jetsetter

I think the problem you're having is your trying to get someone to train you while your traveling. Those hiring travelers want "instant gratification". they don't want to put any time/effort into you, why should they, you'll be gone soon. Maybe if you hire on somewhere expressing desire to learn from a 'newbie' perspective, you would get what you're seeking. Good Luck!

Not much good in our pt fridge.... but the docs fridge!!!! paradise. Water, oreos, rice krispie treats, pepsi products ... good stuff.! the pt fridge is usually applesauce and diet jello. but I have been known to 'accidently' find a chocolate milk!

I don't believe this is an error. As long as it was mixed the pt got 1mg.

My hats off to prickly pear for putting into words my sentiments so eloquently. Our floor deals with alot of end of life pts, and I also hear alot of negativity from other staff. I fully believe in supporting the pt and families wishes as much as possible. Who's to decide how much pain med is "too much" or "too little"? How can we possibly know the pt better than the family? As long as the immediate family is in agreement, I believe in supporting them as much as possible.

I spoke at mine. I felt it was an honor. However, I grew up in 4-H where talking in front of people was routine, it honestly made me not mind doing it all. Don't do anything you don't want to.... but if you do..... speak from the heart, keep it short and thank everyone.

Actually, the latest tx for PE is lovenox. We've had several pt's doing just lovenox, can't remember for how long. then of course someone came in the they ordered heparin drip, He had a ton of complications, was in for like 2 weeks. Hard to change but fewer complications w/lovenox

Thanks for the replies :redpinkhe, I really appreciate this. I will try to contact them!

Hi, friends, I could use some ideas. My facility is building a new hospital, and the meetings are underway with the architects. My manager gave me the job of recommending what monitoring system to use. Ours is so old that it isn't worth transferring over. So I asked her where to start, and she recommended the Internet, and so I immediately thought of allnurses! We are critical care access, so we will be a 25 bed inpatient facility. This includes med-surg, tele, ICU and Ob. There will be 3 LDR rooms, but the other 22 need to be extremely versatile and all alike. My question for you is... what brand/company of tele monitoring systems are you familiar with?? do you love it? hate it? recommend it? not ? We will need a central monitor, but do you think we need 2 ? My understanding is the unit will be circular around a nurses station , but with a hallway thru the middle. this seperates it into two halves, to allow some distinction between types of pt's , and yet still be 'all together'. Most of our monitoring is telemetry, so that's not so bad. But we will have to have the abiltiy to have real ICU pt's, cardiac drips, possibly the rare vent pt. My manager said she's thinking of something portable, like an ER would have, for the higher acuity pt's. something we can roll in and out to setup for these pts. I think the idea is fine, but does something that versatile really exist? Does anyone interact with there monitoring company? We've had problems in the past with ours not responding in a very "timely" fashion when we have problems. I really appreciate any/all ideas.

Thats the AMAZING thing about nursing.....it takes so many different shapes and forms Our floor just hired a nurse who had been working in a hospital, some kind of rehab area. anyway, it was her,one other nurse and 35 pts. that insane. if we have more than 3-4 pts each we all scream bloody murder. she thinks a shift w/us is time off.. anyway.. my point is .....if you're working in a terrible place..move on!!! someone else will be very lucky to have you!!

Our facility just purchased a Vein Viewer. $25,000 piece of junk. Seriously, if you're not familiar with this , it is a very large 'over head lamp' that displays a green light onto the arm or wherever, and when it comes into focus, ta-da!!!! veins look like a roadmap. Here's the problem; it does an amazing job of locating veins. several of us have used it , and not one successful IV stick in the bunch. Just because you've located the vein does not stop the vein from rolling, hiding or blowing. We are all hopeful that it's just a 'learning curve' type of problem. But give my an experienced nurse over that contraption any day!

Definitely sounds like this person needs Profore. we use on inpatients w/very good results. You really need to know what you're doing w/this product, but being a nurse I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad. Good luck

I think I found it . Xeroform!

Thank you! ( feeling dumb right now) The first hospital I worked at had a protocol for skin tears. It was a special product, pink, thick, kinda like a duoderm but different. it was held in place w/stockinette Can anyone help me remember the name of this product? We need a different method of dealing w/skins tears at our hosp. Too many nurses sticking opsite on them. works fine until you try to take the blasted thing off!

I love the idea of acidophilus for antibiotics! do it at home but never thought of it at work. but what is TAO for skin tears, the abbrev just isn't ringing a bell.

I tried the powerpoint link, but it won't open. Could you check it, it sounds awesome!

I will begin precepting a new employee very soon, my first time. Would apprecitate any advice on getting off on the right foot!

I truly feel it is a privledge and an honor to be with someone in their final moments. Our pts are older, and many are "ready" for the next chapter. To be the one to clean them up, treating them w/dignity and respect, is truly a gift.

the ability to trust your instincts, to know when your "right" and to know when you don't have a clue to get help

medical assists generally work at doctor's offices, but there are other options. they can take vitals, give immunizations, that sort of thing. NO. this class is not related to getting an RN in any way, but any experience is always a good thing. A friend of mine just did this class and is in her clinicals, that's how I know about this. good luck!

I feel there are more job opportunities for someone w/an RN than any other degree on this planet. Name any other degree that has the variety of jobs open to someone, she would not have to work the bedside. please don't make me list the possibilities........they are almost endless.

Do you work in Illinois? Were getting a new hospital, too!

I would run! as fast as you can! anywhere else!! These nurses will stick together like glue, and if something goes wrong will leave you in the dust. You have to have some support, or it's just not worth it. if you look you will find your niche, a dept that welcomes your time,talents and care. they do exist, but you wont find it if you stay there. it's just not worth risking your license for these people.

I gotta share this one! had a renal pt in w/dehydration. came thru ER, so they put in an AC IV - totally understand, he was dry as a bone on admission. I care for him the next day, and the AC site was driving him crazy, you know the story, bends his arm, machine beeps until we come in - and of course he at the end of the hall..... you get the idea. I offered to move his IV to a different site, but he declines, the whole ' I really hate getting stuck' type. ok So all day long his pump goes off, and several times during the day I offer to move his site but he respectfully declines.So late in the afternoon I ask again and he says yes, lets restart this IV. so I get all the necessary stuff and of course miss the first time. So I feel like c--p, because this was sorta my idea and he hates the whole idea. So I move to the other arm,and by the way he is sitting by the window. Its a cloudy, dreary winter day. All of sudden the clouds part, a ray of sunshine - like a sunbeam- shines in and lands on his arm, a very narrow ray of light, and lands on a vein. A get the catheter and it slides right. I'm telling you someone wanted to me to use THAT vein, and I did. Even he thought it was a message from above! Some days I just love my job!

I love it! Some that I work w/still struggle, but since all Ive ever done is computer charting I find it incredible. We have computers in every room,so.. go into a room ... log in.... do what needs to be done.... and while the pt is chatting your ear off, I chart. walk out of room and I'm done. Other sit around for hours working on their charting, I just dont get it. Sure, there are emergencies where you can't chart everything in real time, but they make in unnecessarily difficult by waiting to have "time" to sit and chart. do it as you go (as much as possible) and its not so bad.

Our facility has been smoke-free for going on 2 years. no pt's may leave the floor. only one really ugly scene that I can recall, tried to "fool" us into thinking his family was going to "wheel him around" for a while. was found outside smoking. on his return to his room I had the very pleasant chore of politely informing him it could not happen again. My manager told me to inform him his choices were a nicotine patch or AMA. He wasn't happy but he did comply. Lots of pt's make a fuss, but most don't have a serious problem with it