snakeRN

i work with fresh heart surgeries everyday. most of the patients come back from surgery on a ventilator mode of SIMV, which is a weaning mode. we draw blood gases upon return to the unit to check their status, then periodically. when the ABG is no longer acidotic or alkolotic, we begin the weaning process, which can take around 4-5 hours. However some pts. with respiratory problems, mainly those who smoke, can take signigicantly longer. Most however are extubated in less than 6 hours. I hope your dad does great, and the best advice i can give u for after the surgery is to not let him lay around. Get him out of the bed and get him moving and push the IS. Take care and i hope this helped.

With time management, there are several key things to keep in mind. First, consider ur pt assignment and which u need to see first. Always see the sickest pt first. You dont want to be coding a pt you havent seen yet. Next after assessing a pt, immediatley open ur notes on that patient. This decreases the risk of forgetting something or leaving something out. Next always look at your chart before you start your assessments. You dont wanna find something that should have beed done 2 hours before you got to work, 6 hours after you have been there. Review your medication record and check the accuracy of it against the chart. Be sure the drug you are giving is still current on the pt and hasent been discontiued. Time management is a highly individualized thing, and with a little experience, you will find what works best for you. Hope this has helped and good luck with the new job.