XTChick

Thanks :) Ah yes, I was told about the max inflate for the mattress, will have to remember that! We had one yesterday (not even in ICU), we did a chest XR in the morning, and they ordered a KUB later on the same pt, he was restrained and later the nurse told us after we left he even extubated himself (we hadn't removed the restraints for the chest XR, so not sure how he managed)... anywho, he wasn't a small guy and was very agitated and the mattress didn't have the option to inflate more... God bless his nurse, she helped the 2 of us get the plate under him. I am so scared of getting one of those alone! And I am trying my best to leave things as I found them :) The nurses in our ICU usually catch us as we leave to help turn patients, and of course we help them. Hopefully it'll still be a trade when I start doing them alone :) I have also never really been in a hospital, never had grandparents so it's not like I went to visit them in the hospital ever, ya know? So I'm even more intimitadated. I'm getting through it, though! Hoozdo- yeah, we come to do portables around 6 or 6:30am in ICU, I'm sure we are not a welcome sight LOL. The students before me have done ICU alone without help... but they are also male. I am a girl and I am not small (6'1" and big frame) but still lack the guys' strength. I will def. not feel silly asking for help.

OK so I'm not a nurse but hopefully someone can help me. I am a radiology tech student and I jjust started my hospital rotation, so I am now doing portable x-rays. Everything I am learning I am being taught by my fellow students, and thank God for that. But what can you nurses tell me to watch out for, be extra careful of, etc. Generally we come up and the nurses won't help us get the film under the patient for a chest or abdomen x-ray. When I start going solo, I do plan on asking nurses for help. Should I not? The student I am with right now has told me to watch blood pressure on patients, not to sit them up if it's low... what is your opinion? He told me to be sure to turn off the feeding tube if we have to lay them down to move them up, on the bed, I would not have known this... I am most intimidated by doing ICU by myself, so many IVs and tubes, I am terrified of moving someone too much. So can anyone give me some more tips on things I shouldn't do? I know you guys hate us because we come up and move the patients around and don't always leave them exactly how we found them. I am trying my best to learn and not anger the nurses, or mess anything up! :)