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

    Is this normal for an assisted living facility?

    VivaLasViejas replied to KimberlyRN89's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    Yes, that's the usual in ALFs. In fact, many of them have only one licensed nurse in the building for as little as 24 hours a week! I was a DON in assisted living facilities for years, and my hours in...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Novice: The First Stage on Your Journey

    VivaLasViejas replied to VickyRN's topic in Nursing Educators, Faculty

    This is extremely well-written and definitive, VickyRN. Kudos to you for making things so clear to this somewhere-between-proficient-and-expert
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Thoughts on the 3-11 shift: I can't fall asleep afterwards!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to ivyleaf's topic in General Nursing

    You just described me perfectly. My actual circadian rhythm has always been a little "off". Evening shift works well for me, because I do best when I can go to sleep around 1 AM and get up around 9....
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Crappy writing

    VivaLasViejas replied to cmonkey's topic in General Nursing

    Being a southpaw, I SHOULD have an excuse for lousy handwriting, but both my mother and sister were lefties too and they had the most beautiful, flowing script old Palmer ever dreamed of. So, I had to...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Diapers or incopad for incontinence???

    VivaLasViejas replied to black angel's topic in General Nursing

    I work in long-term care, and I disagree with keeping residents in briefs (I hate the use of the word 'diaper' for an adult---it's demeaning IMHO) at night. I see far too much skin breakdown to...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Railroaded at work

    VivaLasViejas replied to Babzuptown's topic in General Nursing

    This thread has run its course, and I am now closing it. Nothing is being accomplished at this point, unless we consider one-liners, snipes, gripes, and going around in circles to be productive. In...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    What's It All About, ALFie?--Help and Support for Assisted Living Nurses

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I think you know too. But you shouldn't have to become a Wal-Mart greeter, or flip burgers, or wait tables until it's time to retire. With your years of experience, you should be able to find...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    No More Fingersticks for Techs!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to pagandeva2000's topic in General Nursing

    You said it,
  9. VivaLasViejas

    No More Fingersticks for Techs!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to pagandeva2000's topic in General Nursing

    I work in LTC, where the med aides are trained to do FSBS and the CNAs are allowed to check SaO2s. I'm one of the only nurses who will actually allow the aides to check sats, mainly because it's...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    How long before you get comfortable in LTC?

    VivaLasViejas replied to jensmomrn11's topic in LPN, LVN Corner

    Of course you will! Like everything else in this life, nursing is a learned set of skills that get better and better with practice. Be patient with yourself; it takes at least a year or two to see...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    What is your opinion

    VivaLasViejas replied to madwife2002's topic in General Nursing

    Yep..........that would be my instinct as well. NOBODY gets called into the boss's office for good stuff. But there's usually a reason for that. As a supervisor, I'm in the habit of commending staff...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    Is my drug addiction really that much worse than her alcoholism?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Magsulfate's topic in Nurses Recovery

    But it's not normal........only we addicts don't see that, because being "put down"---whether it's by the world, our families, or ourselves---is all we know. This is why we tend to use anger,...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    judgemental nurses/students

    VivaLasViejas replied to k_r_ah's topic in General Nursing

    Or more fortunate..............I'm not a van of VIP treatment for the wealthy, celebrities, athletes and so
  14. VivaLasViejas

    is it possible after giving birth via c-section to be back to work after 2 weeks

    VivaLasViejas replied to smartnurse1982's topic in General Nursing

    Is it possible to go back to work 2 weeks after a C-section? Yes. Is it wise? Not on a bet. I was (and still am) the kind to push the edge of the envelope---I was wheeling a heavy grocery cart around...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Is this common?

    VivaLasViejas replied to chickapea's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    Wipes are convenient, but expensive and often irritating to sensitive tissue. I see a lot of that with my residents and would rather do peri-care with warm wet washcloths, plus shaving cream PRN for...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Diabetic- wondering if i should do nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to DiabeticGirl18's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    In my class, there was a young Type I man who was the best diabetes educator we could have had. He had battled his disease since the age of three, and he taught us so much about life with diabetes...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Are You Popular At Work?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Vito Andolini's topic in General Nursing

    I'm told that people like to work with me because I'm laid back and never freak out, and I don't micromanage. Well, I've never seen a situation yet that was made better by panicking, and as for...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Is my drug addiction really that much worse than her alcoholism?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Magsulfate's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Folks, please! What on earth are we fighting about here??!! We all have problems...........none is "better" or "worse" than the others. Addiction is addiction is addiction! This forum exists as a help...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Hi, I'm Marla and I'm an Alcoholic

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in Nurses Recovery

    I will never forget the day I first screwed up the courage to say those words in front of a roomful of fellow AA members. I'd only been going to meetings for a few weeks, but it hadn't taken long for...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    At what age do you plan on retiring from nursing?

    VivaLasViejas replied to PacoUSA's topic in General Nursing

    The way things are going, I'll probably "retire" at the end of a long, hard shift 20 or 25 years from now, when I keel over at the nurses' station just as I sign off on the last...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Help allnurses reach its Twitter goal

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in General Nursing

    Just joined
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Forced to leave job-can I take legal action?

    VivaLasViejas replied to wilbur1's topic in General Nursing

    Whew! Sounds like you're going through quite an ordeal. I'm sorry. Regrettably, there isn't much in the way of advice that we can offer you here......legal matters are far beyond our scope of...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    No live chickens in the hospital...

    VivaLasViejas replied to matchsticktgt's topic in Nursing Humor

    Thanks for starting me on a new addiction.........I just spent two hours reading the Head Nurse blog and am now HOOKED. She is a
  24. VivaLasViejas

    How to tell you've worked too many shifts in a row

    VivaLasViejas replied to nerdtonurse?'s topic in Nursing Humor

    Reminds me of the old days, when I'd work four or five consecutive 12s (nocs) and wake up in the middle of the afternoon wondering where the hell I was. A & O x 3, I wasn't! You know you've worked...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    New Grad to LTC on 3-11 shift- help!

    VivaLasViejas replied to jellocorp's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Boopette nailed it!! I can't really add much to this most excellent post. LTC is all about organization and time management, and the only way to get those skills down is to jump in and do them, day...