Oh me, my class had to. It was in 1982 so it was ages ago. It was horrifying! I remember it was Bev, one of my good friends who did me. She inserted the tube about an inch per painful, grueling,...
Debra ACRN replied to astig_matic's topic in Retired Nurses
OK, here's another one. I started working in HIV/AIDS in 1989, then we spent a lot of time figuring out how to pay for funerals. Now, we spend a lot of time how to pay for medication. We always seem...
Debra ACRN replied to kjpstmb's topic in Nursing Humor
I'm so old that I used to smoke in the nurses station while charting. Can you even imagine? For the record, I gave up that nasty habit years ago. Hey we used to have to make room assignments based on...
I've actually refused to HIV test a patient who stated that they would commit suicide if the test was positive. We got the patient some psych assist prior to testing. Your first duty is to do no harm....
Debra ACRN replied to faithforever's topic in General Nursing
I think you have an amazing chance of being just fine. First, it was someone who knows they have HIV, hopefully they are on antiretrovirals and have an undetectable viral load. Then you didn't get...
Well I've worked in an HIV clinic for 18 years and never had a needle stick. I think there are less then 300 total health care workers in the U.S. that have contracted HIV from a needle stick in all...
Debra ACRN replied to iridium54's topic in Nursing Career
I worked at the bedside for two long and overwhelming years. I too knew it wasn't for me but I loved the patients and staff so it was bearable. After, I worked for an Indian nation running a home...
It's been a hundred million years since I did clinical but I wanted to offer my advice anyway. I started out nervous and have a habit of talking to myself. I found that I would do each task with my...
Debra ACRN replied to EricaSAFJAF's topic in General Nursing
In 1989 a group of us started an outpatient HIV clinic. We were federally funded in 1993 and I have been the director ever since. It's small enough where I get to see patients and it's a nurse run...
Debra ACRN replied to perfectbluebuildings's topic in General Nursing
I think this is where our advocacy skills must be brought to full fruition. Drs are influenced by facts so have it all written down. I would have stood in his face and asked him since when is a pulse...
Debra ACRN replied to AKA_Glamour_Pearl's topic in General Students
My guess is chicken. The most common mouth sores my patients get are either thrush or apthous ulcers. If a patient is pretty depleted immunologically esophageal thrush is pretty common and it has been...
Debra ACRN replied to Pepper The Cat's topic in General Nursing
Speaking of patients transporting themselves to a bar, I can do you one better. I once had a patient who was in a 4 man room in a nursing home. He was much younger then his fellow roommates but liked...