bear14

I totally understand what the OP means but a few weeks ago we had a cardiac arrest come in and we got the guy back, got him to cath lab and he was extubated a few weeks later and doing well. It's moments like that when we celebrate the wins, because they do happen.

It's not dropping them on you, at least from the Ed perspective. We have to admit those who are not well enough to go home. Sometimes they are clusters sometimes they're not. We send those who meet criteria to the ICU and the rest obs or med/surg gets.

It's sad to say but you get more comfortable the more experience you have. The second day I was in the ED we had a cardiac arrest that we brought back. I was so nervous I couldn't even put the foley in....and it was a male. The longer you're there the more comfortable you will get. It takes time. Pretty soon you'll get IV's while they're being compressed.

I'd deal with the shift but look for a new job. If there are only two of you it is not fair to the other nurse. S/He is going to need your help. 35 to 2 is extremely unsafe. Especially, if they are high acuity.

I love history I am going to have to check that book out! Thanks!!!

Really????

Ok, this is what I found when I googled it so I may have answered my own question. http://www.cvpharmacology.com/clinical%20topics/myocardial%20infarction-2

I always knew Morphine reduced the oxygen demand on the heart, but I never knew through what mechanism. An instructor said that it is done by decreasing the pain so the patient isn't breathing as hard. However, Morphine releases histamine so does that mean it also vasodilates? I know it can affect your hemodynamic state by decreasing your bp and o2 but is that how? I love patho so I am constantly trying to put all the pieces together instead of just knowing the results. Thanks in advance.

Isn't that the same hospital they took Kennedy too???

I did the Purdue online BSN course. It was all online and wasn't horribly expensive. Will your job do financial reimbursement? That helped us a lot. The Purdue course was easy it was just time consuming.

We did the hand thing and she pulled it away so she didn't hit herself.

What is your ED's philosophy in treat pseudoseizures? We had a pt come in that was in her 40's with a pseudoseizure, vitals were stable. So, that being said we still treated it as we would with any other seizures but she received a ridiculous amount of medication for it. She managed to mumble some stuff during it too. She calmed down and then later went into another one for which she was again treated for it. When I was on the floors I had a pt that had them and was not treated. What does your ED do for them?? Thanks in advance.

Don't we have to see the K+ first before giving the Lasix??

We do enema's which sometimes help but rarely and then move on to attacking it from the north and giving them Mag Citrate or go lytely.

I work 11-11 and it can be exhausting. By 1900 you're looking at your watch thinking okay I have four more hours and then by ten you start your countdown. For me it works because I can get the kids to school, have some down time and then go. But again by 1900 and having been on your feet all day, at least for me you get tired.