diosadelsol

I have such a strong opinion of these patient satisfaction surveys, but so little space to provide it. What I'll say is...I have yet to find the sign in my hospital that reads "the customer is always right" or "have it your way". I don't coddle people, I don't kiss patients proverbial butts, and I don't waste my precious care-giving time on pillows, lunch boxes, or water. If you need water because you're in DKA, I'll get it for you, and quickly. If you need a warm blanket because you're hypo-thermic or the heat went out in the winter, you got it! If you're boarding in the ER because the house is full, I've got your pillow and lunch box. But if you just got placed in a treatment room, the gown is still folded on the bed, and the doctor hasn't seen you yet, that lunch box you just requested will never become a reality for you. If you want to give me poor scores for that, BY ALL MEANS DO IT WITH A BIG RED SHARPIE. But I will put you in your place when you're demanding a blanket when we're coding the pt on the other side of the curtain.

Me and you both! If only we could stop coddling these people.

"I think I'm butt-pregnant" - was concerned after having sex via the out door. Not very intelligence, to say the least.

You do not have to re-test to recert your CCRN. You can earn 100 synergy CERPs or re-test. I recerted in April without having to retest.

There are entirely too many Sheeple in this world who do as they're told rather than doing RESEARCH, naming no names...laidback Al. We are in a profession that prides itself on being evidence-based. Where's the evidence that vaccines are beneficial? And I'm not only talking about the stupid flu shot, I'm talking about them all. Do the research, get your facts straight and then join us here for an intelligent conversation. You may wanna check out vaclib.org. And yes, I'm one of those evil parents who have chosen to send their kids into this world sans vaccines.

Last year my hospital said get the shot or wear a mask. This year they are saying the mandatory flu shot is a condition of your employment unless you have a medical contraindication to the vaccine. I have worn the mask 2 years in a row, haven't gotten a flu shot since 2008, and didn't get the flu all those years. If an employee wants the shot, by all means, but if I don't... This bites!

"I'm a hard stick" is like nails on a chalkboard for me. Starting lines is my favorite task, and I'm pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. I'm an ER nurse, I do this day in and day out. I don't use a 22g unless I HAVE TO!!! A 20g is my go-to, and of course an 18g if its necessary, aka CT PE, CTA/CTP, blood, fluid resuc., etc. And then, you have the lovely 16g for traumas and the level 1 - those are fun! And I educate my patients on the difference between a butterfly and the needle necessary for an IV when the former is requested. I have had patients who tactfully tell me they have difficult veins and it didn't bug me at all. You can warn your nurse that others have a hard time getting IVs on you, however, you don't have to direct the show. When I tie on the tourniquet, I'm gonna see what I'm working with. I am gonna first look where I need to to get a line. If I don't see something there, I will look in the next best place. I don't stick what I can't feel or see, and while I love the AC (its usually a fail-safe), I will first try for the upper inner forearm. That's where I stick first. I don't do hands, period. Shoulders are good too, in a pinch. On another note... Holy Moly! Its super annoying to come here to get release from frustrations with your job (by posting or reading that you aren't alone) and have people who aren't in the trenches with you trying to put in their . Well, here's my ...until you've been an ER nurse for longer than a week or two and understand what we deal with on a daily basis, shhhhhhhhh! The OP was probably looking more for "Oh, yea, I feel ya" or other encounters and how that nurse dealt with it. Its not a free-for-all for just anyone's comments. Great, you're a hard stick ...by all means, come be MY patient!

Does anyone know anything about the Advanced Emergency Nursing program at USA? Or the CNS with Nursing Education subspecialty program? (The AEN is a dual specialty FNP/Adult-Gerontological Acute NP program.) Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I see, thank you so much.

Hey all! I am tossing around the idea of traveling and, of course, have a TON of questions. But, I'll keep this post to one. When traveling around the country taking 13 wk assignments, is it better to be with only one agency or multiple? Trying to get all my info straight. Thanks a bunch.

I have given Levophed through a peripheral line many, many, many times. There has only been one incidence where a line infiltrated, Regitine was given, and there was no necrosis, at all! In a perfect world all pts receiving pressors would have a central line for infusion. This isn't a perfect world and not all pts have central lines.

While it isn't ideal, Levo can be run peripherally. We have to do it a lot in my dinky ICU.

I have given a total of 28mg of Ativan IV to a DT patient in 12 hours. And that dose did NOTHING for him - he continued to kick us, spit at us, and call us names. I was also giving haldol per our withdrawl protocol with no result.

