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

    Share Your Favorite Motivational Quote - WIN $250! Nurses Week Contest 2018

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian S.'s topic in General Nursing

    Time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Your Worst Mistake

    VivaLasViejas replied to aurora_borealis's topic in General Nursing

    I didn't make very many med errors during my career, but my worst one was the time I gave a Lovenox injection to a patient and then gave him a heparin shot on top of it. He and another man with the...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    How many patients do student nurses have?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Katlin1315's topic in General Nursing

    I started out with one then went to two pretty fast. I never had more than three until I did team nursing, when I had five or six while the nurse assigned to those patients gave me the full load. I...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Manager said something covertly racist

    VivaLasViejas replied to sugarmagnolia3's topic in General Nursing

    I continue to be amazed at the capacity of human beings to become outraged at just about anything. This is a tempest in a teapot, IMHO. Was the remark about "Juanita Lopez" PC? Nope. Was it something...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    How many years away from bedside is too many?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Camino77's topic in General Nursing

    I've been out 4 years too. If I were to go back into nursing, I'd want to take a refresher because of what my son, an LPN, has been telling me about changes in the way things are done. Wound care,...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Thinking about returning to nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to setsuna92's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    That's awesome!
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Serious Mental Illness: How Can We Help?

    VivaLasViejas replied to jeastridge's topic in General Nursing

    I am a disabled nurse who lives with bipolar I disorder, and I appreciate what you've written here. As a mentally ill person, I think funding for mental health is a major factor in the failure of the...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    CNA scope

    VivaLasViejas replied to Mkw2018's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    No, the nurse should be doing assessments. You can help by reporting your observations, but otherwise it's up to the nurse as it's her/his responsibility according to the nurse practice act. Welcome...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Hiring an RN into private practice

    VivaLasViejas replied to curiousMD's topic in General Nursing

    Sorry to tell you this, but you're not going to get an RN for $20 an hour. An LPN, maybe, but not an RN, and especially without benefits. You may want to scale down your ambitions where it comes to...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Day shift vs night shift

    VivaLasViejas replied to Alexx_xox's topic in General Nursing

    You are biting off a big chunk. 11A-11P is a crazy shift! You get the worst of both worlds---all the doctors, families, administration, orders, surgeries, PT/OT etc. on days, and the sundowners and...
  11. VivaLasViejas

    What Do Nurses Want?

    VivaLasViejas replied to medihacks907's topic in General Nursing

    I'm presuming the OP is working with adult learners. Frankly, I think the "game" approach is sort of juvenile and would be somewhat insulted if a nurse educator used that approach. But that's just
  12. VivaLasViejas

    What school supplies did you live by during nursing school?

    VivaLasViejas replied to KJRod's topic in General Students

    A rolling backpack, coffee, and multicolored highlighters. I color-coded
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Call light misuse and abuse

    VivaLasViejas replied to guest1048932's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Psych consult,
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Need advice on ethics

    VivaLasViejas replied to AWorley80's topic in HIPAA Challenges

    There is no justification whatsoever for taking a picture of a deceased patient and circulating it around the workplace. Not just because of HIPAA either. It's a violation of their right to be treated...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Patients Say the Darnedest Things - WIN $250! Nurses Week Contest 2018

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian S.'s topic in General Nursing

    Another tale from the LTC world... I worked nights on a combined skilled/ICF wing, and one of the residents who often accompanied me on rounds was a sweet little Southern lady named Silda. She'd lived...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    Requesting TPAPN / TBON Walkthrough

    VivaLasViejas replied to SturblrBurblr's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I wouldn't say anything. After all, you do not have an official diagnosis of bipolar yet. No need to open that can of
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Workplace Sayings

    VivaLasViejas replied to Davey Do's topic in General Nursing

    You and me both. Before I became a nurse, my bladder was very small and I couldn't go more than two hours without having to pee. Now the thing's the size of a Winnebago's gas tank and I can hold three...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Patients Say the Darnedest Things - WIN $250! Nurses Week Contest 2018

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian S.'s topic in General Nursing

    Then there's the good old-fashioned nursing poop story. This one's about a LTC resident I'll call "Margaret", who had been in bed for years and only had a BM once a week. (She also had a wicked sense...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Whenever I start missing bedside nursing. . .

    VivaLasViejas replied to Camino77's topic in General Nursing

    I wonder sometimes if I could have continued in my career if it hadn't been so incredibly stressful. I am on disability for my mental health issues and working in such difficult environments helped to...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Patients Say the Darnedest Things - WIN $250! Nurses Week Contest 2018

    VivaLasViejas replied to Brian S.'s topic in General Nursing

    I had a pleasantly confused fellow in my LTC who was occasionally incontinent of stool. One night when the CNA and I were cleaning him up, he asked us what we were "doing back there". I told him he'd...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Legal Nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to Hberrien's topic in Legal

    One of our administrators, sirI, can give you good information as she has been a legal nurse consultant. You can PM her for more information, I'm sure she'll be glad to help
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Can a new grad have spidey senses??

    VivaLasViejas replied to Barbie8808's topic in General Nursing

    That manager is a flake. I wouldn't touch that job with a ten-foot pole, especially not with the commute you've described. I know Med/Surg isn't your ideal job, but it's a great place to launch a...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    CNA and community college at the same time?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Imnotasailor's topic in General Nursing

    I worked as a CNA in a hospital while I was going to nursing school. One of the best decisions I ever made. The nurses really took me under their wings and taught me so much that I was pretty well...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Mentioning Chronic Illness During an Interview?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Dandelion_'s topic in Nursing Professionalism

    Never, ever hand them the ammunition with which to slay
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Leg Cramps

    VivaLasViejas replied to laurennicole320's topic in General Nursing

    Your best bet would be to talk with your healthcare provider. Sometimes pain in the legs can be a symptom of other conditions that should not be ignored. Also, we cannot give you any type of medical...