CoolhandHutch MSN, RN

Two completely different mindsets. The OR is very linear and controlled. The ED is very ADD. After having done both, I'm very much the latter.

In the ED, there seems to be a favor of rate control over rhythm control for AFib, hence the use of cardizem. Plus, you mentioned your patient having symptoms for a week- it's possible he has been in afib that long and you wouldn't want to convert hi...

The major issue is not the setting but acuity of the patient. Do primary care/family MDs only practice in the clinic? No, they see patients in the hospital. Do they see patients in the ICU? Typically no. Point is, the consensus model provides that yo...

I did my RN-BSN completion through an online program and currently I am doing my ACNP through a "traditional" program. A few thoughts about this whole thing: Being an online/distant educated student requires, IMHO, a higher level of organization and ...

Much like the "Recommended Education for Entry into Nursing Practice" is the BSN, the same goes for the DNP. Now, how long have we being hearing about the BSN? Today, there are many hospitals that are driving this change (BSN as education requirement...

I'm good at making VERY realistic poop from a combination of wet toilet paper and a few drops of betadine. Drop it in a bed pan and leave it at the nurses station....not very professional but it's what I'm good at :)

The hardest part about assessing patients in the ED is trying to figure out what to do with those that have very vague complaints...and making sure they are not ominous. For example, a 20 year female that states "I just don't feel good. I threw up on...

I would be more worried about the older, female nurses that resent/dislike/are irritated by/scared of male nurses. They're out there. Now, you are also going to run into male nurses that hate everyone. Or female nurses that only like male nurses that...

I did the BSN completion program at JU and would not recommend it- they only "kinda" offer the gen eds- I had to go elsewhere to get stuff like humanities, international studies, and so on. It may have changed somewhat by now, I enrolled in 2004. How...

If you think nursing is restrictive, wait until you start with your nutrition classes. There are some more progressive areas in nursing which might suit you but on the whole, it's Western medicine. I understand where you are, I feel somewhat the sam...

What's the hurry? Is your patient crumping? Then IO or EJ. For routine stuff, I've done upper arms up to the shoulder. Seen a boob done once, didn't really see the point. Occasionally would do feet in non-diabetics but that's getting phased out in mo...

The one thing you need to remember that when you get a patient into the ICU the "groundwork" is usually done...line, labs, tubed, drips. Usually. If you are really fortunate, you might even have a patient in a gown. Pants might be on still even thoug...

I have heard of some hospital systems doing this, Press Ganey be damned! There is typically more to it- kids under 12 or 16 are exempt, as are people over the age of 60- I can't remember the particulars but you get the idea. No one is going to miss t...

I have my pitchfork and torch, where we headed?

Give it time. And, IMHO, the incident report about not getting someone cleaned out is crap!

Big plans for the future? You realize you're in nursing, right? Last I heard, community organizing was the best route to go for "big plans"......

In my experience, in order from most to least accurate: mom's hands, foley, rectal, oral, tympanic, forehead scanner doohickie...those things suck.

.....even the frequent flyers crump. It's just a matter of time.

One person posted recently that the difference between ER and ICU nurses was; ER = ADD, ICU = OCD. There's more truth in that than you might believe. Never have truer words been spoken. I have also heard the ED called "fast food" and the ICU called "...

As that tube is sliding past the vocal cords, my ED docs can count on me asking the same thing every time..."What are we keeping him/her down with?" Saves a bunch of frantic maneuvering when your intubated patient is profoundly tachy and it dawns on...

I always tell my nurses this: PROTECT THE HEART Hide the K Remove the K So, in that regards, calcium always first, the insulin/d50, then kayex. Remember, insulin/d50 only shifts the K but it's still in the body. Always figure out what the "exit plan"...

I took several classes from APUS and had no trouble transferring them to my school. Before you take any class, copy and paste the "course description" and send it to your advisor. They should have no problem telling you if it will work or not. APUS i...

I work at an urban ED that sees somewhere north of 60,000 people at year, mostly complex medical with the occasional walk-GSW (almost once a week it seems). We're a nationally accredited heart center and various other things but we have no official t...

Is nursing a good job? I work in the ER and I can't imagine myself doing anything else. I've joked with my wife that if I won the lottery I'd still have to do this because, well, it's pretty dang fun. Patients can be rude, docs can be rude, residents...