Altra BSN, RN

Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU

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All Content by Altra

  1. Altra

    What is the drug of choice in your area?

    Altra replied to Momma1RN's topic in Emergency

    You know that warning in many EHRs that must be acknowledged before ordering or administering Dilaudid - "1mg Dilaudid = 7mg Morphine" or something to that effect? The entire text of this post should...
  2. Altra

    What is the drug of choice in your area?

    Altra replied to Momma1RN's topic in Emergency

    You're right that it is very region-dependent. Here in the urban northeast, it's heroin, alcohol, and a fair amount of crack and other forms of cocaine. We saw lots of "bath salts" and other...
  3. Altra

    Transfers who go POV

    Altra replied to Lunah's topic in Emergency

    With rare exception, if a patient refuses transfer, they are discharged or must sign out AMA. The exceptions tend to be kiddos that should be admitted to the local children's hospital. I'm not the...
  4. Altra

    How much is a normal raise

    Altra replied to Sully64's topic in General Nursing

    Typical annual raises in my area are 1-3%, so yours would be right in line with expectations. Do not give up this job, or even your committee assignments, without exploring what is typical. It is...
  5. Altra

    Issues with starting an information-based website?

    Altra replied to mtlnurse's topic in General Nursing

    How would you differentiate this from the many sites directed at the average consumer/layperson, such as WebMD, medical info sites from large health systems, etc. Is there something unique that your...
  6. Altra

    Nursing Career

    Altra replied to Aprilc's topic in General Nursing

    You will have to decide what you are willing to do and what you're not. Beginning nursing school, and particularly clinicals, will quickly demonstrate why office positions requiring the clinical...
  7. Altra

    Picc line care/flushing

    Altra replied to Jer328's topic in General Nursing

    Not sure I'm correctly understanding what you are describing. I haven't seen peripheral or central lines flushed with heparin in the last 10 years (except HD caths, as noted in the post above). We...
  8. Altra

    New CNA has questions for RNs re: trauma-surgical floor

    Altra replied to golson's topic in Critical Care

    Just out of curiousity ... what was most valuable to you in the early days of this position? Thanks for the update, and good luck with your
  9. Altra

    statement CI

    Altra replied to ali1986's topic in General Nursing

    Assuming that your instructor indicated the purpose of the letter, this would guide the content, i.e. -- is the instructor applying for another teaching position? Applying for admission to an...
  10. Altra

    My father's health information

    Altra replied to Catcar1963's topic in General Nursing

    This is my experience as well, and I believe I stated as much. I'm sorry if it didn't come across clearly. I inferred that OP's brother was physically present, or at least in direct contact, with...
  11. Altra

    My father's health information

    Altra replied to Catcar1963's topic in General Nursing

    In that case, your father is able to manage the situation as he
  12. Altra

    Psych in the ER

    Altra replied to ReadyToListen's topic in Emergency

    The patient is seeking emergency care, and has a right to emergency care. Questions such those you give as examples are part of trained psychiatric professionals' evaluation of the patient and used...
  13. Altra

    My father's health information

    Altra replied to Catcar1963's topic in General Nursing

    OP, I understand that you are in a difficult situation. A couple of points for consideration: Your brother is your father's next of kin. Unless your father has previously identified in writing...
  14. Altra

    CPR on the floors

    Altra replied to Sallysame's topic in General Nursing

    Am I to understand the OP correctly, that a patient's trach dislodged and the patient suffered hypoxia long enough to progress to cardiac arrest? Or are we combining more than one emergent situation...
  15. Altra

    Why are patients admitted for a routine CT?

    Altra replied to BSN_Studnt's topic in Patient Education

    I think you may be misinterpreting the registration process as "admissions". Until some changes were made, outpatient registration at my hospital used to be a nightmare too - first register here ......
  16. Altra

    Take an order while visiting?

    Altra replied to strongenough's topic in General Nursing

    This would not happen where I work, even before
  17. Altra

    Baby Boomers, Gen X'ers, & GenY/Millennials: Can We Work Together?

    Altra replied to Bridgid Joseph's topic in General Nursing

    This post enumerates personal characteristics the OP has found to be desirable/undesirable in her coworkers and attempts to link them to age / generational cohort. In my experience - nothing could be...
  18. Altra

    My thoughts. Literally. Catheter. Psych Pt. ED

    Altra replied to Ronda89's topic in Emergency

    This thread is about treatment of suicidal patients in the ED. Not the woulda-coulda-shoulda that may or may not have occurred prior to the patient arriving in the ED, or the various modalities of...
  19. Altra

    My thoughts. Literally. Catheter. Psych Pt. ED

    Altra replied to Ronda89's topic in Emergency

    I was talking about standard non-slip "hospital socks". No one walks around a hospital barefoot, for numerous reasons related to safety and
  20. Altra

    Secretaries who believe they rule the unit or hospital

    Altra replied to DesiDani's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Secretaries run the unit logistics. Yes, you as a nurse are focused on the clinical care of your patients, but all that logistical stuff in the background enables you to do that. In my experience,...
  21. Altra

    My thoughts. Literally. Catheter. Psych Pt. ED

    Altra replied to Ronda89's topic in Emergency

    Thank you, especially for the part I have bolded. The patient was poorly handled from the beginning -- Not being directed to an appropriate room, creating the situation that he needed to walk from...
  22. Altra

    I'm about ready to quit!!

    Altra replied to BrownNAchic's topic in General Nursing

    What about exploring being a medication aide, if you're in a state where those are utilized in LTCs, assisted living, or home settings? Or an aide to a medically-fragile child who attends school? Best...
  23. Altra

    Online vs Face-to-Face RN-to-BSN Programs

    Altra replied to Fiddlesticks27's topic in Online Distance Learning

    I live in a large metropolitan area, with several colleges/universities, all but one of which offer RN-BSN either online, in the classroom, or both. For schools which offer both, there is no...
  24. Altra

    No pain meds in ER??

    Altra replied to ShaneTeam's topic in Emergency

    Most of this entire thread is extremely disappointing. Hearsay ... hyperbole ... and very incomplete understanding. No one is "outlawing" anything. No meds are being "pulled" from St. Joseph's (the...
  25. Altra

    Ideas for employee engagement

    Altra replied to nursenellie's topic in General Nursing

    What is your "High 5" program and what recognition and/or incentives does it involve? What engagement "behaviors" specifically are you looking to