tcvnurse BSN, RN

Thoracic Cardiovasc ICU Med-Surg

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All Content by tcvnurse

  1. tcvnurse

    Transducer Placement?

    tcvnurse replied to ClanMcBride's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    I use a piece of tape and a hemostat to clamp the transducer to the patient's gown at the phlebostatic axis. Done and done! edited for clarity, and clamping to gowns, not
  2. tcvnurse

    ECMO Ethics

    tcvnurse replied to Kettek53's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    What do you mean she would never see those patients in a CVICU? I see them in mine although we call it TCV instead of CV. Ruby and other posters have commented similarly. Perhaps I am misunderstanding...
  3. tcvnurse

    ECMO Ethics

    tcvnurse replied to Kettek53's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    I have found in our unit that the younger a patient is--and we do adults only, no pediatrics for me!-- the better their shot is. Seen a 27 year old female live from being on VA ECMO for 3 weeks. Just...
  4. tcvnurse

    Question for the cardiac guru's out there

    tcvnurse replied to RunninOnCoffee's topic in General Nursing

    Well the carvedilol is a beta blocker. Takes the workload of the heart. See sick hearts like to send out messages that say "Help! I'm weak! I need to beat faster! I need more resistance!" Essentially...
  5. tcvnurse

    Do you need all those degrees?

    tcvnurse replied to dnsonthego's topic in Nursing Professionalism

    It cracks me up when I hear these anecdotes about the ICU nurses who won't clean up poop. Sorry, find that really hard to believe. When you have tubed and vented patients on 75ml of promote an hour,...
  6. tcvnurse

    meds through a swan

    tcvnurse replied to newbie'13's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    At my hospital we use the white port of the swan for our pressers. We call it 'The VIP' port, LOL. Love
  7. tcvnurse

    Use of Cordis

    tcvnurse replied to Guest565225's topic in Cardiac

    We call them MACs at my facility. We try to pull them before sending the patient to step down, but if can't get two good peripherals we may leave it in. I am surprised to read that the AACN...
  8. tcvnurse

    Graduating May 2014! :)

    tcvnurse replied to laKrugRN's topic in General Students

    Graduating with my BSN in May. So glad the hard work is almost
  9. tcvnurse

    did i fluid overload her to death??

    tcvnurse replied to heshamhesham's topic in Cardiac

    YOu didn't kill this patient,. Her endocarditis most likely with septic emboli from the diseased valve probably did it. Either way, she was dying when she came in and nothing you could have done would...
  10. tcvnurse

    Amiodarone drip and IV Metoprolol

    tcvnurse replied to blueorchid981's topic in Cardiac

    Agree w poster above who said yeah its fine. Also, if HR is 140 I would not be worrying about heart blocks, I'd be worried about filling the heart but thats just
  11. tcvnurse

    art line vs cuff pressure

    tcvnurse replied to bmmott's topic in General Nursing

    I go by the arterial line. If the waveform is good and it's been zeroed and leveled to the phlebostatic axis the art line is more accurate than the cuff pressure. Also con side you may be using the...
  12. tcvnurse

    Ideas for Effective Time Management at Work/Juggling Tasks

    tcvnurse replied to monicanurse's topic in General Nursing

    When I worked the acute care floors, I would do a quick assessment on all patients, give AM meds and then chart them. When I moved to step-down, I did my assessment and the charted it immediately. I...
  13. tcvnurse

    Which cities if any are hiring new grad ADN RNs in inner city hospitals?

    tcvnurse replied to AQEELSMOM's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Charlottesville University of Virginia is hiring new grads but they generally prefer BSN. BUT--if you are in a BSN program they will interview you I am pretty
  14. tcvnurse

    Preceptor experience is not going well

    tcvnurse replied to SCnurse89's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Having oriented nonstop for the last three years i can tell you the number of times my oriented has said "Don't interrupt me while I'm charting" That would be ZERO. Nursing is pretty much one...
  15. tcvnurse

    Max dose on drips

    tcvnurse replied to harley91013's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    When I started in the CVICU they gave me a nifty little badge card with all the titrating ranges for drugs like eli, levi, vaso and neo etc. In my whopping three months as an ICU nurse I have seen...
  16. tcvnurse

    Is it a bad idea to quit a job before you have another one secured?

    tcvnurse replied to Deetail's topic in Nursing Career

    It is a bad
  17. tcvnurse

    Struggling in nursing school..

    tcvnurse replied to EmilyEmily's topic in General Students

    When I was in school my friends used to ask how I got such good grades. I'd ask them if they were going out with their boyfriends and hanging out with their friends. They inevitably answered 'Yes.'...
  18. tcvnurse

    IV Amiodarone extravasation

    tcvnurse replied to WAheartnurse's topic in Cardiac

    We give amio boluses all the time through peripheral IVs in our step down unit. However, we give the bolus over 30 min, not ten. We only do the 10 minute thing in the CVICU. Had more problems with...
  19. tcvnurse

    First time crying during orientation...

    tcvnurse replied to MSNrunner's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Holy cow, only 6 weeks of orientation? My facility does 3 months for new grads. Anyway if your preceptor is having you do everything you must be doing ok. Sounds like an awful day though. Some...
  20. tcvnurse

    Taking a job that isn't clinical, mistake?

    tcvnurse replied to number41's topic in Job Search, Interview, Resume

    Sorry but I would never want to work with an NP who hadn't already worked as a nurse
  21. tcvnurse

    If I speak, I am condemned. If I stay silent...

    tcvnurse replied to TU RN's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Ok, I'll field this one. You have to be assertive with the MDs for one thing, who very well might be on a one month rotation and prone to doing stupid things like trying to pull v wires while on a...
  22. tcvnurse

    Stupid New Grad mistake, Can I get fired? Please help!

    tcvnurse replied to pumpkinspice555's topic in First Year After Licensure

    Ha. No this is not a firing offense, just an oops, I'll make sure to do it right next time. You absolutely did the right thing and took responsibility for it. None of us are
  23. tcvnurse

    Is there any truth to this?

    tcvnurse replied to Nurse SMS's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Some thoughts: When I did home health nursing I often dealt with the little old lady with a low baseline temps. I quickly learned to take her seriously when she told me 'I don't feel good and this is...
  24. tcvnurse

    PCU interview... but what exactly is PCU?

    tcvnurse replied to tarotale's topic in Cardiac

    Always good to hear about other Progressive Care Units. I worked in one for three years. We took POD 1 CABG/Heart patients, and also fresh thoracic cases- minimally invasive esopojectomy, lobectomies,...
  25. tcvnurse

    FYI Lots of New Grad positions open at UVa

    tcvnurse posted a topic in General Students

    Hello all, I know that job market hasn't been fantastic out there so I thought I'd post this link to the UVa (University Of Virginia in Charlottesville) website. I frequently check out the job...