new job

    bellehill replied to ladybird79's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Hi Ladybird! Welcome to neuro nursing. When I started in neuro I bought a textbook by Joanne Hickey called Clinical Practice of Neuroscience Nursing and I started reading. There is so much to learn...

  3. To suction the ETT, or not?

    bellehill replied to CactusFlower's topic in MICU, SICU

    We do not break circuit to suction at my hospital but it is absolutely necessary. I always consider suctioning to be as important as cough/deep breath in a non-intubated patient. I have no idea what...

  4. Triple H therapy

    bellehill replied to Epona's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    You want to keep your CPP>60, ideally >70. The hypertension in a SAH pt has more to do with perfusion of the repaired vessels. A higher blood pressure will "force" the blood through a...

  5. A fellow ICU nurse needs some assistance!

    bellehill replied to MelRN13's topic in MICU, SICU

  6. Ruptured AVM

    bellehill replied to Mommy_of_3_in_AL..RN's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Has the doctor told them to their face that the patient is dead and showed them the test results? How about a second opinion from another neurologist? It is never easy for the family to accept...

  7. IV pump placement/Room set up

    bellehill replied to TulsaTime's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    I always put the IV pole on the side of the access, the vent on the opposite side as the pole if possible. My ventric transducer goes on the side of the access, the bolt monitor can go at the head of...

  8. Productivity

    bellehill posted a topic in Patient Safety Issues

    Our hospital uses productivity numbers for each shift to determine staffing. Due to supposed budget deficits they want each unit to run at 103% productivity; so basically we are expected to run one...

  9. COLUMBUS OH NURSES! I need your help!!

    bellehill replied to yellowdot11's topic in Ohio Nursing

    Licking Memorial Hospital is located in Newark. Fairfield Medical Center is in Lancaster, just southeast of Columbus. I had not heard about a hiring freeze but I know that I have been doing some job...

  10. Peer interview questions

    bellehill replied to ABD FL RN's topic in MICU, SICU

    We just had peer interviews for our new management position. Some of the questions we asked were: -What would your co-workers consider to be your strengths and weaknesses? -Why are you interviewing...

  11. Got told our/ any neuro ICU is not really an intensive care unit

    bellehill replied to labman's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    We have this problem at my hospital too but the "real" ICU calls us first with any neuro questions. It is frustrating but I just let it go. Our doctors will refuse admissions if we don't have any...

  12. Help!!!

    bellehill replied to ICURNIAM's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Okay, you made a med error...it's not the end of the world. Yes, harm can occur from an error but I would have to say there are very few practicing RNs who have not made some type of error. I have...

  13. Triple H therapy

    bellehill replied to Epona's topic in General Nursing

    I took care of a triple H patient last night. The parameters we were trying to achieve were a Wedge pressure of 14-16 and SBP of 180-190. To do this we were using fluid and vasopressors. A patient...

  14. Pentobarb comas

    bellehill posted a topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Okay, here is a big question. We are trying to develop a protocol for placing a pt in a pentobarb coma. After not doing it for a while the protocol became outdated, now that we have had two in the...

  15. Lack of solidarity in nursing

    bellehill replied to bklynborn's topic in General Nursing

    Earle58, I had the same epiphany a few months ago. It is not our job to fight every battle on the unit for people who won't. The other side of that coin is; after I have complained about something...

  16. Morristown, NJ

    bellehill posted a topic in New Jersey Nursing

    My next stop is going to be Morristown Memorial Hospital. Any ideas on what Morristown is like, what there is to do....The hospital sounds really nice so I am not worried about that.

  17. new ED RN needs IV encouragment!

    bellehill replied to kimber3ks's topic in Emergency

    Keep the needle low, stop advancing the needle once you get the blood flash-at this point only advance the catheter. Like everyone else has said, we all have good and bad days. I am the one everyone...

  18. Charge Nurses: Share your best tips and advice

    bellehill replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    Just like a new nurse, the process of organizing yourself in the charge role will take some time. Pick a routine and stick with it. I developed charge report sheets at my unit so everyone receives...

  19. Shared Governance

    bellehill replied to robertamac's topic in General Nursing

    Our hospital is phasing LPNs out of the role of a nurse. In fact, my floor only utilizes LPNs as a patient care tech, nothing more. In our shared governance only RNs are allowed to take the role of...

  20. Did becoming a nurse change you????

    bellehill replied to TruDivaRN's topic in General Nursing

    I agree with everything Arwen posted and I will add... 7) Death no longer affects me which I do not consider to be a good

  21. IV Push Practice

    bellehill replied to Deb123j's topic in General Nursing

    I don't have anything concrete in writing but a general rule I follow is 1cc/1minute for most drugs. Labetalol, Metoprolol, Hydralazine, Dilantin, Zofran....they all mix to 1-5cc and need to be...

  22. How would you handle this?

    bellehill replied to labbio's topic in General Nursing

    If space is that tight on this unit perhaps this is the only place close to a patient the doctors could talk. I am not excusing them using your locker room, simply offering a suggestion. Perhaps...

  23. Tech issues

    bellehill replied to aerorunner80's topic in General Nursing

    You can't let one person change your career plan. If you want to work on this floor then do it. Chances are there is someone just like her on every other floor in the hospital. Hold your own and...

  24. What does it mean to be a nurse

    bellehill replied to maggymae's topic in General Nursing

    "Being a nurse isn't about grades. It's about being who we are. NO book can teach you how to cry with a patient. NO book can teach you how to tell a family member that their parents have died or are...

  25. What do you think about cell phone use?

    bellehill replied to RNontheroad's topic in General Nursing

    Our cell phone ban has been lifted on my critical care unit. Personally, I have no problem with cell phones and I carry mine with me all shift. It is much easier to text a peer when I need help than...