Heartman

Please everyone do protect your back! RN for 21 years and because of improper lifting for all that time,I herniated L4-L5. Surgury last June and just got back to work on "light duty" in September. Nerve damage resulted in Caudal Equina Syndrome (CES). Loss of motor control of lower extremities, bowel and bladder control. Don't risk it, at any age you are to young to be wearing depends and pushing a walker. Remember the body mechanics that you have all been told and do not lift by yourself!

Greetings all, I'm a critical care RN and have been since '81. Last June my chronic low back pain developed into incredible back pain with siatic pain on the R. This resulted in surgery to remove the disc between L4-5 and installing hardware @ L-5/S-1 for stabilization. The good news is that the pain is completly gone. The bad news is that I now walk with a limp, have urinary retension requiring self cath 4 x/day and bow incontinence now controlled with strict bowel program. I am now cleared to go back to work 24 hrs/week and lifting only 20 lbs. I will not be able to lift patients. My question is has anyone else on this board had to go back to work under similar cercumstances? Did you go into administration or case review or what. Any ideas are welcome. Thanks, Walt

Thanks I'll check it out.

In over twenty years of critical care nursing I've seen one blown PA. Nothing you can do unless you have a thorasic/vascular team in the OR standing by. We didn't have this. MSO4 for comfort as pt. bled out. Make sure you get those consents signed and risks explained. Walt

I agree, dopplers are easy to use. Anyone can learn in about 1 minute. I would be interested in getting one for myself. I frequently detect my own pulse in my fingertips when palpating for a pulse. Especially in a pt. with compromised vascular status or hypotention. So far everywhere on line that I have checked, they are $650 and up. I would be willing to pay around $100, maybe I'm dreaming. Anyone know of a source for "cheap" dopplers. Thanx, Walt

Always with Swans. Usually with propofol, NTG and dopamine @ renal dose. Docs pay no attention to PCWP. Swan is usually DC'd by following AM.

Never wind up drunk in the ER telling the Doc to go **** himself repeatedly. This angers the physician. The physician has pavulon and an Ambu bag. He whispers in your ear. " Now I'm breathing for you. Now I'm not." Probably just one of those urban myths.

I'm working in a SICU new to me and they call insulin gtts here "CZI". They've been calling them that for so long that no one can remember what it means. I've done a couple of searches with no luck. Can someone help me out? Just curious.

I'm a guy. Wearing white and have always worn white. In my hospital just about anything goes. There is a dress code but no one seems to enforce it. All the rest of the staff wear colors instead of white. We are all high quality competant nurses so it doesn't seem to make much differance what you wear. However I like to be identified as a nurse. My pt. population is frequently elderly and I like to give them all the clues I can as to who is who and who will be taking care of them. I have my name embroidered in large block letters on my shirts to to help them remember my name and identify me. (frequent poor eyesight and poor memory) Works for me. Just my .02 Walter :redbeathe

I have used a doppler in codes when one is available. I have not seen them generally included on the crash cart as standard equipment but think it would be a good idea. In the PEA algorithm if no pulse is detectable, CPR is initiated. If a pulse is detected it is not PEA and CPR is not initiated. Walter :redbeathe

Dear Steph, I agree with crjnursewarrior. We all have bumps in the road. Dust yourself off and keep trying. You need to shop for a good orientation program. I've neen a nurse since '81 and I'm sure I wouldn't have been comfortable in a hospice situation with my own caseload without a proper orientation. I recently changed from a general MICU/SICU/CCU to a Cardiac SICU. I had never taken care of open heart pts. before and needed orientation. I started in early January and am just getting off orientation this week. The nurses in this unit are very proud of the work that they do and want to make sure that the new guy (me) is up to their standard of care before they let me go it alone. Even though I am presently comfortable taking a post op CABG I know that if I run into trouble I have people around me to back me up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are places that have good orientation programs and supportive staff. Keep looking and I'm sure you will find one. Walter :redbeathe

Speculating, So well said. I have always worked in hospitals and make it a point to know the name of everyone I come in contact with. All the ancillary staff, from supply , pharmacy, lab, x-ray, OR, ER etc. etc. It's nice to know the person on the other end of the phone when you need something in a hurry. Makes your job more fun too. Walter :redbeathe

A lesson to us all. Get malpractice insurance, it's less than $100 per year. I don't know how good it is, thankfully never needed to find out. Walter :redbeathe

Wearing a full beard. Must wear a positive pressure hood for airborn bacteria situations but this only happens a couple time a year wear I work. I'd shave if it became a problem. Walter :redbeathe

Nurse since '81 Never thought about it. Walter