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

    Grossest thing that you've experienced?

    VivaLasViejas replied to dirtyhippiegirl's topic in General Nursing

    auuugggghhh!!! that has to be among the top 3 nastiest things i've ever heard of!!!
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Need support, very depressed.

    VivaLasViejas replied to KaseyJo's topic in Nurses Recovery

    :hug: Kasey Jo :hug: There isn't much I can add to the excellent posts by jackstem, Gold_SJ, and Hatchett. Just know that none of us walks on water---your struggles are shared by more than you...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    nursing care plan for neurocysticercosis

    VivaLasViejas replied to lhiz's topic in International Nursing

    Esme has already given you a great deal of help by providing you with a great list of resources. What she won't do---what none of us will do---is write your care plan for you. Every nurse here has...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    4 people with UTI

    VivaLasViejas replied to payang0722's topic in General Nursing

    I would just make sure everyone who's working with the residents is washing their hands and/or using gloves and hand sanitizers between each encounter. That, and with elderly persons who experience...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Grossest thing that you've experienced?

    VivaLasViejas replied to dirtyhippiegirl's topic in General Nursing

    I've seen that too. I walked into a room one day only to find the resident with a ginormous ball of poo in his hand, staring at it raptly as if he'd never seen anything like it before. He was about to...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Grossest thing that you've experienced?

    VivaLasViejas replied to dirtyhippiegirl's topic in General Nursing

    :barf01:That's pretty gnarly, hippie. I think you have my little story about the demented patient who mistook his own vomit for soup completely
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Would you leave current job for a Mon-Fri less stressful opportunity?

    VivaLasViejas replied to ooMissNurseoo's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Yep, I'd do it. I've learned to my great sorrow that money isn't the be-all and end-all of a job......in fact, it's not even in the same ballpark with my sanity or my ability to make a positive impact...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Fixing occluded peripheral IVs

    VivaLasViejas replied to Cuddleswithpuddles's topic in General Nursing

    I was trained to start a new IV whenever a saline lock became occluded because of the risk of forcing fibrin clumps into the circulation, or damaging the vein by pushing against resistance. Like I...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Silly random nursing thoughts, one sentence, NO JUDGMENTAL FOLKS ALLOWED

    VivaLasViejas replied to wooh's topic in Nursing Humor

    Yeah......"Can I borrow some of your potato chips? I'll give 'em back when I'm done with 'em." Hahahaha!!!
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Survey for RN's 50 years old and up-part time or full time?

    VivaLasViejas replied to pawsomepooch47's topic in General Nursing

    I'm putting in 50-hour weeks myself, considering the commute back and forth. It's kicking my hiney too, but I don't have a choice because I'm the sole support for three older adults (that includes...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Fixing occluded peripheral IVs

    VivaLasViejas replied to Cuddleswithpuddles's topic in General Nursing

    I've been out of bedside practice for only a couple of years, but never heard of declotting a peripheral IV or saline lock. When a PIV/SL clots off, you either change the site or get the doc to D/C...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    job hopper? advice?

    VivaLasViejas replied to nycnurse18's topic in Nursing Career

    :hug: I hear you, sister! Med/Surg is a challenge even for those who thrive on stress, and if you don't love it you won't survive long. I did it on and off for five years, and finally couldn't take it...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    I joined this site for positive inspiration

    VivaLasViejas replied to SushiJoe's topic in General Nursing

    :yelclap:WELCOME TO ALLNURSES, SUSHI JOE!! We're glad you're here and hope your association with us will be a long and happy one. We count among our members many folks who started out in Pre-Nursing,...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Coffee Addiction

    VivaLasViejas replied to Vespertinas's topic in General Nursing

    I can't imagine life without caffeine.......the times I've had to be NPO for a morning surgery, my head hurt so much by the time I came out of PACU that I was literally begging the nurses for a cup of...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Begging For Help!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to gentner8's topic in MICU, SICU

    I'm sorry your mom is going through such a rough time. :hug: Sometimes with older people, it takes time for the anesthetics used during surgery to work their way through the body systems, and the...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Nobody likes "Obamacare", so what should we replace it with?

    VivaLasViejas replied to MunoRN's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    Me, too. But I would NOT let the federal government run it......in my world, an independent commission made up of medical professionals (including nurses!), attorneys, and financial gurus would...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    New Manager, needs help to deal with staff

    VivaLasViejas replied to biju27's topic in Nurse Management

    You'll want to make it as non-personal as possible when you discipline these staff members (and yes, in your place I'd have a meeting with the offenders, but also document a verbal warning for each of...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    How do you handle work stress?

    VivaLasViejas replied to 4theBetterGetter's topic in General Nursing

    Hands down, I think the most stressful part of being a nurse is being viewed as responsible for EVERYTHING, even when it's not your department. Patients, managers, doctors, and the public in general...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Would you feel ok as a patient at your own hospital?

    VivaLasViejas replied to SNB1014's topic in General Nursing

    I still love my old hospital, and was VERY pleased with the care they gave my sister after her hip replacement surgery. I wouldn't hesitate one second to be admitted there, or to have any of my family...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Do I have to go back tonight?

    VivaLasViejas replied to RainMom's topic in General Nursing

    Obese + female + anxiety does not always = malingering. Once in a while, something really IS wrong, and it should be assumed as such until proven otherwise. Just
  21. VivaLasViejas

    GUILTY

    VivaLasViejas replied to GitanoRN's topic in General Nursing

    Never been accused of being an MD (except by a few confused ALF residents and the occasional small child), but I've also never gotten a ticket in scrubs. As soon as the officer saw my uniform and...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    You know its a seeker when . . .

    VivaLasViejas replied to BostonTerrierLover's topic in Emergency

    Toradol, oh Toradol, how do I love thee when kidney stone pain strikes? Sixty mg IM is all it takes to make me a happy camper again WITHOUT giving me the stupids....simply the best drug ever invented...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    disorder eating and going on the pill

    VivaLasViejas replied to meglet's topic in General Nursing

    Hi, Meglet~ It sounds to me like you have some things going on in your life that would be far better addressed by a doctor and/or therapist experienced in treating eating disorders than by strangers...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Has anyone out there been convicted of a DUI? Help!!!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Love2givelove's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    Honey, if you've been physically arrested, you have indeed been charged with something. Sorry to have to introduce you to the world of criminal justice, but you need to understand some basic things...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Compression stockings....

    VivaLasViejas replied to PinkNBlue's topic in General Nursing

    Yes, they are VERY hot, but there's nothing like them for controlling edema and supporting your legs. I use the Futuro brand (knee-highs) in flesh color and love them.