NurseExec

I am looking for ideas on how to improve our efficiency with end of month changeover. Currently, we do our MAR/TARs in-house using AmericanHealthtech's LTC system, and print 1 week prior to the end of the month. Each shift is assigned x number of P...

Take the time off. Be selfish, or self-caring if that suits you better. Get your meds right, so you can be the other things in their time. After I was diagnosed, I took almost a year off to get everything squared away. I'm glad I did. This recen...

Newly diagnosed, and your psych won't see you until January? You should be being seen every week to two weeks, and getting your meds tweaked based on how you're feeling. Have you considered changing? I personally love psychiatriac ARNPs--I've been...

I have akasthisia from my Geodon as well, although not as severe as what I had with Abilify. I'll probably end up on Cogentin, considering I haven't been able to tolerate any of the other AAPs. It can be managed.

I've been away for awhile. It's been a rough few months, and I just wanted to check back in. I have bipolar I, rapid cycling, mixed state, and after I had gallbladder surgery I ended up in the mother of all mixed states. Anesthesia and lack of med...

I'm new here, and would love to hear about you and your facilities--I'll start :) I'm a 45 y.o. DNS, running a 120 bed SNF in FL with a large Medicare short-term population (50-60). My background is open-heart recovery and trauma ICU (8 yrs), OR (3 y...

I don't staff a nurse in the dining room. I have three aides there, they are CPR certified, and there is an emergency paging phone on the wall. The dining room isn't so far away from the floors that a nurse couldn't be there in under 15 seconds.

That's sort of like insisting people call you Dr. So and So, when you have a PhD in Llama hearding or somesuch, isn't it :)

I grew up in, and live in the south. We use Mr. or Miss followed by the first name. Miss Mary, Mr. John. I also Ma'm and Sir everyone older than me. I remember learning this at a very young age--not addressing anyone older than you in this manner...

I am a Director of Nursing who happens to have Bipolar Disease Type I. My fellow department heads, as well as my Administrator are all aware of my disease, and are very supportive. I have chosen not to disclose to my employees at this time. I also...

Think about something local for your facility--something that evokes "home" for the elders living in your local area who will become residents.

I lived in Eagle River (just north of Anchorage) and worked at Alaska Regional in the ICU/CCU from 1997-2000. At that time, it was a great unit to work in, and I had nothing but good experiences with the hospital. We did quite a few open hearts, an...

I am BP1, and I take: Seroquel 450mg at HS Lamictal 200mg BID Effexor 75mg BID Neurontin 300mg at 5p and HS I've been on the Seroquel/Lamictal/Effexor combo for about 5 years, and recently added the Neurontin for breakthrough hypomania in the evening...

We use case studies to do admissions teaching. We spend an entire day of orientation on admissions and discharges. Then, they do both during their floor orientation. If they are having trouble after that, the unit manager goes through it with them...

You didn't say whether or not the BON had put you in a nurse recovery program (a diversion program). Each state has their own time frame. Where I live, it's a 5 year program, after you attend rehab. You can work, although you may lose the keys for...

Here's what we do: 1. The desk nurse takes off the days orders and during the transcription process, updates both the computerized order system and hand updates that month's POS/MAR/TARs. 2. The night shift nurses check each chart and make sure the...

It's about time. It's been a 20 year long fight. I look forward to not having to "ration" the number of visits I can make to my psychARNP for a change!

So, if you had a unit manager that helped you with anything you needed (families, patients going bad, incident reporting, admissions paperwork, discharge paperwork, and so forth) they'd "just get in the way?" I'm really glad that my nurses don't thin...

I staff a wound/treatment nurse, a desk nurse, and two unit managers (short term and LTC). Short term is, in my opinion, impossible to run without a desk nurse--I have either a MD or an ARNP on the short term unit daily. On the weekends, I staff a ...

As a nurse with both a mental illness (bipolar disease) and the disease of alcohol addiction, I am absolutely floored (still, after 9 years sober) at the attitude of our many in our profession to addiction and mental illness. The disease of alcoholis...

1.) What kinds of writing did you have to do to get the job you have? The usual business writing skills. However, I was a technical writer in my previous career, so my writing skills were excellent. 2.) What kinds of of writing do you do routinely ...

I only drive 5 minutes to work--which is the absolute closest I have ever lived to work. The longest trip I've ever made was 1.5 hours to my first nursing job. I finally quit driving the whole distance and drove 30 miles to commuter parking, and to...

1. How long have you been a smoker? On and off, since 1985. I'm in an on phase right now. My longest time without cigarettes was 11 years. 2. How often and how much to you generally smoke cigarettes? I smoke 1/2 pack daily. 3. What is your reason...

All scheduled drugs, plus Lyrica and Phenergan. We also double lock our EDKs (Emergency Drug Kits), because they contain scheduled drugs.

30 LTC residents to one nurse is the norm in my building. I started out as a staff nurse passing meds, and it took me about 2-1/2 hours. I came from acute care, and was slow as all get out the first couple of months. I got in a groove though, and ...