natsfanrn

I'm at Fair Oaks...ratios for nights are now 1:6, with a 7th patient on a really bad night; days are 1:5

I LOVE SmartScrubs cargos...they're all I wear now. Yeah they're pricey, but they are so soft and comfortable, long-lasting and they come in tall sizes (I'm only 5'6", but a lot of the other cargos only come to my ankles). You can even wear them to t...

On a similar note, I spent the better half of one morning a few weeks ago trying to convince a post-op patient to let me administer SSI. She takes metformin at home, and couldn't understand, no matter how much I tried to explain, that we hold metform...

I do this each and every time I give a med or do a procedure...it's mandatory at our hospital and grounds for immediate firing if you don't do it (managers do rounds on our patients and ask if the staff have been properly using identifiers). Everyone...

I made a cranberry vodka drink and put it in an empty 1L NS IV bag (it was a "practice" bag that came with our lab kit), then used the IV tubing to deliver individual shots into medicine cups (hubby built a make-shift IV pole). Also put raisinets in ...

We had a debate about this where I work. I have no problem giving one Vicodin 2 hours later if the patient rec'd one and the order was for 1-2 Q4...sometimes the one just didn't help and others just seem to have their pain controlled better if they r...

Okay doc...just to clarify the order so we don't disturb you unnecessarily... Is that when Hell freezes over solid, when there's just patches of ice, or if it's just sleeting? Can you leave a number so Satan can page you directly if that occurs?

Because to be honest it doesn't matter much once he gets to the floor, especially when time is of the essence. When you call and say you're bringing a patient up and I have less than a minute b/w my other patients' demands to listen to report so that...

As a surg floor nurse, I truly try to understand the pressures the PACU nurses are under and be ready for PACU admits. but please, a few thoughts from our side... 1. If you call and say you're bringing a patient up in 10 minutes, please bring that pa...

Don't forget the all-important checking of the patient's nameband before doing anything!

I've been asked to sit on the employee satisfaction committee at the hospital where I work, and I'd just like to get an idea of some of the measures taken by other facilities around the country re: ways of improving employee morale. Not the obvious (...

The tuition reimbursement is fairly common (at hospitals in my area, at least) and can be worthwhile IF it's a facility you're willing to commit to after graduation. Before signing, find out what the penalty is if you decide not to work there upon gr...

And remember, a person with critical H/H values can have O2 sats of 100 percent yet still be hypoxic...

In my "past life" I wrote (on staff, then freelance) about veterinary issues for horse owners as well as human health for the layperson, and did editing work for nursing journals. Now, as an RN, I've occasionally thought about doing freelance work fo...

Reality shock is setting in. Give yourself time to feel more comfortable with what you're doing and see if you can get over this "hump." As a new grad, I was miserable with my job until the 5th or 6th month mark, then I finally started enjoying what ...

Forgive if a dumb question, but do the arch supports fit okay into the Crocs? Wasn't sure if they would hold an insert since they're so wide and they're a clog. I have a very high arch, so the lack of support is the only drawback I've found with the ...

Ooohhh....a cruise ship nurse. Wonder if I can talk my family into that?! I remember watching an episode of Extreme Home Makeover when one of the workers got a blister and then proceeded to pour aftershave on it. :smackingf Apparently, there was a fu...

Hi all-- Finally broke down and went to the podiatrist today for persistent plantar fasciitis that just won't heal. No bone spur, but doc gave me a cortisone injection in my heel, preceded by a shot of novocaine. Now the injection site hurts like &am...

Danskos aren't for everyone. I bought a pair after hearing all my friends rave about them and I find I feel like I've been walking on concrete blocks after wearing them all day. I think if you're prone to joint pain, they're great, but they sure hurt...

This topic's been pretty much dragged through the coals, but just one thing I'd like to add, as a floor nurse. Please, please, please try to premedicate patients for pain and/or nausea before bringing them up! I try my best to cheerfully accept patie...

We have phlebotomists here, and I've never seen any of the nurses treat them with anything other than respect -- we all seen the phlebs come up and effortlessly draw blood from a dehydrated old lady that we know we never would have been able to find ...

I ALWAYS use please and thank you, and make a point to thank my aide/tech every day when they leave work as well for all of their help. But I certainly don't feel a doctor is being rude to me because he "tells" me to run a unit of blood, rather than ...

I work on a surgical floor where we have a fair number of joint replacements and hysterectomies. If I called with every low H/H, I'd spend all morning on the phone getting cursed out by MDs! I just call with critical lows or, like fgoff, sharp drops....

I order from SmartScrubs. Pricey, but I LOVE their cargo pants -- nice heavy, comfy material with reinforced pockets, fit great, lots of colors and they come in tall. Well worth the money -- I can even wear them to the store and stuff and not feel li...

Sorry, but if I need an EKG in Rm 3, I'm going to tell my tech that I need an EKG in Rm 3. This is delegating. If the tech is in the middle of a situation that takes priority, fine, she can tell me that and I'll certainly understand if she can't get ...