WalkieTalkie RN

I was just wondering how many of you utilize adult ECMO at your facility? We've had quite a few of them recently... two major successes, and two, which I can only describe as likely to end up as "epic fails." We recently started doing a lot more he...

lol, yes, conSERvation, not conVERsation... darn auto-correct :)

I'm not sure about my current hospital, but a unit similar to the one you described in my old hospital was 1:3-1:5 depending on acuity and shift (nights had more patients). Your assignment sounds INSANE and UNSAFE!

My hospital does a "blood conversation" approach for all patients: Blood Management Program | Saint Lukes Health System NoBlood - Transfusion alternatives. Blood management.

Sir, you are 30-something years old. Whining, flailing around, causing drama, and wigging out are not acceptable behaviors in an ICU when you are completely alert and oriented. I understand that you are in pain and are anxious. However, you have r...

I've been on nights for 7+ years. I have met most of my friends through work!

Amen to this! I would actually think it would be more sanitary to have a tampon which is changed at regular intervals, than to have a Foley with a pad. I know it's going to sound gross, but it seems like a Foley in contact with a saturated pad wou...

Some of the nurses I worked with at my old job have started taking Provigil, and they really like it! They told me it has helped their sleep/wake cycle immensely. These are all nurses who have been working nights for a long time and who still have ...

Wow, called the Missouri BON today and spoke with a super friendly lady who was glad to help me out. She said as long as she can verify my Nebraska RN online, I should have a temp license by the end of the week. Great news!

The unit I used to work in is half full of CV surgeons who don't mind if you give a little volume. Unfortunately, the other two surgeons are micro-managers who want to be called for every measly change that could easily be fixed with protocol fluid ...

If it makes you feel any better, I saw an anesthesiologist intubate a patient and he couldn't figure out why his sats sucked after he had him tubed. Well, as it turns out, he forgot to hook the ambu bag up to O2! It happens to the best of us!

Thanks for the tip... I will give them a ring!

I don't know if anyone has any suggestions for me, but here's my story... I am currently licensed in Nebraska and I moved to Kansas a week ago. However, I will be working in Missouri. Initially I was told that I could work with my Nebraska license ...

Personally speaking about Ambien, I used to take it occasionally for insomnia. I would get up and make whole meals in the kitchen and not remember it until I woke up in the morning to find a kitchen full of dirty dishes. I once even bought some stu...

I had the same thing happen to me with a patient who'd gotten a heart transplant. He was on pump a long time and had vasoplegic syndrome. Giving him lots of Neo and Vaso helped.

:yeah:EXACTLY!!!

I wish the people who make Dilaudid in only 2 mg vials would also make them in 1 mg sizes. How often do we give a full 2 mg? Morphine comes in multiple size vials at our hospital, so why can't Dialudid?

I wish hospitals would have two sections on a patient's list. One for allergies and one for intolerances (our list is clumped into one). Some of the most ridiculous things I have seen recently include the following "allergies" (actually intolerance...

LMAO, I was just getting ready to post that I had a patient last night who was supposedly allergic to good ol' potassium. It's amazing that she has survived into her 60s! Needless to say, her K+ was super low, so I gave her a total of 80 mEq.

I will not take the badmouthing, "come hither" motions, yelling, or demeaning tones. That will be either taken up with that doctor when it's appropriate (i.e., not interfering with patient care), or through the proper channels. As for the chair thin...

I'm pretty sure this dates back to the dawn of cellular technology (i.e. bag phones and the Zach Morris phone). Nearly every nurse, doctor, and family member who sets foot in my unit has a cell phone on them. I've never seen the monitors have inter...

Technically, you are supposed to call if no holding parameters are written. Do I always do this? No... sometimes I will wait until morning and let the doc know they need to write holding parameters (i.e. patient is maxed on Levophed, so yeah, I'm n...

We do this at my hospital.

Absolutely. Go up the chain of command, go to the medical director. Call the ethics committee. You'll stir the pot, but if it's the right thing to do, they are the ones who will look bad in the end. I once called ethics because everyone from the...

What a prick. I would report him to your facility's medical director. Leaving a patient in pain because of a personal tiff is uncalled for and DANGEROUS. Nobody should have to suffer because of someone's ego and personality problems.