JW-RN

you have to have at least 1750 hours of direct bedside care of acutely or critically ill patients during the previous two years http://www.aacn.org/WD/Certifications/Content/initial_ccrn_certification.pcms?menu=Certification

this is almost EXACTLY how our policy reads... I sit on the Organ Donation Committee of our health system (as the NSICU rep) and can tell you that shaping this policy was VERY difficult and it can be even more difficult to execute, but it is definitely worth it!

DI is a concern in TBI pt's due to injury to the pituitary gland (specifically hemorrhage) see: http://www.emedicine.com/pmr/TOPIC109.HTM http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16508710

it's not as rare as you think... i'd say that approx 50% of our crani for tumor pt's experience this post-op. and this is coming from one of the top ranked neurosurg programs (sadly) lol

some of our surgeons request that we use high flow oxygen for our pneumocephalic pt's as well. this is a controversial practice. there are a few studies out there, here's a link to the most recent: http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/JNS/2008/108/5/0926?cookieSet=1&journalCode=jns this study makes it sound like it works (and it very well may) but look at their population size. ;-)

let's see... most common in my neck of the woods: neosynepherine, levophed, dopamine, dobutamine, vasopressin, nicardipine, esmolol, amiodarone, cardizem, fentanyl, midazolam, propofol, lasix