Penelope_Pitstop

Penelope_Pitstop BSN, RN

Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health

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All Content by Penelope_Pitstop

  1. Transfusing blood

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Grasshopper11's topic in Medical-Surgical

    This is exactly what I do. Why? Well, if there's something wrong with that tubing it's best to learn BEFORE the blood is spiked. I prime the tubing with saline before the blood arrives so I can get...

  2. Things you'd LOVE to be able to tell patients, and get away with it.

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to AngelfireRN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I have a wonderful idea. Can we make callbells work like PCA buttons? We program a lockout time, max ring dosage, etc., depending on how annoying the patient is. A person tries to ring, and whoops,...

  3. Telling your head nurse that they...uhh.., sabotaging new staff?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to hazyblue's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Holy not-taking-responsibility-for-your-own-knowledge-base Batman! I wouldn't do anything if I were you. I mean, you're already leaving this department, right? And I assume you're going to be in...

  4. What have you found in your pockets at the end of your shift?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Poi Dog's topic in General Nursing

    Simple. Tape the highlighters end to end, and secure to your head via barrette, with the keys on the other end. Now, voila! You can unlock the laundry room without your hands. Helpful if you end up...

  5. What Do You Think You Needed To Learn in School, But Didn't

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to xtxrn's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I wasn't saying "Really" to the IV team myth. I know full well several institutions do not have dedicated Vascular Access nurses. I was wondering what the population of the city had to do with it....

  6. What Do You Think You Needed To Learn in School, But Didn't

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to xtxrn's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Really? My hospital is in a town of 30,000, and we have an IV

  7. PCTs - How many patients?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to honeymylovely's topic in Patient Care Technician, Assistants

    My old floor was a surgical floor and during the day PCTs had 7-8, but double that at night. On my current floor, adult medicine, there are usually 3 techs during the day for 35 patients, 2-3 for...

  8. What Do You Think You Needed To Learn in School, But Didn't

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to xtxrn's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I've been out of school for five years, but, I wish I had learned... - what to do in an emergency (this occurs in EVERY area of nursing) - how to delegate properly (what the state's nurse practice act...

  9. Have you ever made a medication error- yes, no or almost.

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Yiggs's topic in General Nursing

    At first, I thought this was crazy, but you know what? I think it would help a LOT. I love love LOVE my PCTs, but wish they would make sure to at least be around to answer call bells when I'm doing...

  10. Giving meds crushed in applesauce

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to anastasia158's topic in General Nursing

    Pudding works WAY better, I think. I'll use applesauce if that's what the patient requests. Although I think applesauce works better with liquid meds, for example. As for clinical...do what your...

  11. Do you answer your phone on your day off?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Leelee2's topic in General Nursing

    I actually did get a call when I was drinking, and I told them as such. I also once received a call as I was driving down a road in SW Virginia (not exactly close to where I work). When in doubt, the...

  12. I got the bedbugs from my patient.

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to dirtyhippiegirl's topic in Home Health

    Hey, maybe if you weren't such a dirty hippie... Kidding, but I HAD to! I'm sorry this happened. I work in the hospital and bugs were found in a patient room. It was not a pleasant experience. A...

  13. Do you answer your phone on your day off?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Leelee2's topic in General Nursing

    I do answer not only because I can say no without feeling guilty, but also because I've been the one making the call, hoping someone can work. I'd rather receive a "no" than leave a message and hope...

  14. Morphine and Hospice Patients that are dying

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to suzi0612's topic in Hospice, Palliative

    There are syringes that come in 0.5 mL and the marks make it easy to measure out such small doses. Often, when we have patients on OxyFast or the like, pharmacy measures out the doses for us and have...

  15. How long was/is your orientation?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to happyinillinois's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I received 8 weeks on a surgical floor. This was five years ago...the same new grad would receive 12 weeks now. Specialized areas like OR, ED, ICU...they receive 6 months. There is also a MedSurg...

  16. Increase abuse of Bath Salts

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to WendyBensonRN's topic in Addictions

    I thought jenkum was an urban legend? Anyway, we've had a patient on my MedSurg floor with a bath salt OD. We had to look up exactly what it was because we thought it was actual bath products. Kiinda...

  17. In honor of 9/11.... what was it like as a nurse?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to A&OxNone's topic in General Nursing

    This is going to be morbid, but what about those people who were on the other end of the luck? The ones who weren't supposed to work that day but came in for a meeting or to drop something off, or...

  18. Funniest Patient Lie.....

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to RNdiva505's topic in General Nursing

    It was so nice of her to call the doctor for

  19. Are mittens a restraint at your facility?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to in2ICU's topic in General Nursing

    They used to be considered a restraint but a few months ago became a pre-restraint nursing

  20. In honor of 9/11.... what was it like as a nurse?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to A&OxNone's topic in General Nursing

    I was a senior in high school. My hometown is, as the crow flies, within 100 miles of all three tragic sites, so several students and teachers had loved ones who worked in DC and NYC, or who were...

  21. In honor of 9/11.... what was it like as a nurse?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to A&OxNone's topic in General Nursing

    Your story seriously gave me chills. It's crazy what a difference a day makes, isn't

  22. How fast is too fast to transfuse blood?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to RNdiva505's topic in General Nursing

    I just read over my institution's transfusion practice guidelines. IV Gauge isn't noted at all. As for rate, the first 15 minutes the blood is to be run at 60 mL/hour, then it can be increased up...

  23. What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to JUSTYSMOM's topic in Emergency

    That means get to the ER! Your face swelling is dangerously close to losing your airway! There is a huge difference between tooth pain associated with facial edema and "aww crap I shouldn't have...

  24. Male nurse in L&D

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to tony2353's topic in Ob/Gyn

    I'm all for equal opportunity, but we have to draw the line somewhere. How is Snuffy going to check my cervix? With his trunk or his big ol'

  25. Head to toe assessments on classmates?

    Penelope_Pitstop replied to Clovery's topic in General Students

    Dear Penthouse... But seriously, we did bed baths and assessments on each other. For the bed baths, we wore sports bras or bathing suit tops and bathing suit bottoms or some sort of short shorts....