NurseBatzy

Just curious if anyone else has experienced this: A nurse in my unit received a phone call at work from a person identifying herself as being from the American Red Cross, and was calling to inquire about a patient in the unit. She stated that the pa...

I don't want to argue, or inflame, but I am just offering some perspective. Coags are a different beast. It only takes about 1/10 of 1 ml of plasma to run a coag test. In this case, it's not a matter of having enough specimen, it is having the righ...

I'm not an ER nurse, but I think I can give some perspective here. Before becoming an RN, I was a lab tech. You know, the one who actually runs the tests. I think every hospital has a communication barrier between lab and nursing, and it can be dif...

Some of our patients are allowed to run high, but not that high. I agree with the previous poster though, this is a time to use nursing measures. In my state you need an order for a cooling blanket, but ice packs are open game. A fan and a wet hea...

When I started in my first ICU, I had to take something similar. NCLEX meds are a good start, but you'll likely be asked about drips as well. Know your insulin drips, pressors, propofol and other sedatives. I remember needing to know Cardizem, Amio...

I can commiserate. I worked at a job where we were mostly all afraid of losing licenses. We had a doc who loved to call the BON and complain about us. Constantly. It's a harsh, stressful environment to work in, and when one is afraid for one's livel...

A wonderful nurse once told me that I should not expect any code to turn out well. She said to remember that if you must do CPR, they are already gone, and you MIGHT be able to bring a handful back. In my time, very few have survived for very long ...

Let the embarrassment begin. I unclamped a Mahurkar to flush it, before I attached the flush. I'll never do that again, the blood spot is still on the ceiling.

"I can respect that you finally put your grandfather on hospice care. Very noble. But why, why, why, did you then bring him to the ER when he stopped breathing, and tell us to maintain his hospice status?"

That's a nice realization. I want to one day go to NP school, but am waiting on some more experience myself. I want to get out of bedside nursing before my back gives out completely, and your post gives me some insight into how it will be different....

I would be willing to bet by the title that the reader here will think this is a rant, but it is quite the opposite. This came about because the longer I spend here on AN, and the longer I work in a hospital, the more my heart breaks to see how some ...

I think it should be said that did not post this in an effort to be self-righteous, it was more a speaking of my mind for my own benefit. I am grateful for these patients, I understand not everyone is, and I wouldn't want to force my opinions on tho...

Wow Jay, thanks for the fantastic information. It surprises me how few of us health care workers know this, and I will be sure to take your post into work with me and educate our staff. It is a time when we are constantly told "no,no,no" about givin...

I usually don't post on the more controversial threads, like this one, but I have a story that might fit as an example. Now, I won't throw age into the post, but physical capacity. I used to work with a nurse who used a walker outside of work, but...

Hello All! I have recently been accepted into the RN to BSN program at DeSales University. Before applying, I researched AN for info on the program, and found very little, so hopefully this thread will help someone else out. A little background on m...

Thank you all for your great responses! rjflyn - How would you verify that it really is the Red Cross calling? We have caller ID, but it only shows a number, not a name. I wonder if they have a way of proving their identity? Perhaps a reverse phone n...

Thank you all for your replies. After some quick googling (yeah, it's a verb now) I found this: For Health Care Practitioners! HIPAA Exemption for American Red Cross The American Red Cross is charged with providing emergency communication service...

I see, and sometimes post, some vents and frustrations here on AllNurses, and I think it's time for a positive story. I'm a recent grad RN, working in a small ICU. I've had many bad days, and have been about to quit quite a few times, especially in...

"Ativan or Benedryl" was all that was written on the orders, when questioned, he said "whichever puts him to sleep faster, in any amount you need." Nice.

I don't know of any reason it would be used, maybe someone else has a better answer for you, but I can tell you this: In my hospital, adults do not get ketamine. Period. It's too hard on the limbic system in adults, and has the potential to cause fl...

I agree, it's not only possible, it's likely. A word of advice though: do your research! I was hired as a new grad into an ICU not too long ago. It was easy! It was the first job I applied to, and my interview took all of 10 minutes. I was hired on...

1:1? What's that? Granted, I work in a small community hospital, our "critical" may be another hospitals "step-down", but in my ICU there is no 1:1, usually no 1:2. I almost always have at least 3, sometimes 4, and one of the more experienced nurses...

This might be considered a gripe, a rant, or whatever you want to call it, but I need to get it out. I'm a brand new RN, just passed my boards last week. I've been working as a GN and now RN at a small community hospital in the ICU. There are only...

Heh heh, you are correct, a crap hole it is. Thanks for all the advice. Just a side note, I AM glad that I have a job, and I don't want to complain too much in this terrible job market. There are many new grads who have it worse off than I do. Thank...

Thanks guys and gals, you gave some great advice and some things to think about. I'll be sure to be very, very careful, and look for other opportunities. Hope everyone has a great weekend!