nurseiam08

nurseiam08 has 2 years experience and specializes in Med/surg, telemetry, ICU.

nurseiam08's Latest Activity

1. 

   Common practice for any ER??

   nurseiam08 replied to BAMARN09's topic in Emergency

   It's against our hospital policy to infuse blood products via pump. We always hang it by gravity, and monitor frequently, adjusting the rate as needed. You need to check what your hosp. policy is, so you learn to do it correctly We routinely administer antibiotics simultaneously, as long as they are compatible. I wasn't aware that it was bad practice to run them concurrently. (You do have to decrease rates though, if your Pt is in CHF, etc.) Re. piggyback: we always hang our primary fluids as a main line and lower the bag, while antibiotic bag goes in as a secondary. I know, it is frustrating when you are a new nurse and you see things done so many different ways: it is hard to sort out which way is correct. I would definitely look up the policies and procedures. Good luck!
2. 

   managements new idea for call-lights

   nurseiam08 replied to DebRN06's topic in Nursing

   What an absolute and utter nonsense! Sounds like the management was getting low satisfaction scores from pts due to poor staffing and a "natural way" to solve the problem: make already overworked nurses work even harder and punish them if they won't. It's funny, how all the facilities come up with very similar nonsensical solutions. Our facility's new project: asking pt their goal for the day and writing it on the board. The other day my pt wanted me to write "do a large poop"!
3. 

   Good critical care apps for IPOD

   nurseiam08 posted a topic in MICU

   Hi, anyone using apps on IPOD that you find really helpful working in the ICU? There are so many choices out there, but maybe you have tried some and know which ones are better? Thanks for advice :)
4. 

   Having another nurse check insulin doses & other med Qs

   nurseiam08 replied to Plagueis's topic in Nursing

   I work in a hospital, and we have to get second signature for insulin. The problem is that now that all the documentation is done on the computers, it is much more time consuming. It is no longer just checking the type of insulin, looking at the syringe and signing on the paper. Now we have to scan the patient armband, scan the med, type in blood sugar result, source, units given, click a number of times to submit, type in password, then the other nurse puts in her user name and password. Quite a process. And if you have a bunch of people on insulin, it becomes time consuming. I loved paper MAR, was so much faster.
5. 

   Why would I NOT help? I'm confused.

   nurseiam08 replied to AngelfireRN's topic in Nursing

   I would also be in shock if I called for help and an NP or MD came to lend a hand. It simply doesn't happen on the hospital floor. It was very thoughtful of you to put aside the paperwork and help out with a Pt. I used to work at a rehab hospital where all the direct pt care team members were expected to answer call lights, pull up the pt, etc. CNAs, Rts, Pts, Ots, nsg management all wore teal color tops, which signified that they were able to perform pt care and were expected to help if needed. They had great team spirit there. I wish we could have more of it on the med/surg.
6. 

   Sleeping aides at work

   nurseiam08 replied to sasha2lady's topic in Safety

   Before I became an RN, I worked as a CNA on an acute floor of a rehab hospital. There was another CNA there who constantly wrapped herself up in heated blankets and fell asleep in an alcove, out of sight of the nurses. This was on neuro floor, where many pts are on 15 min checks, bed alarms, high fall risk. I hated working with this lady, because it meant that often I had to do double the work. I got tired of constantly going to wake her up. I was new, so I didn't wan't to make a big deal out of it. Luckily one night the nsg supervisor found her asleep, told her to get her purse and jacket and go home. She did come back a week later, but she stopped sleeping at work. I was glad she was given a chance to keep her job, she was a nice person, just working night shift wasn't agreeing well with her body.
7. 

   What's The Weirdest Name You've Heard A Patient Name Her Baby?

   nurseiam08 replied to teresab_2000's topic in Ob/Gyn

   Buick (a girl) Phuk (a guy) The latter was mentioned by one of the posters. My hubby worked with a guy named that, but it was pronounced "Fook". Still, a terrible terrible choice of a name. Although I am not the one to talk: I am from Lithuania, my name is Zivile with a checkmark above Z, pronounced similar to chevrolet. Everyone calls me "Z".
8. 

   Goofy call bell requests

   nurseiam08 replied to newtress's topic in Nursing

   -I need someone right away! -What's the matter? -I need someone to scratch my back.
9. 

