All Content by Gampopa
-
Dead wood
HI: New to working in the ER at a small community hospital but I've been an RN in various rolls for 20 yrs. While I "like" working in the ER I'm finding it difficult working with another RN - surprise! This RN has been in the ER for several years but now almost always does triage and that's it. Between triages this RN stands around chatting, joking and ***ing about how other department staff is so lazy. Meanwhile there are pt's to DC, meds to give, pt calls to attend to and this RN just continues to complain how shitty the patients are. And it's not just me other RNs know they will have more work to do when this RN is on. I know I can't control or change this RNs attitude but I'm having difficulty changing mine and find I really dislike and and avoid interacting with them. Any suggestions how I can adapt? Going to the ER manager I don't think would effect things.
-
Surgical D9s
OK. I think it is the floor the position is located on.
-
Surgical D9s
I've been seeing adds for Surgical D9s RNs. What is this position?
-
Switching from EPIC to Meditech
Yup. That's Meditech. You should get quicker at searching for basic information but it is a step back. And the system also doesn't share information well with other areas of the hospital. At least that has been my experience.
-
Tired of med-surg but feel guilty leaving
OMG get rid of the guilt. Hospital mngt will use that guilt to drain your life force energy until you want to leave nursing entirely. Are you thinking ICU will be less stressful? Maybe but with all the COVID pts in ICUs right now it may be much more stressful with the critically vented pt and their families. But you certainly will learn a lot. Good luck.
-
What is it like in your hospital right now?
Like others have stated our ER has been really quiet and census is low. Our hospital has been financially marginal for the past 2 years and there is deep concern COVID19 will bankrupt us. No elective surgeries or outpatient procedures and the extra cost of COVID is making things really tenuous. We've had 2 deaths and several rule outs. We're making all kinds of plans for when the wave hits and hoping that the Federal economic package will have some money to keep us afloat.
- Refusing Care of a COVID-19 Patient Due to Inappropriate PPE
-
NY Times graph on US spread of COVID19
Watch How the Coronavirus Spread Across the United States
- Crisis travel assignments for Covid-19?
-
Refusing Care of a COVID-19 Patient Due to Inappropriate PPE
We are told to adhere to the CDC recommendation of N95 for aerosolizing procedures covered by a procedure mask and just a procedure mask for all other pt interactions with r/o COVID pts. I hear repeatedly from my manager that is all you need and since CNAs do not do these procedures they shouldn't even get N95s. Coughing does not qualify as aerosolizing since the CDC doesn't include it in their list. I fail to comprehend how coughing is not aerosolizing and I disagree with hospital policy. I understand that we're rationing the remaining stock of N95s for when we get hit with pts but we're already taking care of r/o pts who may or may not be positive. I ask myself would I go into a r/o COVID pt room w/o an N95 and my answer is no way so how can I insist that other staff do so? Perhaps it's time to resign from my position.
-
Coronavirus (COVID-19): We Want to Hear from You
At our facility, to ration masks, we are going by WHO recommendations for using N95 only when aerosolization is likely. However, staff is using N95s with any suspected COVID19 pt even for routine care. My managers are adamant that N95s get passed out only to staff that need them d/t the very limited supply which I understand. But I also understand staff wanting to protect themselves and their families so as the House sup I look the other way.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): We Want to Hear from You
-
Coronavirus (COVID-19): We Want to Hear from You
The CDC recommends for healthcare providers to use glove, gown, N95 and eye protection in an AIIR room for COVID19 patients. Yet, in nearly all photos of anyone dealing with COVID19 they are in full body isolation suits with shoe and head coverings. I'm having some cognitive dissonance between what the DCD says to do and what other countries are doing. What am I missing?
-
IV Tube organizer
Does your facility use an IV Tube organizer at bedside for pts that have multiple IV lines to keep tubing off the floor and in one place? I am thinking about something other than a wooden tongue blade taped to the bed rail.
- Useless Shift Report Information
-
House sup down time
What do other house sups do with their down time when you have it at work? It has been really slow at my hospital and I am bored to tears. For that matter what do you do other than problem solve and staffing when it is busy? I think I'm in the wrong position and need to move onto something else.
-
Wastefulness in healthcare
Single patient use lift sheets and hover mats! Designed so they cant be cleaned and go right to the landfill.
-
And The Reason Nurses Don't Get Fired
Not sure of the outcome but I think $ was involved.
-
And The Reason Nurses Don't Get Fired
Nurse was not fired when her patient, who came into the ED with chest pain, was not put on a monitor and, after having called for assistance and was ignored, went to the bathroom herself and was later found down by housekeeping in the same bathroom in asystole and cold.
-
Stupid hurts.
Do not take a nap while caressing your hand gun. It may go off resulting in a gun shot wound to your groin, just like it did last year when you also had to visit the ED.
-
Playing Cards
I work in a Washington Critical Access Hospital and I can assure this politician we DO NOT have time to play cards!! That would adversely effect out Bon Bon and knitting time.
-
Different Q...Pediatrics to Adults??
Typically if a hospital was hiring into an adult med/surg position they would want relevant experience which would be previous adult m/s experience. However, I was able to transition from peds into adult m/s fairly easily when I went from school RN to adult m/s RN in a very rural far northern Cali. County that had difficulty filling positions. I did receive a decent amount of time for orientation. If you can find a hospital that is really in need of adult M/S RNs then you could have a decent shot at a position. Also, depending on the location, the hiring hospital may look at having peds experience as a plus. At my current hospital we occasionally get a peds pt (a small rural access hospital) and the RNs w/o peds experience freek out. Having the experience can show your versatility.
-
Any Buddhist Nurses?
I've been a Buddhist for the past 20 years and an M/S RN for 12 years. I don't speak much about my path while at work. I've worked at some pretty conservative hospitals and didn't feel like engaging the more closed minded staff. I am constantly using breath work and "meditative moments" to pause and regroup during the day and meditate for 1-2 hrs when not scheduled. My practice has helped me meet pts, families and staff who are challenging to work with. I often have difficulty with the very sick and elderly pts who still want everything done to prolong their lives when to me the inevitable of death is glaringly clear. To witness how many resources go into getting another month or two of life is shocking when there is so much need elsewhere.
- Video RN screaming, dragged into police car d/t refused blood draw on unconscious patient!
-
What was the age of your oldest surgical admit?
A few days ago we admitted a 96 yr old who had 2 chest tubes placed for pleural effusions. Got me wondering how old is the oldest surgical patient that you've seen?