nursemike ASN, RN

Rodeo Nursing (Neuro)

Member

All Content by nursemike

  1. nursemike

    how to do 5 min assessment

    nursemike replied to keishapound's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I suppose you've already heard about counting resps while pretending to take a pulse. If not, it can work, a lot of the time. Spend 30 secs on pulse, then 30 on resps. Assuming both are regular, if...
  2. nursemike

    Performance Appraisal

    nursemike replied to Nicky30's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Good advice so far. If that's the worst that's ever said against you, that's pretty darned good! Appearing confident and being assertive are typically among the biggest challenges a new nurse faces....
  3. nursemike

    Night shift nurses! Have you ever been SO SLEEPY that....

    nursemike replied to NurseCard's topic in General Nursing

    I woke up one in the middle of recording report. I wish I had thought to play it back, but I know I had recently purchased a boxed set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs, and I believe I had been...
  4. nursemike

    Non-Judgemental, does this often equal Enabling?

    nursemike replied to FireStarterRN's topic in General Nursing

    Patients, like people, come in all flavors, and some of them are jerks. Others are stupid. A lot of them are pretty nice, but even some of those may not be at their best under the stress of being...
  5. nursemike

    Nurses are Pathetic!!

    nursemike replied to lorster's topic in General Nursing

    I had to write an essay about why I wanted to be a nurse on my appy for school. It was all about the vocational side: honest, useful work that I thought I could do well, and do well for myself in the...
  6. nursemike

    Nurses are Pathetic!!

    nursemike replied to lorster's topic in General Nursing

    I was self-employed for many years. My experience was that the boss was still a bit of an idiot, but I didn't feel as inclined to tell others about
  7. nursemike

    Help with ER blood draw order and tube color!

    nursemike replied to pedsRN121's topic in First Year After Licensure

    It happens less these days, but still, when in doubt I call the lab. They are usually
  8. nursemike

    Messed Up Big Time

    nursemike replied to snortzmom's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Getting "written up" is generally not the end of the world. Do you know what sort of write up your manager means? Is it an incident report, or a disciplinary letter? (At my facility, it would be an...
  9. nursemike

    My new grad stress is showing - and I am being called on it - Yikes!

    nursemike replied to Suninmyheart's topic in First Year After Licensure

    When I was a carpenter, a request of a co-worker might typically go: "Gimme that (choose your expletive) hammer!" But upon receiving said implement, you respond, "Thanks," thereby avoiding getting it...
  10. nursemike

    How to get people to LISTEN TO ME!--Vent

    nursemike replied to PiPhi2004's topic in First Year After Licensure

    janfrn, I totally agree, and your examples illustrate that the OP's frustrations are about a lot more than a bruised ego (not that I read the OP that way). A nurse, however young, is a trained,...
  11. nursemike

    How to get people to LISTEN TO ME!--Vent

    nursemike replied to PiPhi2004's topic in First Year After Licensure

    At my facility, I was taught repeatedly not to refer to an incident report in my nurse's notes (which would be the reverse of janfrn's suggestion to refer to the documentation in the incident report,...
  12. nursemike

    punishment advice.....please......

    nursemike replied to Seamless LVN's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Kinda looking at the other side of the coin, I've had aides I trust tell me that some nurses will ask them to re-check a BP with a larger cuff, in the hope it will be lower and they won't have to do...
  13. nursemike

    How to get people to LISTEN TO ME!--Vent

    nursemike replied to PiPhi2004's topic in First Year After Licensure

    At my facility, we have standing ICU/Stepdown protocols for restraints to protect invasive tubes and lines. I've never worked ICU, but in stepdown we have 3 patients, and it's almost impossible to...
  14. nursemike

    Blimp Nursing and Related Issues

    nursemike posted a topic in Men in Nursing

    Recently, a member who shall remain anonymous inadvertantly attempted to hijack a perfectly legitimate thread into a discussion as to why there should be nurses on blimps. This seems to be a field...
  15. nursemike

    How did your spouse handle the news of a career change?

    nursemike replied to CTGuy's topic in Men in Nursing

    None taken (maybe you were too subtle.) I think you're right about having to find your own motivation. Even those who are really supportive have a hard time understanding what you are going through....
  16. nursemike

    How did your spouse handle the news of a career change?

    nursemike replied to CTGuy's topic in Men in Nursing

    Oh, man! How cool is this: Blimp Nurse? For emergencies that, you know, aren't really all that
  17. nursemike

    I need to hear from the real nurses!

    nursemike replied to FuturoEnfermera's topic in General Nursing

    I think the problem is that learning to think about it systematically requires some real effort. It reminds me a little of a writing exercise I had in an English class: Write a set of instructions...
  18. nursemike

    I need to hear from the real nurses!

    nursemike replied to FuturoEnfermera's topic in General Nursing

    this post comes close to what i'm thinking on the topic. not so much the facade aspect, but i think it's important to find the demeanor that suits the patient. so much of therapeutic communication...
  19. nursemike

    Discernment (LONG post)

    nursemike replied to RiverNurse's topic in First Year After Licensure

    The OP has expressed several concerns, any one of which could be food for an entire thread--and probably has been. The relationship between nurses and CNAs (PCA's, techs, NA's--whatever the actual...
  20. nursemike

    Males and Technology

    nursemike replied to ClassQ1's topic in Men in Nursing

    I don't think it's a matter of being more savvy--just more fascinated. Whether it's innate or conditioned, we seem to like gadgets, while women seem to tolerate them. I was at Wal-Mart awhile back,...
  21. nursemike

    lack of confidence on giving meds

    nursemike replied to lenjoy03's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I try to arrive at work 15-20 minutes before my shift (used to be 30, but I'm getting lazy) and look over my Kardexes with a cup of coffee. It gives me a chance to sort of pre-plan, and while things...
  22. nursemike

    Discernment (LONG post)

    nursemike replied to RiverNurse's topic in First Year After Licensure

    First, in terms of night shift and physiology: It does take your body some time to adapt. We are not nocturnal animals by nature. In terms of your dietary issues, I'd suggest carrying some light...
  23. nursemike

    when to contact recruitment

    nursemike replied to ava'smomRN's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I was able to interview and secure a position at the facility where I worked as an unlicensed employee before beginning my final semester of nursing school. I think the opportunity might have been...
  24. nursemike

    My embarassing moment re: doc and TO

    nursemike replied to CrazyFLBean's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Oh, Lord. Called a doctor one night for a pt in our epilepsy unit with a severe headache. She told me to give "4mg morphine, if not contraindicated." 4 of morphine for an HA? But it was 8/10. So, how...
  25. nursemike

    What do you guys during your off-time?

    nursemike replied to mcknis's topic in Men in Nursing

    40 years--wow, where'd the time go? Spent my "Wonder Years" in Colorado. Never been to Texas, but I'd like to go to Big Bend to see the birds, someday. Actually, if I had the time and money, right...