All Content by Kim44
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We lost a mom to HELLP!!!
I'm so sorry. I really hope that your unit does some kind of debriefing for the staff.
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Mat Leave
I'm in Ontario. We get a year off, with job security. Employment insurance pays 55% of your wage for the year. Our hospital pays a top up to 95% of your wage, for the first 6 months. Canada Rocks!
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What squicks you out?
Post mortal eye enucleation, for cornea donation. I CANNOT assist with this procedure. Just the thought of the doc puttng forceps and scissors anywhere near an eye freaks me out.
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DNR means Do Not Treat
My facility is getting away from that term, DNR. We use a Level of Treatment form, which specifies if the patient wants comfort measures only, all the way up to if they wish to be intubated or not. It is filled out by the physician when they wish to order a DNR.
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Ativan usage?
We use ativan as well, but never as first line treatment. We use anzemet and zofran for preventing nausea. We use ativan, haldol, stemetil and maxeran for prn nausea.
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Duramorph/astromorph for C/S
I had duramorph after my section. The pain control was excellent. I didn't need any other pain meds post op. The itching was terrible, I wanted to rip my nose off my face, but the worst part was not knowing what was causing it. I thought I was allergic to the linen or something. I found out days after that it's a side effect. If I'm ever blessed with another pregnancy, I hope they are still using duramorph. I'll take the itching as long as I'm not in pain.
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Chemotherapy: Peripheral IV or PortaCath??
Our patients typically have a PICC line inserted. I would definitely recommend anything other than a peripheral IV. I hope her treatment goes well.
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Need help with 12hour shifts.....
My advice, if you don't think you can do it, don't. It will be too hard on you and your family, not to mention your patients. On the other hand, sometimes you just need to get into the groove of 12 hour shifts. I work 3 12's at least once a week, and sometimes 3 times in 2 weeks.
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Tetanus Booster, OUCH!!!!!
I had my booster a few months ago, I last had it in 1992. It honestly hurt like h&$$! :uhoh21: My arm was hot and swollen to my elbow for 2 weeks. It was finally healed in a month. It felt like deep arthritic pain. I almost called off sick from work but I managed. Try ice on it, and remember it WILL get better. :)
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Tetanus Booster, OUCH!!!!!
I had my booster a few months ago, I last had it in 1992. It honestly hurt like h&$$! :uhoh21: My arm was hot and swollen to my elbow for 2 weeks. It was finally healed in a month. It felt like deep arthritic pain. I almost called off sick from work but I managed. Try ice on it, and remember it WILL get better. :)
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Lifting Patients
I hurt my back a few weeks ago with a patient. I was walking into his room to give him his meds and found him climbing over the siderails. By the time I got to him, he was falling backwards. I had to catch him. I am ALWAYS very protective of my back, but some situations can't be predicted. Nursing is hard on your back. It's not just the lifting. It's the long hours on your feet, the bending, twisting, reaching etc....Procedures at the bedside can be hard too. Maybe you could ask your doc if your injury is a contraindication to this type of job. Good luck.... :)
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Mandatory Meetings :(
Exactly what I'd do. Either that or bring a blanket and pillow with me and snore REALLY loud during the meeting. :zzzzz
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NG canisters:Do you empty at change of shift?
It would never occur to me to NOT empty it. If the fluid is produced on my shift, it's my job to get rid of it.
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Drug Testing
Canadian here. I've never been tested at work, or when I was in school. I did have a co-worker once who had drug issues. The hospital asked her for weekly urine tests. This when on for months, then she began having "issues" again, and the hospital gave her the option of quitting or being reported to the College of Nurses for disciplinary action. She quit the hospital but still works in nursing.
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Working the night shift with young children?
I work steady nights. If I worked days, my daughter would be sleeping when I left and in bed again when I get home. On my last shift, she goes to the sitter for a few hours while I sleep, then I pick her up around noon. I usually go to bed early that night. It wasn't that hard to adjust, my body was exhausted, I could sleep anytime that I needed too. :chuckle
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Can you get hired into L&D right out of nursing school?
I'm in Ontario. At my local hospital you start in PP first, then get cross trained for L&D. Some nurses have had to work PP for over 5 years waiting for their turn on L&D.
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Epidural question
I had no respiratory symptoms at all. I had no feeling in my fingers, I don't remember if I had feeling in my thumbs. Most importantly I guess, I had no feeling in my uterus! Thanks for the info, what an informed group you are. :)
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Epidural question
Thank you for the response. I am 5'1", that explains it I guess. I still don't understand why I could breathe without difficulty though. I thought that if an epidural went too high, it would affect the diaphragm. Again, that you.
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Epidural question
I had a baby last year. I was induced, laboured for 12 hours then got my epi. I didn't progress and had a c/s 8 hours later. I heard the Doc say that he was going to top up my epi for the surgery, and then my arms went numb, and stayed numb for a little over an hour. I've mentioned it to several friends who have had sections and they haven't experienced this numbness in their arms. I don't understand how this happened, without having respiratory problems. Thanks for your expertise!
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Male L&D nurses
I had a baby last year. My Doc is male. I had a male student in L&D and a different male student in PP. The gender of my caregiver makes no difference to me. I only want someone who will take good care of me, and get my baby safely into the world.
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Is this scenario considered resident abuse?
Just to clarify.... My facility DOES use restraints, we just need an order and family consent first. We can initiate physical restraints at night without an order, with family consent, but we need an MD order within 8 hours of application. This policy includes the use of siderails. The rumor is that a cardiac patient died while physically restrained a few years ago. I wouldn't say that we use restraints less now, it's just more time consuming with all the paper work.
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Is this scenario considered resident abuse?
My facility is considered "restraint free", and many others are as well. If we do require the use of chemical restraint, we need a doctors order AND consent from family. There is also a WHOLE bunch of paper work to be done every shift. I would inquire if this facility has such policies. If they do, and the meds were given to "keep her quiet", it could be grounds for discipline. I hope she's doing better.
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Would you assist in abortions?
Assist in abortions? NO Care for the patient after? YES
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Maternity Scrubs
I just bought huge scrub pants and had the legs tapered. The maternity scrubs were $80, I was NOT paying that
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RNs, Bedbaths, I&O & Linen Changes
I work oncology, we are staffed with RNs only. We do it all. And even when I worked med/surg, we all shared these tasks.