Chiaramonte

We have had NOTHING but problems with this system. All drawers open...no drawers open...whole system shuts down completely...ALL delaying patient care! It has been a nightmare!!!

We dilute with at least 5cc of dilutant. The problem we've been having is untoward affects of restlessness and panic as nursenatalie mentions. One can push it as slowly as you can and be as diluted as ever and still get these effects more frequently than we'd like. Was wondering if it is a batch problem at the drug manufacturing plant. We give a fluid bolus and also Benadryl 25 mg IVP slowly when this happens. Seems to help shorten recovery time.

Back in the 70's when I was an aide, we "forced" our elderly patients to eat. I remember mixing pureed meat, potatoes and pureed veggies altogether with milk and butter. We would draw this concoction up into a bulb syringe and squirt it into their mouths. Thought it was barbaric then and certainly think it would be barbaric now. Absolutely hated the indignity of it all...besides I would wind up wearing half of it on my clothes and face as the patients gave me the razzberry. Glad to see patients' rights have changed all this and this should be respected at all costs.

Back in the 70's when I was an aide, we "forced" our elderly patients to eat. I remember mixing pureed meat, potatoes and pureed veggies altogether with milk and butter. We would draw this concoction up into a bulb syringe and squirt it into their mouths. Thought it was barbaric then and certainly think it would be barbaric now. Absolutely hated the indignity of it all...besides I would wind up wearing half of it on my clothes and face as the patients gave me the razzberry. Glad to see patients' rights have changed all this and this should be respected at all costs.

Yup, it happens at least couple of times a month at our place also. Not enough of a drudgery that we sacrifice ourselves for the night shift but adding a pungent nightly odor is too much!

If I'm not mistaken pins were made from lead in that era. Sounds like lead poisioning symptoms as well as peritonitis.

Yes but have never given it as such myself...have always given it IM since they don't always have an IV site.

"The louder you whine the longer you wait " I love that...I might do that in needlepoint and hang it in our waiting room, homey touch don't you think???

Zee, I studied all summer with a question/answer review book. I learn better with that type of set up. All questions I studied and reasoned seem to have reappeared on my CCRN exam in some shape or manner. Was a lot of work but I am proud to say I passed quite well. Well worth the effort. On the Trauma/Neuro ICU I used to work, it was mandated that we pass it in 2 years from date of hire. Agree that Laura Gasparis tapes are beneficial also. If you get a chance to attend one of her CCRN reviews, she zeroes in on what is important. Good Luck and good studying!!! Critical Care Examination Review Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio, Joanne Noone :this is the title of the book I studied from.

Last year I dislocated my shoulder by falling forward while hurrying up stairs and holding onto a railing. Also the rotator cuff tore and a spur formed in the same area. The orthopedic MD suggested surgery and when I saw how involved it was going to be with PT and all I decided to go at it myself. I took Bextra for a week which helped with the inflammatory process. I asked for exercises I could perform at home . He showed me an exercise in which you bend at the waist and draw circles in the air with your hanging arm. After a few weeks I was able to do this without pain. 6 months later I have full painless range of motion. It's not for everyone but if you're like me and are stubborn enough to try and take of things on your own ...this might be an option.

Yes,it indeed is simply a matter of money here,deespoohbear. We just suffered a big blow to our ancillary staffing. They cut 30 non- licensed positions. Now get this reasoning... they gave all of us licensed people a 5 percent raise and then within the next week pulled the rugs out from under all these EDTs and aides! First of all, I would gladly forego the raise to keep our hard working ancillary staff on board. We are a small community and ALL of these people are our friends. Second of all, they gave us a raise with the suspected anticipation that they are going to raise our insurance out-of pocket pay in. Also, I am anticipating a forced .8 status to cut the amount of money they have to reserve in the vacation pool because of course even though your benefit package doesn't change persay, your actual accrual is smaller with .8 . I feel so let down by this administration. Last year the ER and hospital was operating in the black and now we are in such a financial crisis! Someone should have been minding the books closer, I think. I agree with your frustration with JCAHO though. It seems they are so far out of the loop of reality. If they think more paper work generates better patient care, they are fooling themselves. Just look at the way things go back to "the way they've been done for years" after the inspectors are gone! Thanks for letting me vent here about our crisis. It's just so frustrating! So, I guess if you would like to venture to work here because of non-JACHO status, you had better check to see if the RNs are still working here at all. This skeleton crew of just RNs left behind are searching for employment elsewhere! Not that hard to find right now. Can't wait to see our top heavy administration emptying bedpans and giving enemas!! Ya right!!

