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

    Do you see yourself retiring from nursing, or will you change professions?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in General Nursing

    Until recently, I'd envisioned myself kicking the bucket late at night, just as I was signing off on some chart, "M.L_____, RN". Now that I've been forced out of floor nursing by osteoarthritis, I'm...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Honest thoughts on Job Market

    VivaLasViejas replied to pat8585's topic in General Nursing

    Experienced nurses are having a hard time here in Oregon. I don't really know about new grads. I think things are just tough all
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Refused only 1 med but they're already all crushed together?

    VivaLasViejas replied to anonymous1919's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    What I want to know is, does this resident really need to be on 20 meds?? One of the biggest problems in LTC---IMHO---is polypharmacy. For Pete's sake, why are we spending valuable nursing time trying...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Scrubs Make Me Crazy (long rant)

    VivaLasViejas replied to coast2coast's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    Well, I AM a granny and these oh-so-precious wrap tops and dolled-up maternity type scrubs make us mature gals look ridiculous! Nobody over the age of 35 should ever have to wear those (unless, of...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Hello, I'm seeking some guidance.

    VivaLasViejas replied to Twilix's topic in Pre-Nursing Students

    Hi, Twilix, and welcome aboard. :flwrhrts: I can't add much to the great advice you've already received here, but without knowing a lot about your age and where you live, I can tell that you...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    big babies...

    VivaLasViejas replied to futurenurseheather's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I gave birth to a 10 lb. 9 oz. son 19 years ago, and all I can say is that's why God invented the cesarean
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Seeking opinions on 35:1 patient ratio.

    VivaLasViejas replied to VSsn's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    That's the maximum I would be comfortable with on an evening shift, and that's only if I've got a CMA, two strong CNAs dedicated to the unit, and another "float" aide who can manage a full load on the...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Laid off after 38 years

    VivaLasViejas replied to Ckwil1948's topic in General Nursing

    You have more company than you know. I'm right there with you as well---the nursing home where I worked cut the hours of all but a few nurses, almost all LPNs. Supposedly they went by...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Are You a Member of the allnurses.com Grammar Police?

    VivaLasViejas replied to PacoUSA's topic in Nursing Humor

    I have been known since 3rd grade as the Grammar Nazi. That said........I once followed a nurse who was the worst speller in the Free World. She spelled seizure as "seazur", and that was some of her...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    All nurses having difficult time right now, thanks for listening

    VivaLasViejas replied to Nursemom64's topic in General Nursing

    I feel your pain, Nursemom. I've been hit with a double whammy this summer myself---my LTC cut its nursing hours and my former 32 hr. a week position went down to 8, and then I had to have surgery on...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Results of Article Contest - 2 Contest

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in News, Announcements

    Congratulations to all the winners!! We are fortunate to have so many talented people here at
  12. VivaLasViejas

    11 Things Your Nurse Thinks (But Will Never Tell You)

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    And you'll witness a lot more if you stay in this field any length of time. I'm pretty used to it, but some people are so over-the-top with what they think are their "needs" that it shocks even an old...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    What Makes a Hero Nurse?

    VivaLasViejas replied to rashana's topic in General Nursing

    That's not heroism IMHO. That's just doing our job.
  14. VivaLasViejas

    What have other nurses done that have freaked you out?

    VivaLasViejas replied to texas_lvn's topic in General Nursing

    Where I work (or did, until they decided to cut back on most nurses' hours), there was an LPN who used cranberry juice right out of the machine in the dining room to irrigate a Foley. For one thing,...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Science/Math isn't your thing, but you're doing it

    VivaLasViejas replied to Sophiamez's topic in Pre-Nursing Students

    Moved to Pre-Nursing forum, as this is a student question and not a general-nursing type of discussion. FWIW, I couldn't even do long division until I was 34 years old. That's how bad I was at math!...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

    VivaLasViejas replied to AZO49008's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    I love prints---they hide the fact that I can't seem to eat my lunch or drink my coffee without half of it landing on the front of my scrub shirt. But teddy bears and cartoon characters on anyone over...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Discharging a resident who does not want to leave?

    VivaLasViejas replied to fulzgold's topic in LTC: Directors, Assistant

    Oh, brother.....BTDT, got the battle scars to prove it. At the assisted living facility where I worked for several years, we had a few of these. They'd keep falling, or every few months their mental...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Nursing Diagnoses: Useless Statements secondary to Professional Insecurity

    VivaLasViejas replied to Fribblet's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    Rambling? Hardly.........I think that was the most sensible, cogent, and well-articulated argument regarding NANDA I've ever read. I'd love to see what you come up with when you're firing on all eight...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Largest Nurses Strike in US History - Replacement Nurses Arrive - Your opinion

    VivaLasViejas replied to girlvet's topic in Collective Bargaining, Union

    And repeating it by quoting the offending term in yet another post is unproductive as well. Tensions are getting dialed up pretty high on this thread, so please let me remind everyone to post with the...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Is it time to apply for a D.O.N position?

    VivaLasViejas replied to plain disgusted's topic in General Nursing

    Hey, that's true no matter where you go---hospitals tend to think we work LTC because we can't make it anywhere else. HAH!! Little do they know..... Don't ever let anyone look down on you! As an LTC...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Quit My Job Today

    VivaLasViejas replied to diane227's topic in General Nursing

    I know what you're saying. I'm 51 and have tons of management experience as well; in fact, I was just informed by one place that I was 'seriously overqualified' for the position I'd applied for. Mind...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Tidbits, facts, save-your-butts...for new nurses in LTC

    VivaLasViejas replied to CharleeJo.RN's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    TWELVE DAYS of orientation in LTC?? Unheard of........as a brand-new grad with the ink on my license barely dry, I got exactly three, and I was basically on my own after the first two. You were most...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Quit My Job Today

    VivaLasViejas replied to diane227's topic in General Nursing

    OMG, I could have written this myself. My DON is very sweet, she never wants to confront anyone, won't fire even the worst staff members, and REALLY doesn't want to hear anything negative. I couldn't...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    I feel so incompetent

    VivaLasViejas replied to SuesquatchRN's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    You are an EXCELLENT nurse, or you wouldn't stress about these things. You have a lot of life experience under your belt; your nursing experience has yet to catch up. It takes a while---and I mean...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Climbing the career ladder in LTC... is it worth it?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Nuieve's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Been there, done that, got the battle scars to prove it. I'd rather stick with working the floor, if my aging body will permit