Stormy

I am curious as to whether there are any ICU's who have a protocol in place for sedation of their intubated patients. At present, physicians write orders on an individual basis for each patient. Some discussion has arisen about the possibility of dev...

We are updating our enteral feeding procedures. I can't believe the controversies and variations in practice in this topic! Would appreciate your comments on what your facility does with the following issues 1) How do you assess tolerance? 2) What d...

Wondering if anyone can help me out. I am trying to offer different teaching/learning modalities in both the orientation of critical care nurses to ICU/CCU and continuing educational opportunities. Can anyone recommend good CD-ROM programs that could...

Pleased to meet you Veetach. When I find that website I pm'd you about, I will forward it to you. I know what you mean about being ready for spring. We are getting another storm here today. We are supposed to get another 15 cm tonight!

I absolutely HATED it when I first started my course. Mind you, I was somewhat handicapped by the fact that it had been 28 years since I had studied any type of Math/Algebra. I didn't even know how to operate one of those stupid scientific calculator...

In this life I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear. When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that. Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I c...

I once saw someone fake paralysis (sudden onset - no history of trauma). This person was pretty good at faking quadriplegia...but only until examined by the neurosurgeon. It was amazing to watch her response, or lack of response to painful stimuli.

Hi MEthebabiesRN! You might be surprised at what you are credited for. Were any of your courses University credit, such as psychology, microbiology, etc.? I graduated in 1979 and got credit for 2 psychology courses we took in 1976-77. I also was cred...

Thanks for taking the initiative!

Hi Healthyone, I am working on my BN with Athabasca University. I started in March of 2001 and have 4 courses left. I anticipate being done in November of this year. AU has worked well for me, and would certainly recommend it. Distance education ce...

Annual fees are $278.20 in Alberta....but we do get a nice magazine (tongue in cheek)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Turkey...pumpkin pie...nothing better!

Our unit has just begun performing intraabdominal pressure monitoring. Was wondering if this is a wide spread practice, and how frequently the results are diagnostic.

We do have volunteers come in to ICU from time to time. Usually because there is little or no family available to be with a patient. The type of patient in particular that we get volunteer assistance for, are the long-term patients. Perhaps some type...

Shaving cream, particularly "Gilette" works wonders on pits, butts and bottoms to get rid of "odors". Nothing like the fresh smell of shaving cream on a fella's butt!

I always like to make sure female unconscious patients have their legs and pits shaved if they shaved them prior to their injury. How mortified we would all be if that was our hairy legs hangin out for everyone to see!

Have never used anything but regular tubing....for years.

I would have called as well in this situation. However, have been in situations where the patient had been with us forever, had become extremely demanding, the family was worn out, and have chosen not to call - family had expressed frustration with t...

Fatima, I had an unplanned pregnancy in my second year of training. At the time, I had to ask permission of the DON of the nursing school to marry my fiance earlier than planned. Lucky for me, she agreed and granted me one additional day off with the...

Probably the scariest one was the airplane crash into the side of the hospital. The hospital is built a few blocks off the end of the airport runway. Not so smart. I have also worked when there was a contamination of the city water supply. The whole ...

A resusci-Annie doll (full body) was stuffed in the dinner tray wagon anticipating that the LPN working that day would find it. Unfortunately, the dietary aid was the first to open the door. Annie's arm fell out of the cart on her feet. This poor aid...

None of the PT'ers want to work a FT schedule. They like the flexibility of a part-time schedule picking up when and where (and if) they choose. It works great for most of them. Most people don't really want the OT, just flexibility of working when t...

Good for you, misti_z! Good luck with your course!

Just a different slant on the PT and OT issue. I have many part-timers who come to me wanting to pick up more shifts - on their terms - and I must refuse because they would be working on one of their scheduled days of rest that would be OT. They are ...

One of the most positive benefits to being an ACLS instructor is that I am confident that I always know the material. Responding to codes is less intimidating this way. However, teaching can be stressful as well. Instructors in our courses are a mix ...