SteelTownRN

My hospital will soon be using Cytotec for labor induction. I wondered if anyone out there has used this drug for inductions before, and what your opinions were on that. The literature seems to indicate that if you use a small dose and don't redose f...

You can elect to have anything that you want to have; however, if you expect insurance to pay for anything, there had better be a solidly documented medical indication for a c-section. Patients don't get to pick if they have a c-section unless they a...

I teach OB clinicals, and strongly believe that birth control teaching should be part of discharge teaching. At the very least, ask if they have any questions about new methods or would like to change methods. Postpartum is the best time to have your...

I have to agree that not everyone who applies to nursing should be admitted to the program or has a right to be a nurse. I have been on an admissions committee for years, and can definitely speak from experience on that one. If we admitted everyone w...

Buy what you are most comfortable with. You'll be using it to time seconds measuring respirations and pules, as well as counting drips on an IV bag to calculate flow rates. I prefer a sweep/minute hand, as I don't have to touch the watch to initiate ...

Interesting question about what to do about the dip issue in a classroom. I guess I'd have to look at the tobacco use policy for campus, and if the wording includes oral tobacco dipping, as well as smoking cigarettes as being forbidden in classrooms,...

There is an organization, Association of Camp Nurses, that has a great website. http://www.acn.org You should be able to find lots of information there. STG

I know that I'm not going to say what you'd like me to say, but I'll post anyway. You need advanced degrees to be able to teach. I do agree with the comment earlier that we are not all born teachers. We all have the desire to teach, the passion to pa...

As a clinical instructor, it is my policy to treat all students equally. That would include that no one leaves the floor except for when we go to postconference during the last 30 minutes of clinicals. We are only in clinicals for 6 hours a day, and ...

Here are some of the things that I've done in class and clinical to foster critical thinking/NCLEX success: 1. 5 multiple choice questions at the end of a lecture. Review them with the students. Talk about how to reason through each question. 2. Ad...

I was an expert witness in a case a few years back in which the result from a foley insertion was a vaginal-rectal fistula, and the preteen girl was "voiding" liquid stool. Also, the patient had a latex allergy, and her perineum was extremely swollen...

Some schools are requiring CNA certification in order to enter the clinical courses. That saves alot of time in Fundamentals, as the beds/baths/vital signs skills have been taught, and the curriculum can bild upon CNA learning. However, some schools...

You need to determine what your career goals are and then the type of program will determine itself from your parameters. CNA certification is nice, but you don't need it if you wait to get a nurse assistant job after completing your first clinical i...

We have a rooming in policy that is very flexible. The purpose is to assure bonding between the child and both parents, and to make sure that they are taking care of their child. (I've actually see some parents ignore the fact that their child was hu...

I wonder if the policy for observation has any roots in the current staffing levels, as it would take 1:1 staff to keep the baby in the room, but less staff to have a baby in the nursery with all of the other newborns under observation. Just a though...

Procardia (Nifidipine) is used to promote smooth muscle (uterine) relaxation to prevent preterm labor contractions. Although the FDA-approved use is for blood pressure. It works quite well. Not trying to be a tease, but I've been called much worse!

Cervidil, Cytotec, Procardia (special off-label use in OB), Brethine (Terbutaline), Calcium Gluconate LMS

I've been teaching for over 10 years now at the university level. Started with a "fresh" masters and the love of teaching led me to obtain a doctorate. My pay is certainly competitive with hospital positions, and when you consider that I basically wo...

Do you guys have any idea how much Zofran costs, even WITH insurance? I was surprised. I picked up my dad's rx with Blue Cross coverage, and his co-pay for a bottle of 30 pills was $200. Right now, there is not a generic equivalent, so the company ca...

For something to be a HIPPA violation, there must be a divulgence of confidential information. Clearly, when people voluntarily give out information voluntarily for a specific purpose, there was not a divulgence of anything confidential. Your manager...

I have yet to meet an MD at work that I'd even consider dating, let alone marrying. If they aren't nice to work with, you know they'd be a pill at home as a spouse. I prefer to date someone who is not in the healthcare profession. STG

One of my students asked this in class today "What is it going to take to get nursing to be more respected as a profession?" I responded that we have come a long way in the last 40-50 years, and we still ahve a long way to go. My personal thought is ...

CDC has been recommending a two-step TB skin test since 1994. The reason is that a false negative could be obtained on the first run, but stats show that a second test should be run to confirm the first test to be sure. Check out the CDC's website to...

C is the answer, at least from my practice and MD orders that routinely read "add X amount of KCL to IV bag after pt voids". Shame on me for not knowing a rationale off the top of my head, but c is the answer. STG (going to look up the rationale...

I sit on an undergrad admissions committee. Applications are up (There were over 130 applications for 60 positions for Spring 04). Typically, what admissions committees have to do is look at the entire pool of applicants and select the ones who have ...