PICURN74 ASN, RN

There are "National Patient Safety Goals" that might give you some insight

Can't speak for Texas or give legal advice but in my opinion you are right to have some concern. I think you bring up a good point of the level of consciousness being deeper than traditionally considered "moderate" but also concerning is that many of...

There are a couple of thoughts I have on the situation, SNS stimulation releases Epinephrine and Norepinephrine as well as cortisol and aldosterone etc. and causes the effects previously mentioned, in doing so it decreases blood flow to the kidneys (...

I agree with everyone else your feelings are normal but that doesn't make them easier. I also work in the PICU and pediatric codes are especially hard as a general rule kids are not suppose to die. I don't think you get used to them but rather learn ...

Be honest with your desire and your areas you need to improve. I tell my new grad orientees in the PICU that you aren't suppose to know everything on day one or orientation would be pointless. To me the more important quality in a good ICU nurse is d...

you might want to try craigslist for an instructor, I have had some friends who were able to find someone this way to validate skills after doing the online portion. Otherwise try calling the boyscouts/girl scouts they sometimes have classes or know ...

The best gift I got was a box of my favorite pens (my personal favorite is Pilot ultrafine point) I never knew how much the quality of your pen can affect the quality of your day until I started in the Unit. Otherwise coffee is always a crowd pleaser...

FutureNICU- You are suppose to be scared of codes they are one of the few things that are literally a matter of life or death. You will learn to use the fear and it does decrease but they day that a dying kid ( I work in PICU) doesn't scare me a litt...

You made a mistake and you admitted it now you need to forgive yourself for it. It will be something that is with you for quite some time but doesn't have to mean the end of your career let alone your life. While every situation is different, I work ...

Check with your institution but, vistaril can be given IV but it is often avoided if possible, however it is on my formulary as IV and I have had some patients recieve IV vistaril.

Glad to hear your son pulled through! Where I work we have a general hospital wide orientation followed but nursing specific orientation when we first get hired and then we are given additional instruction throughout our employment. One of the things...

TallTraveler- Unfortunately we see many kids like this (motorbikes should be illegal but I digress) Is the patient in traction or in a C-collar? Depending on the reasons for the immobilization, our doctors sometimes will allow us to put the bed in re...

The scale is 3-15 with extremes at both ends. In our facility 10 and below is a sure way to get the million dollar workup http://www.trauma.org/archive/scores/gcs.html

I agree, mistakes are just that until you try and cover them up then they become choices be honest. It sounds like you did try and varify the dose after reading it back to the doc and checking with pharm. In my world I sometimes give crazy doses of d...

I work in peds and do a lot of lifting, best advice is find a job you will love and figure out a way to deal with the rest. Making friends with the stronger people on the unit is always a good idea (I am 6'4 and have a LOT of friends come time to cha...

I will take a new nurse that asks a million questions over one that thinks they know everything anyday. If you don't know ASK ASK ASK. You are not expected to know everything otherwise orientation would be pointless. I still ask questions just about ...

I don't care what mistake you make, Screaming at people is never ok. I agree that you should confront the situation, talk with the people you are having a problem with if you can and then work your way up the ladder NM, HR whomever it takes. Hang in ...

Kitty- Sounds like a pretty bad first expierence sorry your first post graduation nursing experience was negative. I am curious who repeatedly told you never to say anything about a nurse? I agree that as a whole our profession has a problem with gos...

I agree with the above posters, Learn from your mistake and forgive yourself. We are all human and we all make mistakes, fortunately it sounds like your patient was spared any significant harm and I am sure you will be a freak about checking your pum...

I am a little confused too, I am hoping that not knowing there was a change in the patients condition was what upset the doc. I have never seen a MD order an IR, at my facility IRs are not punitive but a chance to prevent future incidents, also we do...

I would talk to the supervisor about the things you have seen and then either promise yourself to do what you know is right not what your preceptors are doing or start looking for a new job. An expierenced nurse can be an awful nurse and a new grad o...

as a general rule follow the abcs, not know anything about your patient i don't want to give you specific advice but personally i would check airway (assume trach) is patent (a), then breathing (b) personally in code/cpr situations bmv is my first ch...

Every lab is different but when I worked in the lab I used to tell people when in doubt draw red and get it to the lab asap. The color of the tube usually is related to the additive in the tube that affects the sample. Red tops typically are whole bl...

I agree with what everyone else said, learn from the expierence and dust yourself off you will be a better nurse for it. Nursing is a second career for me and while I was in school for my first degree I failed out and was mortified. I applied and got...

Sunbird- I agree you need to have something change in your orientation because it does not seem like a learning environment. As a preceptor let me tell you that orientees often feel they are drowning when they are infact doing fine. A good preceptor ...