clarkheart

clarkheart

Cardiovascular

Member
  • Content

    62
  • Visitors

    3,514
  • Followers

    0
  • Likes

    2

All Content by clarkheart

  1. Should I try HD?

    I have been looking at switching specialties from critical care to dialysis. What do you all find are the advantages/disadvantages? I am CRRT certified from critical care. I am interested in...
  2. Specialty Poll for male nurses

    I've done a little bit of everything: Med Surg, CVICU, CVOR, Cath Lab, and Quality and Risk Management. Currently a Clinical Coordinator on a Cardiac Telemetry
  3. Riddle me this Batman?

    Probably costs even less in Mexico. If they can charge it and you pay it then they will continue to gouge you. Not just drugs though..I still want to know why I have to pay $35.00 for ten disposable...
  4. Problems with nursing profession and why I want to quit

    The great thing about that nursing degree is it opens other opportunities if you want. If you are fed up with bedside care then use your clinical knowledge in other areas in healthcare such as...
  5. Hiring Mgr: We will let you know in 2 weeks

    I would continue to look for other positions if you want. Keep your options open. There is nothing wrong about continuing your search while they are continuing
  6. What is your opinion on calling in "sick"

    You need to find a new job. Life is too short to put yourself through torture every day you work. I have been there myself and left positions that became too stressful. Nothing is worth...
  7. Cath Lab

    I was a circulating RN in a CVOR for over two years and pulling up to 25 days a month on call. Then I went to the Cath Lab and pulled about 12 days a month and I thought I was in heaven! I now work...
  8. Is anyone else's ICU more like LTAC?

    I think one of the issues that we need to discuss is how the physicians discuss the care of these patients with the families. There are times when the most dignified care these patients could receive...
  9. Emergency Titration Protocol ?

    Our hospital got called out by The Joint Commission before and accused us of "practicing medicine" (they like to use that term) when our electrolyte protocols weren't "tight" enough. They didn't like...
  10. First question I have is whether the patient is stable or not. Patients with wide complexes can be stable. If patient is unstable and complex wide then CPR then defib. The AICD may be set to...
  11. Quality Improvement Specialist (Nurse)

    Thank you for the information. I am looking into crossing over into Quality after being in patient care for 20 years. Any advice of making this a smooth transition would be greatly
  12. CVP & PEEP Relationship - help!

    I've been told by Intensivists that any PEEP over 5 will artificially give CVP readings on a one to one ratio. Example--PEEP of 8 will artificially raise the CVP 3 points. I've always been told to...
  13. New grad starting in CVICU soon! Any pointers?

    Always have a notebook or paper available to write down notes or thoughts when they come to you. Then review them later and expand on them if you can. I ended up creating my own notebook that I...
  14. EKG lead reversals?

    Never take the ECG machine interpretation as the final word. I have seen too many wrong explanations through the years from a machine. Trust the MD's interpretation
  15. Interview in 2 days! Need help please!

    They may give you clinical scenarios that will require a knowledge of ECG interpretation or basic knowledge of pharmacology such as what drugs to use in what clinical situation or rhythm. Been a CVICU...
  16. CVICU for Nurses 59 years old and older

    I worked CVICU for over 12 years and found the best 12 hour shift schedule for me was every Tue and Thur and every other weekend. That way I had a day off after every shift except my biweekly weekend...
  17. What is going on in this OR?

    I work in cardiac surgery and call report to CVICU recovery nurse 30 minutes before we go up. Anesthesia and myself transport patient to unit
  18. Would you become an RN again if you had the choice?

    I've been a nurse for over 17 years now and I don't regret for a moment my choice to enter nursing. I understand and appreciate some of the comments regarding our profession such as the long hours,...
  19. ICU ratios

    I work in a 12 bed CVICU in California. Our director has begun to talk about increasing our ratio to 3:1 in our unit if we have too many floor patients awaiting transfer out to med/surg. I thought...
  20. Open heart resources

    Bojar is an excellent stand alone reference. I allows remind myself what the best cardiac surgeon I have ever worked with told me once:"Never get complacent, there is no such thing as a routine open...
  21. Need some Precedex advise

    It's plain insane to use Precedex as an induction drug. Etomidate and versed/fentanyl usually work much better with another paralytic if needed. Precedex can be hit and miss but we use it...
  22. Top 10 CT-ICU drugs

    milrinone ntg nipride levophed dopamine dobutamine insulin albumin amiodarone lasix hard to keep it at just 10--off the top of my head these are the meds I use the
  23. Have you ever cheated?

    Wouldn't cheat on tests for a number of reasons: The ethical side of me felt that if I wasn't prepared enough for a test and ended up getting substandard results then that was my fault and hopefully...
  24. Our hospital has a policy that requires the admitting physician to acknowledge and actually sign off on a list of their home meds that was obtained at admission. The pharmacy follows up on this and...
  25. Who Draws blood from a-lines??

    RN's only--I am ultimately responsible for that line-not a tech. Where I work only RN's can get blood samples from art and central lines. This makes sense to me--I have the experience to...