akulahawkRN ADN, RN, EMT-P

Emergency Department

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All Content by akulahawkRN

  1. akulahawkRN

    Question in the ER/IV

    As others have said, a few small bubbles will not hurt the patient. While I now do a couple things a little differently than I used to, one of the things I still often do is clamp a new IV line before...
  2. akulahawkRN

    Nosebleed, WWYD?

    If you happen to have a Tazer, don't be tempted to light that thing off while saying that you might have to cauterize the bleeder... Such a kid like that might think being Tazed in the nose would be a...
  3. akulahawkRN

    LPN-EMT-RN?

    Given this "new" information, I would definitely say that you should pursue BSN first, get licensed an RN and the BSN will most likely provide you with generally greater (and faster) job prospects...
  4. akulahawkRN

    IV fluids after C/S, am I wrong???

    I'm not an OB/Gyn nurse and if I read "Discontinue IV if tolerating PO" along with "maintain IV access for 24 hours" I would interpret that to mean the very same thing you did. The way I interpret...
  5. akulahawkRN

    Do Bachelor's Degrees Save Lives? - The Facts about Earning a BSN

    This issue has been around a very long time and it's not likely to stop any time soon. I have a Bachelors in an allied healthcare field and that program was far more rigorous than my nursing program...
  6. akulahawkRN

    LPN-EMT-RN?

    At this point, I would suggest looking toward getting your BSN instead of EMT. If you're thinking of becoming a transport nurse, EMT may be helpful but since you're going to be a new grad shortly, you...
  7. akulahawkRN

    Just got rejected.

    I applied to nursing schools for 8 consecutive semesters... and got accepted to both of them for applications 15 and 16. Be patient, work on improving yourself and your GPA, and keep on applying until...
  8. akulahawkRN

    No pain meds in ER??

    On the EmCrit podcast, I heard that an ER went opiate-free for 24 hours (or something like that) and apparently did very well and had high pain-control satisfaction scores. I don't recall what they...
  9. There is only ONE thing that you can glean from the NCLEX stopping at 75. You either did very well or did very poorly, to the point where the computer didn't have to go further than 75 to determine...
  10. akulahawkRN

    American River College Fall 2016

    Just so that you all know, I did a little digging and it appears that SCC made the change effective last year, meaning Spring 2015 for the upcoming application period. You would have had to pay close...
  11. akulahawkRN

    Owi stupid mistake. Where to go from here?

    The fact that you disclosed it before they found out about it speaks to your basic character. Yes, you had a lapse of judgement but you also owned up to it. Fortunately you're in a state where OWI...
  12. akulahawkRN

    CNA while in nursing school?

    Like Rose_Queen above, I also had to work full time and go to school full time. In my particular case, I was able to make things work during my final semester preceptorship. Depending upon how...
  13. akulahawkRN

    I took NCLEX today......

    A fake expiration date won't prevent your card from being charged, as long as the other info is good. If the billing flag for pass/fail is set to "fail" status, the system will attempt to pull $200...
  14. akulahawkRN

    Too Old to Enter Critical Care Nursing?

    While I'm no ICU nurse (I'm an ED nurse), my perspective is very simple. You're younger than dead and you have an interest in learning more. You have a good background and experience generally as a...
  15. akulahawkRN

    Tips for Listening to Quiet Respirations?

    In addition to the above, I would also suggest listening to EVERYONE that you assess. I'm an ER Nurse and even though many of my patients do not have respiratory complaints, I listen to everyone's...
  16. akulahawkRN

    Why 1/2 normal saline?

    Yep. However across a semipermeable membrane, water will cross the membrane to reach sodium equilibrium, sodium will not cross the membrane from high side to low side. Remember, that's why it's said...
  17. akulahawkRN

    Why 1/2 normal saline?

    Remember, "water follows sodium." 1/2 NS has less sodium than the body usually has... it's hypotonic. So water is going to leave the vessels until the sodium concentration is equal on both sides of...
  18. akulahawkRN

    How to think like and ER nurse

    Perhaps I wasn't clear enough for you. What's below is the point I was attempting to convey. Of course, that's just patient B. There's often also a patient C and D that may also have "stat" or...
  19. akulahawkRN

    The after math of nclex

    It's possible that your BON knows your results but hasn't completed processing of your file. It's also possible that your results are on hold for some unknown reason and haven't been released yet....
  20. akulahawkRN

    How to think like and ER nurse

    In one sense, nursing is nursing... however the ED is just a bit, well, different. You're going to have (typically) 3-4 patients at a time and you'll be constantly re-evaluating them mentally. The...
  21. akulahawkRN

    O2 for Unresponsive Pt

    Generally speaking, patients that are oxygenating well (SpO2 > 92%) and are clearly moving good air (no diminished lung sounds) and aren't obstructing their airway don't need supplemental oxygen....
  22. akulahawkRN

    Working as a CNA while in Nursing School?

    I was unlucky enough in that I had to work full time while going full time to a traditional school. No, the work wasn't as a CNA... it was as a security guard position where I could study at work. My...
  23. akulahawkRN

    Swedish nurse moving to CA

    With California, they'll need a Social Security Number and they'll need your transcripts, translated into English, if they're not already done in English. You'll need to provide proof that you've...
  24. akulahawkRN

    Sports Physicals

    Great way to handle the last minute decision and get the pre-participation physical done! Because of your post, I was reminded that it's always a good idea to ensure that on or with the physical exam...
  25. akulahawkRN

    Spider Bite? When to send to Dr.?

    There are only a couple spiders that actually bite people. Unless the person actually saw the spider bite them, I'd normally consider other causes, such as a S. aureus infection. OP: you're on the...