Perpetual Student

Perpetual Student

PACU

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All Content by Perpetual Student

  1. Lab communication break down

    If 0556 was the time it was drawn I wouldn't sweat it. By the time it was processed and input into the system it likely would've been around 0630. No reasonable person would be expecting you to...
  2. Dressing changes and meds. How much/when to push?

    I'll admit that I'm ignorant when it comes to burn nursing up front. I've spent a whopping one day in a burn ICU. Acute pain management is what I do all day long in the PACU, however. Fentanyl is...
  3. Remember that as the spinal wears off (assuming local anesthetic was used as well as the Duramorph) the bladder and genitals are one of the last regions to recover. 2400 ml of fluid in a big guy for a...
  4. post op

    No. Positioning will vary depending upon the surgery and the patient's unique needs. Many patients can appropriately be supine with their heads
  5. Appropriate student observation in OR or not?

    If you had the schedule worked out in advance and can demonstrate such it should be an open & closed case in your favor. If his mother had been a patient on the med-surg floor would it have been...
  6. low pressure alarm if trach comes out?

    You should NOT depend upon the low pressure alarm notifying you of an unintentional decannulation. The tracheostomy tube can come out and be pushed up against the chest/neck to create enough pressure...
  7. Question for nurses from an aide

    In both of my nursing jobs I have had plenty of time to give to my patients. While it's easy to get caught up in the cool-guy (or girl) stuff like drugs and tools, reassuring words and kindness often...
  8. Is Ativan 10 mg po per dose too much?

    Got
  9. A 20 yo lady told me that ALL of her friends want to become nurses. Fortunately she did say that the adviser at the college informed potential candidates that there is indeed difficulty in finding...
  10. Daylight Savings & Documentation

    Wow, I can't believe the computers just shut down. What a pathetic system. There's another reason I'm leery to switch to electronic charting. Fortunately when I've been on during time changes I've...
  11. What is the most interesting case you've seen in the ER?

    Apparently it's a known potential complication, but the most interesting thing I've seen was a pt who presented with a ruptured spleen caused by a colonoscopy. My colleague and I recovered her after...
  12. Clinical Ladder at a small hospital

    I work in a small hospital. We are all expected to serve on committees and such (at least in my department, but it seems to be the same throughout the hospital). Specialty certification results in...
  13. crap...am I in huge trouble???

    Our facility recently switched from the individual cups of juice to larger cartons. I made the mistake of giving one a shake without ensuring that the lid was closed. I splashed juice all over myself,...
  14. Scope of practice ?

    Clearly it was a badger
  15. Block out the light!!!!

    You could cover it with colored paper or
  16. Block out the light!!!!

    Cardboard &
  17. Need your advice with ACLS and EKG certifying

    The EKG component of ACLS is pretty rudimentary and focused on being just detailed enough to properly follow the algorithm. A decent course to learn more rhythms, appropriate interventions for...
  18. What exactly is the process of getting hired?

    On the jobs I've actually landed, I've either been offered the job on the spot or within hours of my interview, once they'd been able to call some references. That said, union requirements and other...
  19. If you were medical equipment or medicine, what would you be and explain Why...

    I'd be a defibrillator as I tend to shock
  20. PACU orders

    Ours are like the above poster's, "Dilaudid ____mg IV q ___ Min PRN pain. Max dose ___mg" with the only significant difference being that the minute interval on ours is filled in as 5. Sometimes the...
  21. Charting Bloopers

    In a hospitalist's H&P: the chest x-ray showed bilateral ankle
  22. Shhhh! ---It's all a crock!

    The noise of staff is of minimal impact in my experience. Most try very hard to allow folks to rest. What really makes things unpleasant are the patients who're moaning, yelling, etc. all the time...
  23. Stupid mistake that I can't fix

    No biggie. Odds are nobody will notice. There was a thread recently in which a study that showed that electronic nurses' notes are rarely read by anyone was
  24. How long is your commute?

    I travel about 30 miles each way. Travel time is usually about 35 minutes or so each way when I work my usual shift. When I end up in the heavier traffic times it can take up to an hour, but...
  25. Please explain MAP to me

    do you check the map every time you take bp? why (& what floor do you work in)? our monitors display the map with every bp in our pacu. 2. do you report if map is below 60? how much below would...