SafetyNurse1968 BSN, MSN, PhD

Education, Informatics, Patient Safety

If I were in charge of the universe, there would be staffing ratio laws and unions in every state and you'd get written up for NOT taking your breaks.

Patient Safety Columnist / Educator

All Content by SafetyNurse1968

  1. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: Unexplained Bruises

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    And now the moment you've all been waiting for! Drum roll please...... Laboratory Test Results (with normal values):Hb 7.7 g/dL (12-15.5 g/dL)Hct 23% (35-45%)RBC 2.8 million/mm3 (4.6-6.1)WBC...
  2. SafetyNurse1968

    Are you friends with coworkers? Maybe you should be...

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    Yes, thank you! We have a service called Bark that we use to monitor her tablet (she doesn't get a phone yet, she is SO not ready for the very reasons you describe) and I've turned off all the little...
  3. SafetyNurse1968

    Are you friends with coworkers? Maybe you should be...

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    I hear you. I spent many years alone. It took a dedicated commitment to friendship to finally get it to happen for me. I often think about retirement. SOMEDAY! Thanks for commenting. Sounds like...
  4. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: Unexplained Bruises

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    You got it! And THANK YOU for reading and commenting. All vital signs normal except for heart rate, which is tachycardic. Why? Vital signs: BP 108/68 (normal for 6-year-old)...
  5. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 posted a topic in Critical Care

    Chief Complaint: Provided by caregiver: "My grandfather is confused and pretty sick. He was up most of the night coughing.” History of Present Illness: H.T. is an 82-year-old Hispanic...
  6. SafetyNurse1968

    Have you had your Colonoscopy? March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to Brenda F. Johnson's topic in Gastroenterology

    Last year I turned 51 and went in for my yearly physical thinking "oh no, here comes colonoscopy time" but instead my doc recommended cologuard. I did it and it was negative. I posted about it on here...
  7. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    This patient has pneumococcal pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumonia. The most common symptoms of bacterial pneumonia are: a cough with thick yellow, green, or blood-tinged mucusstabbing chest...
  8. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    Mr. T has community acquired pneumonia (CAP), but what kind? How severe is it? Does he need to go to the hospital? Refresher - pneumonia is a common lung infection where alveoli become inflamed. They...
  9. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    UPDATE ON MR. T! Your first order of business is to tell the granddaughter to have Mr. T stop taking the tea, or at least to leave out the Tequila! Use https://www.drugs.com/interaction/list/ to check...
  10. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “YES” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 posted a topic in General Nursing

    In my Just Say "No" article, I listed the evidence from California against mandated nurse-to-patient ratios, the only state to have a safe staffing law. Despite a reduction in patient mortality,...
  11. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    No oxygen at home, no change in cough with smoking. Thanks for
  12. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    No changes to the meds. I couldn't find any information about the interaction of Mullein/Gordolobo with any of the medications. Not a lot of info out there. Great
  13. SafetyNurse1968

    Case Study: What's Causing This Cough?

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Critical Care

    Great questions so far. I will be sending out ABGs and vital signs in a few days as well as sputum description and culture and a CBC. Gordolobo - Mullein flowers, grows in central and northern Mexico....
  14. SafetyNurse1968

    The Wrong Dose - A True Story of Medication Error

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    So sorry this happened to you. It sounds like an honest mistake (so many of our errors are exactly that - honest mistakes.) It seems like having a pharmacist on staff 24/7 would have prevented that...
  15. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “NO” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 posted a topic in General Nursing

    You’ve worked on a busy Med Surg unit for almost a year now. You were so excited to be hired right out of nursing school to the day shift, but it’s been so much harder than you ever thought it...
  16. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “NO” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    And just like I said in the "YES" article - you are welcome and THANK YOU. We absolutely must stand up for patient and nurse safety. Hospitals have demonstrated their inability to follow guidelines,...
  17. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “YES” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    You are SO welcome, I am grateful for your activism. I'm planning on taking a much more active role in this fight. Calling my legislators, marching. I appreciate the depth of knowledge you bring to...
  18. SafetyNurse1968

    Discussion at nurse's station

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to AnonymouseRN's topic in HIPAA Challenges

    I believe it's your ethical duty to report your boss for this breach of patient safety practice. He is required by the Joint Commission to report sentinel events. If you know he is not reporting them...
  19. SafetyNurse1968

    How to be a Perfect Nurse

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to mtnNurse.'s topic in General Nursing

    You tagged me! I'm not worthy! (quoting from Wayne's World...hope that's okay here...) I SO appreciate the shout out from the OP (original poster). Made my day. You want to know your best strategies...
  20. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “NO” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    The second part of this article just came out. I think you'll find it interesting. Many of you have made some fantastic, well-supported comments on this thread about what we as nurses can do to make a...
  21. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “NO” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    I agree 100% with this statement. Thank you for using Star Wars to explain it-that we must work together is the theme of the
  22. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “NO” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    I think this is why it's so important to explore all sides of the issue. I had previously assumed the ANA would be in support of safe staffing laws. I'm glad I found NursesTakeDC.org. Our voice is...
  23. SafetyNurse1968

    Just Say “NO” to Nurse Staffing Laws

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    Fantastic reference - THANK YOU - this is what I'm talking about - if we don't treat nurses well by promoting a safe and dignified workplace, we lose them - that's not good for nurses, patients or...
  24. SafetyNurse1968

    Protecting Your License: Notes from a Nurse-Attorney

    SafetyNurse1968 posted a topic in General Nursing

    Nursing licensure has been on my mind lately. I just taught an NCLEX test prep course to some recent RN grads, and there are always test questions on licensure and negligence. I had a lively...
  25. SafetyNurse1968

    Protecting Your License: Notes from a Nurse-Attorney

    SafetyNurse1968 replied to SafetyNurse1968's topic in General Nursing

    I looked into your question and after bypassing all the info from actual insurance companies (because of course they want you to buy!) I found a decent article thatTalks to nurse leaders- here’s a...