tincan

Feeding two (or more!) patients at the same time would not be a choking hazard. When there are multiple patients and only two people around to feed them, that's pretty much what you have to do if you want your patients to still be able to eat lukewarm food instead of ice cold food. (and to go on your own dinner break on time) It's easier once you got the hang of it... like how fast the patient eats, what his or her habit is like, and what's the best way to feed them (spoon? fork? which food first?)... that's what I got thrown into as a RN in an ALC ward. I have utmost respect for the care aides who are still working hard there. Without them I wouldn't have survived the three months I worked there. I utilize my care aides as one of my most important resources, and I always ask them for their help or opinion in how to best do something for the patients.

Just wanted to leave a thanks for jpeters84's thorough post!

Just downloaded your spreadsheet. Thanks!

I'm okay with not being paid OT for the opportunity to work in authority B. I'm also thinking of dropping my full time line and switch to casual in authority A should authority B hires me. Would that be allowed?

Agreed with the above poster. The OP need to do more research into the difference in scope of practice between RN (registered nurse), LPN (licensed practical nurse), RPN (registered psychiatric nurse) - these are what these abbreviations stand for in BC. I have no idea what an APN is. Also, BCIT's degree is a 3-year accelerated program, not 4-year. BCIT (and UBC) goes by competition, while Douglas/Kwantlen goes by waitlist. These institutes offer RN degree programs. There is no "best" career path - it's different for each individual, and you have to determine what's best for yourself.

I had outright told a patient that "I'm a nurse, not a maid," and I also gave her a long lecture on how demanding she was (with other patients present - actually, her roommates were complaining to me about how disruptive she was, and I was pretty fed up with her too, so I snapped and gave that lecture...) The patient was discharged a few days later. Said patient asks for a straw like 5 times a day because she didn't like to reuse the same straw, and she kept dropping them onto the floor when I give her a few at a time. While it's true that it's hard for her to grab them herself from the counter since she is on a wheelchair (but she's mobile enough to go outside for a smoke TID, put on make-ups at *2AM* in the morning, on the phone all the time...) and I just pretty much had it with her. Whether or not she complained about me to the charge nurse or the manager, I had no idea and to be honest I don't really care. It has been two months and I didn't get fired (yet), so I guess I'm okay. Though I know she came back just two weeks ago but she was on a different ward (saw her name on the computer). I have no idea how she's doing now.

Sorry if this has been asked before. I'm a new grad RN who fortunately acquired a full time position when I finished my program (at the ward where I did my preceptorship term) because the hospital happened to be expanding at that time and needed more staffs. I work in a general medical/surgical ward under Fraser Health at the moment. I'm interested in gaining experience in a more specialized nursing area in a different health authority... does anyone know if it's currently allowed to hold a full time position at one health authority and also get a casual position at a different health authority? If I recall correctly, Fraser Health currently does not allow RNs who have a full time position to apply for casual position elsewhere, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I just wanted to find out before I submit my resume to a different hospital. Thanks! =D PS. Let's say I do find a new job position at where my passion is, how early in advance do I have to notify my current job's manager?

My patient had high serum phosphate level and low serum vitamin D level, and it didn't quite make sense to me... I know that Calcium and Phosphate level has an inverse relationship (something to do with the kidneys)... When I look up Phosphate on a lab values text, it says that for an INCREASE of phosphate, the cause might be due to an EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF VITAMIN D LEVEL. What the textbook said to me made sense because I thought it should be something like... High vitamin D --> More calcium absorption into bones --> low serum calcium level --> high serum phosphate level (due to the inverse relationship, and phosphate being released form bone by vitamin D) So it didn't made sense to my why my patient would have low serum vitamin D level AND high phosphate level. Can someone please help me out here? Thanks. The possible cause of low vitamin D level could be because this patient has been hospitalized for 2 months and not getting much sunlight.

For pain management there is pharmacological management and non-pharmacological management. What do you think are the "best" managements? When a fresh post-op patient with pain 7/10 refuses narcotics, such as hydromorphone and oxycodone, for their pain management due to the side effects (ex. N&V, drowsiness), what would you do? I could only come up with the following... 1. Give the minimal dose ordered, and if it's already the min. dose, ask the physician to write a new order for decreased dose. 2. Try a different narcotic (ask physician to consider a different one if there are no alternatives ordered). Try a different administration route. 3. Try relaxation technique (but I think its effect is low when a patient has 10/10 pain and still refuses narcotics) 4. Give Tylenol... only if the patient isn't already on regular acetaminophen that's close to the 4g/24hrs mark. What else have you found helpful? Any input would be appreciated. :)

The patient got C2-Conus epidural abscess, so it's really high. I don't know where the spinal cord pressure point is, but since it's affecting her whole spine (almost) so no surgical intervention can be done and she is on antibiotics for treatment. She was admitted a month ago to ICU to treat sepsis secondary to the epidural abscess. She is ASIA C. Thanks for mentioning dysreflexia! Now I know that preventing the bladder from getting too full can help prevent it.

Hi, I'm a second year nursing student currently on a spinal ward. Nice to meet you all. :) I have been reading posts here on-and-off and decided to ask a question today. My patient had epidural abscess and has bladder incontinence as a result. She cannot feel her bladder getting full so regular ICT (intermittent catheterization) is needed. I'm just wondering what are the implications for doing regular ICTs other than the following? - prevent the bladder from overfilling -> stretches the bladder -> stretches the sphincter to ureter / possible backflow to kidneys? - prevent urinary tract infection (from decreased urine flow and clearance) I just wanted to make sure I'm not over-thinking it (as I end up over-thinking all the time and end up slowing myself down...) Thanks for any input in advance. :redpinkhe