vaughanmk

I work in an ED and we are trying to implement a Flow coordinator position. The poor gal is striking out repeatedly. Nothing seems to work. Do you utilize a flow nurse in your facility. If so, what does this nurse do? We currently have a charge nurse that does nursing assignments (who sits by the viacom), a full FTE scheduler, a ED Tech trained to room patients appropriately from the waiting room after triage. Not sure what is left for this person to do!

I work in a peds ED that sees about 200 kiddos a day. We have many shifts to help with volume levels. 7a 11a 3p 7p. Some weekend option but not a ton so we do work weekends. 20+years = no weekends. 10-20 years = 1 of 6 weekends >10 years= 2 of 6 weekends. We recently changed from a set 6 week schedule to self scheduling, ***SUCKS*** According to senority by shift. Group A signs up first, all shifts, then B, C, D and finally PRN. No call taken. Holidays are divided into groups that rotate: groups1 works holiday set 1 then next year 2 then 3. So that the 3 summer and 3 winter holidays are rotated, Don't work xmas 2 years in a row.

Follow your gut, that's why your a good nurse because you have followed it in the past and it has obviously worked well for you in the past. Congrats.

I work in a peds ER and need to develop a new small QA project. I need suggestions, what projects do you do? Examples in my department include blood glocuse monitoring ( the information the nurse inputs into the monitor), initial and discharge pain scales, rapid strep accuracy vs culture, blood culture false positives. This needs to be a montly project so I don't want to spendmore than a few hours each month collecting the information. Thanks for any suggestions.

This is an amazing explanation of Alzheimers. It brought tears to my eyes and I am a passenger on this train with my grandmother

I feel horrible for you. I cannot imagine working on a unit that requires every single complaint by anyone to go into your employee record. I would check with administration to make sure that this is correct. I would understand that the dept wants to address all complaints but they should not go into your employee file.

I work in a level 1 peds er. In triage we only get a BP on kids over 2. A majority of our kiddos under 3 never get a BP. Only if it's warrented by condition, admission or as deemed necessary by anyone.

How do assignments work with people comming in at all hours. Does everyone just given up pt's when oncomming people come in or do the oncomming people float? Can anyone give me examples of their assignment sheets? I work in at 30 bed expanding to 70 bed ED. For once we have so much staff we are tripping over each other as we have already hired 10 new nurses to get ready for the first phase of expansion this summer. Our charge nurses have no clue as to how or where to assign people. Thanks for any help you may have.

We allow 2 parents to stay in the room if not in the ICU. Parents may leave at any time, hoping that they notify staff. Siblings and friends cannot stay unless the parent is breastfeeding the sibling.

Do you currently work in peds?

Roro- I found this old thread and was wondering how this went for you. What topics do you approach with this? What functions best and benefits the most from this. Can I get a copy of your mission? Thanks

I couldn't imagine that the hospital would discharge a child to the street. Someone, somewhere along the way should address that. It is sad that children actually have to live that life. I wish there was more that could reasonably be done to help them.

I really like FLACC. Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability. It is based on how the child is acting and looks. It is fairly subjective through.

We use this frequently in peds. I haven't heard of a case of perf with it. If you have to use it once. You might actually like it. It really is user friendly. Good luck.

I had a good one this week. A woman brought her 4 week old child in for a "hole in his head" It was the soft spot. The part I found most disturbing was that it took her 4 weeks to find it.

Granted I work in a peds ER, but during the day and up utnil 2300 we have 2 nurses in triage, The first to sign in the patients and determine if one needs to be moved ahead. The second is dedicated to actual triage. We are also lucky in the fact that we only triage for 4 hour periods. We get moved around the department every 4 hours so no one gets burned out on a crazy family.

It is time for me to start to study for the CPN exam. My work is paying for it and my manager is starting to push. Does anyone recommend any books for getting up to par for this? Let me know, thanks

We use albuterol a lot where I work, in the ED. A lot of kids are too tight to wheeze upon arrival. We also use it for a cough occasionally. Most children without a history who come in with resp distress of any manner recieve albuterol. Frequently mixed with atrovent too.

I love these also. We use them on almost everyone. Even teenagers, since they just seem to spray it onto their tongue when not using it.

I personally like scalp veins, especially when I've already tried another site without luck. Where I work it is not that common for us to use the scalp though.

I am a little protective of my wedding ring since it ws my grandmother's. The alcohol foam cleansers were horrible on the ring. One year for Christmas my husband went out and bought me a cheap band without any stone on it specifically to wear to work. I love being able to wear it and not worry about if it gets destroyed.

I will see if anyone at work can send me some info in re: to using croup tents. I know where I work we consider them almost barbaric. They are not used. We use steriods and nasal canula's if needed for croup. Kids seem to tolerate nasal canula's fairly well. And not to mention they don't seem to swim in the moisture. But like I said I will see if I can find any studies on exactly why we no longer use them.

Whenever I have a pt that needs a CT. I have to go over with the pt. Granted it is a pediatric facility. An RN has to be present for the iv contrast.I have done it all myself and I have also watched the CT tech do it all. Either way it gets done. As long as an RN is present.

I work in a childrens ED. A few months ago a pt sitting in the waiting room jumped the triage/security desk and assulted a security guard and a nurse. Both were sent to be checked out by a physician, given workmans comp time and handed the papers to file a police report. The police actually came to the hospital within 10 min so each could file a statement. Both people hurt filed charges upon this minor, with support of the hospital and management. At the next staff meeting the problem was address by the CEO of the hospital and approval was given to put up plexi glass in our triage area. Not that this has been done yet though.

What do you think? This 14 year old boy accidently shot himself in the neck. The local news is reporting that the hospital is trying to take the patient off life support without parents approval. The mom wants to transfer the patient to another hospital but no one will accept the brain dead child. Stating there is nothing else that can be done. Mom reports the patient responds to her, tries to open his eyes and squeezes her hand. Either way isn't it ultimately up to the family and not the hospital to withdrawl life support. I mean as soon as the patient stabilizes enough, he should be able to go to a long term facility on the vent, if mom wants to keep the poor kid alive. http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/health/9219847/detail.html