Northernlights

Latest Activity

1. Refusal for Blood Draw

   Northernlights replied to MikeyBSN's topic in Emergency

   In the state of WI we have an implied consent law which states that drivers have implied that they give consent for chemical testing when they receive their licenses. However WI also has a law protecting professionals that do blood draws saying that...

2. Just needed to get this off my chest.

   Northernlights replied to EDValerieRN's topic in Emergency

   Dear Val, Sometimes I think of my heart as a patchwork quilt--the patches are those patients that I've been with that died. A part of them lives in my heart forever and when a new patch is added I often think about the ones that are already there ju...

3. Small hospital staffing concerns for high census

   Northernlights posted a topic in Rural

   I'm curious about how other small hospitals staff when census goes through the roof. I'm an ER nurse in a 25 bed hospital that has a 24-hr ER. The hospital does OB, med-surg and takes a few rehab type patients (swing bed or transitional care). My co...

4. "to go" medicines?

   Northernlights replied to mtnmom's topic in Emergency

   I work in an ER of similar size and also without 24-hr pharmacy availability. Our hospital pharmacy has pre-packaged medications that we dispense for take home. They are labeled and we keep a log of what is dispensed. We keep it to a minimum: for ...

5. How long is your shift report?

   Northernlights replied to gizzy76's topic in General Nursing

   Is any one out there doing a "walking rounds" report where you go into each patient's room and do a report on that patient? We initiated this at our hospital last year and I thought it worked very well. There are benefits for the patient:he meets ...

6. Why reverse sedation?

   Northernlights replied to Jolie's topic in Emergency

   An additional comment to the good comments I've read: the nurse giving you the narcan should have told you what she was giving you and why prior to you receiving the medication. You should not have had to ask.

7. burn patients

   Northernlights replied to canoehead's topic in Emergency

   Canoehead, I'm curious--will you need to work with this nurse again? Often? Was this an isolated incident or has she been "on your case?" You obviously gave good nursing care and met standards of practice. You can be proud that you stood up for y...

8. What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

   Northernlights replied to JUSTYSMOM's topic in Emergency

   My favorite--a woman brought her elderly father in because his hands turned blue. Cyanotic? No, the color was kind of royal blue and ended at the wrist. I took an alcohol wipe and wiped away a streak of the blue color. Diagnosis: new blue gloves!...

9. Assessing Acute Coronary Syndrome

   Northernlights replied to gwenith's topic in Emergency

   I often say that the chest pain pt. coming into the ER by EMS saying "I'm having a heart attack" is more like not an acute coronory; and the patient walking in the front door of the hospital with chest pain that says, "I'm having chest pain, but I'm ...