Elenaster

Elenaster

Member

  • Content

    244

  • Visitors

    7,287

  • Followers

    0

  • Likes

    4

All Content by Elenaster

  1. You know you're a neuro nurse if.....

    Elenaster posted a topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    I was inspired by the looonngggg "you know you're a nurse if..." thread on the Nursing Humor forum, and thought we could do one based on our specialty. Here's a few I came up with and please feel free...

  2. Question about TBI w/ cranioectomy?

    Elenaster replied to jadespirro's topic in General Nursing

    If a bone flap was removed to allow more room for the brain to swell, it's very possible there is an area with no protection to the brain tissue itself. This procedure is often resevered as a "last...

  3. Barbiturates in Critical Care

    Elenaster replied to Vance's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    I wasn't implying anything and my post certainly wasn't directed towards you. Just trying to add my perspective as an experienced neurosurgery nurse and educate those that are new or unfamiliar with...

  4. Barbiturates in Critical Care

    Elenaster replied to Vance's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    I agree that propofol is a far superior drug for providing sedation in ICU patients under most circumstances, however it should be noted that some patients experience a sustained drop in blood...

  5. Barbiturates in Critical Care

    Elenaster replied to Vance's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    In my experience, barbituate comas are still used, but only as a last ditch effort for cerebral hypertension (not hydrocephalus) refractory to other treatments, such as mannitol in addition to what...

  6. Craniotomys in the PACU

    Elenaster replied to jayep99's topic in PACU

    As a former Neuro ICU nurse and a current PACU nurse, I hope I can offer some well-rounded advice: 1. Tell your staff that neuro patients and EVDs are not that scary and with a little training, they...

  7. how hard is it for a RN to work weekends ONLY in ICU?

    Elenaster replied to a_clay's topic in MICU, SICU

    I've been working weekends only in ICU for close to 2 years now. The plan at my hospital pays us for 80 hours in 2 weeks when we only work 60 (3 days one week, 2 the next). The majority of people that...

  8. Trouble on Night shift

    Elenaster replied to ErinRNBSN's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Erin, I had the exact same problems working nights that you described and after a year, I told my manager that I either had to get on days or I was going to have to leave. I just couldn't physically...

  9. ICU gets differential and not ER??

    Elenaster replied to jentenrn's topic in Emergency

    Having worked both ER and ICU, I have to say that paying diff to ICU and not ED is certainly unfair. I also have to agree with the part of the argument that most all hospital nurses work very hard and...

  10. Nimodipine shortage

    Elenaster replied to bellehill's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    We haven't experienced a shortage recently, but our peak aneurysm season is over and we've had far more crani for tumor and head injuries lately, so I haven't been giving as much Nimodipine. As for...

  11. what does the patient experience when care is withdrawn while they're conscious?

    Elenaster replied to rach_nc_03's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Rach, Because this woman was still conscious, I would assume that she was put on a morphine gtt or some other comfort measures were taken to ensure that she would have as peaceful death as possible....

  12. A few Neuro Q's....

    Elenaster replied to raindrop's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    Good thinking NurseyBaby - that's why we make sure the EVD is leveled properly every hour and with any movement of the patient. Also you wouldn't want to LP a patient with a suspected or confirmed...

  13. Getting dumped on by resource nurse who doesn't like me... what can I do?

    Elenaster replied to bluesky's topic in MICU, SICU

    Bluesky, Sorry about the old bat projecting her misery onto you. Just ignore her as best you can and see if you can get one of your co-workers to swap assignments with you. Try to do it when you're...

  14. ICU nursing in USA ?

    Elenaster replied to Paul Mauer's topic in MICU, SICU

    Greetings Paul! Here in the USA, you can come right out of nursing school and work in the ICU, with a training period that varies from 3 to 6 months. ICU here is highly specialized and units are...

  15. Maximum time on BiPap

    Elenaster replied to bluesky's topic in MICU, SICU

    I've seen DNI patients stay on Bipap as long as a week, but IMO it seems like torture. Just watching a tachypnic patient trying to blow off CO2 on one of those things is exhausting. Longer-term use of...

  16. Nipride drip and no MRI/MRA?

    Elenaster replied to Kiwi's topic in MICU, SICU

    Great answer CritterLover! I might add that Nipride is extremely potent and any sort of "accidental" bolus, even a really small one, could bottom out the patient's pressure, and trust me, you do not...

  17. OB/GYN recovery room

    Elenaster posted a topic in Ob/Gyn

    After feeling the crispy-fried burnout of working very high acuity ICU, I've been looking into a job in OB/GYN recovery. It's a weekend position, which is what I work now, with some call thrown in....

  18. OB/GYN recovery room

    Elenaster replied to Elenaster's topic in Ob/Gyn

    Thanks for your reply. I'm afraid I worded the "I might get bored" part of my op rather badly. What I mean is, I may get bored if it's very slow. If I have a steady stream of patients to recover and...

  19. What's you highest...?

    Elenaster replied to talaxandra's topic in General Nursing

    Well, he was sick as "you know what" the first day (Friday) and was requiring a truckload of Morphine and Ativan (both gtts) to keep him chilled out. Problem was the gtts kept dropping his pressure,...

  20. What's you highest...?

    Elenaster replied to talaxandra's topic in General Nursing

    okay, i had to revive this thread because we had a patient over the weekend who was admitted with a blood glucose level of 2290 38 y.o. with 8 yr hx of severe etoh abuse that decided to replace booze...

  21. Patient assignments during pregnancy

    Elenaster replied to ReinventingMyselfAgain's topic in General Nursing

    I'm an ICU nurse and I frequently took MRSA and VRE patients when I was pregnant. In my opinion, I would have rather taken care of those that were identified and in isolation so I would take proper...

  22. SCI Prognosis

    Elenaster replied to LJH3CRNA2B's topic in Neuro Intensive Care, ICU

    It depends - I've seen patients with seemingly minor injuries become complete quads, while others with more severe insults recover quite a bit of function. I don't think that you're necessarily giving...

  23. Insulin protocol---Q 1 hour accu checks

    Elenaster replied to VAC's topic in MICU, SICU

    That's a really good protocol. Ours varies, but we're mostly q1h on an insulin gtt and q4-q6h on sliding scale, which our critical care docs are going more and more towards managing glucose in the...

  24. Challenge: 25 Words or Less

    Elenaster replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    My other patient: Admit from PACU, no es habla englais, take to MRI, patient goes bonkers, versed vacation, still moving around, scan sucks, trek back to

  25. Challenge: 25 Words or Less

    Elenaster replied to UM Review RN's topic in General Nursing

    Got report, listened to rounds, turn down sedation in bolted GSW head, doesn't tolerate, turn gtts back up, talk to family, give