EmilyCCRN

What are you required to wear to your pinning ceremony? My class will wear graduation gowns (no caps), but previous classes have worn the whole silly get-up. Since my school has a graduation AND a pinning ceremony, I think it's asinine to wear a grad...

Anti-platelet therapy depends on several things, such as whether the patient received a bare metal or drug-eluting stent. Generally speaking, all stented patients should take ASA "indefinitely" and Plavix/Effient for at least 30 days (bare metal) or...

I was called in at 0300 one night for an anterior STEMI. As we were wheeling (i.e. running) the pt to the cath lab, he starts going off about how "I have insurance! Don't kill me because you don't think I can pay for this stuff. I know you guys do...

EKG results in 45 minutes? No way! An EKG needs to be interpreted immediately to rule out STEMI, new onset LBBB, etc. In 45 minutes the patient can lose a lot of muscle...and/or DIE...hopefully their EKG didn't show v-fib. And back to the origi...

Holy cow! I would NOT want to be a patient in a lab where non-RNs are allowed to mix and give drugs. To answer the OP's question, no, we are not required to take the RCIS. The CCRN is a more popular choice for us, although my hospital does give i...

You have NO IDEA how long I've been beating my head against the wall over this issue. My "life" before nursing was in the IT realm, so the way technology-related items are handled in my facility drives me CRAZY! Believe me, if there was ANY WAY to ...

It sounds like the PCCN exam could be appropriate for you, then, if you have the minimum number of hours, etc. Good luck with your studies! :)

Just my , but a patient who is 6 hours post-PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention - 'PTCA' is not used very much anymore) should be pretty darn stable, especially compared to the other patients in this scenario. The patient should be on hourly gro...

Good answer! :) To the OP, I would recommend taking a look at the exam blueprints for the PCCN and CCRN exams to see what seems to fit your job description the best. At my facility, for example, the telemetry RNs would not fit the criteria for eith...

It is disheartening to read some of these comments, because aren't we ALL supposed to be caring for the acute MI patient here? The "us against them" mentality is really unfortunate and has the potential to adversely affect the outcome of the patient...

I was hired onto a horrible 46-bed combined ICU stepdown/ medical telemetry floor right out of school. We took five patients each and had no CNA's, so we were responsible for all of our own vitals, etc. There weren't enough BP/SP02 machines to go a...

You may need to contact the BON to find out whether your hours will count toward your certificate. A lot of administrative-type jobs/tasks can count toward licensure, but the BON should be able to tell you for sure. :)

My hospital actually does a decent job celebrating Nurses Week. Last year we had a different event every day, including having our CNO and other administrators make us ice cream sundaes and Italian sodas. They also had contests (like "match the bab...

When I started nursing school in 2004, Washington County did my fingerprint card for me. I think it was under $10. I would check with your local county government to see how to do it. Good luck!

What about something like "acupuncture versus narcotics used for pain control in individuals with chronic back pain"? Good luck! :)

I think that certain types of volunteer work can also count toward your hours, and could possibly help your job prospects. Good luck!

...and it can be reversed with protamine, unlike LMW heparin (i.e. Lovenox). :)

5,000 units of unfractionated heparin given IV push is actually a pretty standard dose given to acute MI patients before starting a IIb-IIIa inhibitor (like Integrilin). The standard dose for anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin during PCI is...

Did I mention that I love this thread? Here are more "gems" I have personally encountered: ...when you can't pee, don't wait THREE days before telling anyone about it, or else you might wind up in the ER where they insert a foley and drain 4.5 LITE...

I get 205 hours per year. After five years of employment it goes up by a few hours (I think it goes up to 220-something). Last I heard, my hospital provided the most PLH (paid leave hours) in my metropolitan area.

I would imagine that it's just like it would be in any other profession. Unless you signed a contract, there's no legal reason you couldn't turn it down, but you run the risk of burning some bridges by accepting the job and then backing out at a lat...

EXACTLY what I was thinking! Sounds like "school envy" to me! With respect to WGU, I don't know much about the nursing program (except that it's obviously accredited--DUH!), but I know someone who is attending this university for a (second) bache...

I drove about 45 minutes each way when I was in nursing school, and I would have driven 2 hours each way if that's what it took. :) My work commute is now 10 blocks (yippee!) and my school (MSN program) commute is zero blocks...I'm in an online prog...

I agree that only "highly-trained" personnel should be pulling sheaths, and cath lab techs (radiology techs and UAPs such as CVTs) generally have extensive experience in this arena. It is important to note, however, that an RN must be on hand during...

One of my colleagues calls Valium "val-ee-oom". It drives me crazy!