BonewaxRN

C-diff and pseudomonas have distinctive odors to me. But I think that is because of familiarity; a long time ago, I knew rotavirus by the smell as soon as I walked in the room. I doubt I would recognize it now. C-diff isn't an immediately overwhelmi...

I had chicken pox as a child, have scars on my face and chest that still show. And I caught HiB from a little boy at the first school I worked at, got so sick I should have been hospitalized. I would gladly have been vaccinated for both, if either ha...

I've been in critical care for over a decade, and I'm just finishing up a year in a burn intensive care unit. We want to move to Florida, and I've gotten my Florida license by endorsement. My brother will be moving to Jacksonville soon, but as long a...

Hey, thank you all for replying! Jacksonville did not come through, but I did find a position a few hours south of there. You are not kidding about the pay rate, I had to take a 4.00/hr cut! We are working on finding a place to stay for now, rental p...

It doesn't seem to follow individuals on our unit, it's more like everything happens to everyone at once. We call it a "Bad Moon" without regard to what the actual lunar cycle is, lol!

I wear a plain silver circular fob on my left chest. It's oriented so that all I have to do is look down and read it. Keeps my hands free and I don't have to worry about it getting dirty. I used to wear a wristwatch, but then I got hibiclens under th...

Respectful question, is there a reason you spelled klonopin and adderall in that fashion?

"Smoked, snorted, came and went." Referring to a pt who had used drugs and had a cerebral event at the critical juncture of intercourse.

My wish is that 8-12 nurses would be hired for our unit. Not going to happen, but it would be such a blessing.

How absolutely awesome, to be remembered that way, for those kinds of things. Thank you for sharing your remembrance with us, I feel privileged to know her name.

There is this one doctor where I work who is absolutely the most caring physician I've ever met. From previous jobs, I had developed a bad impression of doctors from the Middle East, and expected him to be no different. I was so very wrong! His attit...

Thanks for doing it, though. Your story may be what gives others hope in a scary situation. And in some small way, by posting updates in this thread, you are not going through it completely alone, because there are a lot of people who care and want t...

So sorry that it happened to you, too, chocolateheals. The statistics are in your favor, the odds of transmission are lower than you might fear. There's a link to an article that breaks it down, I will try to find it for you. Demylinated linked to it...

If you are sensitive to the sodium laurel sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate in commercial shampoos, you might want to consider something like the shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley. They are made without chemicals, and I love them. I don't have to use...

The power of ordinary salt and hot water as a gargle or a soak has always amazed me.

Thank you for posting an update. I hope that your test results continue to be negative.

nobody067, if you do not go to the doctor or nurse practitioner and have him or her assess your heart condition, you can die. You need medication that is prescribed for you by a doctor or nurse practitioner based on what they find when they examine y...

I have 3 years of ICU experience, but I've been out of the field for 10 years. I'm interested in returning to critical care, but the ICU I went into as a new grad was a mix of SICU, MICU, and post-CABG patients. So what is it that CVICU nurses do? Is...

Thanks, tachy!

For some of us, it lasts into our 40's.

I think that your first year or so is always hell. The good news is that it gets better with time and practice. Everyone can probably relate. Do what you can to relieve your shredded nerves and take care of yourself. You're on your way to being a goo...

Donating blood is different from selling blood or plasma. Blood banks don't offer compensation any more, to eliminate the financial incentive to lie about risk behaviors. I know that in Mississippi it is illegal to sell blood or blood products for hu...

I wonder if the "creed" she was referring to was the Nightingale Pledge? Which, by the way, was not penned by Florence Nightingale. "I solemnly pledge myself before God and presence of this assembly; To pass my life in purity and to practice my profe...

Nursing is a sacred calling! All of you should be ashamed of yourselves for not doing it for free! All nurses should take an oath to belong body and soul to their employers!

I too would do endo. It would give you a chance to specialize, and the hours sound really sweet. My personal bias is that psych requires someone with a true love for it, otherwise it's difficult, diffuse, and unpredictable. You could be that kind of ...