defeatedcreek

Latest Activity

1. Can you piggyback critical meds like IV Potassium or Mag at your hospital?

   defeatedcreek replied to UM Review RN's topic in Medications

   Our hospital stopped using IV potassium because we had too many sentinel events involving their use. In my time there we have still never used IV potassium and opt for PO k-dur instead. Our patients hate those because they're enormous pills. As far...

2. most controversial medications

   defeatedcreek replied to defeatedcreek's topic in Medications

   Thank you all for these responses. Your replies were thoughtful and provoking. I loved the gibe about using the PDR cover-to-cover. Each of your responses will be useful in making my top ten list. We love having fruitful discussions with junior p...

3. Mulitcultural Nursing- pts and nurses views wanted

   defeatedcreek replied to kukukajoo's topic in General Nursing

   I always hate when people don't reply to threads, kuka, so I will try to answer your question as best I can. My background is military medicine and that is one area where you will have multicultural experiences beyond your wildest dreams. I have wo...

4. Lazy employees, what do you do?

   defeatedcreek replied to pumpkin1984's topic in General Nursing

   If you think it's hard in civilian hospitals, try crossing over to the military side. We can't just simply fire the bad RN/LVNs (regrettably). However, gundecking (falsifying flowsheets or records) and outright negligence (e.g. failing to report cr...

5. Who's leaving nursing?

   defeatedcreek replied to tinderbox's topic in General Nursing

   I will be shifting from the ward to the laboratory in the next couple years. Always be willing to change.

6. most controversial medications

   defeatedcreek posted a topic in Medications

   I'm trying to compile a rough top-ten (or top whatever number) list of the most controversial/dangerous/questionable medications of recent history. They can still be in use or were recalled. Here is a partial list I considered: 1. RU486 2. Rhogam...

7. Male Chest Hair and Scrub Tops

   defeatedcreek replied to Thunderwolf's topic in General Nursing

   I can see both sides. But I'm a hairier guy and I opt for wearing t-shirts. The military requires a cleaner look. That's not to say some of our military nurses go Clark Gable and ditch the undershirt.

8. Need help, is this verbal abuse?

   defeatedcreek replied to stamidg's topic in General Nursing

   I sense her frustration, too. But it's also verbal abuse and entirely unjustifiable.

9. Verbal Abuse and Neglect--What Should I do???

   defeatedcreek replied to Annebug's topic in General Nursing

   Think deeply. If you believe your opinion is colored by your grandmother's death then hesitate. If not, report these things. Women like that nurse deserve execution.

10. Starting in the ICU. Good or Bad?

    defeatedcreek replied to npwannab's topic in Men

    Most hospitals from what I've seen start everyone regardless of interest on med-surge. It's a good proving ground and skill building department. However, I've seen some starters in ICU too you just have to be fresh on your ACLS and arrhythmias. ER...

11. Night Shift Nightmare

    defeatedcreek replied to Stepher Gale's topic in General Nursing

    I was also talking to my vastly more experienced charge just now and she says bed strokes are always the worst to assess. In fact unless the patient gets up to void, it is not uncommon to miss their occurrence. She had a similar circumstance somet...

12. Night Shift Nightmare

    defeatedcreek replied to Stepher Gale's topic in General Nursing

    Don't feel bad, Stephen. I have my own event to share. But first off, I want to point out that you are using one pronoun here, "I". If you were working with anything resembling a team, shame on them. Recently one of my patients was a retired arm...

13. What do you consider 'am'

    defeatedcreek replied to widi96's topic in General Nursing

    I agree, 0330 to 0400 is the optimal time for labs unless (like sicu said) it's an H/H or CE. But like him/her we also draw our own labs on the floor. This sounds like a typical clash with lab techs, we have them in the military too. AM does not me...

14. What's your story? Why did you take up nursing?

    defeatedcreek replied to Joe V's topic in General Nursing

    I watched my mother leave the factory life at age 30 to be a nurse. We lived on my father's income for nearly two years while she finished her RN in 1991. Since then she has gone on for her BSN and now Nurse Practitioner. My father's brother was...