mabell52

Sounds like you may have Compassion Fatigue. Take a vacation and someone else suggested or go and pamper yourself with a spa day. I get that way at times when our Press Ganey scores come out. We bust our butts for the patients and their families, I work PICU, and we get crummy scores. It is very deflating.

Hang up! You do not have to put up with this verbal abuse. Just tell him that you are unable to carry on a conversation with him while he is so upset. Then hang up. I have seen it done and it worked very well.

We keep our patients who are on HFV paralyzed utilizing a train of 4 to titrate their vec drip. They are also on sedation drips also. I am from CA incase you were interested as to how diffrent states work.

We use a system called WinPFS. It is an Acuity, Productivity and Benchmaking system. I am not sure how they came up with the numbers that are assigned to the diffrent sections but for us it is pretty close to what we staff. We use it as a guidline, not an absolute. As far as your hearts being one to ones, ours are. Most of them for 24 hours. Our acutiy system does capture that. I am not sure where you are practicing. I am in CA.

There is some discussion in our PICU about the continued use of Heparin in our art and cvp lines. What is the practice out there in other PICUs? Have you had many cases of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia in your pediatric patients.

I am sorry for your loss. I will never forget a comment that was made to me 2 days after I was accepted into a nursing program. You see I watch my son get hit by a car. I was frozen and didn't know what to do. When he finally cried, I became unfroze and later told my MD about my experience. He told me that I would be a fine nurse. What happened to me was I was a MOM first. Though I did not experience a loss at that time, I was able to remember those words when I experience something "close to home". As PICU nurses, we learn to grieve in our own way. Continue on in your schooling unless it becomes overwhelmingly difficult for you. Many nurses have had an experience as you have and have used that experience to grow and become great nurses. Some have not. You just need to be able to identify when it is not. See a grief counselor, a minister, or join a support group. Suggestions I am sure you have already heard.