kate64

Hi - In a way I can very easily see home care patients wanting visiting nurses not to wear scrubs or a uniform that would "give away" their status as a "patient" to their neighbors or the outside world. Perhaps their are a few (especially elderly ones) who don't care that their neighbors know they're being seen by nurses. But I can imagine that some other patients, perhaps younger ones that are still working or out in the community value their privacy and a nurse coming in in street clothes could simply be seen as a relative or friend. Just a thought though.

Hi everyone - I have been an RN for 15 years and am contemplating dialysis. I'm beginning to research some of the more "practical" basics of the job like hours etc. I have a friend who works for a clinic and I know they work ungodly hours like 5:30 am. I am wondering if acute dialysis nurses can work evenings, like 3-11 shifts? Early mornings are torture to me. I have another question which may sound silly. I have had to wear my hair up for so many years now and it is layered so requires many bobby pins to keep it "all together" and up. I actually have scabs on my scalp from all the pins, which hurt - so I'm wondering if you have to wear your hair up when you go to the hospital to do acutes. Same thing with clinics - must you pin up your hair? I was working a hospital shift once and think I saw a dialysis nurse who basically had on street clothes and a lab coat and had her hair down. Thanks ahead. Don't know where else to get these minor questions answered. Kate

Hello RN28, I myself have been out of acute care for awhile. I have been an RN for over 13 years but have been doing home health and long term care for the past few years. Anyway, I also knew I wanted to freshen up my acute care skills, so I signed up for a local RN refresher course. It was not required of me as I never let my license lapse, but I felt it was the best way to get current again (and safest for my patients to be). I wonder if you do have any refresher courses in your area. My course is hospital based and lasts 15 weeks (meets 2 x per week classroom plus has 4 weeks of on the floor clinical experience caring for 2 to 3 patients). I'm in New Hampshire, not sure where you are. It's amazing how many things have changed in the hospital in the past 10 years. If you are not able to sign up for one of these courses, you might want to consider buying the latest med/surg textbook, and skimming through it. Alot will come back to you that way. The one I'm using for my course is Brunner and Suddarth's book. Again, I'm surprised by how many changes have occured in the care of med/surg patients. Some good, some not as good. I wish you the best no matter what. Kate

Hi everyone, I am in an RN refresher course, my instructor asked me point blank "what is the reason to give an IV push med slowly?" My original thought was fluid volume overload (which occurs with IV fluids because the volume), but could not immediately think of the physiological response of the body when a IV push med is given too fast. I know it probably depends on the med itself, but in general, can anyone answer what happens when an IV med is given too fast?