MedicWifeRN

Dianah, thank you so so much for taking the time to post these... extremely helpful!!! I think I will print them out and put them in my work binder for reference. I'm pretty surprised that we don't have a handout like this at work, I think I may propose getting one for our patients. Thank you again for the detailed response!!

Hey there everyone, I am a new graduate on a tele floor and have noticed that different nurses give different information on post cath/pacemaker care directions for when patients go home. My floor doesn't have a standardized set of instructions to send patients home with. I'm wondering if I could get some input on post cath and especially post pacemaker care directions you give patients. For example some nurses tell pacemaker patients not to lift their affected arm above chest height for 2 weeks, while others say they can pretty much right away as long as they aren't lifting any weight. I've also heard some nurses say patients can shower right away as long as the site remains covered for 24 hrs, while others say not to allow the site to become wet for at least 1 week. I don't have questions about how to take care of these patients when they return to the floor, what to assess for, etc. but unsure about the correct teaching to send them home with, it bothers me that I don't have any set directions! Any help/input would be great.. thank you so much!

Umm are we the same person?! No, but seriously I also just accepted a job offer at a hospital today that is a two hour drive from my home, and away from my husband and his job. I will have to rent a place and probably wont be coming back and forth often due to weather conditions and the full-time schedule. There is another hospital close to me that would allow me the luxury of staying home. I am confident I will receive an interview with this preferred hospital because of connections I have made through persistant calling and networking, but with it being the holidays it looks too far out to string the other offer along. Besides, many of my classmates are still without work, and only a small handful of us have been offered hospital jobs so I am trying to tell myself to be thankful, and that this temporary separation is going to make a HUGE difference for me and my husband, as well as our future children... Although I am VERY sad about living away from hubby I don't know what I would do if I were in your shoes but I wish you the best of luck. I would just be cautious of throwing red flags since the reason why so many hospitals are afraid of hiring new grads now is the likelyhood of them abandoning ship when something better/more convenient comes along - and keep in mind that more new grads are coming to the market soon so you don't want to be without a job in case something does happen! I do plan on staying with this hospital for at least a year since they are willing to take me on and train me while many wont, but if you do choose to go with the further hospital you may only have to be there for as little as six months. My offer acceptance was only verbal at this time, and I will not need to sign anything for a few days, if this happens to you you would still have time to withdraw your acceptance for the closer job. Congratulations on the job offer regardless!!! We are in a better boat than many of our fellow new grad nurses :/