proudnurseRN

No way is your blood sugar 500 after eating a salad... where are you hiding the Skittles?

My husbands best friend, a well-built young man with multiple veins that I have eyed ever since knowing him, got into a motorcycle accident last year. After his release, during our first visit, and after our cordial "how are you feeling?" greetings I asked him "when you woke up, how many IV's did you have in you?" He said he couldn't remember, but he thought 3 or 4. He said it's when he realized he was in pretty bad shape, seeing all those IV's. I said "nah, they just did that cause they could.... they were probably making some kind of game out of it. Who can get the biggest gauge IV in..."

I'm trying to remember if I went to the ER as a child. My parents were poor, and didn't have health insurance, so I don't remember any trips to the doctor or ER until I was 17 for an abscess. Then, I did go a few times in my 20s (still no insurance) for a dental abscess, gallbladder, kidney stone and a couple of other issues I would have gone to the doctor for had I a doctor and money to afford one. The last trip I made was when our accu-check machine at work wouldn't read my blood sugar - just read "HI" and I wasn't diabetic (well, I was diagnosed that day). So yeah, I've been quite a few times in my life, but I don't think it qualifies me as a "frequent flyer." My ds has been for asthma as a baby and for an abscess. The abscess he had required an I&D and 3 day stay. In retrospect the asthma incidents could have been handled the next day but I was suffering from new mom syndrome.

Ain't nobody got the money for THAT!

The way our unit works- and as far as I know only our unit and only nightshift- on the 5 winter holidays Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, NYE, and New Years Day we place our order of preference down to have off 1-5. We must work 2 of them. This year it was arranged so that everyone had their 1st and 2nd choices off. The only "rules" to this system is that everyone gets their first choice off and if we are in a period of low staff you may be scheduled to work 3... but if that occurs you are the first to be called off after you have worked your 2 holidays. It works out well for us.

When I was in nursing school I purposely scheduled classes with a 1-2 hour break. That was the majority of my study time. Also, if I had a 10am class I would get to school at 7am and study in the lounge. Also, I am a visual learner... I cannot learn by lecture. So, what worked for me was to study during lecture. I would read the chapter that was being lectured on as the teacher was lecturing. I had the ability to also hear what was being said, so I didn't look ill prepared when called upon in class. I also didn't make it grossly obvious that I wasn't paying attention, but I was a consistent A student so I think the professors got it. Finally, I got side job as a tutor. It reinforced what I needed to know and in downtime I was able to study myself. I almost never studied at home. Sometimes it had to happen, but I would say about 5% of my studying came from the home environment. Papers, on the other hand, were usually done at home on the comfort of my own computer, chipping away 15 minutes at a time. That being said, I also co-slept, but was never able to study in bed. I always fell asleep.

That hospital changed their signs around a year ago so there was no longer a "30 minute" promise. Now I think the signage reads "Quick ER" or something similar. KateICURN- we must be coworkers.

That's ridiculous. When I was in your position (worked as a extern/PCA) I still received 5 weeks of orientation. Since then they've cut orientation from 6 weeks to 4 weeks which is still not enough IMO (specialized med-surg unit). Does your "mentor" have her own assignment?

The other day at work I had a series of small issues with a patient. First, I couldn't get the CPM to fit right no matter what adjustmants I made. So I brought in our floor "CPM expert" to help get it properly fitted. Then, the blocks started leaking. I got our block expert into the room to see if she could help me find the cause (as I suspected it was a defect in the line, nothing I could do about it). I told the patient, that these nurses were the best with these issues, and whenever possible I like to get another set of eyes. We have "experts" on the floor when it comes to IVs, Foleys, NGs... just about any procedure imaginable. So, that got me thinking about what my co-workers come and get me for. What my "expertise" is... and I suppose it's when people are going downhill. I am able to keep my head in a stressful situation and rattle off what needs done. I also seem to be the one who trusts the gut and can tell if a patient is going downhill before the obvious signs show up. I will chart in or right outside a patient room and when a coworker asks why I'm being anti-social my response will often be "I'm waiting for this patient to give me a reason to send them to the ICU." So, brag on yourself... and if you are so inclined share any tricks.

That was my main strategy for preparing for the NCLEX and I passed with 75 questions and in 30 minutes. I felt I was very well prepared, but I also researched each question I missed and would even read further into it. Seriously, 100 questions if done right, should take a couple of hours to review. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

I'm not an ER nurse, but spent a few weeks doing a stint in the ER. We had a MVA and the doctor asked the same thing... "Anyone else have any ideas?" I think it's a matter of respect and making sure everythings been covered. Only experienced it once though.

I work with post op joint patients and other fresh surgeries, some have standard care paths and specific post-op orders. Orders for the degrees on a CPM, and whether or not it's even used, is based on the doctor and the patient situation. Some patients come to the floor with catheters, some keep them in until the following day. We also get pts that will be going to surgery. We have a checklist on the front of the chart that includes questions such as "Is the history and physical on the chart?" "Is all jewelry removed?" and several other questions. We recently had a policy change that only the surgeon is to mark the operative site. Anyway, I'm not sure if any of that information is helpful. If you would like more info just pm me.

I cannot sit to chart until all my physical work has been done. I have to check the last 2-3 pages of orders before doing anything else... I hate surprise orders at 2am. A couple of weeks ago I was too busy to do this task and found a stat potassium ordered at 1700 that wasn't done... and it was 2300. I cannot sit and take a break or chit-chat while a co-worker is running around like crazy. One of these days that might change, because it seems some days I'm the only one that feels that way, but I can't stand to see someone stressed out.

In 2002 I was working at a well known company, making decent money for a single girl, doing a job I hated and was slowly but surely getting shipped overseas. At the same time, my grandmother became seriously ill, and was transported from FL to IN on a med flight. She was expected to die and was placed in a nursing home. I went to that nursing home everyday. I got to know the staff and the patients. I visited so frequently that I was one of the few people that could decipher what her roommate was saying (stroke) and would interpret for staff. In 2003, major changes were happening. I hated my job. I was looking for something where I could use my brain, work with people, and wouldn't get shipped overseas. I decided nursing was my best bet. At the same time, my grandma was better and ready to move out of the nursing home, but wasn't quite prepared for independent living. She tried living with my dad, but it didn't work out well. By 2004 she had bought a house and agreed we (my husband and I) would live with her rent free while I attended school and we helped out with cooking, groceries, yard work, etc. So, that was the moment. I went through several stages of areas I wanted to work in through nursing school... ER, peds, psych. Right now I'm in ortho and while I love it, I feel like I will have to move on soon to stimulate my brain further.

I graduated there with my BSN... but I don't know anything about their on-line program