Rollins

I understand your problem. As an LVN, I worked 1 year of Med-Surg, 1 year of ICU in a Level III hospital, 6 years strictly ED ( actually the night charge nurse for those years), as well as 1 and a half years in a Level I trauma center in the SICU. I too gave IVP medications throughout those years with never a thought or opposition to it. I did get "IV Certified" early in my career, and of course am certified in ACLS, PALS, NRP and all that. How can we be certified in those skills if we can't give IVP medications? I wish you luck in your situation.

it's just a part of nursing that you have to deal with. heck, even lvn's have to go through this too!

BSI

If you're asking for the pathway of blood through the heart, here it goes: 1. Blood flows to the heart via the Inferior Vena Cava(receives blood from the lower extremities and the abdominal organs, & the Superior Vena Cava(receives blood from the upper torso,) to the Right Atrium. 2. Right Atrium through the Tricuspid Valve to the Right Ventricle. 3. The blood is pumped from the Right Ventricle through the Pulmonary Valve, to the Pulmonary Artery to the lungs. *The blood thus far in de-oxygenated. The blood is oxygenated in the lungs, and waste products removed (CO2). 4. The blood returns from the lungs via the Pulmonary Veins,(which are the only veins that carry oxygenated blood), into the Left Atrium, then goes through the Mitral or Bicuspid Valve, to the Left Ventricle. 5. The blood is pumped from the Left Ventricle through the Aortic Valve, then flows through the aorta to carry it's oxygenated blood to the entire body. I hope this helps, and that it's what you were asking about.

generally, you should assess their respiratory status. breathing rate & quality, lung sounds, spo2, ect. ask yourself why you would give a patient an initial breathing treatment, the prn's are the same. like i said, that's a general answer. do you work a ward, ed, or i.c.u.?

we perform rectal temps on everyone 2 years and under.axillary and tympanics just are not accurate enough.

when you're at church, or the grocery store and someone comes up to you and says, "you work in the e.r. right? you took great care of my grandpa about 2 weeks ago when he had that heart attack. i'm so glad you were there to start that iv, they always have trouble and have to stick him so many times. thank you so much." i might not even remember the patient, but that small bit of graditude sure does make everything seem worthwhile.

when i have the most horrific night ever, and i'm wondering to myself why should i even be nursing because of understaffing, low pay, unappreciative patients and administration, the list goes on and all. but just every once in a while, someone comes up to in in church, or at the grocery store, or wherever, and says, "i remember you, you took care of me in the e.d., (or took care of my son, or grandpa, ect.) and they tell you how good a job you did. alot of the times i don't remember the patient at all, but to me that makes everything we as nurses go through seem worthwhile. just that tiny bit of appreciation goes a mile. it doesn't take much to make us feel appreciated, does it nurses?

I want to have time with my family, that's the #1 thing for me. To be able to come home everynight, go to my son's T-Ball games, movies with my wife, ect. I wouldn't want to take the time for that much school, despite the money or privledge of being "Doctor". Some things are just too important to me.

There goes the "RN" thing again. "Experienced critical care RN's". I challenged the Paramedic exam as An OH MY GOD LVN and PASSED!!!! So don't sit there and say, experienced critical care RN's may be able to bridge to Paramedic, blah, blah, blah,. That just shows you my point. There are too many people out there who rely solely on titles and not experience. BTW, how many NREMT-P's do you work with that are still clueless? I know tons of them. Knowledge and Experience count, not titles, and certqinly not just being able to pass a test. FYI, I'm speaking on both sides of the equation too, 5+ years in E.D., 2 years in Level I Trauma Center (S.I.C.U.), as well as 4 years as CCEMT-P, and 2 years as a flight medid, and an RN with CEN, CCRN, ACLS, TNCC, PALS, NRP, ABLS, and whatever other abbreviations you can think of. People need to get over themselves and quit saying things like "it's possible for EXPERIENCED RN's to become medics, blah, blah, blah. Again, I don't care what abbreviations you have behind your name, the ability to use those skills, and to have actually been in those situations to use those skills, that's what matters.

I'm an NR-EMTP, I know my stuff. I'm also BLS and BLS Instructor, ACLS and ACLS Instructor, PALS, NRP, CCEMT-P, CRFNm ect, ect,,,What is the point? We were talking about nurses working in I.C.U.'s and having ACLS. Am I missing something or are we on a totally new topic?

I'm slow, but what exactly are we talking about now?

What is your post referring to? Read the discussion.

And?? What's your point?

I know what you mean, 2-3 patients with at least 4 drips each, CVP's, A-Lines, PA Lines, ventriculostomies(sp), halos, ARDS, multi-organ failure, Blakemores, JP's, Vents, the list goes on and on. And a nurse that isn't even ACLS certified???? This is my whole point, how can a nurse in an I.C.U. (CVICU in the original post, I think) take care of these type patients if they don't know the basics of Advanced Life Support????