   How can I stay in nursing after this weekend?

   nurseiam08 replied to cargalrn's topic in Nursing

   Hi, I know exactly how you feel. I worked night shift after graduating and then switched to days. Some days can be very fast paced and stressful, there are millions of things to do and not enough time. I realized though that if I don't take a lunch break, it becomes just an extra thing to be stressed out about. No matter how busy the assignment is, I have to force myself to plan a lunch break. If all the other RNs on the floor are too busy, could you ask the resource nurse (if you have one) or supervisor to keep an eye on the Pts? I find that even a few minutes away from ringing call lights and phones makes a huge difference. It helps me to relax and regroup, and I am able to focus better, thus getting more done afterwards. Good luck on the new shift!
10. 

    How do you measure it?

    nurseiam08 replied to MaraG.'s topic in Nursing

    At our hospital we have an hour to give the rest of the med (i.e. if the order says 2-4 mg morphine iv Q 4 hr prn for pain, if i give 2 mg because the pain is only moderate and then within an hour pt states his pain is getting worse, I can give another 2 mg. I can repeat the medication in three hours after that.) Sounds like there is misunderstanding among nurses about what the policy is at your facility.
11. 

    Dislikes

    nurseiam08 replied to mindystl's topic in Nursing

    things i most dislike about nursing: 1.charge nurses giving unfair assignments (giving themselves and their friends 4 walkie-talkies while other rns get 5 complete cares + an admission). some nurses will be so busy they'll be pulling their hair out while a few others have no problem sitting at the nurses' station browsing internet or exchanging recipes/gossip. 2.having to document everything, sometimes just for the sake of documentation, which leaves little time to spend at the bedside. 3.older nurses bullying younger, less experienced ones. what i love about nursing: 1. making a huge difference in pts' and families' lives. 2. job security (even in this economy). 3.variety of choices in nursing. 4. teamwork, opportunity to meet so many different people. 5. it is never boring. (i could go on and on)
12. 

    collaborative interventions

    nurseiam08 replied to Moonstruck_dragon's topic in Nursing

    What diagnosis are you doing the care plan on? Some of these interventions may not pertain to your pt.
13. 

    Back Pain and nursing

    nurseiam08 replied to Kasey77's topic in Nursing

    I am sorry to hear about your back pain. I hope you will find treatments that help. Re. nursing with back pain, have you familiarized yourself with your BSN program requirements? The nsg program I graduated from (2 yrs ago) required to undergo complete physical prior to starting and we were told that we had to be able to lift and move pts, or we didn't qualify. Now that I think about it, I am not sure if that is even legal, to exclude someone due to disability? At our hospital we are not supposed to be lifting/moving anything over 35lb without assistive equipment, i.e. hovermat, hoyer lift, ceiling lift or sliding board. In real life, we don't usually take time to get the equipment, and just move people with drawsheets. I am sure our backs will pay for it later:eek:
14. 

    I work in a hell hole!!!

    nurseiam08 replied to LilNurse2b143's topic in Nursing

    8 to 11 pt per RN with only one aide (especially if the pts aren't "walkie-talkies") - definitely unsafe and excessive. It is understandable that you are overwhelmed and exhausted. It is great that you have lasted at this job this long. I am sure you have plenty of experience by now to move on to a different job. If you can juggle assignments of this size/acuity, you could do anything! I would definitely start looking for a new job. Have you started updating your resume?
15. 

    IM injections

    nurseiam08 replied to allie136's topic in Nursing

    An RN at the MD's office taught me to grasp firmly the deltoid muscle and pull it "away from the bone" while injecting into the muscle. She was a seasoned nurse. That's not the technique I was taught in school. Maybe that's an old-school way?
16. 

    Have you ever been fired from a nursing job?

    nurseiam08 replied to nursebrandie28's topic in Nursing

    I work in a small community hospital. We belong to a nsg union, and I have not seen a nurse fired since I started here 1.5 yrs ago. I have seen a couple negligent docs being let go, but not RNs. I dislike paying pricey union dues, but I guess they are worth it if they ensure some job security... I feel for all the nurses who have been unjustly fired in these difficult times. What waste of money for the hospitals... Don't they realize that once the economy picks up they will need more nurses and will spend way more money hiring and training new people?