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

    How does one become assertive in the nursing field?

    VivaLasViejas replied to nicnix's topic in General Nursing

    I've always said, if MDs don't like taking call, they shouldn't be making the big bucks. Actually, it took me a number of years to feel completely comfortable with asserting myself with physicians....
  2. VivaLasViejas

    "Patient" or "Client"?

    VivaLasViejas replied to HeartsOpenWide's topic in General Nursing

    Client makes me want to gag. I can't believe they're still pushing this after umpteen years............I remember being indoctrinated in nursing school, and that was a decade-and-a-half ago. It didn't...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    What all do nurse managers do?

    VivaLasViejas replied to candiceena's topic in Nurse Management

    Angie O, you are spot on! And the good nurse manager REMEMBERS what it felt like and treats her staff better as a result. I must admit, however, that sometimes it's gut-wrenching to be on the other...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    What all do nurse managers do?

    VivaLasViejas replied to candiceena's topic in Nurse Management

    It depends on the job. I'm the DON for a 42-bed assisted living facility. Every now and then I have to cover shifts, and I do some wound care and a LOT of education. Yes, I do spend quite a bit of...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Is this all there is?-revisited

    VivaLasViejas replied to nurseby07's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Congratulations to you!!! There's nothing quite like finding your niche.....good luck in the
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Any One Eyed Nurses Out There...

    VivaLasViejas replied to MikeInCO's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I'm legally blind in my left eye (20/200 vision). Other than needing to wear glasses for just about everything, I function just
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Off the wagon

    VivaLasViejas replied to Elvish's topic in Nurses Recovery

    Elvish, I'm another sugar addict, and I'm in your corner all the way, kiddo........it's my worst weakness! After all, one can stop drinking, smoking, drugging, sleeping around, gambling, or whatever,...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Nursing for compassion or the financial reward?

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNLULULABAMBA's topic in General Nursing

    I went into nursing for the money and the opportunity to make a difference. I'm reasonably content with having achieved both objectives...........although I sure wouldn't be doing this for $9 bucks an...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Trite Management Platitudes

    VivaLasViejas replied to IndySkies's topic in General Nursing

    You can come work for ME
  10. VivaLasViejas

    sharing bars of soap

    VivaLasViejas replied to jlucas341's topic in General Nursing

    I'm sorry, but this IS an infection-control issue, besides being just gross. Even at home, my family and I all use different bath soaps! Frankly, the idea of using a single bar of soap to wash 30...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Coaching women during childbirth has little impact

    VivaLasViejas replied to URO-RN's topic in Ob/Gyn

    Hey, maybe we will too..........our current house has stairs which dh and I use all the time. We live in the downstairs apartment (bedroom, BR, living room which we call the "man cave", and the...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    Coaching women during childbirth has little impact

    VivaLasViejas replied to URO-RN's topic in Ob/Gyn

    That's funny.........when we first moved up here, we had a stairway like that. My family STILL talks about the time, just a couple of weeks before I delivered our fourth child, when I got so mad at...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Am I going to lose my license?

    VivaLasViejas replied to unlucky_monkey888's topic in General Nursing

    Too
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Am I going to lose my license?

    VivaLasViejas replied to unlucky_monkey888's topic in General Nursing

    From a manager's perspective: This may sound harsh, but there are many good reasons why the OP was wrong to do what she did. It may not legally be considered abandonment to disappear without notice in...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Coaching women during childbirth has little impact

    VivaLasViejas replied to URO-RN's topic in Ob/Gyn

    Well, I couldn't believe I did it either, Steph, but it's the truth. Of course, it was probably easier because this particular baby was my "runt" (all the others were over 9 pounds, and my last one...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Starting Nursing At 40...am I Too Late???

    VivaLasViejas replied to SunnyBeach_RN's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I was pushing 40 when I started my nursing career.........believe me, having some life experience under your belt is a BIG plus in any profession dealing with human beings in their most vulnerable...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Coaching women during childbirth has little impact

    VivaLasViejas replied to URO-RN's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I took Lamaze classes for my first childbirth experience some 26 years ago, and I can tell you this from my personal experience: Two hours into pitocin-induced labor, I was screaming for pain meds. My...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Does this ever make you angry?--VENT

    VivaLasViejas replied to PiPhi2004's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I've gotten the same complaints from family and friends who went to college like I did and aren't making a fraction of the money I am, even though I work for a nonprofit and don't earn anything near...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Is it true that a BSN will be mandatory soon?

    VivaLasViejas replied to szccdw's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    Ain't gonna happen. Not in the foreseeable future, anyway.........this is merely a rumor that goes around every couple of years and scares the pants off people who don't have a BSN. Don't worry about...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Night shift: does it make you sick?

    VivaLasViejas replied to inthesky's topic in General Nursing

    Could you try a 3-11 shift? That worked for me for a long time.........I wasn't a morning person, but night shift made me crazy after a few years. I got depressed, gained weight, even developed memory...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Any shoes like Crocs, but with a higher heel?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Valerie Salva's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    Z-Coils are literally like walking on springs---they feel FABULOUS!! But I don't like heels of any kind, and I was terrified of getting the coil part hung up on something and falling, so I've never...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Meltdown moment...when was yours?

    VivaLasViejas replied to ChocoholicRN's topic in General Nursing

    How ironic; I just had a meltdown last week at work. This is rather embarrassing to admit, but I suffer from seasonal affective disorder and this winter has been particularly trying, what with cold,...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Any shoes like Crocs, but with a higher heel?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Valerie Salva's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    Crocs is also branching out, and they now make shoes with a heel. Saw it in Rolling Stone magazine the other day. You might want to check out their website to see what they're offering
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Survey Preparation

    VivaLasViejas replied to mercy1975's topic in LTC: Directors, Assistant

    We had ours in January, and although my department came out deficiency-free, we did get dinged on training and orientation (or in our case, lack thereof). Lots of changes had to be made in our...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    How does everyone feel about nursing theory

    VivaLasViejas replied to allaboutthefamily's topic in General Nursing

    Gee, don't you think they could write this stuff in plain English?? But then, I'm just an ADN who snored through nursing theory classes back in the day and learned most of my "theoretical framework"...