Jill2Shay

I'm in block three of an ADN program in Arizona. CNAs are certified here by the BON, but PCTs are not. I can't find any info online how I can get certified as a PCT without taking a course. I can't even find anything about who governs PCTs here. I really don't understand the difference between them, except PCTs can do a bit more... but who defines their scope? Are they just CNAs with more training by their employer?

I sit in the back, but out instructor has a little microphone and can be heard, loud and clear from everywhere in the big room.

Do do you have any repeaters in your class? Do you want to be that person? Study in a room without your phone or a computer

Ask the teacher to address the problem in class. Out instructors don't put up with that crap.

My school recommends Med-Surg Success.

Ok... Let me preface this with I'm only in block two... His meds say he's on an two anti-platelets and a statin drug, so he has/had cholesterol issues and clotting issues. Couple that with his long history of serious medical issues (stress), the cough, SOB, chest discomfort, and labs that indicate kidney issues, which we know are sensitive to poor perfusion... maybe something with his heart? Just a shot in the dark. I'm probably way off... But it does suck to try to figure out what's going on when when his doctors haven't figured it out yet.

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And thank you too!

Thank you!

I get that part, but why dangle for 45 minutes every 4 hours?

I have my first real clinical shift of my med-surg block tomorrow. I just picked my patient and ma writing the care plan now. One of the activity orders states the patient can dangle for 45 minutes every 4 hours. What would the purpose of this be? I understand dangling in regards to orthostatic hypotension and allowing the blood pressure to regulate before standing, but what does just dangling accomplish? I've done some searches with different search terms, but nothing difininitive comes up as the benefit of dangling in bed without getting up. The order doesn't say anything about extending the knees or any other ROM activity.

What were his ABGs? Just curious, I'm only in block two and they've drilled into us that alkalosis decreases K+.

Did you get a health history from him?

I get what you're saying, but I don't get why they would teach that method. The brachial artery branches to the radial and ulnar artery, so if the pulse cannot be felt in the radial, it stands to reason that it wouldn't be felt in the brachial either. The brachial artery isn't the easiest to find in the first place, and if you can get an accurate and easily found reading from the radial, why not use it? We learned the 2-step as well, but we palpated the radial and inflated until it wasn't felt, deflated, waited two minutes and then did the BP at 20-30 mm/mg above the original value.

We used Calculate with Confidence. Here's a link to an older addition which is much cheaper. It really helps to break down the questions and offers different calculating styles. Just make sure to know your conversion factors. Take your time. Check your answers. If it doesn't make sense, it's probably wrong. You're not going to give 14 tablets of Potassium. Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Calculate with Confidence, Fourth Edition

Have you looked through any of the available stuff of HOW to take the tests... like how to break down the questions and understand what they're actually asking? The first test is an eye-opener for many students. The questions are very different. They're not testing your knowledge, they're testing your thinking skills.

Wow. That kinda sucks that they're giving no instruction. Well, when speaking of water, 1mL = 1g So, if you know how many calories per gram of the listed macronutrients, you could go from there. 1200mL = 1200g 25% dextrose (sugar = carb = 4 calories per gram) = 300g = 1200 calories 20% protein (4 calories per gram) - 240g = 960 calories 5% fat (9 calories per gram) = 60g = 540 calories Add those up. At least that's how I read the first question. Please, someone else chime in if I'm incorrect.

Did your instructors not teach you any formulas for this?

I mean to say I understand why not for lactated ringers solution, but not for a hypotonic solution.

I'm trying to find out WHY hypotonic fluids are contraindicated for patients with liver disease. I've read that they shouldn't have lactated ringers, but I can't seem to find why not for liver disease. I get why not for burns and increased ICP, and maybe even renal disease, but I don't understand for liver disease.

Interesting. Our instructors were ADAMANT to NEVER give an injection there and that we should never let anyone give us an injection there. We didn't even learn the landmarks. They said the evidence for causing permanent damage was too great. We learned Ventrogluteal instead.

Which muscle is this supposed to go in? We've learned to NEVER EVER EVER give IM injections in the Dorsal Gluteal.

I knit :)

I had TOTALLY misread what my insturctor had written about the third patho! I asked if the MI was the third patho even though it was 3 years previous and an isolated incident. She said (I thought) You need to use critical thinking to figure out what the third patho is. What she really meant was use critical thinking to figure out why the MI is important. It was worded in a different way, of course, and I was totally confused! I did end up doing the MI as the third patho, and it was incredible interesting!

Yes, and they provided them.