LPN_FTW

I don't believe the vaccine will prevent viral shedding from us after we are exposed to the virus. No doubt, the virus takes time to replicate within our body before our immune cells discover it and beats it, so I feel like the policy should be mandated masking for all employees on the front line if there will be any policy at all. The vaccine gives a false sense of security, especially during those years where the efficacy is low.

In BC, you would have not been covered under worker's comp after the first 16 hours. That is to say, if you were injured, you would not have been able to submit a work-related claim and you would be SOL.

Faxing the doctor without first checking that it`s already been done... three times. Giving meds that haven`t been ordered (Volteran, tylenol, etc. mostly harmless stuff). Giving meds that have fallen on the floor. Not signing the MAR appropriately. Not reading the MAR properly and following the checks. Not questioning orders that should be questioned.

1. Nope. They get their medications usually at the breakfast, lunch, or dinner table. It is a home, not a hospital. Some residents aren`t keen on being served at a table, so I will deliver to them in their room either before or after. Door is always shut. 2. I wash my hands if they are dirty. Otherwise, I will use hand sanitizer before and after gloving for the eyedrops. Everything is brought at once. 3. I gently pull down the lower lid to create a cup, or ask the resident to pull their own eyes open. 4. I give them 5 minutes apart at minimum. 5. No, only if it`s a medication that is harsh or stains.

I think it's best for your little buddy to have the consistency that daycare can offer him. Regardless of you're working or not, time with his friends. Being a single parent and working the hours of a nurse is not a jackpot. It's rough on me and the kids. I've seen them a collective couple of hours over the past two weeks. They've been at school, daycare, and family members' houses so I can work. It truly sucks. I picked a bad career for child rearing, but I made that choice so I definitely avoid putting that burden onto others by calling in sick "because I have kids" with the exception of earlier this month when my son had a fever of 104 (2.5-year-old) and an intense ear infection.

Is it just you? Or are there care aides there to help you as well? I have been in charge of 45+ residents as an LPN with two care aides by my side and never ran into issues from it. LTC, so there usually aren't any acute patients.

Nope. There is no evidence that it reduces our risk of being carriers and the flu vaccine was only 54% effective in previous years (2012, I think), per the WHO.

I'd say you withheld them, yes. These are prn orders, not regular standing orders so in essence I'd treat them as BTP.

The finding nurse would write the report, but the doctor, the transcribing nurse, and every nurse failing to exercise their medication rights should be informed of their errors. I hope this pt had PRN medications and that he/she received them.

I won't disagree with you there. I'd like to offer a look inside *some* women's heads: When I bring up another worker's name, I do it with the intent on sharing and brain storming best approach. For example, that care aide that spends too much time chatting... Is she always this chatty? What approach should we take to keep her on track without being hardasses or coming off as a B? Then again, I work with a lot of women who like to complain about other people just to complain about them. Keeps them happy, I guess. I'm not innocent, I'm right there engaged in the conversation, though my stance is more "they probably did that because _____." I'm an enabler and I make excuses for everyone :|

I think you used good judgement with holding the medication. I'd have held the dose and contacted the doctor for a follow-up while continuing to monitor her BP t/o the shift as needed. Also, to reiterate other posters, I'd have definitely used a BP cuff and auscultated, not using the damn machines. I hate those things lol

As Esme said, per rectum if there is one. A stoma doesn't necessarily mean that there is no rectum.

Here they usually wait until shift change.

My instructors would always go "In a perfect world, we do ___. In the real world, we do ___."

MunoRN said it perfectly. You can adequately perform your 8/9/10 medication rights on the order examples you have provided. Right drug through the right route at the right time in the right dose, and ordered for the right patient.

We call them tuberculin syringes here... I'm not sure if that is a universal name or not. I wouldn't use it for an IM shot, regardless of how fragile or thin the pt is. I'd be too afraid of the needle breaking off into the dense muscle tissue. You are in charge of the needle and can, with a careful technique, inject only part of the needle if needed, or call the doctor and see if there is an alternate route you could try for the pt. I hate giving sc shots to very thin people. You have to lump together an area large enough to inject into by manipulating the flesh. I have failed this once before by having the needle go from one side of the flesh I was grabbing and jabbing it into the other side of the flesh I as grabbing. Hind sight, I should have placed a butterfly for this particular pt, even if it was just for one shot. Would have allowed for better control.

Oh totally! I can stand pus in wounds, necrotic flesh, diarrhea, C. Diff stools, green urine (Can someone tell me the bacterium name that causes the green/blue UTI?)... Totally fine. I don't even batt an eye, but as soon as there is phlegm... OMG! *gag* I hate that it is up to us to check the phlegm, so we have to open up the tissue that the pt coughs into and the tissue just slides around between our gloved fingers as we open it. *shudder* Uhg If it is added to our scope up here, I am not sure how long it will take me to upgrade my knowledge for trachea suctioning.

I've only met one RN who was fully against LPNs -- she has been an RN since LPNs here were ADL care givers. LPNs have changed leaps and bounds since then, so her anger towards us is mostly just misplaced due to her not educating herself on the changes that have occurred.