Laurie52

Just curious, why admit to ICU if asymptomatic?

Paralytic do not alter pupil size or the pupillary light reflex.

I have worked full time as a bedside nurse since 1974 except for a recent medical leave. I still learn new things. I have great coworker's, they have my back and I have theirs. My manager is also great. Is she perfect? No. But I'm not either. Middle management is hard. She gets her marching orders the same as I do. While I was on my recent leave, she kept my job open for almost a year. She didn't have to do that! Is my job perfect? No, but I don't know of any job that is. Try to get a part time job with reasonable pay in any other field. Hard to be a part time teacher. Hard to be a part time engineer. A part time attorney works 40 hours a week! I went to college right out of high school and have not regretted my choice. I went to graduate school when I was in my 40s and chose to remain at the bedside. I would have been equally happy with many other career choices. My BFF is also a nurse so I suppose I would never have met her if we hadn't both chosen nursing. I don't necessarily like all the changes that have happened in health care. Sometimes I feel like the inmates run the asylum[emoji6]! In short, I think your job is like so much in life--it is what you make it. I know this post is a little disjointed so I have it makes sense. And sure, I would still like to make more money. Who wouldn't?

I would redraw and have it run on a different machine. It doesn't make any sense that a pco2 would be so low with a respiratory rate of 10 to 12 and the fact that it didn't give a saturation is suspicious.

I agree. There are non so blind as those who will not see.

How do you know this patient had a fluid deficit? From what you describe, this is pretty much standard care s/p CABG. Before you decide you know more than the board certified surgeon who has gone to medical school and then done a residency in general surgery and a fellowship in cardiac surgery, be very sure you understand the physiological effects of cardiopulmonary bypass and the fluid shifts that take place after surgery

Doesn't California have mandated staffing ratios?

Do you have anything that resembles a personal code of ethics?

The 20 year old could have an undiagnosed clotting disorder and a pulmonary embolism. It's too easy to get burned when just looking at the age of the patient.

No, you did not give examples. You just said you were bullied. What constitutes being bullied?

I always thought that the younger nurses were jealous of me because I'm so much closer to retirement. And just to break some of the stereotypes, I'm very techno savvy and can still multitask. Where you are now, I once was. Where I am now, you will one day be.

How long was your orientation?

When I was a 3rd year nursing student I decided to switch majors and get a double history and literature major. My father said that's fine if I know how I was going to support myself. I stayed in nursing. After graduation I got a job in heme once and after 18 months I then decided to go back and get an education degree because I loved my peds rotation. One of the attending a I worked with told me to try the ICU, that I was born to be an ICU nurse so I did. 40 years later I am still loving the ICU. I have experienced health care from both sides of the bed. Don't discount the difference you can make in someone's life.

If you had overdosed her with a narcotic her pupils would have been constricted. She was probably dying which must had been expected if she was palliative.

OK, I'm back. I am not a school nurse. I have more confidence in kids than you do. Inflammatory, not really, just a different perspective. I will just leave at that.