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

    NURSES pampering DAY...what would you want??

    VivaLasViejas replied to wenbonmac's topic in General Nursing

    A foot massage.............now THAT would be a great way to pamper a
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Locals of North San Diego County

    VivaLasViejas replied to HarryPotter's topic in California Nursing

    Although I've lived in Oregon for almost 20 years, I'm originally from Ramona, and I've lived in Escondido and Vista as well. I'm curious about where you work and what problems you've encountered in...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Impending death question....

    VivaLasViejas replied to luvmy2angels's topic in General Nursing

    Well, I've seen a lot of people pass on, but this is the first I've ever heard about their noses doing strange things! I just lost a resident this week, and other than the usual body shrinkage and...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Do you ever have good days as a nurse?

    VivaLasViejas replied to NurseLatteDNP's topic in General Nursing

    :yeahthat:
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Teds and SCD's?

    VivaLasViejas replied to ortess1971's topic in Operating Room

    Where I worked, SCD's went on every patient over 200#, no matter how old they were or how brief the procedure. I remember waking up from one surgery asking my nurse why patients hated them so...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Great Grandma Tattoos "Do Not Resucitate" on her chest

    VivaLasViejas replied to candicane's topic in General Nursing

    I once worked with a male nurse who had "DNR" tattooed in inch-high black letters right over his heart. Smart fella........wish I had enough cojones to do the same thing, but I'm scared of
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Blood Glucose of 1700!!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian's topic in General Nursing

    Highest BG I ever saw was 1251, and that patient was in the ICU, in a coma and renal failure to boot. Your MIL is one lucky lady.........shame on that clinic for failing to follow up on the original...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Patients reading their own charts-yay or nay?

    VivaLasViejas replied to HappyNurse2005's topic in General Nursing

    I've got to admit, when I was in the hospital I read my own chart. I got caught doing it, too---I was standing outside my room in my gown and robe with my nose in the progress notes when my NM came...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Female Foleys!

    VivaLasViejas replied to ortess1971's topic in Operating Room

    On a large and/or elderly female, it's almost always best to take a second person into the room who can hold the flashlight and help keep the legs open. Also, I'll bring in an extra catheter just in...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Family members as patients on your unit

    VivaLasViejas replied to KAW1962's topic in General Nursing

    I live in a small city with only one hospital, so there was never an issue when family members or friends were patients on my floor, nor were there any problems when I was a patient on my own floor. I...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Update- job from h*!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to elthia's topic in General Nursing

    I hear every single word you're saying, and I have to wonder: did we work at the same hospital?? Last winter I did exactly what you did---I up and quit my toxic job, and life has gotten nothing but...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    road side assistance??????

    VivaLasViejas replied to msmellnhead's topic in General Nursing

    Oh good grief.......what's next, serving tea and crumpets at carside? Can we peel her a grape while we're at it? I would've refused as well, if for no other reason than I'm NOBODY'S beck-and-call...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    I don't know if I made a mistake

    VivaLasViejas replied to NickiLaughs's topic in General Nursing

    My advice to you can be contained in three words: Document! Document! Document! As an ALF nurse myself, I would never expect you, as a caregiver, to chart the way I would; nor are you bound by the...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    ABC bird flu made-for-TV movie

    VivaLasViejas replied to mtnmom's topic in General Nursing

    Good thing I'm a nurse and NOT prone to panic.........otherwise, this movie would've scared the living daylights out of me. The heck of it is, there's five zillion viewers who DON'T have my knowledge...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Introducing Tweety & Trauma Nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in General Nursing

    I can't think of anyone more deserving of this "Spotlight".........Tweety, you ROCK!!!!! :w00t:
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Need suggestions for needed change

    VivaLasViejas replied to paulamac's topic in General Nursing

    At age 46, I had to get out of Med/Surg nursing myself due to stress, burnout, and back and foot problems. I am now happily ensconced in an assisted-living community as its health services coordinator...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    What Is Your Ideal Job?

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in Health, Stress Management

    To introduce this new forum, I'd like to ask you all to share your ideas for designing your perfect job---where you would work, what hours you'd like, your ideal staffing mix, even the physical layout...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Religion Needed to be a Good Nurse?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Kabin's topic in Spirituality, Religion

    Now THIS is exactly the kind of deep and thought-provoking discussion that keeps threads going long past their average lifespans..........Tim and Leslie have added some terrific food for thought here....
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Help!! Need some personal advice (not really medical advice)...

    VivaLasViejas replied to JSRN81's topic in General Nursing

    premnrs has given you some excellent advice. Anything beyond that is out of the scope of our practice as nurses and as members of a public message board. Please call your surgeon and/or your PCP...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Question re: Kidney Stones

    VivaLasViejas replied to Aneroo's topic in General Nursing

    Nope, not everybody has N/V or flank pain, although I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of kidney stone sufferers (and I mean that in EVERY sense of the word:uhoh21: ) present a pathetic...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Religion Needed to be a Good Nurse?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Kabin's topic in Spirituality, Religion

    Short answers to question 1: No, and No. Long answer to question 2: My personal belief is that to be a good anything, a person needs a) a feeling of obligation to one's fellow humans and the larger...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    People don't leave their jobs, they leave their manager...

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    My last NM was too busy playing Martha Stewart and picking out paint shades and fabric swatches for the hospital remodeling project to see what her assistant department manager was up to, which was...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Need advice...life threatened by pt's family today

    VivaLasViejas replied to SotaRN's topic in General Nursing

    I did it for the experience at first, as well as because of the job I held at the time, which required me to drive long distances alone several days a week. I figured I'd be OK as a woman alone on the...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Need advice...life threatened by pt's family today

    VivaLasViejas replied to SotaRN's topic in General Nursing

    The laws governing the use of deadly force are different in each individual state. A few years back, I took a police firearms-safety course and obtained my own concealed-weapons permit, and the very...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Religion Needed to be a Good Nurse?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Kabin's topic in Spirituality, Religion

    Yes, we do cringe, but not necessarily for the reasons you may think........we just hate it when the same old arguments come up again and again and again. Este caballo esta muerto!:deadhorse However,...