kcangel

We are interested in redoing our foley cath policy due to high rate of infections. We have found very little EPB research out there, especially in regards to peds. My questions for everyone are: What do you clean with prior to placement? Do you irrigate? Any other p&p regarding foleys that has helped with infection. Thanks and double thanks if you can provide resources for your answers.

I've worked several weeks at 2 different camps in MO, one of them being a church camp. I've done a lot of research on policies & procedures for them and have found there really aren't any rules/regs for them. Most of them try to fall under "school nursing" which you will find some things. At my church camp the meds are in open bins in the health station but the station is locked if the nurse steps out. We've not had any problems with this arrangement.

That's the way we have our kids bins lined up. Each box has an ID, for example A3 means row A, box 3. That's how we identify where their meds are kept. We write it down when they arrive and give us their meds so we know where to go to get their meds when they need them.

I've been asked by a couple of former clinical students to write a letter of reference for them. I've never done this before. Anybody have any ideas on what to say? What is important to include? Thanks.

see if this link will work...if not let me know http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dn6f37v_4cdnxgmg6

Hey all, I'm starting to think ahead already to the summer. I've got my dates for the 2 camps I'll probably be doing and wanted to make sure I was prepared. Last year I noticed all the epi-pens were expired. I'm wondering where do you get new ones. Don't you have to have a script? I don't think anyone at the camp would know as when I started working there all the P&P were very extinct and there was a newer camp director. Any ideas? We don't have a resource physician, yet. Thanks, Angie

You want the daily med log? I'll see if I can find it.

I'm picking up my first assignment as a clinical instructor next month. I am excited as I enjoy teaching. When I was in nursing school over 12 yrs ago I had one really bad clinical instructor and one so-so, the rest were pretty good. The so-so instructor was critical care. She docked me a letter grade because my white leather shoes were scuffed. She totally lost my respect after that. The terrible instructor was during a med-surg rotation. I had heard through the grapevine that she always picked one student per rotation and picked on them. I was that student. Her tone was always condescening to me, she would hold me accountable for things she wouldn't hold the rest of the group up for, if I didn't understand something she would berate me and make me feel stupid. One time one of my patients didn't go for a procedure that had been planned. I found this out when I arrived to the floor that morning. When my instructor asked me about the procedure I told her that the patient never received it. She of course thought I was stupid, huffily grabbed the chart to prove me wrong, but of course I wasn't, she then threw the chart down and mumbled "well she was suppose to have it" and walked off. This lovely woman then proceeded to fail me. I talked to the advisor about it but to no avail - but while I was there I found out I wasn't the first person this happened to or the first to complain. Years later I heard she was fired for too many complaints. Yeah! Another big worthless task - care plans. No need to practice writing 10 page care plans. "Good nurses don't really need them" - shhh, it's a secret. Many units have gotten away from "writing them" by providing fill in the blank pre-written forms. Most advanced hospitals have them computerized and you just choose what applies. Anyway, once they are filled out, they are never looked at again - at least for guidance on care. I could add more but it's late...maybe later.

Maybe a print out? I'm not familiar with it so I don't know.

The nurses need to know their drugs. Huge! Sedation meds, antibiotics, vasopressors, pain meds just to name a few. All of our nurses are required to take PALS. Trachs, art lines, central lines. Disease processes. If I can find some of our educational stuff I'll let you know. Angela

yep, how do you want me to send it. It's in Word format. Angie

I work PRN so I can just schedule it around work, or schedule work around it.

Children's hospital - PALS for everyone!

Worst instructor awards - When I think of clinicals I think of a mean ole' bat instructor that I had. She made us write 13-15 page care plans. I still can't figure out what for. Now that I've been a nurse for 12 years I know what I knew then - good nurses don't really need a care plan! Everything is in their head! They are pointless. Anway I heard that she always picked one student each semester to pick on - and I was it. Nothing I said was ever right, she constantly questioned me and berated me, she made feel like a loser and that I would never be a good nurse. One day I was assigned an elderly woman who was supposed to go for a mastectomy. When I arrived to the floor early that morning I reviewed her chart and realized that her surgery was canceled for some reason. So when my instructor starting asking me about her surgery (she didn't know it was canceled) I told her that the patient never had it. I thought she was going to tear into me. She grabbed her chart and started going through it. When she realized I was right, she threw the chart back in the rack and while she was turning to walk away in a fury, all she could spit out was "well, she was supposed to have it". And then to top it off - while I got A's & B's in all my other classes, she failed me in my introductory clinical rotation - which was supposed to be the easiest. I cried my eyes out. I heard later that she was eventually fired because of too many student complaints. And while I'm on bad clinical instructors - my critical care clinical instructor wasn't that bad as far as teaching and stuff but in one of my reviews she told me she was going to dock me a letter grade because my shoes were too scuffed up (white leather). That ended up causing me to get a "C".

Leaving July 9th for Lake of Ozarks, MO for 1 week church camp. This is my 3rd year, my son is going as a camper. There are usually a few hundred kids, age 8-12/13 plus counselors and staff. I will be head nurse with either 1 or 2 nurses to assist me.