happynurse49

I don't know how any nurse could safely take care of 9 patients! Why isn't your manager hiring some travelers until these new nurses that are supposedly going to be hired start? Also I would band together with my other nurses and send an unsafe staffing report to my manager, CNO, CEO, and anyone else with the power to make a change in staffing. Good luck to you.

Hugs to you. I had a similar experience not that long ago. I debriefed with my manager and some very experienced nurses and they assured me there was nothing more I could have done. A respiratory rate of 22 is high but not so high as to call a rapid. You did everything you could and sometimes these things just happen. The body will compensate until it can't and then go quickly. I would suggest you debrief with your manager like I did. It really helped.

We always do it the same way as you. Two pumps....Y sited below NS pump. I have very few patients who complain of burning. I know of no articles but this is the way I was taught and seems to work well.

On my feet for 12 hours then next shift calls in saying they are going to be late. I'm done being a grown up. I just wanna be a kid again.

Done.

What? This post made no sense to me.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe they think you should have started another line for the vanc so patient could continue to get her K+? Now I'm curious. Please keep us posted and good luck.

Did you read the order to see how the doctor ordered the Phenergan be given? As far as the vanco, did you dilute it in at least 250 cc of NS and then piggy back it onto 500 cc normal saline? I'm a bit confused. We dilute vanc in 250 cc NS (we mix our own medications) and then hang it. We always make sure to check renal function and vanc trough prior to administering.

Nurses at our hospital do not have to take low census. They ask for volunteers and if no one wants to go--no one has to go. We can float to another department but that seldom happens.

And the OP should not have to run around trying to stay afloat while the charge sits at the nurses station playing on her phone. It's about team work. On my unit when we are short staffed we pitch in to help each other. In our contract it states we are entitled to breaks not to "down time."

The OP said charge nurse was sitting at nurses station playing on her phone. Perhaps the charge could have gotten her work done at that time and helped out on the floor after. That way they both go home at end of shift and not have to stay late. I get that charge nurses have things to do that we don't see but when you see them on their phone for a good part of the shift and you are running without a break that is wrong.

I work days and have never had a doctor be rude about calling them but have heard some night nurses that have been yelled at, hung up on, etc. They were told to write an incident report. I don't know if those really help with the problem but it might make you feel better:)

So your second patient had wet sheets but a dry pad? Sounds like the nurse knew she was wet but decided to just change the pad and wait for someone else to deal with it. The way you handled this may be inappropriate but you did advocate for your patient and maybe next time she will do her part and get her patient changed. I know some shifts can be super hectic when there isn't enough time to get everything done but changing your wet patient should be a priority. The nurse handing off didn't say she had a code, demented wondering patient, or anything specific except that "she was busy." In the future you should probably discuss this privately. It isn't what you said/did but just how you did/said it.

LPN's in our hospital do assessments. They are just not permitted to do the initial assessment. Not sure if its the same for you.

Each patient gets their own vial and their own pen if both fast acting and Lantus are ordered. Used to have multiuse vial but recently changed.