nursesarah

Yeah I noticed that. But the CDC is American based, so they'll put more detail into the American side of the equation. Speaking of Canada vs. The States.... How does the America health care system work during a crisis like this? I know in my country (Canada), if you need to be hospitalized, then you are. The government pays (well, technically you pay through your taxes, but that's another issue.) But my point is that, you're not turned away because you can't pay. I am generally quite confused when it comes to the American health care system. Does everyone requiring hospitalization (as in, their illness is serious enough for an admission not just an ER visit) get treated regardless of insurance status or are people that can't pay turned away and sent home? Because, let's face it, those without insurance are more likely to be on the poorer end of the payscale. Meaning they probably don't live in the most sanitary conditions. There is possibly some overcrowding, meaning viruses and the like are passed quicker and easier. So essentially, were there to be a truly deadly pandemic similar to the 1918 flu, sending people home that can't pay would only exacerbate the issue. Hopefully someone with more experience in the American system can explain to me how this would work with regards to a crisis. Also, I have to say, living in Peru has put things into perspective. I am beginning to think that should this virus spread throughout South America, we would see it effect us more like Mexico then Europe. That is, the symptoms and potential for death would be a lot higher, especially in a city like Lima which is extremely overcrowded and has horrible sanitation in many areas.

Yeah, good point. But let's just look critically at that. RSV kills about 4500 people per year. 4500 people in 52 weeks. That's roughly 82 people/week. The first death from the swine flu was about 2 weeks ago. So you could do an average and say that the swine flu has killed 74 people/week. Except for the fact that as of the 25th the death toll was at 81. So that means in 3 days, the number of people that have died has almost doubled. It's not the number of deaths that's scary, it's the rate at which it's spreading. A week ago, no one had heard of the swine flu. Personally, I'm not all that worried. I should be because I'm in the prime age bracket for getting sick and dying. But the way I figure it, if the flu doesn't kill me, I'll fry because of global warming. If that doesn't happen, I'm gonna lose everything I have because of the economy anyways. Then there's always the anti-christ and armageddon to worry about. :cheers: I'm gonna go get drunk.

We had a rapid response team at the hospital I used to work at. They were wonderful and I can't imagine working at a hospital without one. Families called occasionally, but never for something small and inconsequential.

At the hospital where I work, our norm is to do VS q4h, including BP. It doesn't matter how old the kid is. Of course, with small kids and babies, it's more difficult to get a BP reading so the majority of nurses try to get at least one accurate BP per shift if the pt. is asymptomatic. I work on an oncology floor and a lot of the meds we give to our kids can affect their BP drastically. I've seen some incredibly high BP's on 3yrs old that needed interventions.

it gets easier and your body gets used to it eventually. my schedule is 2 days, 2 nights, then a few off. for my 2 nights, i take melatonin before bed to help me sleep during the day, and then again to help me sleep my first night off. also, try and eat regular meals during the night. it really does help.

eat regularly during the night (just like you would during the day) and invest in a good pair of earplugs and thick, dark curtains so you can sleep during the day. :) and dont skimp out on sleep during the day. i work fairly regular nightshifts, so my body switches over pretty easily. my only problem comes when im trying to sleep the night after my last night. i usually take a melatonin capsule (its an over the counter sleep aid) and that gets me back on track for my time off. have fun!!

i love working with the kiddies now. switched from adult acute med to peds acute med. its not the same thing as transitioning from adult critical care..but in my opinion it was worth it. i could never go back to adults now! lol.

we must work for the same people i've heard this for about the past 6 months. my question is..could they really enforce it?

well....i watched the video. and i kinda agree with some of what she said. i dont think she was saying that nurse's need to go back to wearing the caps. what she was saying was that the caps set nurses apart. it made them distinctive. and now there's nothing like that. she stated that it was important to read the name tags and ask the person who they were. as for the "dressing casually" comment that matt lauer made...well i can see his point. i work with some nurses that come in to work with their hair messy, scrubs are wrinkled, and who generally dont look professional. this is compared to another nurse who comes in, scrubs looking neat and tidy, hair looking clean and tidy...looking professional. it does make a difference. also, i think the point she was getting at with regards to surgery was that it has to be clear what limb is being operated on. she didnt say that the patient should mark it themselves, but rather that the patient should make it clear along with the doctor, nurse, etc which limb. and one of them should be marked. also, she did state that it was partially the patients fault that the emergency room is in such a mess. and that it s not a walk in clinic and shouldnt be treated as such. i think i she did make some valid points. please dont flame me!!

meditech isnt computer charting. in my opinion, its a slow, user-unfriendly system. but basically it houses all patient information, including lab results, diagnostic tests. and it keeps all information from past visits. so you can compare past labwork to present, etc. you can enter orders (diet orders, consults, bloodwork, tests, etc), cancel orders, send msgs to certain depts. it's an ok system...and its easy to learn...but it can be a pain sometimes. lol. if you want to get some experience...check around at some local community colleges (anywhere where there's medical programs like nursing, technologists, etc). they might offer a class in it. i know my college does. its only a short course (a few classes). but it does get you familiar with it.

yikes! sounds stressful. if i were in your shoes, i would begin to hunt around for another job (on your own time, not company time). in the meantime, focus on the positive. i know you might be asking "what positive?" but there is positive to every situation. for instance, you are learning how to deal with and work with difficult coworkers (who, sadly, will be anywhere you go), you are learning how to work and cope under a management style that isnt the greatest, you are gaining that much needed "one year" experience. these are all things that will help you in future jobs. i dont want to say "suck it up", because that's harsh. but stick it out until something better comes along. remind yourself that this job isnt where you're going to be for the rest of your life.

the website seems to be down. but im pretty sure that elsevier publishes some nursing textbooks and nursing journals. another great place to find textbooks is on ebay, if you know how to shop on there. as well, consider advertising at your school if possible. at my school we had a computer program which is like an internal network for all nursing students. many many ppl post books they need to buy or are willing to sell. also, consider posting on a bulletin board somewhere that you're looking for certain books. keep in mind that you dont necessarily need to buy the latest edition of a book. while i would hesitate to buy anything thats more than 2 or 3 editions old, if someone wants to sell something to you thats the previous edition...its often good enough. just my two cents

in my hospital, the majority of people that insert catheters are the nurses. so to answer your question, no it would not bother me for the nurses to receive the training. dont underestimate the knowledge of a student either. it is possible for them to teach a few things. you gotta remember, for a lot of students, they learned these skills recently. the "proper" way of doing them is pounded into their brain. whereas, an experienced nurse may have been inserting catheters for years, but were taught the correct way 20 yrs ago. now, im not saying this is a bad thing. but sometimes when you're in a rush, things like your sterile technique arent alway as sterile as it should be. at any rate, its my opinion that a refresher course in a practical skill is never a bad thing. its those useless inservices that suck (you know...the ones that reiterate how the customer is always right, we're here to cater to their every whim, etc)

two pills might not seem like a lot. but two pills here, two pills there, and it all adds up. nurses need to remain professional if we expect to remain a profession. this means respecting the checks and balances in place that are meant to protect our licenses.

i'll tell you what would make me a satisfied employee.....more staff!! on night shift there's only 3 RNs for 24 patients and no health care aides. tonite someone called in sick 1 hour before shift start...so here i was scrambling to find a replacement. the only problem is there's no one to call who can work it! if the unit is staffed adequately, then this shouldnt be a problem. and let me tell you...if we had more staff we'd all be a bit happier.