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

    Goodbye, fellow nurses

    VivaLasViejas replied to mcbg6335's topic in General Nursing

    As some wise person said, being a good nurse isn't always the same as being a good employee. That's the part I personally stunk at. I was a good nurse, and in many ways I was a REALLY good nurse. But...
  2. VivaLasViejas

    Where O' Where are the wise ones?

    VivaLasViejas replied to RNIBCLC's topic in General Nursing

    Glad you're back! Sounds like the trip was just what you needed.
  3. VivaLasViejas

    Is This Nursing?

    VivaLasViejas replied to BoyNamedSue's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Smh.
  4. VivaLasViejas

    WAKE UP!!!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to garciadiego's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    That was the point, I believe. Going by "routine" and not the MAR causes errors, mostly of omission but also wrong doses and the continuation of meds that have been
  5. VivaLasViejas

    Is This Nursing?

    VivaLasViejas replied to BoyNamedSue's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I used to wonder about people in LTC too, especially the ones who couldn't tell me their stories. For some reason it was never hard for me to see the humanity behind the lined faces and wrinkled...
  6. VivaLasViejas

    WAKE UP!!!!

    VivaLasViejas replied to garciadiego's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Orders can change every day, sometimes more than once in a given 24-hour time period. Any nurse who "memorizes" her/his patients' medications and gives them by rote is reckless and
  7. VivaLasViejas

    Soup kitchen

    VivaLasViejas replied to NurseEric81's topic in General Nursing

    You may want to check to see who sponsors the soup kitchen. A lot of times it's a church, which may even have an active parish nurse program. The advantage here is that such programs generally have...
  8. VivaLasViejas

    Nurses with worse spelling than mine are laughable.

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

    OT: You get a "Like" just for that avatar.
  9. VivaLasViejas

    I broke my toe and can't tolerate a shoe... now what to wear?

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

    That's the one I had. At least it went with my other black shoe, which was all I ever wore when I went out on survey. I've had occasion to wear it a couple of times since, because the blasted toe...
  10. VivaLasViejas

    Ice Bucket Challenge injuries

    VivaLasViejas replied to DawnJ's topic in General Nursing

    I've gotten to the point where I'm sick unto death of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Just donate and forget the stupid ice bucket
  11. VivaLasViejas

    Goodbye, fellow nurses

    VivaLasViejas replied to mcbg6335's topic in General Nursing

    DINGDINGDING! We have a winner!! Seriously, that's it in a nutshell, and that's a pity because nursing could be an awesome profession. I loved it so much, even though it was political and nasty and...
  12. VivaLasViejas

    I broke my toe and can't tolerate a shoe... now what to wear?

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

    Yes. Wear the post-op shoe. You'll get used to it, and in a couple of days you'll be running up and down the halls in it as if it were a regular shoe. I had to wear one for a couple of months after...
  13. VivaLasViejas

    Goodbye, fellow nurses

    VivaLasViejas replied to mcbg6335's topic in General Nursing

    What The Commuter said
  14. VivaLasViejas

    Thank you, guides and admins, and everyone else who comments on these threads

    VivaLasViejas replied to Raviepoo's topic in Diploma, ADN, BSN

    I agree with the above posters. Get your BSN, work a couple of years or so and then figure out where you want to take your career next. A BSN does open a lot of doors. Go for
  15. VivaLasViejas

    Hitting the metaphorical wall, wondering if I should hit it with a sledgehammer.

    VivaLasViejas replied to Prisnur04's topic in Health, Stress Management

    You are NOT a crybaby or a complainer. And no one "just gets over" anxiety and depression---it's not like the flu! If you had cancer or diabetes, nobody would be telling you to "get over it".....well,...
  16. VivaLasViejas

    What's your nursing kryptonite?

    VivaLasViejas replied to ktliz's topic in General Nursing

    FEET.
  17. VivaLasViejas

    ~9,000ml's/24 hours out of nasogastric tube

    VivaLasViejas replied to noyesno's topic in General Nursing

    Wow, I've never seen or heard of that sort of output from an NG before. How can this pt NOT be volume depleted, and is he receiving adequate IV fluids? Something really seems off about this whole...
  18. VivaLasViejas

    My Very Special Snowflake

    VivaLasViejas replied to Pepper The Cat's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    No offense taken. It just reminded me of how marginalized people become when they enter the mental health system. I'm fortunate enough to have escaped the worst of it, but occasionally there's a...
  19. VivaLasViejas

    Mental health

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

    My class was also required to do this during our psych rotation. I actually found the drumming circle to be quite therapeutic (and I wasn't even sick at the time), and group was also interesting. I'd...
  20. VivaLasViejas

    What Keeps Nurses Up at Night?

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

    What kept me up at night was futile care issues. One patient in particular used to make me want to cry, because her family insisted that we keep her alive at all costs. She was 95. Of course, it was...
  21. VivaLasViejas

    Post Acute Rehab

    VivaLasViejas replied to alswjdzla's topic in General Nursing

    Subacute is only a step down from acute care. You will use all of your nursing skills because there will be IVs, trachs, central lines, even vents, and oftentimes the patients aren't completely stable...
  22. VivaLasViejas

    Robin Williams RIP: Coping Mechanism?

    VivaLasViejas replied to aspiration's topic in Psychiatric

    Yes, yes, and YES! People with depression and suicidal ideation know very well how to put on a happy face in public. We do so, in a sense, as a survival skill---we know our true feelings aren't...
  23. VivaLasViejas

    My Very Special Snowflake

    VivaLasViejas replied to Pepper The Cat's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Ouch. After much soul-searching and the recommendation of my psychiatrist, I just filed for disability because of my bipolar. I have to remind myself constantly that I paid into the system for 35...
  24. VivaLasViejas

    On Negative Feedback

    VivaLasViejas replied to Ruby Vee's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Sometimes, the art of diplomatically giving someone criticism is much like telling them to go to hell, while at the same time ensuring that they enjoy the
  25. VivaLasViejas

    I am Staying strong with Bipolar disorder

    VivaLasViejas replied to Tesfanurse's topic in Nurse Disabilities

    Hello, and welcome to Allnurses! It's great that you're adhering to your medication regimen. Not everyone does. But if you're not doing therapy, you may want to start because you're going through a...