TrailBlazerRN

At my hospital recent shortages have been with Ativan, Fentanyl, Versed, and most recently Toradol. Edit: Here is the whole list from the FDA:http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm

What is your educational background? RN BSN Years of experience? Years drawing blood? A little over a year, I worked at the hospital that I currently work in as a tech before, and we were trained in phlebotomy and able to draw blood. What kind of education did you get for doing blood draws? Mostly on the job training. Where I work, the other nurses were really good about letting me practice on them. I also had complete a competency in an admission clinic in which I had to draw 12 successfully. What was the most challenging part about drawing blood? Knowing that finding a good vein isn't about sight, it's about the feel! I had a very hard time getting over being able to stick a vein that I could feel but I couldn't see. Are there any tip or tricks you have learned throughout the years that you have found useful? How often do you have to draw blood on your clients? Patience. Get all of your supplies together, go in with confidence. Know that you have more options than just the AC. For some people, the AC has their best veins, but other people have great veins on their hands and wrist. Also, some vessels will roll, so be sure to anchor them down with a finger... just don't stick yourself! I usually draw blood at least once per shift, especially nights for AM labs. But if we're busy its great that we can delegate to the techs. Which labs do you most frequently draw? CBC, blood bank samples, lytes, PT/INR Are there any particular labs that are difficult to draw? Well, blood cultures can be difficult. At my institution, two sets of blood cultures always have to be drawn and they have to be drawn from two different sites. Sometimes this can be difficult to get two sticks on a patient that is a hard stick!!

I think that after 3 times of failing, remediation should be necessary. However, I do know nurses who are great nurses who took more than one attempt to pass. The NCLEX is a standardized test and has no bearing on how caring, compassionate, organized, time efficient, or competent that a nurse will be. The test questions are extremely tricky, many of them are set up just to trick you. The nursing exams now-a-days are not soley based on facts; you have to know your stuff BUT you have to know how to answer these types of questions, especially the select all that apply ones. Honestly, I bet if some experienced nurses were asked to retake the NCLEX they couldn't. If you've worked in med/surg the best 20 years, good luck passing the nursing management, maternity, pediatric, and community questions!

I'm not a nurse yet, but I work as a burn tech at a major burn center. We have a 4 bed ICU and I will begin by saying its just like any other ICU. The main differences are the extensive wound care, high volume of pain meds, working through plastic encased beds (sometimes we keep the temp at 90...so it can be hot and sweaty work). Constant sterile technique while working through plastic can be extremely difficult as well. Many of the burns that go to the ICU have some sort of facial involvement and are intubated...sometimes they might not even be a big burn but there is a high risk of airway compromise. When a new big burn is admitted, it can also take hours to manually debride the burns and put on dressings. There are many many many different types of dressings that are used for burns and you'll learn that with time. As a tech I do a lot of wound care and it has definitely has prepared for nursing.... I love working on burns and a can't wait to start there as a nurse and I'm sure you'll love it too! If you have any more questions, I'd love to answer them!

I've had similar situations during my clinical experience in LTC. I had a few little old ladies that refused to have a man washing them up. But, I feel like I had more luck when I went into the situation without apprehension. If you walk into the room and start getting the bath stuff ready, etc without asking, "do you mind if I wash you up?" "would you rather a woman instead?"...but instead start out with "I will be helping you with your bath today" ... you'll find you have better success without putting the idea in their head that they have the option of having a female vs male wash them up. You should also find that some of the women will not care. I've found that there have been many who are not shy at all and are not private about anything at all. But don't get discouraged, you'll get the experience along the way!

I was actually taught in nursing school that we shouldnt hug or hold our patients hands to avoid beings slapped with a lawsuit (and in this case, a family members hand). Not everyone likes hugs, and every culture is different. Do not assume that everyone wants to be hugged and that it will make someone feel better. Everyone is different. Likewise, I do not think you should critisize your coworker for not giving a hug. Sometimes, just physical presence and sitting there to listen are better ways than having physical contact. Every nurse has a different ways of doing things.

I am in nursing school now, and all our professors are stressing that we use client. However, I can't help but to still use patient. Client just isnt the same... it just reminds me how much hospitals are just like businesses.

I have suffered from anxiety attacks for a few years now. For me, id start sweating uncontrolably, my heart would start racing really fast, my face would become flushed, and id become really weak. A few months ago my doctor started me on Prozac and let me tell you it has changed my life. I feel a lot better each day and the anxiety attacks happen much less often. Talk to your doctor because medication might help you too.

As wrong as it sounds, I think that looking good has an impact on someone getting a nursing job. I guess it's natural for someone to gravitate toward someone who is attractive over someone who is not. Think back to high school, looking good is an almost competition, you naturally want to be with the good looking people because it will improve your image. Likewise, would you rather be admitted to a hospital with attractive nurses or a hospital with ugly nurses? I'm probably not making sense. But anyway, I guess "looking good" might include someone's weight too. I can see someone who is thinner and in better shape get the job over someone who is obsese, simply because they may be able to perform the job better physically.

Personally, I believe many of the nursing theories are kind of outdated. Also, the theories are not necessarily applied while practicing nursing, Roach's 6 C's don't exactly cross my mind when i enter a patients room. Additionally I think that some of the theories are kind of wacked.. i dont exactly remember which, maybe one about transpersonal caring? Not sure. Anyway, it can be argued both ways, as Florence Nightengale's practice of making patients as comfortable as possible in a tranquil environment (etcetc) is still applied in nursing today.

At home it's just me and my mom. I live at college (sept-may) and my mom attends community college during the day. My grandfather comes over every weekday and takes my dog out for 15 minutes. Some days my mom drops my dog off at his house. He loves the dog, and the dog loves him, so it works out. Do you have a relative or friend who would be willing to drop over sometime during your shift to take your dog out? Otherwise, a dog sitter/walker is a good option. There are many GREAT ones out there who are very trustworthy. You just have to do your homework and find one with a good reputation.

I totally know which episode you're talking about. The comment that bothered me was when the two other nurses abandoned Carol and said "we're not babysitting her." I mean what??? Yeah, of course a med/surg nurse might be a little out of place in an ED, but c'mon seriously?

What you just recapped there is very true. I hang out with a lot of girls and there's always some new type of drama no matter who I'm with. From experience, guys are more upfront about things, and do less of the "going behind someones back" type of thing. I'm not a nurse yet but I can imagine it would be similar to the stuff that goes on in a dorm full of girls. Just continue to be the helpful and friendly person that who are, and don't let that immature type of stuff get to you. Be glad you don't have to see it everyday anymore.

Do not worry-- you didnt do anything wrong! You saw everyone walking and the scene looked like it was under control. Trust me, it's routine for someone to be taken out on a backboard from an MVA just as a precaution. Even the patients that are walking around typically have a cervical collar applied and are recommended to go to the hospital just to get checked out. I agree with above posters though-- maybe make sure that EMS was called next time. But no worries, the victims called EMS themselves and im sure everything worked out fine.

I finished my freshman year, only three more years to go!