opossum

opossum

ICU/CCU, Med Surg

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All Content by opossum

  1. Common nicknames for hospital items.

    opossum replied to LifesAJourney's topic in Nursing Humor

    I call the SOMA bed "mosquito netting". I also had a pt (WWII navy vet) refer to using the urinal in bed as "pumping the

  2. Difficult night, heavy trauma/high acuity... vent/insight

    opossum replied to MassED's topic in Emergency

    These posts sound like my night last week in the ED - I'm a per diem "float" (don't get me started...) who is now cross-training for the ED after doing mostly ICU and Med-Surg. I've been working as a...

  3. Sepsis and Lasix

    opossum posted a topic in Medical-Surgical

    The other night, I had a pt in Med-Surg admitted at 0030 for PNA and sepsis. BP on arrival was 140/[can't remember], O2 sats were low 90s on 3L, pt was very painful on her lt side w/coughing. PE study...

  4. Sepsis and Lasix

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in Medical-Surgical

    Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I agree that I wouldn't have called the night hospitalist, since the day MDs were going to do their rounds soon anyway. What I think I should have done (at the...

  5. I think cutsey scrub tops look ridiculous on adult units

    opossum replied to AZO49008's topic in Scrubs, Uniforms, Gear

    I'm all for cheering up my adult patients, but I'm not sure cartoon characters are the way to go here...in the hospital setting people already feel infantilized - how is Scooby Doo going to help the...

  6. ICU in community hospital VS. Stepdown in academic hospital?

    opossum replied to SEWRN's topic in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, CRNA

    I graduated with my BSN in 2010 and started working at a small community ICU/stepdown almost a year later; I did my immersion at a big university hospital trauma stepdown unit. I agree with what...

  7. "I DEMAND an antibiotic. I am the customer and I am paying your salary"

    opossum replied to Nascar nurse's topic in General Nursing

    Ugh. Sorry to hear that...I think we'll all be experiencing more and more of this now that customer service reigns in healthcare. What's frustrating is that a) this woman thinks it's OK to talk to...

  8. Swearing: hugely unprofessional, mildly irritating or a normal part of speech.

    opossum replied to loveoutloud's topic in General Students

    I definitely swear more than I should, both at work and at home. As far as cursing in front of patients, while as a general rule, it's not professional, I think it depends on your patient. There are...

  9. NO, NO, NO!!

    opossum replied to PintheD's topic in General Nursing

    I think the scenario the OP poses is even further compounded by the fact that Medicare reimbursement is now based on patient satisfaction scores. I have an example from a couple of days ago that...

  10. Things you'd LOVE to be able to tell patients, and get away with it.

    opossum replied to AngelfireRN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    "Did you forget something...?" I don't know, did I? I only have about a hundred things to prepare, execute and document in my 12hr shift. It's possible I might have forgotten something as critical...

  11. Things you'd LOVE to tell coworkers...and get away with it!

    opossum replied to General E. Speaking, RN's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I've had this experience more than once and it boggles my mind...in the cases where the MDs decide not to order their home psych meds, it seems like they are trying to "clear" them up so they can get...

  12. Absolutely incompetent...not so sure "it gets better".

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I agree...mistakes should absolutely be addressed. To be clear, I don't think I've experienced the "eating young" phenomenon from any of those seasoned nurses, even if I felt they were nitpicking at...

  13. Unsafe Staffing

    opossum replied to BriRN's topic in Nursing Career

    We're also 4:1, maybe 5:1 on days and up to 7:1 nights (although 7 is rare) at our hospital. As a new grad, I struggle with it at times, but I'm getting better (I

  14. Unsafe Staffing

    opossum replied to BriRN's topic in Nursing Career

    I graduated a year ago and it took me a very long time to find a job...and I was in a very similar situation as yours. Basically, I left a miserable FT psych job off orientation for a per diem...

  15. I wonder if I was just lucky....

    opossum replied to MomRN0913's topic in MICU, SICU

    As common as it is to hear about new nurses being treated badly, I don't think it happens everywhere, all the time...I think we just hear more of the bad stuff than the good. I am a new nurse (6 mo...

  16. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum posted a topic in General Nursing

    I was working on a med-surg floor the other night and one of my pts was an 85yo male with PNA who had been there for a few days, can't remember if he had abx during his course of tx but I believe he...

  17. Not hired...because of post intervie thank you note..yes, really

    opossum replied to Gratefulprn's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    "Too aggressive"? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I agree that this has more to do with your weirdo former coworker rather than the thank you note. Good riddance to bad

  18. Arrested while Occupying Wall Street - Will I Be Hireable?

    opossum replied to LookingAhead's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    Good point...I think my state is probably one of the more lenient ones, so I didn't have to "appeal"

  19. Arrested while Occupying Wall Street - Will I Be Hireable?

    opossum replied to LookingAhead's topic in Licensure: Criminal History

    I was arrested a decade ago during WTO protests...I was charged with disorderly conduct, saw a judge, released on my own recognizance... When applying to nursing school I had to disclose what I was...

  20. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in General Nursing

    Also, we go up to 7:1 at nights at my hospital. Which, from what I've heard is the

  21. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in General Nursing

    The 102 was notified to MD during day shift before my night shift

  22. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in General Nursing

    I know, I know...but keep in mind I am a wimp. And we don't have a CNA. And these were a particularly sick bunch, etc. Again, I *hate* med

  23. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in General Nursing

    Well, I wouldn't contact the MD in the middle of the night unless the change reflected a deterioration in the pt's condition. If the temp at 2300 was still 102, I'd follow the orders for Tylenol and...

  24. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in General Nursing

    I would have LOVED a CNA that night; we have one CNA come in at 0400 for the entire med surg dept and she first goes to the wing that's slammed the most, then helps out whoever else needs help (which...

  25. PNA, elevated temp and potential for D/C

    opossum replied to opossum's topic in General Nursing

    ...this seems to be the scenario every time I work med surg...I don't know how other nurses manage to get it all done and out of there by 0730. (The first part of your statement, that is...I almost...