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

    "VIP" pts

    VivaLasViejas replied to nursie nurse's topic in General Nursing

    My recent hospitalization has made me look at this issue in a whole new light.......I received VIP treatment from the second I was brought into the ER until they closed the car door for my trip home....
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Your least favorite patient.

    VivaLasViejas replied to errn7's topic in Emergency

    Yeah.....wonder what's up with THAT? :chuckle Isn't it funny how some folks will suddenly (and dramatically) become 'ill' when the sh** hits the fan and they have to face the consequences of their...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Lotus Birth...What do yall think about this?

    VivaLasViejas replied to JVanRN's topic in Ob/Gyn

    This sounds like something they'd have done back in the dope-and-granola days of the '60s and '70s. Yuk. But then.....to each his/her own.
  4. VivaLasViejas

    sniffle sniffle... are you seeing much influenza?

    VivaLasViejas replied to darla80's topic in Ambulatory Care, Clinic

    This is the second year in a row that I've gotten the flu despite having received the flu shot. Both times I've been slapped flat, and both times I've ended up with secondary infections. Nor am I the...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    What is your least favorite kind of med-surg patient?

    VivaLasViejas replied to DutchgirlRN's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Definitely the alcoholics and IVDUs who are going through detox......especially for the umpteenth time!! :stone I also hate it when people dump their elderly relatives at the hospital on a Friday...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    State inspectors showed up on Sunday!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Blackcat99's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    You have my sympathies..........surveys are NOT an enjoyable experience. :stone Best of luck to you and your
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Nurscee's Freaking Out!

    VivaLasViejas replied to nurscee's topic in General Nursing

    WHOA........hold the phone!! You mean you're fresh out of nursing school and you haven't had at LEAST 3 months of orientation??!! That's crazy.....a decent employer doesn't throw a brand-new nurse to...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Med-Surg Topic of the Week ..... You Decide!

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNPATL's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Thanks, Pat. :kiss I just woke up from a nap (again) and am now sitting at the computer eating some mixed veggies and an orange. I'm trying not to think of it as dieting or depriving myself....after...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Nurses Will Eat Anything

    VivaLasViejas replied to bobnurse's topic in General Nursing

    Ah, yes........I've been that desperate a few times in my career!
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Who wears gloves when starting an IV?

    VivaLasViejas replied to DutchgirlRN's topic in Infusion, Intravenous

    I always put gloves on, but I wait until the last possible minute.....I do all the prep work, locate a suitable vein, and clean the site before donning gloves. We have these nitrile gloves which are...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Med-Surg Topic of the Week ..... You Decide!

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNPATL's topic in Medical-Surgical

    No, they think I had a form of viral myocarditis, secondary to the flu/bronchitis I had several weeks ago. Although I guess you could say I'm chronically under stress.......always too much going on,...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    Med-Surg Topic of the Week ..... You Decide!

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNPATL's topic in Medical-Surgical

    How about differential diagnosis of chest pain? Seeing as 'broken heart' syndrome has been in the news this week (and I spent three days in the hospital this same week undergoing tests to learn the...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    my very sick puppy Frex

    VivaLasViejas replied to nursepenny's topic in General Nursing

    Oh, I am so sorry....... I know there are no words that can take away your pain.......just have faith that your dear friend is waiting for you across the Rainbow Bridge, and that one day you will be...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    my very sick puppy Frex

    VivaLasViejas replied to nursepenny's topic in General Nursing

    I'm so glad your 'baby' made it through surgery!! That's half the battle right there........will keep you both in my thoughts &
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Viral Myocarditis

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in General Nursing

    That was my final diagnosis: inflammation of the heart muscle, probably secondary to my recent bout with the flu. Now, of course I've heard of endocarditis and pericarditis, but I'd never heard of...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    What does RNC mean?

    VivaLasViejas replied to IndyGypsyNurse's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I agree. I myself am a certified medical/surgical nurse, and I'm glad I went the extra mile to obtain my certification......not only for the economic gain (I receive a differential of almost a dollar...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Nurses Will Eat Anything

    VivaLasViejas replied to bobnurse's topic in General Nursing

    I tried a handful........definitely not my thing. :stone I do love unsalted peanuts, macadamias, almonds, walnuts, and pecans.....in limited amounts, they're actually good for us. The trouble is NOT...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Nurses Will Eat Anything

    VivaLasViejas replied to bobnurse's topic in General Nursing

    One of our doctors brought in soy nuts a couple of weeks ago........she's been trying to get us to eat healthier stuff, but these things went over like a lead balloon. :stone We did, however, jump...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    opinions on in-services

    VivaLasViejas replied to zuchRN's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Never heard of it........it sounds wonderful, though! I'd do almost anything to never have to sit/snooze through another Power Point presentation What I utterly fail to understand is the reasoning...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Question about crystal meth

    VivaLasViejas replied to kitty29's topic in NICU, Neonatal

    I live in a small city which is probably the meth capital of the Northwest. :angryfire I hate the stuff.....it is pure evil, and it causes ordinary people to turn into raging, insensible,...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    What does STAT mean to your Lab?

    VivaLasViejas replied to sharann's topic in General Nursing

    Our lab is pretty good about STAT draws.........when I was in the hospital earlier this week, no sooner had the doc written the order than the lab tech was at my bedside! Of course, that was sort of...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Chain of Command

    VivaLasViejas replied to autumneve's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Yes, I'd say so, but then I'm sort of biased......I was working 60-hour weeks and getting paid for 40, I was on-call 24/7, and I even had to bring work home most evenings. Needless to say, I got...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Chain of Command

    VivaLasViejas replied to autumneve's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Whaddya mean, the RCC can't do it all? :chuckle I did.....MDS, RAPs, wound care, infection control, investigation of every stinkin' incident report, managing the unit and its personnel, all...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Chain of Command

    VivaLasViejas replied to autumneve's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    When I was a resident care coordinator, I WAS the unit manager.......the only people above me were the Director of Nursing and the administrator, and let me tell you, when we had a bad survey, guess...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    How does your facility handle swallowers?

    VivaLasViejas replied to medpsychRN's topic in Psychiatric

    Wow......just when you think you've heard it all, something like this comes along. I never knew that people SWALLOWED foreign objects---stuck them up their bums, yes (which is equally weird, in my...