castens

I'm wondering if anyone has a good, fairly succinct, learning packet about pacemakers - focusing on sensing/pacing problems. I'm looking for something that is more concentrated on permanent pacers, rather than TC or TV pacers. I've noticed that quit...

Yup. That's the point of something like ACLS - you're covered in an emergency (if you're doing the correct things, mind you), but as soon as a physician is around to take over, they do. How often I would wake up docs would depend on our working rela...

This is a great point - much better than I said previously. A great misconception is that academia exists to teach. Rather, academia exists to store knowledge. While teaching and professional training are a part of that, they are not the biggest p...

It IS difficult making tests, as I'm sure you've discovered when you've had a bad test. Questions have to be valid. Actually it's not necessarily the "ABCD" questions that are hard but when you have a good essay question or case study or critical thi...

It's not that they don't want you to have the information on the exam... it's that there's a lot of money that can be made by selling exam copies online. A lot of money -- like hundreds of thousands of dollars. For that matter a lot of money has be...

Rather... she doesn't get paid if they changed nurse characters. She gets beer money if she designs scrubs.

It sounds like her unit (as are many) is covered by a slough of standing, or preprinted, orders. That is, the doc will write, "Admit to ICU using Intensive Care Unit orders." That order set then has things along the lines of: "RN may order XXX at h...

I advise newer nurses to watch themselves when they have a nurse or MD as a patient. If you find yourself double checking meds and namebands or examining skin or doing a more thorough assessment with nurses and doctors -- ask yourself why! Your sta...

While this is not even close to an issue in my hospital, I just want to say that this is a fastastically coherant and well-written argument. And spot on, too!

Always 1:1 - no exceptions.

The best way? Flowers and a brown nose. Seriously, though, I think the best way is to think out loud. Hands down. If you think out loud (even the obvious) they will automatically know what you know and what you don't know. Example: "His lungs sound a...

...and when you get the "double bird" you know that they are definitely following commands (and probably ready to extubate, for that matter).

Which did(do) you like better--school or the real world? Why? I much prefer the real world, because I know I'm making a difference. Of course, school is important so that you can learn HOW to make a difference, but there's nothing like the feeling of...

We have staff educators at our hospital, of which I am one. Our educators aren't unit-based per se but have extensive clinical experience. Most have Master's degrees or are Master's-prepared. I am actually the exception (I have a post-bacc ADN), but ...

All of this from UpToDate: [All emphasis mine.]

This is from UpToDate Online: Now... I don't know if the vials are specified IM only/IV only/IV or IM use so I can't comment specifically on your case, however it is documented that it can be used IM. There are accepted off-label administrations fo...

I would also like to ammend my previous post. I definitely don't think that a nursing student should be discussing end-of-life issues like continuing/withdrawing support with a family - at least not without their instructor/preceptor heavily guiding...

Whoa! Just be careful how you do this... and I would NOT advise a nursing student to do this. There is a very realistic possibility - I've seen it happen too many times myself - that the family might behave like Jim Carry in "Dumb and Dumber" "Do yo...

SpO2 monitors work by sending a laser through tissue and vasculature and sensing how much infared light passes through. I'm not sure if higher light concentration, that is less absorption, or lower light concentration (higher absorption) gives you hi...