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

    Our baby was stillborn... Please help me understand

    VivaLasViejas replied to nurse_wannabe's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I wish I could help you understand this loss, but my DH and I lost a newborn daughter 21 years ago and I still don't understand why it happened---why us? Why our baby? All I know is that eventually...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    What's your favorite procedure?

    VivaLasViejas replied to javanurse2000's topic in General Nursing

    As far as actual procedures go, for me it's hard to top IV starts (the more challenging, the better) and catheterization (I'm the only nurse who can get it in on the first try with this one patient, a...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    And You Think YOUR Job Stinks.......

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in Nursing Humor

    Whenever you have an "I Hate My Job" day, try this: On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson....
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Need Advice

    VivaLasViejas replied to fuzzball's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    First of all, as you know now, the nurse role is VERY different from the CNA role, even within the same facility. I think expectations are higher too, because you worked there as an aide so you know...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    And You Think YOUR Job Stinks.......

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Nursing Humor

    Awwwwww, dang...........somebody always has to take the FUN out of
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Tom Cruises' take on Psychiatry

    VivaLasViejas replied to Katydidit34's topic in Psychiatric

    I've said it before, and I'll say it again: WHO GIVES A %$#! what celebrities think?? Being rich and famous does not make someone an expert, and why people actually pay attention to this stuff is a...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    What squicks you out?

    VivaLasViejas replied to elizabells's topic in General Nursing

    YAAAAAKKKKKK..........anything to do with bad teeth and/or dentures just makes me wanna blow my groceries Eye goobers and toe-jam are pretty icky too, but I think that odor that comes from morbidly...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Anyone use Ultrascope stethoscope?

    VivaLasViejas replied to dixienurse2be's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    I love my Ultrascope! It's the only 'scope I can hear worth a darn with, and let me tell you, I can hear even through layers of clothing and blankets. Like the poster above said, lung sounds are...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Isn't this a joke?

    VivaLasViejas replied to ZZTopRN's topic in General Nursing

    I was a patient in my own hospital for 3 days last February, and it seems as though they've become my permanent pen pal.........I keep receiving newsletters and invitations to classes, mostly for...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Thinking About Moving to AZ Sometime.....Need Info

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Arizona Nursing

    WOW!! Thanks for the link.........I just checked it out, and I can't believe how low the rents are. Of course, we are very fortunate to live where we do now; we're in an upper-middle class...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    med-surg...medical unit or surgical unit?

    VivaLasViejas replied to hunny_pye's topic in Medical-Surgical

    I love the surgical part of Med/Surg.......it's crazy when you have three or four post-ops with frequent VS, pain issues, crashing BPs and Narcan, but I vastly prefer surgical patients to medical. Our...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    sleep apnea alarm disabled "pt died"

    VivaLasViejas replied to got2luvnights's topic in General Nursing

    Thianks to the OP for sharing this. We have a similar problem with our telemetry monitor alarm, which on more than one occasion I have found turned off :angryfire The monitor used to be in the ICU;...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Thinking About Moving to AZ Sometime.....Need Info

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Arizona Nursing

    Thank you for your response! I've been hearing some really good things about Banner, and I've got some 'feelers' out just for the heck of it......we figure on waiting at least 2 years, until our...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Double Checking Unit Secretary's Computer Order Entries?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Mystery5's topic in General Nursing

    It is always, always, ALWAYS the RN's responsibility to check all orders for accuracy. The buck stops with us......and the one time we don't check them, it'll come back to bite us in the butt. :stone...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    OLD RN of 58 needs career advice please!

    VivaLasViejas replied to krisssy's topic in General Nursing

    No, you are definitely NOT too old! I wouldn't recommend med/surg nursing, because it's so draining physically and mentally and the workloads can be absolutely horrendous. But with a refresher course...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Endometrial Ablation

    VivaLasViejas replied to itsme's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I had this done in February 2003. It seemed to work well for the first six months or so, but then I went back to having frequent, long, heavy periods (although not as heavy as they'd been before the...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    How do you spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T at work?

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

    :yeahthat: This is also my philosophy.......I don't catch much crap at work because I treat others with the respect I myself would like. There are a few staff members I don't particularly care for,...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Visiting Hours

    VivaLasViejas replied to mysticalwaters1's topic in General Nursing

    This is one of the major reasons why I don't much like day shift. I'm constantly having to stumble over visitors to get to my patients, hang IVs, take vitals, do my assessments, give meds, check...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Is it like this everywhere?

    VivaLasViejas replied to aprilleverett's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    You need to make like a shepherd and get the 'flock' outta there!! THEN call your state's Senior and Disabled Services (they're in the government pages of the phone book---these agencies go by...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Discharging disheveled patients from the hospital

    VivaLasViejas replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I hear what you're saying about the regulations in LTC.......I worked in the field for several years, as a charge nurse and then as a manager, and there were more rules than you could shake a stick...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    How Long Will You Nurse?

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

    I love what I do, but there aren't many more years left in this worn-out ol' body for the level of physicality med/surg nursing requires. I've spent the past two days playing ICU nurse (today they...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Are you a nurse from a dysfunctional family?

    VivaLasViejas replied to jenpstudentrn's topic in General Nursing

    I went to a great class on recognizing burnout and it's causes. I learned that most of us burnout, suffer depression or become substance abusers when we subconciously realize that no matter how hard...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Are you a nurse from a dysfunctional family?

    VivaLasViejas replied to jenpstudentrn's topic in General Nursing

    When I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was, "What nurse DOESN'T come from a dysfunctional family??" I think that's why a lot of us---not all, but a significant number---go into nursing...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    U.S. pays for care of illegal aliens

    VivaLasViejas replied to BeachNurse's topic in Activism, Healthcare

    As one who grew up less than 40 miles from the Mexican border, I've been hearing about this all my life, and frankly, it gets pretty boring. The ONLY way to stop illegal immigration is for Mexico to...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    New nurse scared to death r/t high bp....help!

    VivaLasViejas replied to HappyNurse2005's topic in General Nursing

    I developed HTN when I was only 22, when I was on oral contraceptives. I was overweight, yes, but not seriously; unfortunately, I had bad genes on top of everything---both parents and both sets of...