mackrn

When I worked in California, Texas and Florida had several patients make remarks about my pronounciation was awful, so I told them that they were right and would only speak english in the future.

I ask why they need more chairs when there is a sign stating only 2 visitors per room and there are already 2 chairs in the room. Then go to the room and request all but 2 visitors leave.

I was a patient in a Kaiser hospital in Los Angles and less than 2 hrs. after returning to room from OR after having a ruptured appendix removed, was put in a w/c and taken into a room to assess a traction set up. Was recognized as one of the orthopedic instructors from LA County Hospital/USC Medical Center and since they didn't want to bother calling in the ortho tech, asked me. Told the unit manager the next morning (who couldn't beleive they did that) that had so much MSO4 on board it could of been upside down and still said ok. The same hospital stay (in a semi-private room) had 4 roomates die in the middle of the night. Seems like everytime I turned around they were coding someone in the next bed. Asked to be discharged so could get some sleep

Have a couple that would like to share. #1) Many years ago right after passing boards was working the night shift on a med surg floor. We had a pretty violent patient on the floor and I suggested that he be assigned to me due to my size. Well the elderly nurse on his wing said she could handle him as had him the week before. Was sitting in the station when I saw her coming down the hall with blood all over her and she was laughing up a storm. Thought he had attacked her, but she was pumping up the pressure bag for a tranfusion when the blood bag exploded. Had to move the patient out of the room as it looked like a scene from a Freddy Kruger movie!!! #2) I was replacing a vac dressing on a patient in the trauma unit that had caught a shotgun blast in the stomach. Had quite a few nursing students observing while I was exploring the abdomen before placing the sponge. She had a stab hole on the other side of the abdomen and I stuck my finger from the inside out saying "Well you don't see that every day". Had a nursing student and 2 med students pass out on me.

Some of my favorite t-shirts (that the hospital hates when I wear) that should be on post-its. I am here to save your ass, not kiss it! Your HMO has refused your enema, so I am here to slap the **** out of you! Do you want the doctor in charge or the Nurse that knows what is going on? Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy nurses can handle the pressure. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy nurses do it deeper.

Was reading the H&P on one of my hyperbaric patients and found out that the patient was a 43 y.o. black male. This surprised me as I had just put him in the chamber and one of the means of identifying him was his birthdate (he was 48 y.o. white male). Called the doc to let him know and he sent his PA down to the unit to get the H&P, but less than 20 minutes later the patient had a oxygen toxicity siezure in the chamber and had to be sent to the ER. When the Doc and the PA showed up in the ER and I had given them the report, pointed out that this is what happens when you tell someone that thought he was white that he is black after 48 years.

Depends on the hospital. IMO my current workplace really caters to crazy family members and does not support its nurses. Last year we were having a celebration for the nurses on our unit that we paid for ourselves. It was catered and was set up for us ahead of time, but by the time we got there a family of 350 lb. visitors (4 women) had come in and eaten all the food designed for 26 people. The hospital didn't want to do anything about it due to the bad publicity, but as the coordinator I called the police and had them arrested for theft (meals were charged to us at $15/person so was well above the petty larceny amount). Suggested that if it wasn't a big thing the hospital would pay for their "snack" insted of the herd of visitors. Not only did they spend the weekend in jail due to not being able to post bail, but they had to pay us back with interest. They were in the lobby last week as one of them was up in the ICU with an MI, demanding to be wheeled up to see their sister as it was too far for them to walk (waddle). Then they complained to administration that ther were not enough double wide chairs in the waiting area for all of them to have seats at the same time. My only fear is that they are diabetics and might need hyperbarics in the future!!!!!!!

Iwas fresh out of the Marine Corps and starting nursing school, while working in the ER as an orderly. Was going to get a motorcycle for the commute due to bugetary concerns, but after a month there and seeing head injuries, spinal cord injuries and the assorted other traumas associated with riding a bike, deceided to keep my datsun. Of course now have other descriptions for bikes: Kawasaki = Kidney doner in Japanese. Motorcycle = Gift you give your son for his last birthday.

I have been a Nurse for 25 years, I am male and would not trade the term for anything else.

I have been involved in hyperbaric medicine for over 20 years and have started up units all over the country, published in articles and one of the contributing authors for the only textbook on Hyperbaric Nursing. The best staffing of a unit is a mixture of RN's and RT's, with an emphasis on RN's to be more cost effective. In addition to dealing with critical care dives where a nurse has to be present, dealing with IV's, wound care and patient assessment is more of a nursing domain and not in the scope of practice for RT's. Hyperbaric medicine is highly effective if used properly and patients properly evaluated before treatment. Have treated patients from all aspects of the hospital continuum, with a heavy emphasis on non-healing wound and radiation injuries,

Or one that recently became popular here (used it before when in the Marines). BOHICA- Bend Over Here It Comes Again

Yes, as stated in my post a CO2 one.

I have removed JP, hemovacs and just about every type of drain that you can think of patients having inserted. Of course have been a trauma/ortho nurse off and on for over 25 years and have been in hyperbarics and wound care for the last 15 years. Piece of cake actually and sometimes a lot easier than waiting around for physican to show up. Have removed some retention sutures, but usually when placing a negative pressure dressing on the wound and they are in the way of getting a good seal over the dressing.