CapeCodMermaid RN

Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health

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All Content by CapeCodMermaid

  1. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Apparently it's all about where one
  2. CapeCodMermaid

    Drug testing of nurses every other week?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to Blackcat99's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    From what I know (learned from watching 100's of episodes of Law and Order) polygraph tests are inadmissible. Do you have to count the narcotics every change of shift? Whoever had the keys and signed...
  3. CapeCodMermaid

    Do you tell?

    CapeCodMermaid posted a topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Not sure where to post this, but since I work LTC.... If you're going to the hospital as a patient or are having a procedure, do you tell them you're a nurse? I have to have an endoscopy this week and...
  4. CapeCodMermaid

    Do you tell?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I usually tell...just so I can tell my boss I'm out doing marketing for the facility. It sometimes makes them cut to the chase and I do NOT like being talked down to. Thanks for the good wishes. I've...
  5. CapeCodMermaid

    Social Media

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in LTC: Directors, Assistant

    The 'IT' department in my building consists of the administrator and me. We certainly don't have the time to read Facebook while at work....hmmm, well I
  6. CapeCodMermaid

    Nursing Orientation

    CapeCodMermaid replied to jaguar1142's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    New grads 4-6 weeks. Older, experienced nurses....depends on how long they've worked in long term care. I've had some ready to go after 4 days on the floor. We tailor our orientation to the...
  7. CapeCodMermaid

    morphine pumps

    CapeCodMermaid replied to rubysasha's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    My facility inserts our own PICC and MID lines. We don't send anyone out just to get a PICC line....just
  8. CapeCodMermaid

    Moral of the story: Never give IM injections?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to hnwbeachbum's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    My medical director tells us topical Ativan is not well absorbed and therefore not a very useful drug...especially if someone is freaking
  9. CapeCodMermaid

    FMLA

    CapeCodMermaid posted a topic in LTC: Directors, Assistant

    Any DONs out there ever take an FMLA? I've granted several of them so I know the regulations. I'm curious if you DID take one, how did your company react? I'm seriously considering taking one for...
  10. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I'm in Massachusetts.....too stubborn I think in this state to be a compact state, although I hear it's being worked
  11. CapeCodMermaid

    From floor RN to Nurse Manager .. help.

    CapeCodMermaid replied to Cougar1113's topic in Nurse Management

    "I am an older nurse". From what I can compute..you're in your 40's. I'm heading toward 60 so I AM an older nurse. I am friendly with most of my staff and friends with a few of them. They know at the...
  12. CapeCodMermaid

    morphine pumps

    CapeCodMermaid replied to rubysasha's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    We run our pumps subcutaneously if the patient doesn't have a port-a-cath. Never had any
  13. CapeCodMermaid

    Interventions for Auditory Hallucinations

    CapeCodMermaid replied to Isastorm's topic in Psychiatric

    I had a patient like that....headphones didn't work. What did work was for her to go into her room and tell the voices to **** off. This woman never swore so using that word had some sort of magic...
  14. CapeCodMermaid

    Do you know your patients?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to ProudMom511's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    If the person has lived in the facility for a long time, they quite possibly could have 25 diagnoses. You don't need to know all of them. You should know the basic ones...CHF, COPD, Afib....because...
  15. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    CT would be a long commute. I'd really like to maintain my anonymity on here which is why I can't post the name or location of my facility. There are 3 nursing schools near by...they are all...
  16. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Nola...I designed the orientation myself. I think it's part of my job to assure my new nurses, especially the new grads, have a positive experience. We don't give 3 days and send them off on their...
  17. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Thanks!
  18. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Not on Cape Cod but in Massachusetts. I can't divulge the location here. I think it's against the
  19. CapeCodMermaid

    Where are all the nurses?

    CapeCodMermaid replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    The local hospital will be laying off another round of nurses in June....I am hopeful, although I don't think hospital nurses could handle the patient load on a sub acute
  20. CapeCodMermaid

    state survey med pass questions

    CapeCodMermaid replied to ptvgirl's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Ask your facility's pharmacy consultant to watch you do a med pass to make sure you're doing everything
  21. CapeCodMermaid

    assisting living facility

    CapeCodMermaid replied to nessa1rookie_'s topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Document what you see: resident with little energy, frowning, furrowed brow...constant nausea Something like that...but if you chart that, make sure you chart an
  22. CapeCodMermaid

    Activities for the elderly

    CapeCodMermaid replied to ggau0010's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Activities need to be meaningful for the resident. So while Mrs. Jones might love to play BINGO, Mrs. Smith who has a Master's Degree in English might not. Ask the resident what they want to do and go...
  23. CapeCodMermaid

    Possibly new job.

    CapeCodMermaid replied to Nightowl_lpn's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    Do you have to chart every shift? At most facilities, after the first 72 hours, you only have to chart on a skilled resident once a day and usually it's not on the night
  24. CapeCodMermaid

    New PICC Line Service

    CapeCodMermaid replied to JustWe6's topic in Nurse Entrepreneurs, Innovators

    Our pharmacy charged $600-$700 to come out and out in a PICC or Mid line. Frankly we got tired of paying so we had a few of the RNs trained to insert them in-house. It's saved us tons of money and the...
  25. CapeCodMermaid

    Using Laptops on for Med Pass

    CapeCodMermaid replied to NurseQT's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    We use laptops. The batteries last at least 3 hours which is more than long enough for a med pass. We don't have an inhouse IT person. I am the DNS and am on the Geek Squad since my first computer was...