melinated

8 pts, one ER admit pt 1. total hip post op day 2. marked right side weakness, stat CT reveals brain mass pt 2. gastric banding (easy) pt 3. total hip but also has sickle cell. very hard to keep pain under control- even w a PCA pt 4. another banding pt 5. gallstones..renal history pt 6. pancreatitis goes into ARF also beginning of DT's..... pt 7 . admit- pancreatitis pt 8. r/o PN, sepsis...lymphoma? WBC's 90.5 pt 9. myleloma, dialysis, pancytopenia then when i finally take a 5 minute break, a hour b4 shift ends, CODE BLUE! pt doesnt seem to be pulling thru, let wife in half way thru,she's at his side, and we get a heartrate...wowwweee! almost let em tears go! didnt leave till 2 hours after shift ends...I love my job! =)

im 31 yrs old...LPN..in school to get RN...work on busy medsurge floor, primary nursing. i hang blood, start IV's, hang abx, draw blood, basically everything except drawin from a central line or lifeport, iv pushes, and i must have an RN sign my care plans, and admission assesments. i look like i am 18 and get questioned at least once a day. in the beginning i had to announce my age nonchalantly and i swear that md's then took me more seriously. as for patients, when they ask how old i am, i tell them that i just turned 16 and that i graduated school early...usually they get my joke and relax...or i will smile and just tell the how old i am...building trust and making patient comfortable with you and how u care for them is what matters! and speaking with confidence! =) oh and i have a periced nose and tattoos (they arent visible but once in a while u might see just one or 2!), dress in a regular shirt, solid colors and scrub pants. i dont think that how u look matters, just be neat. your attitude and attentivness to patient will influence how they percieve you. =)

i am an lpn and have been working on a 42 bed med surge floor for almost 2 years. we do primary nursing and our ratio ranges from 6-9 pts. most of the nurses on the floor are RN's with the exception of about 3 nurses, including myself, however we are being sent to school, tuition paid to get RN degrees. Then our hospital owns us for the next 4 years! (nsg shortage big time). But i must say this. Being a new grad, i have had thee most experience out of all the nurses that i went to school with. i absolutley love medsurge. i like the quick thinking, the prioritizing, the interactions with the patients, and the hands on. i learn everyday. i think it is the best experience for a new nurse. don't get me wrong, there are days that i come home from work and all i can do is sit and stare at 4 walls. or i may pass out and sleep the evening away from the stress that the job can cause... too be expected...if u can't take the heat....then dont do this job eh??

i usually have from 7-9 patients....on rare occasions may get stuck wit 10-12. where i work we can protest our assignment, which doesnt mean u r refusing but means that u have documented that u feel unsafe with whateva amt of patients. that way...if one of those patients ever files a lawsuit or something about their care while in the hospital, it is documented. our charge nurse helps out as much as she can.

i would wonder if running all 3 at maximum rate of infusion at the same time might send the pt into chf?

it all depends...BP meds are tricky. if i cant get a doc on the phone, i may give the BP ones and hold the colace. if the pt is npo and on insulin some endocrinologists may start the pt on D5 or something and make you continue the insulin coverage. anesthesia can let u know also if pt headed for the OR.... good question. not silly.no question is dumb. we (nurses) learn every day.

do u feel comfortable using swan lines? what is ur hospitals protocol for checking proper placement? reason: grandmothers pulm art was ruptured during a wedge pressure check. i am a nurse, but not ICU knowledgable...just lookin for opinions. THANKS!

not a usual amount, had FULL census. usually its 8

bed 1: hyponatremia, AMS, posey'd fluid rest, family giving water non compliant bed 2: PN bed 3: pseudo obstruction, PE s/p colostomy now, pt coughed abd site leaking and fever 103.3, cvp removed and no IV acess at the moment bed 4: L ext cellulitis bed 5: s/p ORIF hip, AMS bed 6: train wreck. chest tube removed yest, colostomy, wound vac to perirectal area( due to gangrenous scrotum last month), foley, failure to thrive, going for a greenfield due to dvt's bed 7: lung lesion bed 8: HIV+. hep +, anemia, fever bed 9: DT's bed 10: DT's gotta love it!

as a new LPN (1 year) on med/surge floor i have learned way more than what nursing school prepared you for, and i absolutley love it. readin other replies, i totally relate. the flow of the day CAN change in a quick NY minute! it's so true! no lunch, no break it happens, but at the end of the day you can reflect on all that you have done. so maybe i'm weird too!!!

i am a LPN for a year now, working medsurge, and doing everything the RN does except pushes,transfusions and chemo. we barely ever do team nursing ( nice idea but not enoughstaff) and i handle districts ranging from 8-10 patients. basically...we do the SAME job. i will return to school so thati can get paid for doing the SAME job. the passion is the same, hopefully, whether you have "RN" or "LPN" after your name...!!!

pts with CBI

the non compliant diabetics and copd'ers wound vacs are annoying too!