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

    NBC's The Nurses - Just another nurse show?

    VivaLasViejas replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in General Nursing

    Well, I went to school in the mid-‘90s and they were still teaching bed-making then. And I used that skill a LOT, both in LTC and med/surg. There weren’t enough nurse’s aides to do all the scut...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    NBC's The Nurses - Just another nurse show?

    VivaLasViejas replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in General Nursing

    I watched the second episode last night. Didn’t really impress me any more than the first one did. And there is NO WAY to get through nursing school without learning to make beds, whether occupied...
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Season's Greetings to allnurses!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Davey Do's topic in General Nursing

    That’s another of my favorites, too! They used to play it on TV around Easter when I was a kid. I haven’t seen it in years though, none of the networks show it anymore.
  4. VivaLasViejas

    Season's Greetings to allnurses!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Davey Do's topic in General Nursing

    Dave, I’ve watched Rudolph every year since it came out. I was 5. Never missed it in 56 years. It—unlike humans—never gets old.
  5. VivaLasViejas

    NBC's The Nurses - Just another nurse show?

    VivaLasViejas replied to tnbutterfly - Mary's topic in General Nursing

    I’m not sure I like it. It’s kind of formulaic—nurse cares for patient who has just plowed into a crowd of people with his car (most of whom show up at the hospital too), nurse battles with her...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    How far is too far of a commute?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Alexxoxox's topic in General Nursing

    I would, and have done commutes that long, but not for 12-hour shifts, which as we all know tend to turn into 13 and 14-hour shifts. Imagine running that many hours on your feet, often without food or...
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Nurse developing early osteoarthritis

    VivaLasViejas replied to Katniss88's topic in Health, Stress Management

    I've had OA since my mid-30s (I'm 62 now). What helped me through my years of nursing was New Balance running shoes. They're light and almost every pair I've ever owned fit me like they were made...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    A Not-Love Letter for Nursing

    VivaLasViejas replied to nikkulele77's topic in General Students

    Beautiful. I can recognize some of myself in this post, too, which serves to remind me I'm not the only person who questioned her sanity in becoming a nurse, and then left the profession early. (I...
  9. VivaLasViejas

    New Graduate- ADHD and working as a nurse

    VivaLasViejas replied to Apple160's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    I’m with caliotter. Never disclose a mental health diagnosis to an employer if at all possible. There are just too many things that can go sideways and you could find yourself out the door before...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    The paragraph is your friend, really!

    VivaLasViejas replied to Jedrnurse's topic in Coffee Lounge's Lounge

    Farawyn left? That’s news to me. I always rather enjoyed her
  11. VivaLasViejas

    10th grader forced into nursing by family

    VivaLasViejas replied to Nurse Beth's topic in Career Advice Column

    I vote with the previous posters who said, “Don’t do it.” You are way too young to be so stressed out over choosing a career. You have the rest of your life to decide what to do with it, and for...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    What is your favorite shift to work?

    VivaLasViejas replied to Convoy2022_TrumpSupporter's topic in General Nursing

    I liked 3-11 in LTC, even though it seemed like the bulk of admissions came right at dinnertime. It was incompatible with family life, but by that time my kids were grown or almost grown, and their...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    BBC says Joe Biden has won

    VivaLasViejas replied to Silverdragon102's topic in U.S. Politics's Talk Politics

    My son called me this morning to give me the news that Joe Biden had won. He was relieved, and to be honest so was I. I’m a Republican but voted for Biden because we need an adult in the WH. What...
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Today, I Will Kill Myself! | This Is My Story

    VivaLasViejas replied to spotangel's topic in General Nursing

    Thank you for your kind words. As it happens, I’m active in several mental health groups and write articles for their publications. I find helping others who live with my conditions is very...
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Today, I Will Kill Myself! | This Is My Story

    VivaLasViejas replied to spotangel's topic in General Nursing

    “I had a life, but my job ate it”. This was a saying on a bumper sticker that lived on my neighbor’s car. It was the truth of my life too, and within four months after being hired for a...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    President Trump was likely largest driver of COVID-19 misinformation “infodemic” per Cornell University study

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in U.S. Politics's Talk Politics

    Not even close. Honestly, I don’t think Joe Biden is a socialist at all, but he is surrounded by a whole bunch of them who are just licking their chops, waiting until he’s elected to push their...
  17. VivaLasViejas

    President Trump was likely largest driver of COVID-19 misinformation “infodemic” per Cornell University study

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in U.S. Politics's Talk Politics

    He's so FOS. I'm a conservative Republican, but I'm also a pragmatist and I can't see the country enduring another four years of his chaos, tweets, and dumpster fires. I'm not a fan of Biden either,...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    What to do next??

    VivaLasViejas replied to slove2718's topic in General Nursing

    You can say THAT again. I once ran a Young Adult unit in an LTC, and most of the residents (ranging in age from 21-50) had spinal-cord injuries as well as a host of psychiatric problems. Two of the...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Rotator Cuff Surgery. How long will I be off work

    VivaLasViejas replied to getoutnride's topic in Health, Stress Management

    The best person to answer this question is your orthopedic surgeon. He or she will be able to give you a ballpark figure as to how long it might take to heal (it’s different for each patient), and...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    Bullied at work, and the DON won't do anything about it. (venting)

    VivaLasViejas replied to NewRN'16's topic in General Nursing

    You didn't ask for advice; nonetheless, I will give it. Run, do not walk, to the nearest exit. Those people have targeted you and they won't stop until some manager figures out a way to get rid...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    ‘I Choose America’: Former GOP Chair, Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele Says He’s Voting For Joe Biden

    VivaLasViejas replied to herring_RN's topic in U.S. Politics's Talk Politics

  22. VivaLasViejas

    Not doing a good job

    VivaLasViejas replied to lizet4455RN's topic in General Nursing

    I had a similar situation with an assistant nurse manager who for some reason unbeknownst to me hated my guts. She was constantly calling me into her office to berate me for some minor thing, and...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    Is it worth it?

    VivaLasViejas replied to LibraNurse27's topic in General Nursing

    I'm thinking a little differently here. I have bipolar disorder too and I found that working straight nights, not rotating shifts or part-time nights/days, was compatible with life. I just switched my...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    Should I stay or go?

    VivaLasViejas replied to evamomo's topic in General Nursing

    Your boss isn't going to change. Why should she, when you and your co-workers allow her to treat you badly? (Please understand that I'm not slamming you personally, just that bad managers have no...
  25. VivaLasViejas

    Over 1,600 clergy members and other religious figures endorse Biden

    VivaLasViejas replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in U.S. Politics's Talk Politics

    I'm not surprised. There has never been such a clear distinction between Presidential candidates in my lifetime. As much as I disagree with Biden on most of the issues---abortion being the...