whitecat5000

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 my all, but sometimes I get those nagging question...

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 years if I paid it off in full now. Just asking fo...

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 patient on O2, sat the head of the bed up, and got a ...

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 bankruptcy.

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 irrigate PRN, and CBC. So CT calls and says they need...

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 everyone!

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 happened.

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 "old school" and doesn't use the computer much. Th...

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 just tired" ::head desk::

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 most.

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 ones we do get seem so predictable. Even when they ...

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 Shared Leadership team, and I'm taking steps to beco...

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 Med/Surg.)

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 automatically sorts them into proper accounts. I think the...

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 your first job before being hired? 3 months Did you d...

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 hospital.

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 recheck five seconds later with a 246." Just becau...

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

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 oxygen. So I go into the room and the patient is on oxy...

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. Give me a patient willing to learn and I'll educate...

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. What are these diagrams for? My friend said it was...

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 about having a financial security blanket. I had a fa...

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. Do things right the first time. If you don't have...

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 store for 20+ years, let his license lapse, and now...

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 get them because they are competitive. There's also...