marienm, RN, CCRN

Burn, ICU

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All Content by marienm, RN, CCRN

  1. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Shift Work

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Bones17's topic in General Nursing

    No, as I said my typical shift is 1900 (7pm) to 0730 (am). I get report from the outgoing nurse between 19-1930, then they leave. I give report in the morning between 07-0730, then I leave. My state...
  2. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Shift Work

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Bones17's topic in General Nursing

    No, sorry, the shift handoffs occur at the top of the shift so I actually work 1900-0730. With 30 minutes of unpaid meal break, this is a 12 hour
  3. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Shift Work

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Bones17's topic in General Nursing

    I think it depends a lot on the unit, but 12 hour (0700-1900/1900-0700) shifts are common for inpatient units. 8 hour shifts (07-15, 15-23, 23-07) are also pretty common...some places don't allow...
  4. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Shift Work

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Bones17's topic in General Nursing

    Generally, yes it would count as leave time. Again, we're getting into things that are very employer-specific! But I think it's safe to say that if you have a full-time job, you are expected to work...
  5. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Shift Work

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Bones17's topic in General Nursing

    The details of how to switch shifts will be very specific to the hospital and the unit you work on. Generally, yes, you can probably swap around with co-workers to your mutual satisfaction. It...
  6. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Life in burn / trauma ICU

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to BadAszFannyPak's topic in Burn

    My hospital has an adult burn unit. Kids go to the PICU or peds surgery unit as appropriate. Managed by the same medical team, but adult RNs care for adults only on our inpatient units. I don't know...
  7. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Shift Work

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Bones17's topic in General Nursing

    Re: Holidays and weekends...you may need to lay things out for your family/friends/significant other: Hospitals operate 24/7. (I assume you're thinking about working in one.) *Someone* has to cover...
  8. marienm, RN, CCRN

    New RN, how to save face

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to ERN19's topic in General Nursing

    And, OP, since you're worried that you embarrassed yourself in front of the residents: Remember, they were brand new one July 1st not long ago. Just the other day I had to talk the critical care...
  9. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Charge nurse with patients?

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to RNHeartNurse's topic in Critical Care

    On my tiny (6 bed) unit, charge takes an assignment. Sometimes it's a lighter assignment, or one patient and an empty bed; sometimes they take the sickest patient. Depends on the other staff working,...
  10. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Wasting meds AFTER admin?

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to haunani's topic in Patient Medications

    Yeah, other than an emergency or a procedure, I would always waste/witness at the time of removal from the Pyxis. This is how our machine is set up and we'd definitely get flagged if we had an...
  11. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Starting out in the burn icu

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Leadkrm's topic in Burn

    It will continue to get better! I don't think I felt fully confident on "normal" shifts for at least a year, and even now as a charge nurse there are still nights that kick my butt. I'm not saying...
  12. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Do I share my medical history as part of my story to become a nurse?

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to LeviY's topic in General Nursing

    I agree that disclosing your personal details is probably risky. One counterpoint, though, for your consideration: I am a 2nd career RN who left a niche career (ie: something most people don't know...
  13. marienm, RN, CCRN

    What does it take to succeed in the ICU?

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to beekee's topic in General Nursing

    My unit has had a couple of nurses transition to us from acute care areas. They have done well! Some thoughts: 1) You need to be really willing to learn all over again. There is a lot of new gear...
  14. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Clinical Experience with "Clog Zapper" for G-J Tubes?

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to cal06484's topic in Medical-Surgical

    I have used pancrelipase & bicarb as a clog zapper, but always in a situation where it was safe to push the dissolved clot into the patient's GI tract. I've never instilled it down a separate...
  15. marienm, RN, CCRN

    They want us to give drip meds on med/surg

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to bindikwan's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    I work in ICU, but in my hospital a rapid-response nurse would stay with a patient when starting many of those gtts. (These are also our code-team nurses.) I'm not trying to nitpick, because I think...
  16. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Forgotten Morphine

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to p007's topic in Patient Medications

    Just for your future practice: when you remove a controlled substance from the vial, remove all of it. Waste the portion that isn't needed from the syringe. Half-empty vials shouldn't go in your...
  17. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Vancomycin Trough

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    In my (hospital) setting, we draw the level just before giving the scheduled dose. The pharmacy department adjusts subsequent doses as
  18. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Can they just switch me from days to nights?

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to GamerRN's topic in General Nursing

    Even in my union hospital, "staffing needs" trumps the shift we are hired for. When we have a hole on one shift, my manager usually looks for volunteers and then (barring any volunteers) moves the...
  19. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Ventilated Patients

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to rn39648's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    In answer to your second question...some patients are over-sedated and don't breathe on their own. Some are neurologically incapable. So, not every patient who isn't breathing on their own has been...
  20. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Hypochlorous wound cleansers

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to marienm, RN, CCRN's topic in Burn

    Thank you both! My understanding of Vashe is that it is similar to Dakin's (diluted bleach...which we used to use on occasion, and I've definitely used for nec fasc wounds, either instilled into the...
  21. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Ventilated Patients

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to rn39648's topic in Patient Safety Issues

    Yes. Take the number from the vent or the end-tidal CO2 (per your hospital policy & the gear you have available), not the bedside monitor that relies on chest-wall
  22. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Blood Transfusion

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to Elena88's topic in General Nursing

    At my hospital we're supposed to change bags every 2 units. In an emergency I suspect it's more like every 4 to 6 units or whenever the current cooler is empty. (Assuming we're not using the rapid...
  23. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Drips

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to dreamerachiever's topic in PICU, Pediatric

    I don't work in PICU, but I am procrastinating on doing my homework so... what drips? I would hope that your unit would be pre-stocked with the most common gtts in the correct concentrations. This is...
  24. marienm, RN, CCRN

    I think I'm tapping out...I hate nursing :(

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to karenfromfinance's topic in General Nursing

    This opinion may not be popular or may not resonate with you, but I think it's okay to be a nurse and not be passionate about it. (This topic has been well-discussed in other posts, in fact!) It...
  25. marienm, RN, CCRN

    Air in Line

    marienm, RN, CCRN replied to megcmo's topic in General Nursing

    I agree that an in-person demo is probably best...but I'll take a shot at explaining it! The Alaris pumps at my facility (and everywhere?) use Primary tubing (the piece that you actually clip into...