mombuxx

I'm doing my own research, for my own curiosity! I believe in the theory that "the grass isn't always greener on the other side", but I wonder what makes it appear greener!!

I'm curious as to what keeps you at the hospital you are currently employed at.....are there specific incentives or bonuses? Does your employer offer perks for picking up hours when staffing is short? Do you get paid sick days and paid vacation and how is it awarded (PTO or set number of days)? Does management take an assignment to help with staffing? Also, what would make you leave your current employer to go elsewhere? Thanks for the input!!

I'm sort of taking a survey! Can anyone tell me what department (ICU, SDU, Med/Surg) you handle your insulin drips, and what is your patient ratio in that department? Also, any other related comments would be helpful! Thanks!!

The new books are published, and effective June 1,2011 all classes will follow the new guidlines and will require the new books! I took my class today and had the old book (due to the confusion we were allowed to attempt the class), but was lucky enough to have found this website prior to my class: http://acls-algorighms.com. EXCELLENT site that has all the new guidelines, multiple practice megacodes, and practice tests. For a fee of $7.95 you can get a 2 week membership that gave me enough "cram-time" to study all the new guidlines! I passed....thought I'd pass on the useful info!

"On the same topic of white scrubs does anyone know what brand is the thickest? I live in the middle of no mans land so I do all my shopping online. Hoping someone has some suggestions!! :) Thanks!" UniformAdvantage.com has a line called "Butter Soft". They are both thick and soft!! I love 'em. They do tend to run a little big. And the prices are good, too!

"On the same topic of white scrubs does anyone know what brand is the thickest? I live in the middle of no mans land so I do all my shopping online. Hoping someone has some suggestions!! :) Thanks!" UniformAdvantage.com has a line called "Butter Soft". They are both thick and soft!! I love 'em. They do tend to run a little big. And the prices are good, too!

We are required to wear white at our hospital. I'm looking for different (cute) tops - it seems they all look so similar! Any suggestions? Also, any hints on removing stains (blood and betadine) and keeping them White? They get so dingy after a few months! Thanks ya'll!!

We will stop seeing drug seekers when hospitals ban together with a policy that states pain will be treated with NON-NARCOTIC medications (ie., ibuprophen and Tylenol) until an underlying cause can be determined. Suggest it to the docs - sometimes they'll agree! I know of one hospital that actually instituted a similar policy, having frequent flyers sign a 'contract'. It's cut down on the abusers:D

I have some mild hearing loss, so it was important that I got a stethoscope that was very sensitive. My first purchase was a Welch-Allyn. Expensive, but SO worth the money!! Every time a loaned it to a doc to use, they ALL commented on what a great scope it is. However, it's on the heavy side and began taking its toll on my neck after 12 hour shift. After more research, I came across A1stethoscopes.com. The scopes are custom made (you pick your design, tubing color, and name engraving) and the service was AMAZING!!! Call with a question and you actually talk to a live person who is both polite and extremely helpful! My new scope has great sound quality (I purchased the one for hearing impaired called Ultrascope), and it's lightweight. I LOVE IT! I can hear through gowns, robes, etc., can cup my hand over it to omit outside noise, and I pick up sounds that no one else hears. Takes some getting use to: use very light pressure for heart sounds, and heavier pressure for lungs - practice on someone helps. With shipping it was under $120. Check it out!!

I've learned a few things in dealing with very similar situations. When a family member goes off on me for tending to a critical pt. vs. their family member, I gently explain to them that if it WAS their family member who was having life threatening issues, they can rest assured that I would be focusing all of my time on their family member in the same way. That USUALLY backs them down. The other thing that I have learned is that you MUST engage them in a light conversation to find out exactly what their job is. EXAMPLE: I had a pt who was being cared for at home by a daughter who made it clear to all that she worked at a large hospital that is world renowned. In my assessment I noted that the pt. was unkept and had multiple areas of skin breakdown! In conversation, I found out that the daughter was a unit secretary who worked 12 hr shifts, leaving her mother alone and obviously she was unable to care for herself. When the doc wanted to discharge the pt back home, I told her that she was not being cared for properly. When the doc stated to me that the daughter was a nurse at ***, I told her that she was assuming, that I had learned she was a secretary, and made the doc come into the room with me and pointed out what I had found in my assessment! Needless to say, we were able to intervene and get the pt. the care she deserved. Next advice I have is CHART, CHART, CHART!!!! Chart that family member is dumping outputs, etc., and let the docs know. If you have to, get your manager involved. If the daughter really is a nurse, she knows the importance of charting I/O's and such. Stay calm, every experience is a lesson learned:D

Remember, there are two sides to every story! Could she possibly been 'let go'? I went through the same thing when I left my last hospital. Manager wanted me to stay, kept making promises I knew she couldn't or wouldn't keep. I left and couldn't be happier!! When you interview, ask if it would be possible to shadow for a day or two. It gives you a good feel for how the floor operates, and an opportunity to 'quiz' current employees to find out if they're happy. And keep your "listening ears" on. Nothing worse than working with unhappy co-workers! Good luck.

Love mine!! Use it all the time. Ours are supplied by pharmacy - just ask! Save alot of time and the waste of tranfering a med to a syringe. Not many nurses use them any more. Always wipe down with alcohol after use.

We are trying to get a group together to initiate team-building activites on our Stepdown unit. Any suggestions for activites that worked for your team would be greatly appreciated! Please give details for implementation. Thanks:D!

Co-worker and I got IM injections last Friday - figuring we'd be sick together!! Neither one of us had any ill-effects! Glad I got it, after contemplating it for weeks:D

No, I don't believe they should be mandatory. What I do think should be mandatory is the ED's sending these patients HOME to recover instead of admitting them! "Go home, drink gatorade, cover your mouth, wash your hands, and put down the cigarette!" That's why you can't breathe:D Instead the doc's admit them so they can infect every employee and other patients who are there with severe illness, post-chemo complications, post-ops. You get it?!?!?