cardiacmadeline

cardiacmadeline RN

cardiothoracic surgery

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All Content by cardiacmadeline

  1. HIPAA--Mixed up discharge papers

    I would shred them and notify the hospital so they are aware. If they are aware of the error, maybe this will give them an opportunity to improve on
  2. IV stop times

    We have to do it for all of our patients. It is another medicare thing having to do with
  3. Pets in the office? (LTC)

    I too would be extremely turned off if someone brought their snake to work. I am very terrified of snakes, I would actually be a little uneasy being in the same building as a snake even if it was in...
  4. 1. How long have you been a nurse? 7 years 2. What motivated you to choose nursing as a profession? Wanted to work in the health care field and chose nursing because of the many different paths you...
  5. Safety of heparin IV vs SQ

    It could be fatal if it is the wrong dose for the patient. We give boluses prior to starting most of our heparin drips. I once gave a bolus of 10,000 units (after double checking with the MD and...
  6. Family member in room at night

    Depends on the family member. If they are kind, respectful, and considerate of the staff, then I don't have a problem with it. It is nice when they help with ADL's, but I don't expect them too. It...
  7. IV insertion tips, tricks, hints, sites, etc.

    Take your time! I think this is some of the best advice I have received on inserting IV's. Learn to rely more on feel than visualizing the vein. Remember the needle is slightly longer than the...
  8. Highest Troponin Levels You've Seen?

    Elevated ST segments. They look like tombstones; you will know if you ever see
  9. Expanded roles of advanced degree nurses

    Look up the curriculum for a NP program vs med school curriculum and then you will see how false this statement
  10. Calling all Open Heart RNs...Please help

    I love my open heart patients (we don't do transplants) and would be happy to give you some quick words of advice. (I have to go to work soon:)) You will want to be familiar with A-fib protocol and...
  11. GT med administration question?????please help

    Coumadin and lansoprazole are two more meds where the tube feeding should be held one hour before and one hour
  12. Bad hospital experience making me question my future career.

    Don't let this get you discouraged. Strive to be a good nurse and like another post stated, there are many different places to work as a nurse. One of the perks of the job! I am just curious about...
  13. I crank the radio up on my way home, sometimes shower when I get home. Then I sit down on the couch, eat (healthy stuff of course :)) and watch reruns of The George Lopez Show and My Name is Earl....
  14. Restrictive Resuscitation

    We have computerized order entry, so when the doc puts the code status order in, I believe they check what they want and what they don't want for the code status. I don't put those orders in so I am...
  15. Ethical dilemmas encountered by nurses

    I agree. It really bothers me when the family goes against the patient's wishes. We once had a patient on our floor who had an advance directive, but because her family wanted us to treat her and did...
  16. Blood Transfusions

    We have computerized charting so there is an order set for blood transfusions. It includes: how many units to be transfused and why, a normal saline order to run with the blood and medications and...
  17. Feedback on the use of lidocaine with IV Potassium

    We stopped giving lidocaine a while ago with our IV potassium. If the potassium infusion is painful for someone, I either 1) slow down the rate 2) add another line with saline running through so the...
  18. do other careers get "write-ups" as much as nurses?

    This is my opinion on "write ups". Some hospitals and nurses use them as "punishment" for staff members. This is not what they should be viewed as. I will write an occurence report if I see the wrong...
  19. EPIC CORPORATION

    We use Epic where I work. I could tell you lots of things about Epic, anything specific you want to know about
  20. Things new grads do that bother you/scare you half to death??

    I agree with everyone else-I hate it when new grads think they know everything. Even nurses with 20 years experience don't know everything. Also be sure to delegate and ask for help if you are...
  21. being put "in charge" w/ no training

    Sounds to me a pretty rotten way to put people in charge. A charge nurse needs to be someone experienced and knowledgeable, able to get along with coworkers, and has the respect of their coworkers....
  22. A&O x... How many?

    I don't ask what day it is either, it is not a fair question. I will usually ask what month it
  23. Accepting gifts from patients...

    I don't know if we have a policy on this, but I was told we are allowed to take gifts of small value, but no one is sure what the maximum amount is. I guess we are just supposed to use our...
  24. How often do you work extra?

    Maybe once or twice a year. And I only pick up 4 hour shifts, because I don't want to work a full day on my day off. I only agree to it if I know they are in desperate need of help, because you...