Look, you're pregnant, not injured. Unless you are high risk, with or without complications, you don't need light duty. Yea, you're gonna be more tired than usual, and yea it's gonna be more difficult to sleep, but all that is gonna be whether you are on light duty or not. You shouldn't be pulling on big pts and you probably shouldn't be dealing with chemo, but you should be able to take a normal pt load. Hopefully you have some good colleagues who will help you out in certain situations. When I was preggers, my coworkers wouldn't let me pull my pts up in the bed, they would come in and do it for me. They would help my with my baths and do all the holding and turning. Your manager does sound a bit unreasonable, not even hearing you out, but if there are extinuating circumstances, you need to speak up. I hope everything works out for you.

Awesome, thanks ya'll!

I was just wondering if anyone out there can tell me why Levophed is the pressor-of-choice over Dopamine for Septic Shock pts? Thanks

Are you serious?! Since when is my neighbor having healthcare my responsibility, as an American? And as far as selfish goes, you don't know me. Just because I believe that each individual should work for what they have does not make me selfish. It is my responsibility to make sure that my children have health insurance. As an American is it also my responsibility to pay your mortgage or put gas in your car? How about your light bill - do you want me to pay that too? I have no problem supporting other Americans who genuinely need help. Not having health insurance does not fall into that category - it is a choice, not a right! Get off your high horse and keep your bleeding heart to yourself! :angryfire PS - Not a single person who knows me would EVER use "unAmerican" to describe me. :spbox:

You know what, I have worked my butt off to get to where I am, and I personally don't want to pay for your insurance while you go back to school. You either suffer without insurance until you graduate (and can buy it on your own or get it through your place of employment) or don't go back to school. Yea, call me whiney about higher taxes, so what!!? And as far as "only part of it is publicly funded" goes, I don't think you've read the bill - like most of the worthless politicians in Washington. However, if it passes, I hope you're happy with your pulic option and I hope you don't get sick anytime after that, because at that point the GOVERNMENT gets to decide who gets what and, unless you are indispensible, you get nothing! Good luck in school!

Wow, something crawled up yours, huh! I was also "making suggestions" to the docs in my first year as an ICU nurse and they were asking my opinion as well. When you've walked in our shoes what you have to say will actually have merit. As for now, you don't seem to have a clue. It sounds like you're a little bitter; turned down for an ICU position somewhere? No offense intended!

Wow, I think we work together! In our unit we have a Suzie Q also. She thinks that she is God's gift to nursing, she runs to the NM for EVERYTHING!, she complains about the assingment - and gets her way everytime, she criticizes everyone and intimidates me beyond belief. She is a know-it-all. As far as how to deal with people like that...you're probably right, put them in their place and they'll stop - at least with you, unless you "embarrass" them in front of everyone. And I wish that I could stand up and follow this advice (I've been given it by one of our house supervisors regarding this specific person), but like I said, she intimidates me something awful - and I wish I could "grow a pair", because its not right how she treats everyone. And our NM bows down to her like the unit would fall apart if she were gone. (Rumors are: she's been banned from all of the hospitals around here.) Good Luck!!!

University of Cincinnati accepts PICU nurses into their CRNA program. I can't remember the exact number, but I want to say it's 2-4 a year. And your stats are good. Their app deadline is Oct. 1, Interviews in early Nov., and they usually have their decisions made by Thanksgiving. Hope this helps.

I have always been told you have to stop everything infusing through any central line to draw off of it. If you have pressors going and no a-line you're gonna have to stick for your blood.

Your scope will work just fine. Besides, the cheap $5 ones that come on the isolation carts have to make do for those patients - do you think the hospital will compromise a pt's health for a few bucks...?

Just curious as to which program you are attending? A $150,000/year price tag is pretty steep - I want anesthesia bad, but not that bad. The most expensive schools I've seen are UPenn and Duke at approx. $75 - 80,000 for the entire program. The above mentioned tuition is robbery.

I have run into the same issue. One school in particular, UNCC, requires all transcripts from post-secondary schools and they figure each grade individually into their own cummulative GPA. Now, I don't know if your past is as bad as mine, but my BSN GPA of 3.67 was no match for my previous work. My "UNCC GPA" wasn't even a 3.0. I have been taking classes to replace grades and think I've raised it above the 3.0 (but I also have CCRN cert now, so hopefully that will help). A lot of the schools I've researched require all post-secondary transcripts, but I don't know if they all look at it the same as UNCC. Good luck.