pk1

question---after a code blue has ended and the patient has expired---what do you do, (1) leave all the tubes in place, all the trash laying where it fell, code cart visible and trashed and bring the family in to see their love one in this state, so ...

I do believe in allowing families to be allowed to be present in a code if they wish. I am all about the patient and family. I just could not believe that a nurse would insist that the room remain trashed and the patient left as he was just so the ...

Anyone have suggestions as to the best way to get a Rapid Response Team up and running in a rual hospital with limited staff. Day shihft is not a problem. Evening and nights, where it is needed the most, there is limited inexperienced staff and cont...

Are there any facilities using voice care reporting system, for handing off reports shift to shift on your units? If so, do you think it will meet the National Safety Goal for handoffs?

I have worked it both ways. Scheduled visiting hours-they come in by the herds and don't want to leave. Our ICU now has open visiting hours, but they also have a lock on the door, so when there are times visitors should not come in, the door is cl...

Need ideas that would make night shift staff happy. Already do self scheduling, with changes ongoing between them as they desire, already have increased staffing numbers on nights, have staff meeting at convient time for them-they do not attend, euc...

Please keep the ideas coming. This is really helpful. Really good idea on inservices. Also, how do you get people to pass on information, not report? We have a write on board in the break room, they have individual mailboxes, communication box in...

Voice care is a program that can be purchased for recording reports and or messages. It is tied into the phone system.Each nurse is assigned a number and use a password to record or listen to the previous report. What is SBAR? How is your instituti...

Does anyone utilize an Adm./Discharge nurse during the peak hours that adm./discharges occur? We stay on diversion alot, and were trying to think of a way we can speed up these processes. Possibly create a position for a nurse to work these busy hou...

You are lucky to have others who willingly help, from other units. I saw that more years ago, but less often these days. Everything is so rush-rush!

Lori, where are you located? I'm in rural Virginia, in a small hospital also. Our unit is telemetry with 24 private rooms. We have a discharge planner that helps coordinate home care needs and transfers to nursing homes. We are interested to tryin...

I like the sound of a pharmacist on the floor. How many beds do you have on your unit?

Good point! Our Charge nurse picks up the slack and helps as much as she can with the admits and discharges, but its working her to death. Plus, there are too many people doing parts, easy to miss something!

What two shifts is there an admission nurse present? What are their duties exactly? Is there a written job description for them? Do they recieve, complete interview, discharge planning, care paln, initiate orders?

Tell me about your team. Who and how many, does it consist of? How many patients does your team care for? And who is responsibable for what?

What shifts are nurses at your hospital working? 4-8-12 hour? 7a-7p, 7p-7a, 8a-4p, 7a-3p. 11p-7a. We are thinking of going to all 12 hour shifts and do away with all others. Anybody doing that?

This may a little late for you, but, our hospital just redid our policy also. We changed ours to auscultation, aspiration and check the pH of the gastric content. If really in doubt, x-ray. We looked at the research when redoing ours.

Looking for what other hospitals are doing when the lab calls with a critical lab value. After you read back the value, then what? Where do you document what you did with it? Do you call the doctor with improving criticals? Do you save them until t...

I do appreciate all of the replies. Each one has given me something to think about and consider. Ideas are starting to surface!

In our area, staff get FMLA for everything. We are very small, and everybody knows everybody. Docs just can't say no when they are requested. Have to play it by the book, but slowly weeding out the trouble makers. Please tell me, just where are th...

Don't get me wrong. I have even used a FMLA once before when my father was dying. But we have people in our institution that call out at least once a week or when the weather is bad, and when their time is used up, they come to work as posted. It ...

Best of luck with yor new family. Butttttttttttt, on the other hand, remember that while you are out with them, regarless of how long or for what reason, your coworkers are working short handed. Makes for long days or nights when we work short. Plu...