whitecat5000

whitecat5000

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All Content by whitecat5000

  1. How do you leave it at work?

    whitecat5000 replied to Newbie_RN17's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I find that the only times I want to find out how someone is doing after I have to upgrade them, or now that I work in the ER, after I admit them; is when I feel guilty. I truly might have given it...

  2. Pay Off My Student Loans In Full or Make Monthly Payments?

    whitecat5000 posted a topic in General Nursing

    I have the ability to pay off my student loans completely now and be done with it. It would almost completely wipe out my savings, but I would be debt free. Also I would save about $8,000 in the 20...

  3. Only Charting "The Good Vitals"?

    whitecat5000 posted a topic in Patient Safety Issues

    So I have a question for everyone. The scenario: I had a patient the other day who was 88 RA and 78/49 with a HR of 92 at beginning of my shift. Came in for weakness and fever. The CNA put the...

  4. How much do you owe in student loans?

    whitecat5000 replied to Glenna, LPN's topic in General Nursing

    I'll say an amount. I owed $25,000 after four years at a university. I have a 20 year repayment plan. I would say as a side note to make sure and pay them because the do not go away, even with a...

  5. Navigating Doctors Idiosyncrasies

    whitecat5000 posted a topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    So back story. . . I had a 32 yr old female patient that was a direct admit around 2300 for hematuria. We call the doctor and get orders for a CT abd/pelvis w + w/o contrast, insert three-way and...

  6. Navigating Doctors Idiosyncrasies

    whitecat5000 replied to whitecat5000's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Yeah, she was admitted because there was pain with urination and she kept passing quarter sized clots with much difficulty. Thanks for all the feedback

  7. Retirement in the nursing field.

    whitecat5000 replied to A.B.123's topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    I'm not saying that the nurse caused sepsis. I'm saying the nurse didn't see the alert and transfer the patient to the appropriate level of care as she should of, and as it should have

  8. Retirement in the nursing field.

    whitecat5000 replied to A.B.123's topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    I don't know about that. I followed an experienced nurse with 32 years on-the-job who was not very proficient with computers and didn't see the Sepsis Alert notification form because she says she's...

  9. What if we had to tell the real truth when asked about our weaknesses?

    whitecat5000 replied to RNperdiem's topic in General Nursing

    I have a low tolerance for incompetence. That's why I like working night shift. Less people means less incompetence. "Oh. Did I just draw blood from a fistula?" "She's not responding; I think she's...

  10. You might be a night shifter if...

    whitecat5000 replied to beeker's topic in General Nursing

    You have a hard time checking if your patients are A/O X4 at 0200. "No sir it's not Tuesd... Oh wait, no, you're right." You can see in the dark better than

  11. I Feel Like I'm in a Rut

    whitecat5000 posted a topic in Nursing Career

    So like the topic says, I feel like I'm in a rut. I've been a nurse for a year and a half and I've been a med/surg nurse that whole time. I feel bored. We don't get a variety of patients, and they...

  12. I Feel Like I'm in a Rut

    whitecat5000 replied to whitecat5000's topic in Nursing Career

    Thanks for the responses! I have my ECG, ACLS, BLS, and PALS. I can't take my med/surg cert or gerontology cert until August 2013. I've just become part of the SuperUser team, Skin/Wound team, and...

  13. What are you good at?

    whitecat5000 replied to proudnurseRN's topic in General Nursing

    I'm the sepsis/declining patient queen! I can figure it out before the computer (though I wish the docs would believe me more.) I transfer a patient on average at least once a month (I work

  14. Money Management

    whitecat5000 replied to jlamarev's topic in Nursing Career

    I use Mint.com to help manage finances. I love it because I can list when my bills have to be paid, how much, and I can set a budget. It pulls charges from bank accounts and credit cards and...

  15. New Grads / First Job Survey

    whitecat5000 replied to Scarlettz's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Degree type: Bachelors Graduation month/year: 05/2011 Sex: Female Age range: 19-24 Job Setting: Hospital Geographical Location: Arizona Race/Ethnicity:Caucasian How long have you been looking for...

  16. heparin bolus and continous infusion

    whitecat5000 replied to mspurple's topic in Medical-Surgical

    We have a facility policy regarding Heparin that explains when to check aPtt, when to bolus, etc. Did you check to see if your hospital has one? It could be different per

  17. Only Charting "The Good Vitals"?

    whitecat5000 replied to whitecat5000's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    It's the same with the Accu-chek machine. You get a sugar of 482 and then recheck it and get 246. Both numbers will populate in the computer. But if you look it's obvious. "What?! 482?!. . . oh a...

  18. Extreme Lab Values

    whitecat5000 replied to TX.RN.Shannon's topic in General Nursing

    I had a patient with a pH of 7.04. I didn't know that was

  19. Only Charting "The Good Vitals"?

    whitecat5000 replied to whitecat5000's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    The patient was an admit about 30 minutes before change of shift. So the report from days was understandably lacking. They didn't even know where the IV was, let alone if the patient was on...

  20. What are you really good at?

    whitecat5000 replied to proud nurse's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I'm a "Sepsis Whisperer" on my floor. I can spot it within 12 hours of the official signs and symptoms. Queen of the transfers because of it (I'm Med/Surg)! Also I'm great at patient education....

  21. Brain Sheet Diagrams

    whitecat5000 posted a topic in Medical-Surgical

    So I'm trying to create my own brain sheet for the med/surg floor that I'm working on. When I look at different examples they have diagrams on their sheet like an X or a weird fishbone looking thing....

  22. Pay Off My Student Loans In Full or Make Monthly Payments?

    whitecat5000 replied to whitecat5000's topic in General Nursing

    Thanks all for your input. I'm just gathering feedback before my meeting with my financial adviser. I'm not completely financially retarded. I have a 401K, EE bonds, savings, etc. I do worry...

  23. 3 things you wish someone would have told you, that you had to find out on your own..

    whitecat5000 replied to OnlybyHisgraceRN's topic in General Nursing

    1. Never let anyone hear you speaking bad about your patients. Never. That stuff gets around easily. 2. Hourly rounding, especially at night, is EXTREMELY important. 3. Don't take shortcuts....

  24. Keep previous licenses?

    whitecat5000 replied to Ginger Machine's topic in General Nursing

    I think you should renew. Always. I renew my pharmacy technician license always, even though I don't plan on using it again. My father was a pharmacist, worked in corporate as a buyer for a grocery...

  25. How is the job market for nursing where you live?

    whitecat5000 replied to Lucidity's topic in General Nursing

    I think that they will always have need in rural areas. I'm in Arizona and there are a significant number of new grad nursing jobs out here. You just have to know where/how to look. It's hard to...