phoenixfire

phoenixfire

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All Content by phoenixfire

  1. Grad school? NP program for new grad, first week in ICU. Is it worth it?

    phoenixfire replied to cirionrc22's topic in MICU, SICU

    I'm in a similar boat... been off of orientation in ICU for a couple of months now, looking at ACNP. I think it would be manageable, but my problem is that I have no desire to leave my hospital or the...

  2. Can I bolus this patient? A legal / practice question about sedatives and narcotics

    phoenixfire replied to simvee's topic in MICU, SICU

    I know that the hospital I work at says NOT to bolus.. but here's the thing: not every patient will respond the same way to the same sedative. Propofol is what we usually use, but some people don't...

  3. New to ICU? What have you learn so far?

    phoenixfire replied to RN28MD's topic in MICU, SICU

    I've made a notebook I labeled "ICU Pearls" full of the 'pearls of wisdom' i've collected from the seasoned nurses. Some of the best tips I've gotten are: 1- always make sure that your pump is...

  4. ICU visiting hours.. What is reasonable?

    phoenixfire replied to TigerGalLE's topic in MICU, SICU

    I'm kind of on the fence with this one... on one hand I feel like its extremely difficult to care for a patient when I have to worry about their family member too. On the other hand, I wonder if...

  5. New to ICU? What have you learn so far?

    phoenixfire replied to RN28MD's topic in MICU, SICU

    Something I learned recently... be aware of what the costs are if you work with Medicaid pts. I had a pt that needed a Flexi-Seal, and two things happened. One, my coworkers said I could call the MD...

  6. how to deal with this intensivist

    phoenixfire replied to fiveofpeep's topic in MICU, SICU

    Being a new grad DOES NOT MEAN YOU TAKE ALL BLAME! I can't stress that enough! I recently got thrown under the bus by a seasoned nurse that I thought I could trust, and when the write up came, I...

  7. how to deal with this intensivist

    phoenixfire replied to fiveofpeep's topic in MICU, SICU

    I'm slightly less polite than this... if he continued to hang up on me after the first time, I would simply continue to call him back, and when he finally answers or stays on the phone long enough, I...

  8. Urine output: When do you let the MD know?

    phoenixfire replied to SiempreBella's topic in MICU, SICU

    I keep a little list in my head of things to do before I call the doc: VS, I&O flowsheet (we use computer charting, so I can pull up a list of the last few days) for a positive or negative fluid...

  9. New Grad and my stress level is at a MAX!!! Help

    phoenixfire replied to harder88's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I've been working as an RN for about 8 months now in ICU, and while I'm by no means an expert, in ICU I can tell you that you have to have a passion for it. We learned lots of things in nursing...

  10. Got my eye on CCRN, but intrigued by Trauma...

    phoenixfire posted a topic in General Nursing

    Hi all... I've been hooked on this site since nursing school, but now I have a different dillema... I'm learning to be a critical care nurse, with an eye towards CCRN sometime in the next few years,...

  11. New to ICU? What have you learn so far?

    phoenixfire replied to RN28MD's topic in MICU, SICU

    One thing I have noticed on my unit is that the seasoned critical care nurses are more helpful when I ask for their opinion if I tell them a) what the problem is and b) how I plan to fix it. The more...

  12. Want to cry

    phoenixfire replied to aerorunner80's topic in MICU, SICU

    I think we are wearing the same shoes! All I can tell you is focus on those around you... look for people you respect, and ask them questions. I'm lucky enough to work in a place where even if my...

  13. Health Care Bill

    phoenixfire replied to VerbalGrl715's topic in General Nursing

    Amen!! The money we could save in preventatives alone with socialized medicine would be sufficient to pay for it, and then some. I know too many people who waited until they couldn't wait anymore to...

  14. Organ Donation Opt Out

    phoenixfire replied to XB9S's topic in General Nursing

    One thing that has to be addressed in this discussion is how much education the family members get when they are approached about this particular topic. Most of the families I have run into are...

  15. HELP imbalanced nutrtion less than body requirements...

    phoenixfire replied to TD2011's topic in General Nursing

    With ulcerative colitis, think of things that are non-irritating to the GI tract (ex. stay away from caffiene, spicy foods, etc). Stick with a bland diet that is higher in the elements your patient...

  16. Working with EMTs vs CNAs/techs

    phoenixfire replied to RoyalNurse's topic in Emergency

    Just to give a little backgroud, before I switched to nursing, I was in the military for several years, and I almost always got put on an all male crew. It always started out the same...I had to work...

  17. RN to BSN at University of Phoenix?

    phoenixfire replied to JP82's topic in School, College Programs

    To stay on topic, I can tell you that I recieved my first two degrees from UOP, and it was harder than the prerequisite classes I took at a brick and mortar college for nursing! Part of what makes it...

  18. Education 101: ER vs. ICU

    phoenixfire replied to 1EmergencyRN's topic in Emergency

    Ok, maybe I am looking at this with inexperienced eyes, but having worked in both places (as a tech), I have heard from both sides. I know that when I am in ICU, and we recieve a trauma patient, the...

  19. Nursing School Bloopers

    phoenixfire replied to Jabber964's topic in Nursing Humor

    wow, some of these are pretty awesome, I'm laughing myself silly! Ok, one on me: begining of 4th semester, so hanging a new bag of NS should be a piece of cake, right? Nope. My instructor (a...

  20. "When nurses eat their young"... I think I've been eaten...

    phoenixfire posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    Ok, so I'm super excited... I just got my first job at an ICU, a place I LOVE TO BE. There is so much going on, so much to learn, and so many ways in which we can make a difference. I asked some of...

  21. Knowledge deficit nursing care plan.. please help!

    phoenixfire replied to alicia.novelli's topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    You can look at it a few different ways...why is this patient needing information? He had a procedure, right? So your NANDA would be something along the lines of "Knowledge deficit r/t surgical wound...

  22. Which Field of Nursing Do You Love and Why?

    phoenixfire replied to Angeljho's topic in General Nursing

    I love critical care... because there is so much to learn, so much to do, and so many opportunities to teach and make a difference. I love to explain things via patho, and when your loved one is...

  23. Wound Dressing Changes

    phoenixfire replied to brokenroads27's topic in General Students

    it depends on the wound type. For example, a surgical wound is changed for the first time usually by the surgeon, then he/she will order how often they want it changed, but usually prn. A decubitus...

  24. "When nurses eat their young"... I think I've been eaten...

    phoenixfire replied to phoenixfire's topic in MICU, SICU

  25. Question for Experienced ICU Nurses

    phoenixfire posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    I'm a student in my last semester of nursing school, and I recently finished my critical care rotation. I passed the lecture (85), but failed the clinical. My preceptor said that she felt I was...