jennifer79RN

I know how you feel!! Night shift is always forgotten!! My issue is that all of our mtgs are in the middle of the day, even the mandatory mtgs. They don't seem to realize that their 2pm is my 2am. I wouldn't expect them to come in at 2 in the morning, so why do they expect it of me???? Jennifer

I work on a PCU. step-down from ICU, which is different from the unit you work on, I think. Anyway, since we are considered critical care our ratio is 6:1. In Jan we going down to 5:1. Jennifer

One of our MDs did use it to slow down the rhythum to determine what the rhythum actually was. This was the only time I have seen it used for that purpose. The patient never actually went asystole. It is always interesting to watch when they use it. Jennifer

The unit I work on a RN can administer it but the MD must be present. Usually the MD will administer it. We always have the crash cart at hand as well as the heartrate and rhythum being observed by the monitor tech. We had one patient who the MD just wanted the rate to be slowed enough so he could determine what rhythum this patient was actually in. It was pretty cool to watch. Jennifer

I'm confused on why someone would need workers comp for a needle stick?? Was the patient positive for something that you need to take meds for? I also don't understand why a drug screen is needed for a needle stick? Jennifer

I am going to try and reply to everyones posts. Forgive me if I leave someone out. To the 1st poster who mentioned "being charge,orienting, and having a full (6 pt) assignment is total insanity" I completely agree. Here's the thing, our hospital, like most is so short staffed it has become dangerous!!!! Most of our employees have left. i stayed b/c I believed it would get better, and it did for a while. Granted there would be nights when I would be the only PCU employee but the agency and travels we had were wonderful, at least most of them were. In fact there was a time when I was the ONLY fulltime nightshift RN on our unit!! We do have several parttime RNs. Anyway, then the hospital finally did what they had to do and worked hard on getting new employees in. Of course, this means they need someone to orient these new people. Well, since there wasn't many of us actual staff that meant we all did our part and oriented. There would be nights when we would have 3 new people orienting. Luckily, everyone has a license, there are no GNs on our unit and many are seasoned nurses. So, I would take the most experianced or relieable new employee and put them with me. Doing this allowed me to give them a bit more space and I was able to do my work as well. Suddenly, and I do mean suddenly, our administrators decided to get rid of all agency and travelers. However, not all of our staff was off orientation. So, they forced some off orientation early and made us short staffed AGAIN!! This was when I said enough is enough! and out went my resume:yeah: I am very careful not to allow my administrators to push me into something I feel I am not able to handle. I NEVER take more then 6 pts. I NEVER take patients on our unit that belongs in ICU, and I NEVER work as charge and monitor tech at the same time. All of these by the way, have been done by other charge nurses. However, I need to get to our policies and procedures and print out duties and responsibilities of charge nurses at our hospital. I am glad that I am not alone in this situation as well as knowing I'm not alone in feeling that this is completely insane. BTW, There are nights when our ICU will have 8 patients and only 2 nurses. Scary isn't it?! Thank goodness I don't work over there. Thanks everyone for your responses. Jennifer

I work on a PCU Progressive care unit. It is not ICU but a step-down. So, believe it or not many of our patients are critical care patients. For example, dobutamine/dopamine/insulin/ etc drips, acute MIs, PEs, DVTs, overdoses, GI bleeds, etc. Everyone that comes to our hospital (agency/travelers/or new employees) are all outraged at out nurse to patient ratio. However the hospital has a goal of cutting the ratio down to 1:5 in Jan 09 and 1:4 by Jan 2011. A typical PCU calls for 1:4. Jennifer

Thank you for this post. I, too have never seen the "pink frothy" sputum, however I did have a patient go into flash pulmonary edema one night and was able to reverse the process by administering IV lasix and putting pt on bipap. I agree with a PP who mentioned that being a DNR means we just don't do CPR,etc. I have had many new nurses (I'm still pretty new myself) who don't fully understand that we treat up to the point of CPR/intubation. I have seen many times where our interventions on a patient who is a DNR saved the person from coding and ultimatly passing away. Although, the hospital I work for keeps going back and forth between bipap being allowed for a pt who is a DNR. Jennifer

hello. i am a rn on a pcu floor. i am still a new nurse. i graduated in spring of 07 but was on maternity leave after that so it will be 1 yr this coming january since i have been on the floor and off orientation. this past august i was oriented for 3 shifts (only 3) to charge. i was not asked but told that it was time for me to become charge. so,thats what i did. now, going into this position i knew that there would be shifts when i would have to take our 6 patient ratio when short staffed but was hopeful that it wouldn't be often. well, within a week i was not only doing charge, carrying a full patient assignment, but orienting bran new nurses as well. i know that the charge nurse sets the tone of the unit. but i still have yet to learn what exactly being a charge nurse truly entails. could anyone help me. thank you in advance jennifer