Have been told the same thing at work this week. They have circumvented it by making us initial "RBAVTO". "Read Back and Verified Telephone Orders". We have one physician in particular ,when awakened in the middle of the night for orders ,states we should just transcribe the 4 pages of meds from the nursing home... well... we have an ongoing battle when I insist on reading them back to him. Now at least I have back up from the powers that be that this HAS to be done. By the way, we are getting rid of the JCAHO ritual this year...or so they say...will wait to see if they actually do.

Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (for those full-moon weekend night shifts in July and August). Love this one!!! What about: Simon and Garfunkel's "the Zoo" Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo I do believe it, I do believe its true Mmm-mmm-mm-mm, Mmm-mmm-mm, Ohh ohh ohh, Mmm-Mmm-mmm

My very profoundly bald RN husband says the only thing that ever worked for him was duct tape!

In the place I am working now, the Administrators bring in their best home cooked food and have a banquet for the nursing staff served by the Adminstrators themselves. They even come in at night to do the same. The Docs I work with in the ER pitch in and give each nurse a $30.00 gift certificate for the shops around town. They pretty much do the same for Christmas but with the hospital itself giving an additional $30.00 gift certificate. I think because it's such a small community hospital, they try harder to retain their staff. Anyway, all in all, not a bad place to work...

"I have been upset when management has chided me for giving a cushy assignment to one of my pregnant coworkers. I had to sell them on the idea that 'If we want them there we must protect them a bit...or go shortstaffed".....finally convinced my manager this way, but it was tough. I will always consider the pregnancy of a coworker in my assignment. " mattsmom81 It's just awful that you had to work so hard to get the understanding and compassion for our co-workers that management [nursing]expects us to show our patients. Kindness and understanding are the virtues that make us human. You are to be applauded for your efforts in making sense of it all!

Congratulations to all you pregnant mothers!!! Little future RN'S ??? Anyway, I agree with it being an individual thing. Just as long as you remember it's time to take extra good care of yourself. I had my last baby at 44 yrs. old and working 12 hr shifts in a major trauma -neuro ICU. Don't remember management helping to ease the burden much...in fact, was still being assigned MRSA or VRSA patients. Just took extra precautions myself and my friendly co-worker- friends were more than gracious in helping out! Helped that my husband RN was also a co-worker!! Baby girl is as healthy as ever!! In fact probably healthier than the other pampered 4. Best of health and happiness to both Moms and Babies!!

Trying to get a consensus as to whether any other facility gives a Critical Care Differential or Speciality Differential? At our facility, ICU nurses receive this type of differential but not Emergency Room or OR nurses.

How about this...while working one night in the ER, walked into the nurses' bathroom to take one of those rare quick bladder breaks...swung open the ajar, unlocked door to find our MD urinating in the toilet...he swung around to see who had invaded his space and never stopped his stream...I quickly wound up backing out wearing his urine on my scrub pants...had to finish up working with him for the night and we never spoke about it or the fact he never should have been in there in the first place... or at least shut and locked the door behind him! (also had to find some miss matched dry scrub pants from OR)

I have worked nights all of my hospital life. First as an nurses assistant and then as an RN. I find the staff to more cohesive and less distractions to the actual job at hand. Working in the ER at night I am the only RN in that department at that time. It offers autonomy and challenge. The docs, EDT'S, and paramedics at night are always a great group. On days, it seems the multiple RNs , Docs and paramedics fight more. Could it be a case of ego conflict? Anyway, worling nights gives new meaning to other duties as assigned!!

I agree that dedication, hard work, and pure determination is more important than worrying if you're smart enough. If you make the committment the rest will come in time.