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

    Mental health hospitalization

    VivaLasViejas replied to TravelingRN21's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Been there, done that (my hospitalization for suicidal ideation). I wasn't working at the time so there were no decisions to make regarding telling my employer, but I highly recommend keeping this...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Depression + Anxiety as a Nurse

    VivaLasViejas replied to jesslahti future LVN's topic in General Nursing

    I live with bipolar I and anxiety, so I can relate to your struggles. Before things went south on me toward the end of my career, I held many stressful jobs and fought anxiety through each and every...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Can CNAs pass meds in assisted living in Arkansas?

    VivaLasViejas replied to GypsyTig's topic in General Nursing

    In my state (OR), care staff who aren't even certified can pass meds and even give SQ injections. The facility RN delegates these tasks to the med assistant and checks them off on skills every three...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    What would cause this?

    VivaLasViejas replied to OrganizedChaos's topic in General Nursing

    My husband had pancreatic CA with mets to the liver, which caused some bloating. The night he died, his abdomen blew up suddenly and became severely distended; then he began to vomit frank blood in...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Quit my CNA Job ???!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Togglina Tugi's topic in General Nursing

    Don't quit your CNA job, unless you have another one lined up and it's a step up from your current position. Like another PP said, some of the best nurses, NPs, PAs and others were CNAs to start with....
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Mental illness and BON

    VivaLasViejas replied to Naruhina9669's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    My experience: I self-reported my bipolar 1 diagnosis when my license was up for renewal in 2015. It had significantly affected my life and career, and I wasn't even working at the time. Nothing ever...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Dilaudid & Zofran?

    VivaLasViejas replied to nursing_newbie's topic in Patient Medications

    I've been given Zofran with Dilaudid on more than one occasion, and it was wonderful stuff. It prevents nausea, which Dilaudid is known to cause, without making me stupid (the Dilaudid accomplishes...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Don't Say The "Q" word!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Davey Do's topic in Nursing Humor

    As the saying goes, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Seriously? I'm concussed!

    VivaLasViejas replied to beekindRN's topic in General Nursing

    Wow. Concussions are no joke...just ask a football player with CTE. Your manager is an orifice. Don't go back into work until you are completely over the
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Need inpatient and short term disability, but scared

    VivaLasViejas replied to zephyr9's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    It's my understanding that disability issues are handled by HR and not management. You will have to disclose the reason to whoever is in control of that department, and you'll need a doctor's note...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Need inpatient and short term disability, but scared

    VivaLasViejas replied to zephyr9's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    It is none of your employer's or co-workers' business what your time on short-term disability is for. You have no obligation to tell them anything. The only way they'll find out is if you speak up...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    Setting the Precedent: Nurses Fired for Being Sick

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brenda F. Johnson's topic in General Nursing

    I was fired from a job essentially for having a chronic mental illness. I'd had to go out on medical LOA for three weeks, then came back with a very brief list of accommodations, signed by my doctor,...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Use it or...lose it? A&P and Nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to Jedrnurse's topic in General Nursing

    Ah, the good ol' Krebs cycle. I remember it from Chemistry, Nutrition, and A & P and once could have explained the whole thing to you backwards and forwards. That was over 25 years ago. It really...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Finger picking and biting

    VivaLasViejas replied to fna977's topic in General Nursing

    Have you ever heard of excoriation disorder? It is an actual disorder that features the repetitive behavior of picking at the skin, often to the point of bleeding and scarring. Many people pick scabs...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    My facility is restraining a resident and I feel that I can't help.

    VivaLasViejas replied to Nursingstudent___'s topic in General Nursing

    Not in long-term (intermediate) care facilities, unless the resident's doctor orders VS to be taken routinely, or a nurse using nursing judgment deems it necessary. As someone else already said, the...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    For those who have taken board drug tests

    VivaLasViejas replied to Glb12287's topic in Nurses Recovery

    I wouldn't chance it if I were you. I know kratom can be found at every 7-11, but just in case it turns up on a UDS, you don't want to have it in your system. Just my $.02
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Ethical Dilemma: Is it ever ok to mislead a patient?

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNjuice's topic in General Nursing

    Don't you just love families? Sigh...The good ones are worth their weight in gold, but when I was working in LTC we seemed to have more of the helicopter type. I was tempted more than once to tell...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Support Planned Parenthood Today!

    VivaLasViejas replied to elkpark's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Thank you.
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Having trouble deciding between nursing, sonography, and radiography tech, and medical lab tech

    VivaLasViejas replied to peanutbutterfly's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I'm a (retired) nurse who had a 20+ year career despite bipolar and anxiety. It got really bad when I hit my early 50s and I ended up leaving nursing, but most of my career was good and I'll never...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    The one thing in nursing/medical that makes you shudder?

    VivaLasViejas replied to RegenerativeNurse's topic in General Nursing

    Feet are nasty. And mouths. I'd rather suction a trach or clean up after a GI bleed than deal with toes falling off in my hand or washing dentures that have days' worth of food in them. I can do these...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Jobs outside of healthcare after burnout

    VivaLasViejas replied to Fnp2017urgentcare's topic in Health, Stress Management

    My son is in a similar situation. He's never worked outside health care and he is burned to a crisp. He is also in school for his BSN, which almost seems like a waste of time if he's no longer happy...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    RaDonda Vaught Update - State Health Officials Reverse Decision and File Medical Disciplinary Charges

    VivaLasViejas replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in Nursing News

    When I first heard of this case, I felt that the criminal charges were an overreaction to an unfortunate mistake, but failed to understand why RV's license hadn't been pulled. As I've learned more,...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Caring for a neighbor?

    VivaLasViejas replied to antesignani's topic in General Nursing

    Your nursing judgment is correct. There are so many ways for this to go haywire. Who protects your license when you're giving care to someone who isn't "officially" your patient? How would you keep...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Nursing Home "Fight Club"

    VivaLasViejas replied to adventure_rn's topic in General Nursing

    I was thinking the same thing. There's an awful lot of stupid on the hoof these days. They walk among us, they vote, and (!) they reproduce. I honestly don't know how these idiots thought they'd get...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Should I disclose bipolar disorder 1

    VivaLasViejas replied to grateful2b's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    From a fellow nurse with bipolar I: don't do it. Don't disclose anything about your illness. No good can come from it. I don't normally advocate lying, but I have lost jobs for being bipolar---that...