*ac*

Magnet here. Don't get me started.

Yes. We are working with a minimum of 25% less staff then we used to. We used to close beds when short-staffed; not allowed anymore. Also, patients that used to be step-down status are now on the floor. It is incredibly stressful; burnout is rampan...

Ex-smoking democrat. Used to be a smoking republican many, many years ago. Then I grew up.

We have to stop trusting any and all reports to the contrary and use appropriate precautions with ALL upper resp/f/c pts. We are moving patients so quickly, that by the time providers get their act together and really look at the labs (source, qualit...

Same way: 125/1 x 500/? cross multiply and divide (500 x 1)/125 = 4mL

Yep, I've already got it, or at least I tested positive for flu-a. I contracted it during the time that the hospital said it was following a guideline alternative to the CDC's and not requiring use of 95's or better. They have since gone back on thi...

I hate the mind-set of the work-horse/doormats that send the message to the hospital to "bring it on". There's a limit to what most human beings can do. These individual limits, whether hours, pt load, whatever, should be respected, but in a clima...

I feel I am far too busy to be as careful as I really should be. A lot of these posts say, slow down, but I really cannot, with my load. The load has increased so much since I first started 2 years ago, that I often have to prioritize, and just not ...

I am pretty much always hot at work. There is a separate thermostat in the break/report room that has no effect on pts. This is about us. I wear scrubs with no cami/undershirt or anything. There is nothing I can take off. People who are cold, ca...

I see possible links and benefits to using vit D, however, remember how many such possible links there were to using vit E and beta carotene? Then it turned out that high doses of these vitamins/supplements increased risk of death. Vaccination is ...

I have looked into this sort of thing and determined the following. If you tacitly accept the assignment, by not protesting, than if anything bad happens you will lose your license. If you refuse the assignment because it is unsafe, you must notify ...

Couple more things: How's your hearing and eyesight? Will you be abe to hear people talking quietly through masks? Can you see details in low light? Honestly, it's necessary. There's also no time on a busy floor to switch to reading glasses, and ...

this is a biased article from a company that sells supplements.

I have to agree with llg. I started very late and I just can't tell you how hard it is. It's so easy for people to say, go for it, you're as young as you feel, etc... but there are realities you must work so extremely hard to overcome. Floor nursing ...

I suggest also asking yourself if your answer seems right, using common sense. Pretend you have a real patient with that order. How the heck would you give 50 grams (your answer). Also, compare that to the order. Something should seem wrong with t...

I am ready to take the leap and apply to an NP Program. I really want to continue in peds and am attracted to the PNP program, but am thinking that FNP would give me more employment opportunity. My thinking is that as an FNP, I could work in peds but...

I've heard that we are all probably colonized for MRSA, right? So if a patient is only colonized for MRSA; i.e., positive nasal swab, what makes them different from us? What's the point of putting them on contact precautions? We also put all pts who...

Although we learn to do it, we generally don't start IV's on my floor. Pt's usually come from ED or ICU with lines in place so we get very little practice at it - the only time they're required is when one goes bad, and that's not really very often....

If there was a remote possibility that the blood test was wrong, why on earth wouldn't he repeat it??

Yes! Especially dimensional analysis. And pH.

1. Move 2. Move 3. Move Then you feel better.

To everyone who's not flushing: I don't want to follow you and have to restart your IV's. If I'm your relief nurse, please either flush or leave a med line running!

If there's 15 drops in an ml, and 36 drops per minute, divide 36 by 15 = 2.4 ml per minute. Times 60 minutes = 144 ml/hr. 40 mEq of K divided by 1000 ml = .04 mEq per ml. Since there's 144ml/hr, multiply .04 times 144 = 5.76 mEq per hr.

Helpful article! I actually read this last night, but was too dang exhausted to really comprehend it.

C-diff is thought to be a naturally resident gut flora, right. And use of certain antibiotics, plus other risk factors, put a patient at risk to get over-growth c-diff resulting in diahhrea. Well if it's a naturally occurring bacteria, why is it con...