pricklypear

pricklypear has 11 years experience and specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.

pricklypear's Latest Activity

1. 

   How often do you draw Troponins at your hospital?

   pricklypear replied to RNcDreams's topic in Cardiac

   My experience has been either 6 or 8 hours, usually in sets of 3. I've never had them ordered every 3.
2. 

   the correct way to Sunction

   pricklypear replied to 2bnurse_it's topic in Med-Surg

   NT suctioning definitely requires skill! Performing it incorrectly or unnecessarily can cause considerable harm and distress to your patient. Please read up on the technique or ask your facility's respiratory department to help you.
3. 

   Rhythm Analysis

   pricklypear replied to heaverboo's topic in Nursing

   Give yourself some time. If you have some good monitor techs, learn from them - they've seen everything!
4. 

   Shift Assignments - Who bugs you the most?

   pricklypear replied to Tait's topic in Nursing

   Hey! What's wrong with the "Mellow Drifter?" When I worked resource pool, I always tried to be that. Maybe you're misinterpreting the "she will make you feel like she doesn't care what you saying" part. You DO have all the characters down to a T, though!!
5. 

   Wearing masks

   pricklypear replied to CNAmonica65's topic in CNA/MA

   Geez, calm down...no need to get yourself so worked up and defensive. If you feel like you need to wear a mask because you can't deal with odors, be my guest. I still think it's unprofessional, and while it may or may not further embarass patients, it has the potential to do so. Wearing a mask to see a MRSA patient. Only if the MRSA is in the sputum, or is likely to become air borne in droplet form. And isn't that a totally different situation?
6. 

   Wearing masks

   pricklypear replied to CNAmonica65's topic in CNA/MA

   Sorry, Mochabean, I just totally disagree. I've seen and smelled some really, really bad stuff - and never seen a team of health care providers wear masks because of any "intolerable" smell. As Fuzzywuzzy pointed out, masks do very little to eliminate odor, anyway. A dab of metholatum on the upper lip works better. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Do you really think someone is going to complain that they felt embarassed that you were wearing a mask? I'm pretty sure your patients just suffered in silence, just another humiliation to endure. I used to know a new grad in ICU who expected that she would be wearing a mask whenever something unpleasant assulted her nose. This was immediately nixed not only by the other staff but our manager, as well. It's unprofessional and inappropriate. It non-verbally communicates to the patient, "You're disgusting." Does it really sound ridiculous? How about: It you don't like kids, don't be a teacher... If you don't like blood and guts don't be a paramedic... If you don't like money, don't be a banker... If you don't like animals, don't have pets... Get my point?
7. 

   Wearing masks

   pricklypear replied to CNAmonica65's topic in CNA/MA

   I have never worn a mask because of odor. I have never made a patient feel bad because of something they have absolutely no control over. Yeah, stuff stinks. And there are even worse things than C-Diff. Like I said, if you "need" a mask, you belong in a different profession altogether. You just deal with it with a straight face, in a professional manner, and move on.
8. 

   Wearing masks

   pricklypear replied to CNAmonica65's topic in CNA/MA

   Maybe you should find another line of work if you can't deal with the smells of health care. Believe me, there are much worse smells and sights than a soaked diaper.
9. 

   incontinent NH pts

   pricklypear replied to 3cdn1usa's topic in Urology

   Kind of an unnecessary comment. Have you ever worked in an outpatient HD unit? If you had, you would understand the frustration of having an incontinent patient in a RECLINER who probably cannot stand or be repositioned without several people, poop everywhere, no privacy curtains or nice little bath buckets with hot soapy water. Alarms, turnaround, patients wanting this and that, docs on the phone, BPs in the toilet all around the room. It's not really that HD units are "poorly" staffed, we are just not staffed for that kind of treatment on a regular basis. Having someone be incontinent on the ED gurney with supplies and help convienently nearby is a different story.
10. 

    Please define "bedside" Nursing.

    pricklypear replied to *guest*'s topic in Nursing

    I'd add in office/clinic nursing, possibly dialysis, school nursing, home health, case management... Most nursing jobs do involve "direct" patient care, in other words, "having contact with patients." But"bedside nursing" really refers to hospital/staff nursing, LTC, nursing home type of jobs. As for new grads? Dialysis sometimes hires new grads, home health sometimes, too. Although I would recommend getting some "bedside" experience in your pocket. It's not always pleasant, but it does offer tons of learning experiences in procedures, disease process, time management and people skills. These will serve you well and broaden your horizons in the future.
11. 

    Health care workers can be drafted during a pandemic

    pricklypear replied to Anxious Patient's topic in Disasters

    I'd LOVE to see some state try to do that. Who will they staff their hospitals with after they revoke everybody's license? Hmm.
12. 

    Burning question-Maintaining Central lines

    pricklypear replied to BaseballNut's topic in Nursing

    I was never aware of any proper usage of any specific lumen except using the distal (brown) lumen for CVP monitoring. It seems that every institution has it's own policy or opinion, though. I don't think I've ever seen a 5 lumen line.
13. 

    Compare Dialysis to Med-Surge Pros? Cons?

    pricklypear replied to dRN1's topic in Urology

    Pros for me are Dealing with only a few doctors (nephrologists ONLY, thankyou) Dealing with patients who can (theoretically) take care of their own non-dialysis issues ( I don't micromanage my patients - they're all adults and competent to make their own phone calls) Dealing with only a few co-workers instead of an entire hospital of rude staff No poop or pee (except quarterly 24h urines) No wounds Minimal medications (almost everybody gets meds on treatment, but all at the same time, all IV) No Sundays or holidays No Poop No Poop did I mention NO POOP Cons Chronically ill patients and their attitudes (need I say more?) Some are fabulous, some are NOT Can be monotonous at times - but really only if you let it Starting my day at 0500 kinda stinks ( I do 3 10s) Clinic culture can be "not so great", but if you're lucky, you'll find a good one - I did Yes, out-patient dialysis IS busy. I have less down time than I did when I worked med-surg. It's a different kind of busy, though. It's hard to explain. I just know that I feel PHYSICALLY tired at the end of the day, not MENTALLY EMPTY and PHYSICALLY DEAD. I don't feel like I'm being pulled in 20 different directions all day and pounding my head against the wall. Which is a nice change!! Good luck with your decision!!
14. 

    CVC blood flow rate

    pricklypear replied to bella706's topic in Urology

    We run ours up to 400 - whether the lines are reversed or not.
15. 

    so much hypokalaemia?

    pricklypear replied to sister s's topic in MICU

    :yeah:ROLF But seriously, I think it's just the nature of the critical-care patient. It's a symptom of many of the things ICU patients suffer from: vomiting, diarrhea, renal/organ failure, injury, surgery, other electrolyte imbalances, hyper/hypo glycemia, respiratory failure. It's not hiding, it's just not there.
16. 

    Really Bad Code...

    pricklypear replied to al7139's topic in Cardiac

    Nope, there really isn't any to avoid that happening on a recent post-op. That's just the way it goes. I think it's perfectly normal to feel traumatized after a code like that. I'm sure it will happen again, and it really always feels bad/weird when you feel bones breaking under your hands. Hang in there!!