VivaLasViejas ASN, RN

LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych

Once a nurse, always a nurse!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide

All Content by VivaLasViejas

  1. VivaLasViejas

    automatic suspension for civil commitment

    VivaLasViejas replied to brakke33's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Is your illness well-managed? If so, you can truthfully say that your license was suspended once and/or you left a job due to a medical problem, but that reason no longer exists. Granted, psychiatric...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    One in Five

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in Nurse Disabilities

    That's the number of Americans said to be living with one or more mental illnesses, according to some statistics. Of course, that's just the number who have an actual diagnosis, or who admit to having...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    One in Five

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Well, the poll is now closed and Anxiety is the clear winner, followed by Major Depression. Pretty much what I expected.....I swear, half the nurses in America must be on anxiolytics and/or...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Would you throw an allnurses.com party?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in Nurses Rock

    We can always throw Baby Ruth bars in the pool, like somebody did in the movie "Caddyshack".........they make great fake
  5. VivaLasViejas

    After Nursing: Is There Life Out There?

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    I apologize for being remiss in checking my threads/articles. Things have improved rather dramatically in the past week and a half or so, I'm happy to report. The new schedule ROCKS! I got so much...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Looking to connect with other Christian nurses

    VivaLasViejas replied to SuzieF's topic in Spirituality, Religion

    Hello, Suzie, and welcome to Allnurses! I'm a Catholic Christian RN and parish nurse. Like Spidey's mom, I don't proselytize or try to convert anyone, whether here or at work; but I am not ashamed to...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Would you throw an allnurses.com party?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in Nurses Rock

    Ohhhh, yeah! Brian, you should host the party at your house---we'll supply the food and fluids! We can serve hard lemonade in specimen cups, chocolate pudding in bedpans, pea soup in emesis...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Up-credentialing: Why the move to the BSN is inevitable.

    VivaLasViejas replied to chuckster's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    This is one of the reasons why I'm leaving nursing if I can't stay at my current job until I'm ready to stop working. With student loans I'm still repaying and no desire whatsoever to attack O-Chem...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    what are you doing about you unhappiness with the profession

    VivaLasViejas replied to gloryfied's topic in Health, Stress Management

    I kinda figured you might be typing on your phone or something. What I'm doing is fighting like a wildcat to hang on to the job I have, which I enjoy at least half of the time, until such a time as I...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    When it comes full circle...

    VivaLasViejas replied to CheesePotato's topic in General Nursing

    (((((CheesePotato)))))
  11. VivaLasViejas

    To pulse or not to pulse

    VivaLasViejas replied to SarahStep's topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    Late in my acute-care career, I learned to 'pulse' when flushing a PICC. We also used only 10cc syringes too, to decrease the possibility of fracturing the catheter. But that was then, and this is...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    I would like to hear form those that have refused the mandatory Flu Shot.

    VivaLasViejas replied to Anniehow's topic in Disaster Preparation

    I'm pretty militant about healthcare workers getting flu shots, and I'm the first to roll up my sleeve.....I've got asthma and diabetes, so protecting myself from influenza is not optional for me....
  13. VivaLasViejas

    what are you doing about you unhappiness with the profession

    VivaLasViejas replied to gloryfied's topic in Health, Stress Management

    Huh??
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Need advice regarding reducing work hours due to anxiety please.

    VivaLasViejas replied to sistasoul's topic in Health, Stress Management

    I don't pass meds or do direct care; we have caregivers and medication aides for that. There are times I wish I could have an LPN working with me though, because the clinical piece of running an ALF...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Need advice regarding reducing work hours due to anxiety please.

    VivaLasViejas replied to sistasoul's topic in Health, Stress Management

    I'm the director of health services (equivalent to a DON) for a 95-bed assisted living facility, AKA Alzheimer's unit, AKA psych ward, AKA nursing home lite. I love it for the most part, and have...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Epic (Nursing) FAILS!

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nursing Humor

    Yuck, cranberry sauce is nasty enough without THAT imagery. Bleah. This story brings back an awful memory from my postpartum nursing days. The whole hospital had just been carpeted.......it was...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Just let me be...

    VivaLasViejas replied to WldChrry's topic in LPN, LVN Corner

    I'm with the member who talked about LPNs saving the RN's butt.....I know. It's happened to me. I used to work with this old-school LPN who learned her craft from the ground up and lived it every...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    After Nursing: Is There Life Out There?

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    Awwww....that didn't hurt one bit. Thank
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Need advice regarding reducing work hours due to anxiety please.

    VivaLasViejas replied to sistasoul's topic in Health, Stress Management

    (((((sistasoul))))) Seven years ago, I was in a similar position---working 32 hrs/week on a busy Med/Surg floor and going out of my skull with anxiety. I dreaded every. single. shift. I was anxious,...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Does your employer make accommodations for your disability?

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    ((((TerpGal)))) I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm glad you got another job...hopefully you won't have to disclose with your new employer, or if you do, that they'll be more understanding. I didn't have...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Bipolar and Menopause

    VivaLasViejas replied to Fuzzy's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    It wasn't fun. Of course, I didn't know about my bipolar 2 then, and I don't remember a lot of the stuff that my family says I did (ah, the mercy of manic blackouts!) but from their descriptions I was...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    depression, ADD and nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to serenidad2004's topic in Health, Stress Management

    Not ADD, but bipolar with anxiety, a very short attention span, and frenetic bursts of activity during my manic episodes. I saw that no one had answered your post, so I'll offer you what small wisdom...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Does your employer make accommodations for your disability?

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Nurses with broken legs are almost always treated better than nurses with broken brains. That said, I'm grateful for the chance to redeem myself and try to salvage my job and career. I have to learn...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Anxiety

    VivaLasViejas replied to ThePrincessBride's topic in Health, Stress Management

    If every nurse who needs prescription meds for anxiety or depression were forbidden to practice, there'd be approximately 147 nurses for all of the United States. Don't sweat it......get the treatment...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    My heart is just not in it...

    VivaLasViejas replied to LTCNS's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I've wandered away from geriatrics plenty of times myself but have ALWAYS come back to it, and it's here I'll stay until the end of my career. I love my Moms and