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

    Admitting patients for the sake of admitting?

    VivaLasViejas replied to SoCalRN1970's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I am astounded at the lengths that a particular hospice with patients in my ALF will go to in order to recertify this one resident, who has been on service for TWO. SOLID. YEARS. She is as demented as...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    What's the scariest thing you've ever seen as a nurse?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Nurse0621's topic in General Nursing

    Scariest thing that I ever dealt with happened before I was actually a nurse; at the time, I was a CNA working as a tech on the maternity floor the day a meth addict gave birth to a baby who also...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    How many forum members does it take to change a lightbulb?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Liddle Noodnik's topic in Nursing Humor

    :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Increasing staff compliance with hand hygiene

    VivaLasViejas replied to LMJRN's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    I got my staff to improve their compliance with hand hygiene by purchasing a batch of trial-size Bath & Body Works sanitizers in different scents for them to experiment with, along with holders...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Can't seem to find satisfaction

    VivaLasViejas replied to tinderbox's topic in General Nursing

    Yep........life is way too short for bad jobs. For many years, I kept thinking I'd find my "forever" job---the one I could stick with for the rest of my career. Trouble was, the harder I tried to...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    worst death you've seen

    VivaLasViejas replied to Darkfield's topic in General Nursing

    One of the most awful deaths I've ever witnessed happened when I was working as a CNA on a Med/Surg floor. Patient was a Native American woman in her early 50s who'd been a heavy drinker since junior...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Is it wrong...

    VivaLasViejas replied to ThePrincessBride's topic in General Nursing

    I was one of those who actually do start out idealistically, but when I found out what nurses earned, I thought I'd hit the jackpot! A job that let me help people AND paid a good living---must be...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Help! Patients and coworkers tell me I look frazzled - but I don't feel that way

    VivaLasViejas replied to marisatheresa's topic in General Nursing

    Hey, there are also people like me who have NEVER learned the art of accessorizing and look like we just threw on whatever we're wearing, ran a comb through our hair once and zipped out the door!...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    I need help regrading an ethics opinion piece!

    VivaLasViejas replied to misyan's topic in General Nursing

    I love this post, because it shows exactly what is missing in so much of what passes for "ethics" these days: the ability to assess a given situation, think at least one step beyond it, and refrain...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    To Staffing Coordinators,

    VivaLasViejas replied to Forever Sunshine's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Yes, ours is definitely outdated.........but I was shocked to learn that so many states have absolutely NO minimum staffing ratios. WOW. So in theory, that means a facility could staff only one aide...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    To Staffing Coordinators,

    VivaLasViejas replied to Forever Sunshine's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    OP, what are your state's minimum staffing ratios? If you don't know this handy bit of information, it might be good to research it so you have some ammunition to fight with when you report inadequate...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    Assisted living

    VivaLasViejas replied to Vtachy1's topic in General Nursing

    allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses - Search Forums This is a "sticky" thread called "What's It All About, ALFie?" which is a support thread for assisted-living nurses that may be helpful to...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    "She will not die. She does not have that permission from me."

    VivaLasViejas replied to pockunit's topic in General Nursing

    I thought the same thing, but kept that fact to myself since I'm not wise in the ways of neurosurgery and all the fuss here is being made over the "permission" statement, which I found to be very...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    and another brick wall

    VivaLasViejas replied to purple10's topic in General Nursing

    A lot may depend on the reason(s) why you were let go from your last job. Otherwise, the economy is still a factor in hiring decisions, even though it's picking up a little.......oftentimes, it's just...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    You Arent Supposed To Hold A Newborn Baby If On Menstrual Cycle?

    VivaLasViejas replied to starmickey03's topic in Ob/Gyn

    Reminds me of another of my grandmother's pet health theories, which was extremely common among Depression-era folk and created two generations of elderly people who were/are obsessed with their bowel...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    A Passionate Note in Support of All Night Shift Health Care Staff

    VivaLasViejas replied to Hockeydoll88's topic in General Nursing

    When I started out in healthcare, I worked nights and loved it......in fact, I'd probably still be doing nights if I hadn't gone through some sort of transition in my early 40s when I started...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    You Arent Supposed To Hold A Newborn Baby If On Menstrual Cycle?

    VivaLasViejas replied to starmickey03's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I never heard of this one, but I do remember some of my Nana's prohibitions regarding the menstrual period. She was a nursing student during World War I and knew a lot about the human body, but she...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Odd or creative ways to give meds

    VivaLasViejas replied to CloudySue's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Well.........for one thing, it really is NOT OK to hide meds in food or drink no matter how demented the resident may be. We may crush meds or give them in liquid form to certain residents because...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    LTC and med orders

    VivaLasViejas replied to cleo777's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Welcome to LTC, where critical thinking is a (strongly discouraged) art form! You'll get a feel for wording faxes as you become more comfortable in your role. And as another poster said, if we don't...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    How do the male nurses feel about perineal care?

    VivaLasViejas replied to johnny depp23's topic in General Nursing

    I think you did misunderstand, Leslie. I was referring to the occasional posters who bring up this topic because they get some sort of a kick out of it---not students, new nurses or aides' reluctance...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    How do the male nurses feel about perineal care?

    VivaLasViejas replied to johnny depp23's topic in General Nursing

    I'm with rn/writer on this one. Sigh......the idea that nurses think much of anything at all about performing peri-care is sooooooo overplayed that it comes across as a poorly-disguised attempt to...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    People in healthcare should speak Spanish, she said

    VivaLasViejas replied to Paulie G's topic in General Nursing

    I grew up with Hispanics and have spoken passable Spanish all my life, so working with patients or staff of this ethnicity has never been a problem for me personally. (At least, as long as they're...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Grieving a perinatal loss

    VivaLasViejas replied to Elvish's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    As a mother who has suffered both miscarriage and neonatal loss, I couldn't agree more with what Elvish has posted here. Pregnancy loss at ANY stage is nothing short of catastrophic, and twenty-seven...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    If we had a conservative nurses forum

    VivaLasViejas replied to FLmomof5's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    OP, you might want to venture over to AN Central and visit the political and current events forums........there are more of us than you might think.
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Smart Nurse vs. Dumb Pharmacy, Round One. DING! | Life of a Nurse

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in General Nursing

    Not only is it the day hospitals discharge frail elderly patients to the nursing homes en masse, but it seems that they do it in such a way as to maximize the inconvenience for both the new resident...