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

    Stone Extraction

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in Dialysis, Renal, Urology

    Thanks to both of you. I forgot to mention that having the stents in felt like twin blowtorches were roaring up my back everytime I went to the bathroom.....I am SOOO not looking forward to having...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Stone Extraction

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in Dialysis, Renal, Urology

    Just goes to show that even nurses don't know everything....... I've got several large kidney stones stuck in the renal parenchyma bilaterally; one of them measures 12 mm, another is 10mm and the...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Med/Surg and the Bad, Horrible, Terrible, No-Good Day

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in General Nursing

    It all started so innocently: put on standby from 11A-3P, then called back in at 1115 because one nurse wanted to go home. I came in, happy because call-back means time-and-a-half for those first four...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Camp Time Coming

    VivaLasViejas replied to Tizwit's topic in Camp

    I am utterly amazed and impressed with those who choose to become camp nurses.........MY idea of "roughing it" is a Motel 6!! :chuckle Now, if you could set me up at the Doubletree Inn as a hotel...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Are Dr.'s really this way?

    VivaLasViejas replied to ebrooks's topic in General Nursing

    I've actually met very few of them..........the vast majority of the docs I work with every day are quite appreciative of us nurses and our contributions to their patients' care. They listen to us,...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Grey's Anatomy Premier!!! + How to Contact Show Creators

    VivaLasViejas replied to miya's topic in General Nursing

    That's what I figured :wink2:
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Grey's Anatomy Premier!!! + How to Contact Show Creators

    VivaLasViejas replied to miya's topic in General Nursing

    WHAT brains??!! If that's the kind of dialogue they wrote for the premiere, I'd hate to see what they've got planned for later in the season........then again, if there's any justice the show will...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Case Study Help Please! Problem Solving Situation

    VivaLasViejas replied to kwagner_51's topic in General Nursing

    As the house supervisor, you really can't overrule a physician, but you can go up the administrative food chain, to the nursing director and even the administrator if need be, if YOU think the pt....
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Day surgery patient stays overnight...

    VivaLasViejas replied to IloveSnoopy's topic in General Nursing

    I know, it doesn't seem fair, but the doc's not really 'feeding the addiction' by allowing drug-dependent patients to stay overnight following a so-called day surgery. These patients really do have a...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Med/Surg and the Bad, Horrible, Terrible, No-Good Day

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    I agree. However, I work in a small city where they roll up the sidewalks at 5 o'clock, and that includes social services. Home health wouldn't even have seen this patient until Monday, which is when...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Waking up hospice patients at night?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Blackcat99's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Yanno, that sounds like something the care manager did at this one nursing home where I used to work: she set a similar medication schedule because she didn't think the night-shift nurses had enough...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    "Gallows" humor

    VivaLasViejas replied to chemosabe's topic in Oncology

    I'm not an oncology nurse, but I think gallows humor is universal in the healthcare professions, as it should be; after all, if we don't laugh, we'll end up crying.........or going off the deep end!...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Waking up hospice patients at night?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Blackcat99's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    If those are pain meds you're giving at those hours, I can understand the rationale.....after all, the meds are most effective if used on an around-the-clock basis. But if you're waking people up for...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    All You Lefty's Out there....

    VivaLasViejas replied to Melly1022's topic in General Nursing

    Southpaw here, too.
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Legality and Ethics of Terri's past nurses talking to the press

    VivaLasViejas replied to ScarlettRN's topic in General Nursing

    I don't know if it's legal, but I do know it isn't ethical. I think publicly speaking about a patient (or former patient), regardless of how famous, is wrong, wrong, WRONG. Funny how our society's...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Tube feeding controversy

    VivaLasViejas replied to Penguinurse's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    What I meant was, her BODY is healthy and sound.......and it will probably take her many days to dehydrate to death. I'm with you, however, on the frightening possibilities that await us down the...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Horrible CNAs! Need to vent

    VivaLasViejas replied to Chad_KY_SRNA's topic in General Nursing

    Good work, Chad! I still think the place should be reported to your state Senior Services division, though, because they are obviously not particular about the people they hire, they're not working...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Tube feeding controversy

    VivaLasViejas replied to Penguinurse's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Oops.........I wasn't going to go into my personal opinions on this thread. Sorry.
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Tube feeding controversy

    VivaLasViejas replied to Penguinurse's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    Thanks, Steph. It's kind of funny, how I usually look at the gray areas in almost all areas of life, but in this case, what can and cannot be done is black and white in my mind. You can allow nature...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Tube feeding controversy

    VivaLasViejas replied to Penguinurse's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    I hope so, too, penguinurse! However, the Schiavo case is not about someone in the process of dying (although she undoubtedly would have years ago if her feeding tube had never been inserted). She is...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    I HATE nursing! (long)

    VivaLasViejas replied to InfoNurse1595's topic in General Nursing

    Your user name says it all.........you're tired, burned out, and stressed out. I'm sorry this has happened to you. It sounds to me like you've tried very hard to make this work, and you've learned...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Pt got no care all night

    VivaLasViejas replied to LPNer's topic in General Nursing

    Geez......how can hospitals be generally good and have ONE floor that sucks?? Who's in charge of that floor, and who do they report to? There's got to be a reason why they can't keep regular...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    has anyone heard of the term", "campus of care"?

    VivaLasViejas replied to nursegoodlove's topic in General Nursing

    In my neck of the woods, they're called 'continuing-care retirement communities' and feature arrangements all along the care continuum: there are independent apartments, a living arrangement where...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Pt got no care all night

    VivaLasViejas replied to LPNer's topic in General Nursing

    This is every nurse's nightmare! What I don't understand is, WHY did the charge nurse not tell you she assigned you another patient? And how is it that a patient in restraints (what are 3-points,...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Extraction of a retained placenta

    VivaLasViejas replied to Meloday's topic in Ob/Gyn

    OUCH!!! I thought they were supposed to do this sort of thing under