cab631

I was an ICU nurse for 15 years and have moved on to a happier playground, but in my old wise years I have decided that, although it is frustrating for us to watch and participate in, there are so many reasons we know nothing about which results in f...

I agree with most everything said here. It seems that the men who come into the nursing profession gravitate towards the more technical areas such as critical care, cardiac cath, OR, ER. Nursing shifts are long, even on an 8 hour shift, it is usual...

We are in the process of beefing up our PICC abilities hospital-wide. Right now there are a few nurses, hospital certified, who are placing the PICCs at the bedside, confirmed by STAT port CXR with a wet read. If we cannot get it in after two tries,...

We have one doc using 3 rooms 5 days a week. Those are essentially "his" rooms. A couple of days of week, one or two other docs share the other 2 rooms. They're good for anywhere from 3-10 additional cases on the days they are there.

We have one doc using 3 rooms 5 days a week. Those are essentially "his" rooms. A couple of days of week, one or two other docs share the other 2 rooms. They're good for anywhere from 3-10 additional cases on the days they are there.

I currently staff my unit with enough nurses to take 5-7 patients per day. We use all RNs. They are responsible for prepping and admission paperwork, the return and post procedure paper work, and discharge of the patient. We have approx. 14 beds d...

We will be changing some of our processes in the way we do pre-op teaching/screening. I would like to know if any of you other ambulatory care/outpatient nurses can tell me if and how your facility handles this. We are trying to reduce the time a p...

I currently work for an HCA hospital in middle management. I think the bonuses you speak of depend on the location and need of the particular area. We have sign on bonuses here, but they fluctuate, and I don't know of any retention bonuses. It must...

I am in the process of rewriting the pediatric policies for our hospital. In the past, children under 12 required the use of a buretrol and a pump, but the new policy will require a pump always, and buretrol only if the amount of fluid in the IV bag...

I find floor nursing much more frustrating than ICU nursing. In ICU, yes you have to know EVERYTHING that's going on with your patient. You have to know a lot about a lot of things. You have to be able to confer with the MD on a knowlegeble level....

I would not rely on the voice mail thing. I don't know about anyone else, but i erase my voice mails after I note who called and about what. And I don't see where they would last very long. Most systems start knocking off old voice mails when they ...

At my hospital we have received portable fold up carry-around chairs, great umbrellas, duffle bag totes, lunch bags to name a few. Plus the administration serves the nurses breakfast twice during the week, at our stations, and we have a reception wi...

Come to Florida!

When I was in BFE with that patient, helicopter ambulance wasn't flying due to altitude and weather, ground ambulance wasn't an option either for the same reason. The patient survived BTW, and I had an exciting night. Learned a lot when I realized ...

I too, am new to the management arena. I have been Outpatients Nurse Manager for 6 months now, following a 4 year stint as night supervisor. Previous to that, 17 years of ICU/CSICU experience. I have a few "problem"children of my own, but my mento...

The depth of the slobber puddle was usually and indicator as to how long it would take to wake up.......I did a little throat clearing or chair-leg stumbling sometimes. It's the ones with their head on a book that usually woke up and said they were...

I know.......the crappy NAs all moved to PA from FLA! Unfortunately, not enough of them have left! I went from staff nurse to night supv. and I LOVED to catch people sleeping! First I would scare the hell out of them by standing there watching them...

I have BEEN in BFE with this kind of patient. Four/five nurses in the whole hospital, and me...a traveler! Talk about nursing by the seat of your pants! I would monitor quality of resps, ABGs if possible, o2 sats, heart rate and quality of rhythm ...

Once you pass the test and start working with this stuff everyday, you'll get it! Hang in there!

I was an LPN in ICU for 10 years before becoming an RN. The nurses I worked with (all RNs) felt so comfortable with my knowlege and clinical skills that they allowed me autonomy to function independantly, and signed behind me when needed. Good nurs...

I've used 22's when I can't get anything else--doesn't seem to cause a problem. Most other nurses don't like it cuz of all the "hooey" out there, but it works just fine.

Hey Sue! I've been a nurse for the last 20 years, and live in Florida. Depending on what part of the state you're looking at, you'll probably do just fine if you go to the larger hospitals with good orientation and education departments. And if yo...

I agree with Nene, I have been a night supervisor and can tell you that a 2.5 hour wait in the ER is good in this day and age. And as long as corporations run medicine, the bottom line is profit, and staffing ratios will not change much. ER docs wi...

17 years in ICU and I see people in your shoes everyday. Talk to your supervisor about the problem with the CNAs. But look at how your prioritize your time. Maybe you can rearrange your work pattern a little. In my unit we started baths at 0400 ...