sicushells

sicushells RN

SICU, Peds CVICU

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All Content by sicushells

  1. One Wish Granted

    sicushells replied to FLAlleycat's topic in General Nursing

    It would be nice if management had to be a bedside nurse for a 12 hour shift, but not so much to be the nurse following

  2. ABG question.

    sicushells posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    The other day my patient's ABG came back (roughly) ph 7.5 pco2 25 Bicarb 18 Base Excess -4 So I say he's in partially compensated Resp Alk, right? I go home, the cardiac surgeon comes in and barks...

  3. Ventilaion post CABG

    sicushells replied to cloggs's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Usually our patients are on Continuous Mandition Ventilation immediately post-op. Tidal Volumes are based on patient's size. Peep is usually 5. We get an abg on arrival, and after the patient's...

  4. Accurate Blood Sugars

    sicushells replied to Lucyinthesky's topic in MICU, SICU

    I would look at your ICU's policy re: the a line. All of our patients are supposed to have a lines if they're on any sort of vasoactive gtt unless they've been on it for >72 hours without it...

  5. I'm just so sick of all the DRAMA (long)

    sicushells replied to Spritenurse1210's topic in General Nursing

    Try sticking to talking to the crazy lady on an as-needed basis only. "CrazyLady, your pt in bed 8 just tried to fall out of bed, but I stopped him." or whatever. Anything else save for somebody who's...

  6. To suction the ETT, or not?

    sicushells replied to CactusFlower's topic in MICU, SICU

    I wonder what your "official" hospital policy says. Maybe post it around the unit along with some actual

  7. help with wound packing

    sicushells replied to angel_16's topic in General Nursing

    Hopefully your nursing textbook has some really good step-by-step pictures of wound packing and other procedures. Potter and Perry does a good job, though I'm sure there are many

  8. Most common medication drips in ICU

    sicushells replied to nursegreen's topic in MICU, SICU

    I agree with everyone else, and would also recommend getting a pocket sized notebook to take notes on. It's sooo handy to have a notebook in your pocket that tells you how long to run 30 mmols KPhos...

  9. How do you handle difficult family members?

    sicushells replied to NurseyPoo7's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Night shift is the only answer (in my happy little mind, anyway). At least then you have a legitimate reason to "invite" them to go the heck home. Sincerely though, many patients and their families...

  10. suctioning the intubated patient...1 nurse/RT or 2?

    sicushells replied to kessadawn's topic in MICU, SICU

    In the Huge adult world it's no big deal (at least, not at my job) Usually I loosed the ett/vent connection so the patient is still connected, but I know it'll be easy to pop off. I put the vent on...

  11. Nursing? May not have any other choice.

    sicushells replied to PopeJane3rd's topic in General Nursing

    I think I could have written most of that when I was in nursing school. lol In my opinion nursing is different than anything else in the world and when you're in school, everything you think you are...

  12. Need advice regarding Nurse Techs

    sicushells replied to tiskathleen's topic in General Nursing

    When I did my externship I was not allowed to give meds. The reason given by my nursing school was that the clinical instructor was not on the floor at the time, so the nursing school was not willing...

  13. Song lyrics that remind you of nursing...

    sicushells replied to grace90's topic in Nursing Humor

    "Witness" by Tori Amos "Thought I had a witness, c'mon c'mon c'mon" Especially when I'm giving blood and nobody has time to witness it with me,

  14. Funny dreams about your job as a nurse

    sicushells replied to mondkmondk's topic in Nursing Humor

    When I was new and more stressed out than I am now I would dream almost everything that I was still at work. I would wake up at midnight get out of bed and freak out that I hadn't done vitals since...

  15. Funny things that pts say

    sicushells replied to jRN4now's topic in Nursing Humor

    I had a thirsty post op heart surgery pt who couldn't wait for me to walk to the nutrition room to grab him a glass of water, so he saw his IV Fluid and multiple gtts (Levophed, Epinepherine, etc.)...

  16. I need more money!

    sicushells replied to mina75's topic in General Nursing

    I don't have any contacts in that area, and to be honest I'd be surprised if you found a legit "in" online (even though I love allnurses.com!!) I would suggest maybe reading some books about...

  17. Things you'd LOVE to be able to tell patients, and get away with it.

    sicushells replied to AngelfireRN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    1)"Please" and "thank you" go a lonnggg way, as in: They'll get me all the way to the ice machine and back with a nice cold glass of water (The 5th in 3 hours) for you! Oh, that wasn't clear enough? I...

  18. So at the end of my "pre-med" career I'm thinking of switching to nursing...

    sicushells replied to xpinchx's topic in General Nursing

    I think it's great that you want to go into nursing! However, I do want to warn you that the nursing program I went through was very finicking about the prereqs. I did AP chem and did well, and still...

  19. If you weren't a nurse...

    sicushells replied to jhns9vl's topic in MICU, SICU

    If I knew that... I'd probably try to do that instead. I'm not being a smart aleck, I just really don't know what else I would

  20. Grossest Thing You've Ever Seen

    sicushells posted a topic in General Nursing

    So today I was emptying my patient's recently revised colostomy drainage...And I removed about a pound of what looked like pot roast, along with peas and cucumber seeds. I didn't freak out in front of...

  21. ICU Question

    sicushells replied to SarahLovesNovember's topic in MICU, SICU

    I think your questions might be better answered by shadowing on the unit for a day and asking the nurses that work there what kind of patients they get, the accuity level,

  22. When my patient dies.....

    sicushells replied to vivere's topic in MICU, SICU

    I think it's good for us to feel "too much" occasionally. It keeps us from getting too jaded and callous. Knowing that it's good for you doesn't make it any easier

  23. Foley caths

    sicushells replied to jhns9vl's topic in MICU, SICU

    Eww... I would definately ask for a rationale for that one. Maybe he was joking? What role did the retired doctor have that he was telling you

  24. Ethics of Nurse/Patient Relationships

    sicushells replied to patwil73's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I think part of the 'never ever ever date a patient' rule from nursing school has to do with the stigma of nurses as 'professional' women (wink wink nudge nudge). If she's not at home, she must not...

  25. non co operative cna

    sicushells replied to lpnflorida's topic in General Nursing

    Why is that? I don't think I'm irreplaceable, why would a person with minimal education and no license think they're better than I am? More experience does go a long way, don't get me wrong, but why...