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

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

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    To answer LMC's question: No, the sort of residents you're describing are definitely NOT typical for assisted living, at least not where I come from. It wouldn't surprise me if this facility you're...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Update on Gross Out Co-Worker

    VivaLasViejas replied to Meerkat's topic in General Nursing

    I'm sure I'm not the only one to wonder if this woman isn't just desperately seeking ATTENTION. I mean, honestly: there is simply NO WAY that she doesn't know what she's doing, or how it affects the...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    How do you become a Moderator for this site??

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNsoon!'s topic in General Nursing

    Meow!^..^
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Falsely Accussed, Manager a Witch

    VivaLasViejas replied to Furoffire's topic in General Nursing

    Sounds like you work for the very same manager I did up until 9 months ago. I have only one piece of advice for you: RUN, do not walk, away from that toxic, soul-killing environment. Life is way too...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Calling All Managers (Who Were Once Abused Nurses)

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    I was the one who wrote that. It's the truth, I DID love my work at the hospital........but the job stank on ice. I work longer hours now and I don't make anywhere near as much money, but the peace...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Calling All Managers (Who Were Once Abused Nurses)

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    Thank you, Deb. I remember once about a year ago, during a horrendous shift in which my patient turnover was 100%---five discharges and five admissions---I had one patient go bad. Hematemesis that had...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Hey, Managers! What's up with the "weeding out" of good nurses?

    VivaLasViejas replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    Thank you, Angie. That means more to me than you could know. I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't a perfect employee, of course---I didn't go to all the staff meetings, and I WAS a little bit...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Hey, Managers! What's up with the "weeding out" of good nurses?

    VivaLasViejas replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    Thank YOU, Leslie, for the kind words..........I do appreciate them! I didn't want to talk about this much back then, because I was still processing what had happened and trying to figure out if I...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Hey, Managers! What's up with the "weeding out" of good nurses?

    VivaLasViejas replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    :yeahthat: Never was such a profound truth so aptly put. I am one of the LEAST paranoid people I know, so it shocked the daylights out of me when I finally figured out I was being targeted (this was...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Where were u 9/11/01?

    VivaLasViejas replied to k_cole21's topic in General Nursing

    It happened on the second day of a then-new job as a resident care manager (LTC). All three of us adults living in the house at the time---my hubby, my sister, and I---were late going in to work...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Is a DON position realisitic?

    VivaLasViejas replied to mattseviernd's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    As a nurse who's been on both sides of a desk, I think people in general take direction better from those who have "walked the walk" before they "talk the talk". In other words, you need to work that...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    Replacement-Nurse Company: Undermines Progress

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

    moderator's note: i'd like to remind everyone to please keep this discussion civil, and to debate the topic, not other posters. thank
  13. VivaLasViejas

    The Midlife Quest for Health: It's Not About Looks Anymore

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in Health, Stress Management

    ............and I can't even remember why it ever was. As many of you are well aware, I've battled a huge weight problem for most of my adult life. Although I recently hit my all-time high of 352...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    The Midlife Quest for Health: It's Not About Looks Anymore

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Health, Stress Management

    You got THAT right! Elijah is 13 months old now and running around EVERYWHERE.........I didn't know I could move as fast as I did last night when he suddenly gave the lamp cord a big tug:eek: I mean,...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Hey, Managers! What's up with the "weeding out" of good nurses?

    VivaLasViejas replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    Steph, it never fails to make me smile when you talk about having a 5-year-old.:wink2: Until my 13-month-old grandson was born, I'd forgotten what it was like to have a little one around the...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Why dont we get respect as LTC nurses?

    VivaLasViejas replied to lvs2nrs3535's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I hear you! It's even worse in assisted living..........hospital nurses and EMTs sometimes think I'm dumber than a whole BOX of rocks, until I prove that I know my "stuff" as well as my residents by...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Our Rights vs. Chemicals???

    VivaLasViejas replied to catlady's topic in General Nursing

    I swear, this must be a universal problem. Luckily for me, the hospital where I worked was fairly sensitive to these issues........mainly because I had a HUGE asthma attack one time when housekeeping...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    The Midlife Quest for Health: It's Not About Looks Anymore

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Health, Stress Management

    Thank you, Mariann! The good news is, I'm down 22 pounds now. I lost 8 of it while I was sick with the flu a couple of weeks ago, but I'll take it any way I can get it!:wink2: With a body my size,...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    I love night shift!!!!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to tinderbox's topic in General Nursing

    What Tweety said. I always did love night shift, and would still be doing it if my body hadn't stopped cooperating when I went into perimenopause around age 42. That was when my memory became utterly...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Gross Out Co-Worker

    VivaLasViejas replied to Meerkat's topic in General Nursing

    Now THAT'S funny!!!:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: For nearly a year after my gallbladder surgery, I had quite the time trying to control excess gas until I FINALLY figured out what was...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    What does IRN mean?

    VivaLasViejas replied to NY Nurse's topic in General Students

    INR=International Normalized Ratio, a newer measure of blood clotting time used to determine therapeutic levels of anticoagulation meds such as Coumadin and
  22. VivaLasViejas

    THIS Is Why I Love Geriatrics

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    You all are very kind. I just hope that somewhere a new nurse, nursing student, or even prospective nursing student will read this and think about a career working with the elderly. It's not all...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    THIS Is Why I Love Geriatrics

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    That's very sweet. Thank you. Sorry if you got embarrassed by sniffling in front of your co-workers! You know, the two of them haven't stopped smiling yet..........I went in to help out for a couple...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    What is the best way to deal with losing a resident?

    VivaLasViejas replied to swthrt124's topic in General Nursing

    It's the most natural thing in the world to cry and feel blue after someone with whom we've formed a bond leaves us. If I had a nickel for every tear I've shed for a departing soul, I'd be a rich...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Gross Out Co-Worker

    VivaLasViejas replied to Meerkat's topic in General Nursing

    Do not pass GO, do not collect two hundred dollars---you need to go straight to your department supervisor and tell him or her about these problems with your co-worker. That's the best way to resolve...