jmdRN

That's been my standard mom-response since before being a nurse... the littlest booboos from my kids would get a look at, and if nothing visible to the naked eye, the threat of amputation (in jest!) as a result, usually followed with a cartoon bandaid afterwards! Caught my 13 y.o. daughter telling her little cousin "We'll have to amputate it" after he fell in the grass and scruffed a knee over the weekend LOL!

I put 1st initial of 1st name and whole last name on mine, but that's because there's no less than 5 nurses on my (small) unit who share my 1st name.

my oldest was in LTC as a CNA, she was 102. Since graduating, my oldest pt was 98, in ICU...

Had a patient recently who had a deep, productive cough x several days. Docs asked for a sputum culture, so night shift sent off 1st sputum of the morning last week. Got the C&S back and had a few of the 'usual suspects' ie haemophilus influenze pneumonia and strep..... and..... wait for it... E. Coli!!! How in the name of all things good did E coli end up in this patients' lungs? Bit of history, was initially admitted for "weakness, pre-syncope" and found to have a rapid heart rate. Somewhat obese pt with history of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) requiring c-pap at rest. I'm wondering if the c-pap might have had something to do with it?

Super dark room (I have a black out blind that I put a dark coloured flannel blanket over top of), fan on medium for white noise, ear plugs if it's a nice day (neighbor likely to mow lawn), no coffee after 2am, and no drinking at all after 4am (I get off work at 8am). I get home from work, eat a small meal, either last night's leftovers or eggs and toast, have a warm bath in my dark bathroom then off to bed. I feel feel really hyped after a shift, I'll take either melatonin or a benadryl before the breakfast/bath routine.

We've been doing team nursing at my hospital for a little over a year now, and I hate it! Our med/tele unit has 28 beds, divided into 2 teams. Each team has an RN team lead, 2 RPNs who each have 7 pts on days and 1 PCT. As RN, I'm supposed to evaluate the 14 pts in my team, communicate with the Dr's, meet w/ the multi team (physio, SW, dietary, pharmacy etc) and elaborate the care plans for these pts and work on discharge planning. there's never enough hours in my 8hr day to get it all done, and I feel like I'm often missing things.

LPNs in Quebec report to the Ordre des Infirmiers et Infirmieres Auxiliaires de Quebec (OIIAQ). Their website is found here : Order - Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec - OIIAQ And as mentioned by JustBeachy, you do need to be able to prove a functional level of French to work in Quebec, even if you are lucky enough to find a job in one of our "anglo" hospitals in Mtl.

I paid 410$ for 1 year in Canada, which includes malpractice ins and sales tax >.>

we do B-52's here on our agitated pts in the ER. Benadryl, 5mg Haldol and 2mg Ativan

I agree that it depends on the new grad. Some are more mature (read 2nd career, old farts ) and have managing skills from past life experiences that some of the "fresh out of HS to NS" new grads don't have. At my place of work, I was charge on evenings/nights within 6 mos of graduation. The newer grads we have this year are Dec grads and I don't see them being ready to take on charge roles just yet.

When I work nights, I'll have a coffee or 2 at the BEGINNING of my shift, but nothing more than water or regular juice after the 1/2 way point. If you have a medscape account (free!) check out this CME/CE on Night Shift Syndrome. I found it eye opening (and well, helped my shut-eye too) after I read it. I saw what I was doing wrong in terms of my sleep hygeine. http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/769403

If AKY's link doesn't work for you up there, try this link , it's a direct link to the LA Times story she linked. And thanks for sharing AKY. The message of that article is sooo true. So many of us, myself included, just don't know what to say, or to whom to say it.

It means the replace the AMOUNT of NG drainage (usually between 150-300mls with the NG's I see per 8 hr shift) with an equivalent amout of NS. You dispose of the NG drainage wherever the bio-hazards for your unit go, DO NOT try to replace the goo that you drained from the pt back into the pt.

My last semester of RN school was split into 2 1/2 semesters. Before spring break we had 2 days in classroom and 3 days on the floor where we had 2 pts and up to 3 in the last week. After spring break we had a 6-8 week preceptorship where we had to complete a certain number of hours (I want to say 120h, but I'd have to look it up) in which we were buddied with a staff nurse. By the time we were done preceptorship, we were expected to be able to take the whole patient load of the buddied nurse. In my case, I precepted in a rural emerg, and by my last week I often had up to 7 24h-obs or floor holds.

Some step-downs also have dopamine or other pressors.