GaRN1952

Youare right about critical thinking skills. But that's part of the charm, you really get to think about what you are doing for the patient. Not having the same resources forces you to think outside the box!

You hit the nail on the head. Nights is a close knit group by default. Not just the nurses, but all night folks in the hospital pull together. It is hard to come back for inservices and meetings, especially the "Mandatory" ones.

We try to counsel families on helping the patient stick to the prescribed diet. It is an education issue. If they bring fried chicken to the cardiac patient or chocolate candy to the diabetic while they are in the hospital, you know they will do the same or worse after discharge! Getting the family involved in learning the dietary restrictions may even keep your patient from future admissions. That being said, when I have a failure to thrive patient, particularly an elder patient who is not eating enough to get better, I will recommend to the family that they bring something either from home or a favorite restaurant hoping the familiar taste will get some much needed calories in.

I am proud of your positive attitude about what must have been a terrible experience. Keeping your chin up and moving on is something that happens sometimes more than once in a nursing career. I have been a nurse for over thirty years and have seen some of the best and worst places of employment. You have to be brave enough to walk away from the bad, even if the job seemed ideal at first. In my area, there is a shortage of bedside nurses and I have taken advantage of that. I went from administrative work, which is grueling, to bedside, which is physically hard, but more rewarding and ultimately less stressful. If you find petty tyrants in leadership, run, do not walk, to the exit!

Several years ago, we eliminated the use of powder on ICU patients. I think it had something to do with respiratory issues. Now I am at a new ICU and the nurses use so much powder it gets caked in the patient's creases. I have been looking for EBP regarding powder but have had no luck. Can anyone provide a reference?