SweetTeaRN BSN, RN

I had an instance at work where a pt. came by ambulance from the nursing home with a lower GI bleed about an hour before the end of my shift. The PT was approx. 40, H/H were about 9 and 27. Pt. has stable VS, good pressure and is responsive and at ...

Update...at work today, my supervisor approached me to thank me for "doing the right thing" by hanging the IVPB. Apparently the new policy per our pharmacy is to give PO when the pt. is stable, but give IVPB (diluted in at least 50ml NS and given no...

How many hours or days s/p surgery is the patient?

I assume this was used in a case of hypervolemic hyponatremia? Taken from an eMedicine.com article: Lasix (furosemide) High-ceiling diuretic with a prompt onset of action that acts upon ascending limb of loop of Henle to inhibit sodium/potassium/chlo...

These are all great answers. I just want to remind you that ther terms hypertonic or hypotonic does not always refer to the concentration of particles in the cells. The terms can also be used to apply to the solution. (ie, you can have a cell in a...

As a new grad, I interviewed in both the OR and the ER, ended up choosing ER because I thought if I did OR I might get "stuck" there. I know our ER manager likes getting new grads as opposed to people who transfer from med-surg because then she can ...

I'm just thinking...what was her pressure before you gave the meds? Did you have an order to hold the Lopressor for a certain BP? Or to contact the MD if her pressure dropped below a certain level? I'm thinking you did the right things otherwise. ...

Here's a website that explains the answer very thoroughly... http://adam.about.com/reports/Shingles-and-chickenpox-Varicella-zoster-virus.htm But the short answer is, yes, because the two illnesses are both caused by the same virus (Varicella-zoster ...

I agree with almost everything said in the above posts. As a recent new grad, and a second degree nurse, these were all things I considered when coming into the field and choosing to go to the ER first. However, while I respect your opinions about ...

The location where I lived when I went to school was very similar to where TheCommuter described. All the same reasons why there wasn't a "shortage" existed. They were very picky about new grads and made you feel lucky if you got *any* job there af...

As a student, I would have agreed with your post 100%. I always felt like the care plans were mostly a waste of time. I knew in my chosen specialty, ER, that I would never even see another care plan anyway. With that said, I think care plans are i...

The length requirement will probably depend on the individual schools where you are applying- sometimes, the school will specify a page limit, others will give you the limit at a number of words (like "in 500 words or less.") However, a good persona...

Since being a new grad RN, I always draw labs with the initial IV start and have never had a specimen hemolyze at my new facility. Where I used to work as a tech, I did all the blood draws using a butterfly (if the pt. didn't need an IV start or for...

I agree, this sounds like it could really help out families in those extreme cases of lack of care. However, my fear would be that this system will just turn the use of the MET/RRT into something ignored or cheapened by its overuse or misuse. In th...

I carry my Palm in my pocket, and I am not ashamed to take it out and consult my Merck Manual or PEPID if I don't know an answer. I can't count how many times I have been to the doctor's office and have seen a physician do it...

Hi, I have only worked in a Level 2 Trauma Center, but it is really busy and fast-paced. I love the ER, I can't imagine being anywhere else now. I think the hardest thing for me was that I am a control freak and in the ER you have no control over w...

I'm going to go a little against the grain here. I think that a suit is always a perfectly acceptable ensemble for any interview. However, keep in mind that the best thing you can wear is something that is well-made and well-fitting. After my firs...

I was interested in ER primarily when I graduated last December, but (oddly) my second choice area was L&D. I applied to both ER and L&D units. At every hospital I applied to, L&D units were the first to pick their new hires and the fir...

How to solve the nursing crisis? By sorely misleading the public...

I had this problem when I had lost 20 lbs. after surgery. Radiance is a brand of scrubs sold at my local scrub shop that come in XXS. Their bottoms were the only ones that wouldn't fall off my hips when I was really tiny. They are pretty cheap at ...

I just want to point out that this problem is unique to the Medflex I fabric. The newer editions, Medflex II and Medflex III, do not need ironing. I think that IguanaMed are the most comfortable fabric, but I no longer buy the original Medflex I fa...

Landau tops...they have 4 pockets. I have many other cuter scrubs but I find myself wearing only the Landau ones. IguanaMed are probably the most comfortable but the pockets are too shallow, so my scissors and hemostats keep falling out. Urbane sc...

The PEPID suite was originally created to be an ER companion. I have had Skyscape's Nursing Central for over a year and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. My subscription just expired so I thought I'd try PEPID RN suite to see th...

I agree with the above posters. Duke's pay is notoriously lower than everywhere else in the area, probably because they can get by with it in exchange for the prestige of the name. I would look into WakeMed and Rex, both are great hospitals. WakeM...

I think Charlotte area hospitals pay approximately 20-21 dollars an hour for new grads. (Presby and CMC) I think CMC also will pay about $3000 relocation assistance too. Hope that helps.