melpn

Ten patients for acute care? Amazing anyone survived, pts. or staff. I know it's supposed to be about the patients but if something happens (and it will eventually) you have your license to protect, too.

Staffing. Supplies. Real evals that mean something. Mgmt. backing up the staff when families/ pts. get really out of line and abusive. Scheduling inservices, etc. only at times that are nearly impossible for night shift to attend.

I know it's hard to be sick/injured or have a loved one who is, but man, why do we have to put up w/ this crap? I'd tell you a story or two but I'm sure everyone here would have a more unbelieveable one. That's why I work nights. Things get annoying threatening, dangerous and just plain rude. A pt's entire family came in on Thanksgiving demanding their dinner, which was provided to a limited #, first come, first serve by reservation only. Soooo, they stormed the employee cafeteria and ate all the food for the night shift. Nice, huh? Those of us that slept that day becase we worked the night before and didn't get to share the holiday w/ family had nothing to eat and nowhere to go to get any. No backup from admin that I have seen. This one is merely annoying but we all know how much worse it gets. The thinly veiled threats of lawsuits are my fave.

DRG's- cheaper than my Littman Master Classic II, lighter, have a neat little thing in the middle so it doesn't slip off your neck. Also come with anti bacterial diaphragm covers (replaceable) and they sound great. My RRT boyfriend loves his. I think the whole name is Doctor's Research Group.

I have some scrubs with slim stretch knit panels on the sides and I love them. They have a nice shape to them and you can move very comfortably. A very nice feature.

Has anyone mentioned pockets? Pants- Line the pockets with tricot so scissors, pens, etc. don't tear through them. Cargo pockets on both legs. Slash pockets on the sides too. Drawstring with elastic in the back. Tops- Forget the breast pocket because everything falls out of it when you lean over anyway. Maybe a drawstring or a little elastic in the back for a bit of shape. Offer two lengths; one that hits near the bottom of the behind and one just at the top of the hipbone. V-neck that doesn't show the goods when you put your badge on and lean over. Patch pockets. -Thanks for asking. Hope you are doing well.

Tata- She practically did you a favor by treating you badly; you are stronger and more determined for it (the ultimate revenge). You will also be a kind preceptor when it's your turn. You can learn as much from the bad nurses as from the good ones. Your attitude will take you far in life as well as in nursing. Congrats. It's nice to see a positive rant!

pulmonary toilet- clearing of sputum from the airways (via deep breathing & coughing, or more often, suctioning)

Can LPNs become ACLS, NALS and PALS certified or would we be awarded a certificate of completion?

We destroy all narcs and DACs, including Lyrica. If it's double locked, it gets destroyed.

Try Midrin (APAP, isometheptene and dichloralphenazone). Also called Duradrin. Even works on my migraines if I catch them fast enough, without that nasty chest & neck pressure I get from triptans. Also low dose Inderal and Mag-Ox prophylactically seems to keep the frequency down.

I received the vaccine when it was first approved in the US, about 10 years ago. I was aasked to get it when my titer came back low and I was going into the nursing program. I was a little hesitant to get a newly approved vaccine, so I spoke to an infectious disease doc and he said it had been used overseas for over 25 years with no problems. I got it and now I am glad I did with all the shingles pts. we get. You never find out until days later that they have it and I am thankful I am protected. I never had any problems with the vaccine itself and I haven't gotten shingles when other nurses did. It was expensive though; over $200 as I recall.

One wheezy lung COPDer, febrile, sats in the 70s. Something clearly had to be done as she could have crashed fast. But in light of her usually maintaining sats in the low 80s (history is important, too) perhaps a small increase in O2 would have been more appropriate. 6L would likely have jacked up her CO2, killed her respiratory drive and made her acidotic. Don't medics have capnometers?

Vacuum tube system (like the ones at the drive-thru at the bank where you put the papers in the box and push it up) for Pharmacy orders; so high tech at the time! Maalox and baby food to decubs and excoriated GT sites, heat lamp to sacral decubs w/ butt cheek taped to side rail if necessary. We still clean inner cannulas w/ peroxide and little brush; only now it all comes in a nice little trach care kit. Charting done in blue for 7-3, black for 3-11 and green for 11-7. Backrubs w/ lotion @ HS. Bright orange DNR stickers right next to pt's name on the door to their room- weirdly morbid.

Pt c/o my delay in returning w/ her meds promptly as I had stated I would after doing her VS. It's true; I was delayed because another pt coded. When I told her I had an emergency, she said "Then why didn't you come back and tell me you'd be a while?".