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

    Survey

    VivaLasViejas replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Can I come and work with you
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Thanks God for healing (and to modern medicine )

    VivaLasViejas replied to Emergent's topic in Spirituality, Religion

    Since this forum is about spirituality and nursing, I'm comfortable saying that I believe God often works through doctors, nurses, medicine etc. The fact that people die doesn't mean that He ignores...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    What do you consider a heavy patient assignment?

    VivaLasViejas replied to LPNtoRNin2016OH's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    When I worked SNF, I had up to 30 patients (on day shift!) with a med/treatment nurse and four or five aides. That was 15 full assessments I had to do and document (swing shift did the rest), doctors'...
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Why do hospitals promote Flu shots so bad?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Life22feb's topic in General Nursing

    The last time I had the flu was in 1992. I spent that entire winter and spring bouncing in and out of the ER, dealing with repeated bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis stemming from the original...
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Getting through nursing school with mental health problems

    VivaLasViejas replied to WalkingBread's topic in General Students

    I'm probably not the best person to advise you since my nursing career was torpedoed by a nasty case of bipolar 1. But I can tell you that if you're not doing so already, PLEASE see a mental health...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    Would you work at a facility as a nurse that you worked at as an aide?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Beautiful_Soul's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I've done it. I worked in the hospital as a CNA and returned as an RN after working for a LTC for a couple of years. Many of my former nurses were still there, as were several of the same aides I'd...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Worried Anxiety Disorder/Depression will get in the way, should I pick another field?

    VivaLasViejas replied to desic737's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I suggest you talk to your healthcare providers and let them know how bad you are truly feeling. There are good treatments for your conditions, and there are many ways to get better. It doesn't sound...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Com'on, you got one...What is your heart wrenching moment?

    VivaLasViejas replied to CrunchBerries's topic in General Nursing

    My first patient death came when I was a brand-new nurse working in a SNF. The patient was a 53-year-old lady who was dying of pulmonary fibrosis, and as night fell she became weaker and more...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    Helpful (?) (!) Advice for burns

    VivaLasViejas replied to Kitiger's topic in General Nursing

    Per the Terms of Service, we are not allowed to give medical advice. Please see your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about treatment for your burns. Wishing you quick
  10. VivaLasViejas

    I'm Quiet Sometimes, Not Bipolar!

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

    Just for the record, "bipolar" isn't a flaw, it's an illness.
  11. VivaLasViejas

    WILTW 9/19/16: Dystonic Tasks and Masks

    VivaLasViejas replied to LadyFree28's topic in General Nursing

    I learned that despite having a college education and having worked with Medicare patients on getting approval for certain medications, I don't know very much about navigating the vast system. It is a...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    What Kind of Threads Do You ENJOY Reading?

    VivaLasViejas posted a topic in General Nursing

    There's an interesting thread floating around here asking what topics members hate to see. I thought I'd switch things up with one asking what types of threads we actually like to read and respond to....
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Weight and reduced chances of employment.

    VivaLasViejas replied to Karen 77's topic in General Nursing

    Until I hit my 50s, I never had trouble finding a job even though I'm morbidly obese. So I think my lack of success after my early 50s had more to do with my age than my
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Leaving Nursing for Another Career

    VivaLasViejas replied to cocoa_puff's topic in General Nursing

    Works for me...at least until I remember that I'm fat and can't
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Bipolar nurse

    VivaLasViejas replied to Joy in Nursing's topic in Health, Stress Management

    If your co-worker is practicing safely and appropriately, there are no grounds for reporting her to the state. She may not win any awards for being Miss Congeniality among the staff, but then I sense...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    showering: before or after work

    VivaLasViejas replied to peachypurple's topic in General Nursing

    I used to live in a big old two-story house where my bedroom and full bath were downstairs. The laundry room was there also. I'd come home from work, leave my shoes in the garage, go down the stairs...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    Emotional support

    VivaLasViejas replied to aecutie91's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Hi there, and welcome to Allnurses.com! :) We're glad you're here! You probably don't have anything to worry about since the dog is being used primarily at home. How well you do in school, and in...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    Professional (Dis) Courtesy

    VivaLasViejas replied to compassionresearcher's topic in General Nursing

    I can't get away with people not knowing I'm a nurse because I go to providers within the network where I used to work. Sometimes I wish that weren't the case, because I tend to go stupid when some...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Has anyone met people from here IRL?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Emergent's topic in General Nursing

    I've met several AN peeps in real life, in fact one of them came to my husband's funeral and another one who lives about 500 miles away has visited me twice in my
  20. VivaLasViejas

    What's Your Sign Baby?

    VivaLasViejas replied to AutumnApple's topic in General Nursing

    When I was doing clinicals in my last term of nursing school, I was working at a local nursing home where lived an Army veteran who was notorious for flirting with the staff. One day I went in with...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    New nursing student with Bipolar 1 and ADHD

    VivaLasViejas replied to Niquolea26's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Lamictal is a good drug. It not only helped moderate my mood swings, it also took away my urge to overeat compulsively. But it does take time to work, so you need to be patient...you may not feel the...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Nurse selling to patient

    VivaLasViejas replied to broosevader's topic in General Nursing

    No, you're absolutely right. Nurses should not be selling anything to patients, at any time or for any reason---not even their kid's magazine fundraiser. There is an imbalance of power between...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    What Kind of Threads Do You ENJOY Reading?

    VivaLasViejas replied to VivaLasViejas's topic in General Nursing

    Yes, it was ending a sentence with a preposition. I'm something of a grammar freak and I cringe whenever I do
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Psych RN Reading List

    VivaLasViejas replied to Krzysztof's topic in Psychiatric

    I liked Manic, by Terri Cheney. She was a highly successful attorney with Hollywood connections whose bipolar disorder completely took over her life. Her harrowing portrayal of mania is at once...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Disturbing Conversation on Overweight Healthcare Workers

    VivaLasViejas replied to FutureDNP2021's topic in General Nursing

    It's funny, but in all my years in healthcare I never had a complaint from a patient, or heard about one from a manager, about my weight. Not a single one. In fact, it was quite the opposite...most of...