FineAgain

Of course it will be discovered. When I worked NICU we had twins with the same last name as me. Every morning my boss got a report that I had opened their charts...asking if this was work related. They finally figured it out but I was glad those privacy fences were in place. I can't see any good outcome from this OP.

21 years old, called an ambulance because she "s*%t herself". Didn't take a shower, didn't change her clothes. Glad she wasn't mine although we all enjoyed the ambiance.

One of our surgeons insists that we dermabond and leave it OTA; other than that I use a folded 4x4 and tegaderm.

And the gold standard should be expanded in that you should never inflate the balloon when you see urine. You should always keep inserting up to the hub, then inflate and pull back. Cannot tell you how many painful foleys I have found that were inflated in the urethra and not the bladder.

A couple of lines I use.. "Kidney stones hurt like few other things. I know how much pain you are in and I will give you whatever I have ordered to help it. I can't make you pain free but I can knock it back to what I hope is tolerable". (Lowers expectations) "I can see that what we are giving you is not working so I think we should start looking at non-narcotic options. Or if you think it is working we can give you more in x minutes". (They usually scramble backwards at this option) People have unrealistic thoughts that we can magically remove pain. Oh...and I would call security to deal with the family. They are NOT my patient.

You have to buy a lab kit and do the labwork at home; then write up papers. Chemistry was the same way. It just worked at the time, then I took the plunge and went to school!

I agree with all the above, except...I took A&P online through CCC and it was wonderful. They have Micro online too.

Nope. Most of the requests are "if you are in the room I will think of something I want" requests. If they have water, they will ask for ginger ale. If they have been to the bathroom, they will have to go again.

I really think we work on the same unit. Do I like bedside reporting? NO! I hate it. I think it is demeaning to the patient, a major HIPAA violation (especially in semi privates, but with visitors as well), and like many of you, I have 7 patients to give report on. It is not the time to take people to the bathroom, fetch drinks and snacks, and answer a thousand questions about visitation policies and when is the cafeteria open. I have been running for 12 hours and want to go home. There is always the nurse who takes the time to assess, take down dressings and ask about 3 day old vitals. We should be giving report at the nurses station or outside the rooms, then walk in and introduce. Peace, out. The next 12 hours belong to you.

No, No, No! You go to the beach after work to sleep. :)

This has happened to me on several occasions by patients well known for this sort of antic. You must document of course, but the best way is to have someone witness, both by being present and signing on the E-MAR. The intent behind the behavior is to get more percocet but the ramifications (should someone believe the patient) can be totally detrimental. So worth the time it takes to get someone to witness.

We have them in our hospital and just like anything else, some people love them and some people not so much. I agree that palpation is a much more reliable way of finding a vein but I really like the AccuVein. I don't use it often, and I still feel for the vein, but for those people who are really hard sticks, it at least shows me where the straightest part of the vein is (if it's deep) and I can see the needle "touch" the vein to make sure I'm there. You can also tell where the valves are which can be very helpful. On an off use note, it makes tattoos look really cool. :)

As a grandparent who has (temporary I hope) custody of my granddaughter, let me assure you I have no such control issues. I did not foresee this but it has happened. So I gathered my village and will raise a child. Again, temporarily is the key but one never knows. There are so many things wrong with this world and my bright and beautiful daughter fell prey to some of them. I don't want control but have it for now...

Yeah, because THAT'S what I want to do all night.

I found out a long time ago that dumping the judgement makes your life a lot easier. Sure some of them are drug seeking and you know it. But others here are right when they say you can't fix it. If their vitals are ok and they are alert I give them what is ordered. And that dosage isn't a lot--most of mine get 2 mg every 2 hours or even 1 hour. What you CAN do is to push it very...very...very slowly.

I roll mine when I have to give only 1 :)

And has everyone seen this? So annoying...Joy Behar obviously has no idea what a nurse does with her "doctor's stethoscope".

I hate temporal thermometers -- for the same reasons as stated above by previous posters!

These comments are all quite sim-u-lar in nature!

Oh they are way ahead of that. They pretend to swallow and spit it down the straw of the chaser and stockpile it that way. But it is easier to control this way, you just don't let them have a chaser that you aren't in control of.

As of today, I can say...FineAgain, RN-BC!

We had a patient write a letter of complaint about the "vegebal [sic]" soup she was served. Apparently she had never had "vegebal" soup with PICKLES in it. Errm...it was zucchini. This hotel mentality needs to go. away.

I am being told that patient ratio on nights has been reduced to 6 instead of 7 (on the medical/ortho/neuro floors); that there will be a dedicated resource nurse from 11 am to 11 pm. Cardiac floor will have 5 patients at night. Charge nurses who have been forced to take assignments on most floors will "not ordinarily" take assignments and will not take a full assignment. The other sticking points were pep time, raises and insurance. Don't know the details but am told there are "no take aways". It's not perfect but it's a start, and it is better than what they had been offered.

An agreement for a three year contract was reached late last night! No strike and a victory for patient care!

What I don't understand...if you come to the hospital, are admitted and refuse: antibiotics, ambulation, PT/OT, dictate to me when your labs will be drawn...etc. etc. etc. WHY did you seek medical attention? I support wholeheartedly your right to refuse but don't take a bed from someone who needs it and our help.