Meriwhen ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

Psych ICU, addictions

Member

All Content by Meriwhen

  1. Meriwhen

    Forced IM meds...always ethical??

    Meriwhen replied to Abbyrose's topic in Psychiatric

    I should also add that getting the IM copies were good to have for non-emergent reasons as well: a patient who's too nauseated to keep pills down, a patient known to cheek or regurgitate meds, the...
  2. Meriwhen

    Contraband

    Meriwhen replied to southshore2014's topic in Psychiatric

    My most memorable was a sex toy. She wasn't intentionally trying to sneak it on the unit--her admission was rather precipitous and she had thrown a whole bunch of stuff in her suitcase in her haste...
  3. Meriwhen

    Forced IM meds...always ethical??

    Meriwhen replied to Abbyrose's topic in Psychiatric

    At one of my previous workplaces, we would always encourage the MD to write a set of IM PRN orders in addition to the PO PRN orders (e.g., we'd have Haldol/Ativan PO PRN and a matching set but IM...
  4. Meriwhen

    Forced IM meds...always ethical??

    Meriwhen replied to Abbyrose's topic in Psychiatric

    It is perfectly acceptable to set limits on a patient's behavior and have there be consequences. However, 4 points is NOT an acceptable consequence for behavior that isn't an immediate danger to the...
  5. Meriwhen

    alcohol withdrawal-Ativan

    Meriwhen replied to sassyann85's topic in Addictions

    I agree to a point. The groundwork for treating the addiction should start being laid down during acute detox (e.g., suggesting group participation, 1:1s). However, the focus should be to medically...
  6. Meriwhen

    Suboxone side effects

    Meriwhen replied to iluvivt's topic in Addictions

    It does help a lot of people...however, it's not abuse-proof. Excessive doses can give a person, especially one that is pretty naive to the drug, quite a high high. Though more likely it'll be...
  7. Meriwhen

    APNA Annual Conference

    Meriwhen replied to TekkenDanser's topic in Psychiatric

    I would love to as I used to work with one of the presenters! But unfortunately I won't be able to
  8. Meriwhen

    Forced IM meds...always ethical??

    Meriwhen replied to Abbyrose's topic in Psychiatric

    That is a tough one. I'm personally of the mindset that if they decide at the last minute to take the PO and I have it ready to give that moment, I'll give it over a shot. However, if the patient is...
  9. Meriwhen

    Rejecting a job counter-offer

    Meriwhen replied to Ashleyhunleyrn's topic in Nursing Career

    If your long-term goal is Peds, then take the Peds job. Yes, the ER will offer a wider range of experiences than the Peds job. But consider that: a., you'll see far more adults than children in the...
  10. Meriwhen

    Brian Short News

    Meriwhen replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in General Nursing

    I've keep saying this...I can't believe this, it doesn't seem real. But I know it is, and that really
  11. Meriwhen

    If you had a reset button, would you choose nursing again?

    Meriwhen replied to amazingme's topic in General Nursing

    I would choose nursing again. I might make a few different choices in school
  12. Meriwhen

    Ethics: Does knowledge of a patient's blood borne pathogen change your care?

    Meriwhen replied to JMed18's topic in General Nursing

    There'd be no difference in my care as I treat everyone as if they had HIV, Hep, etc., and follow universal precautions all the time. I work in psych, where Hep C in patients is rather common. I...
  13. Meriwhen

    PVT: Question of Character?

    Meriwhen replied to oldandintheway's topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    I admit to using the PVT when I was waiting...but this was back in the day before you had to provide credit card information--you just tried to schedule the test and if it wouldn't let you go to the...
  14. Meriwhen

    Random Drug Testing

    Meriwhen replied to Emergent's topic in General Nursing

    It doesn't bother me...then again, I don't have anything to hide. If they want to spend the resources randomly testing me, then so be
  15. Meriwhen

    Nursing student hair color change for more respect

    Meriwhen replied to Vonqiqi's topic in General Students

    Agreed. Blonde, brunette, redhead, raven-haired...doesn't make a difference. Now blue or green or multicolor...while I personally think such colors are lovely and I do harbor my own fantasy of...
  16. Meriwhen

    Confused... am I an RN or not??

    Meriwhen replied to cabrig's topic in NCLEX Exam, Programs

    The best source for the answer to your question would be the BON themselves. Call them and ask what's up with that status...never mind, I just saw that you did. Though quick results (NOT the PVT, but...
  17. Meriwhen

    colleague does not want to take day off

    Meriwhen replied to bellefleur's topic in General Nursing

    She may possibly be manic or have ADHD. Or she may be telling the truth and really loves her job. Not every nurse turns out bitter about work. IMO, whatever is behind her drive doesn't matter as...
  18. Meriwhen

    Fired during orientation/7 weeks in

    Meriwhen replied to beachlover's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Not scanning meds at my workplace is also frowned upon, though we can skip scanning if the patient's acuity is severe enough that we need to get meds in them ASAP. We are expected to make a note...
  19. Meriwhen

    5 Ways Night Shifters Can Sleep Better Now!

    Meriwhen replied to Surg-OncRN's topic in General Nursing

    I will confess: when I first started working nights (not as a nurse), I often relied on a shot of Nyquil to ease me into sleep...either that or wine. Now, I find the white noise and eye mask work...
  20. Meriwhen

    Psych nursing is easy

    Meriwhen replied to studentnurse9806's topic in Psychiatric

    The OP was unenlightened about psych nursing and just started out. They thought it seemed like a walk in the park compared to what they used to do. Then OP encountered Axis II patients and saw the...
  21. Meriwhen

    So... are 1:1 check-ins with patients truly "a thing of the past"?

    Meriwhen replied to greenbeanio's topic in Psychiatric

    Having a 1:6 ratio (and frequently having less than 6 patients) means that I can do a good 1:1 check-in on each patient I'm assigned, and I make it a point to. It's rare that I can't hit every one,...
  22. Meriwhen

    When are you ready for boards?

    Meriwhen replied to hgs797's topic in Psychiatric

    I haven't taken NP boards so I can't speak to that specific experience...but when it came to the NCLEX, I knew that I would never feel 100% ready--I needed to have a target date set. I chose a date 8...
  23. Meriwhen

    New to the Mental Health field

    Meriwhen replied to larien37's topic in Psychiatric

    Welcome to the dark side :) One of the best things you can do is learn to keep an open mind and not be quick to judge. It can be harder to do than it sounds, and people do struggle with being able to...
  24. Meriwhen

    nurse-pt ratio

    Meriwhen replied to lynnpsychrn's topic in Psychiatric

    So basically 1:15 or so. For acute care or detox, it's too high. Depending on the acuity level, 1:6-1:10 is a good ratio. Sadly, such crazy ratios are all too common, especially if there are no...
  25. Meriwhen

    Is this crossing boundaries?

    Meriwhen replied to SNurse15's topic in General Nursing

    Keep in mind that as a nurse, you're not always going to have the opportunities for closure that you'd like to have. Patients are going to discharge/transfer/die whenever fate decrees, and you can't...