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I recently had a pt with a power port that was accessed with a non power port huber needle in the ER and the pt went for a ct with contrast. I suspected that the port was used for the contrast and I confirmed with CT they did actually use the port. ...

I don't find the chemistry course per se to be helpful. They do cover the parts of chemistry you need to know in your other courses. What I remember most from chemistry is doing the calculations. They always got the best of me and I'm pretty good ...

I NEVER say I have the time now. Does that mean if they need me later I won't have the time then? I think it sounds absurd. I can't tell you how many times I round on my patient and ask if they need anything. I think just saying that gets them thi...

Sorry for your loss. I can not imagine. I would love to have seen the article but it appears it was removed. Remember to take all the time you need. I do think a support group would be incredibly helpful to your situation. It is so hard to know if...

I've worked at a couple of facilities and was always able to give lorazepam ivp. Never given it IM. Haldol is another story. I worked at a facility where only ICU nurses could give haldol ivp d/t prolongation of QT if administered too quickly. We...

It is amazing any parent can leave a sick child in the hospital. I am lucky I have only had each of my kids stay in the hospital overnight one time. My son was a bit older and could have been left but he was only there to have a 24 hour EEG and not...

I am fortunate the unit I work on is nothing like that. If I find something I tell the nurse about it. Or if it's during report I tell them. It's usually a new grad. If they're not receptive and the issue is significant enough I will talk to my m...

I work in a medium to large size community hospital and we are literally busting at the seams. Putting patients in areas where we don't typically house patients. Opening up units that were previously closed. There are no beds in the ICU. My hospit...

I have a hard time with the drug seekers like a lot of other nurses. Some things that help me out: If it is ordered and the patient is requesting it they get it IF it is due. I always go over the pain scale with patients. If they tell me their p...

I've been a nurse for 6 years and things were so different when I graduated. I got offers everywhere I interviewed. It was really crazy. I've been in my current position for a little over a year. I didn't have a super hard time finding this job b...

Anywhere I have worked at I've been able to give meds within an hour either way. So 9:00 meds can be given as early as 8:00 or as late as 10:00 and still considered on time. Of course it depends on the medication, especially if it is time sensitive...

I don't notice a difference in how I'm treated. They can be just as grateful for the care you provide as someone who is poor. I do find the affluent/non poor are much more receptive to education and take a greater interest in what you are doing and...

All community hospitals are different. I have worked at a few different community hospitals. My current hospital is a level I trauma hospital and Level III NICU (I believe that is the highest; we are whatever the highest is). We also do CABGs and ...

The dwell time can actually be extended up to 2 hours and then it can be repeated once. Once you get a blood return you want to make sure you withdraw enough to make sure the TPA does not go into their circulation. I also recently read you can do s...

We all inadvertently take things home. It's unfortunate you were turned in for doing so. Maybe you would have gone on to steal other things and then again maybe you wouldn't. No one know that except for you. Others have done much worse and nothin...

Loyola is either in the process of being bought out or it has happened recently. Last I heard employees had not gotten any raises in quite awhile. You may want to investigate further if you decide to interview there. All their hospital positions se...

I interviewed at the Olympia Fields campus and never received salary information but did receive benefits info. I think their benefits package was not the best. They only paid $1,000/yr for tuition reimbursement. I didn't look closely at their insu...

The hospital I am at does not do flush bags. It drives me crazy. It is their culture. I keep meaning to bring this up to ID and see what their thoughts are on it. I've brought up this exact issue to my educator and the other educator on the floor ...

I feel like I got suckered in yesterday again. I haven't had a patient like this in awhile. I spent more time with him than I spent with any of my other patients combined. Even with setting limits. This patient asked me if I thought he was a bad p...

Please don't take that shortcut. Alcohol wipes come in so handy. I use them for other things besides iv ports. They're great for wiping off dried blood too! At the beginning of your shift put a bunch in your pocket and you're set for your shift. ...

Always, always, always! You can get an infection from a peripheral line just like you can a central line. BTW, you should be scrubbing the hub and not wiping. Never forget the saying "scrub the hub". I can't believe people wouldn't do that. That ...

I don't know if this is really a miracle or not but over 5 years later it still amazes me. I was a pretty new nurse and a pt was on our telemetry unit and was hospice. We only kept him on our unit b/c his wife worked at the hospital and we did it a...

Can't you refuse to take students? I refused once several weeks ago and haven't been asked since. The break has been nice. I don't mind having a student (if they are good - but that's a whole other post, lol). If you refuse then they would ask th...

I have it but it seems the medical conditions I want to look up aren't on there. Then if I haven't used it in awhile I always have to wait for it to download first and that takes awhile.

We have float pool nurses so we rarely have to float. In the last year I have floated once. Not too bad! I used to float a lot more at other hospitals that did not have a float pool or one that was not well staffed. The only downside to having the ...