OhRN25

The only lines we heplock at my facility are ports, and only with an order. Also, we only heplock them if the line is not going to be accessed for 12 hours.

I am sorry to hear about your experience. It is never easy losing a patient. Unlike a DNRCC (comfort care only) patients with a DNRCCA in place should receive standard medical care up until cardiac or respiratory arrest....at that point resuscitative efforts would cease. I agree with the above comment about following chain of command until you get an answer you like or someone explains why certain measures are not being taken for the patient.

Hi! I am in Ohio as well :) I just graduated with an Associate Degree and landed a job in a hospital (a job I actually really wanted). My work background included retail, restaurant, and collections for a local hospital. The hospital system I recently accepted a position at was not the hospital I was working for....just thought I would make that clear, so you knew I didn't already have an "in." The position I took begins with a residency program, which I do get paid for. The length of the residency is dependent upon the unit you hire in on. I don't know which part of Ohio you are in, but I would suggest looking into a residency program at some of the hospitals. I think this elaborates on everything we learn in school, making the transition a lot easier.

I am not sure exactly what your instructor is looking for so I am not sure if this will help or not.... Maybe you could do something along the lines of a nurse jeopardizing patient safety by connecting lines to the wrong port, which can be fatal. Some examples would be inadvertently connecting the tubing from a portable blood pressure monitor to a patient's IV and delivering a fatal air embolus. Another example would be delivering an oral substance/medication, such as breast milk (which was drawn up in an oral syringe), to a patient via his or her IV line. Always label syringes and trace the lines to the point of origin so you know exactly which line something is being connected to. If you need any help let me know.

Hello! I am hoping I will be able to help you with some of your questions. I am currently a RN with an Associate Degree. Some of the prerequisites I took for nursing were algebra, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, speech, English comp, nutrition, psychology, and sociology. I worked full time, paying my way through college, so I took my prerequisites before I took any of the nursing classes. This allowed me to do better in my classes. I personally think it would have been impossible to do well in any of my nursing classes had I taken the prerequisites at the same time. It took me 3 semesters to complete my prerequisite courses. It took an additional two years to complete all of my nursing classes, during which I continued to work full time (normal program length). Nursing programs are definitely challenging, but do not be discouraged if your heart is set on this career path. I wish you luck and hope you follow your dreams! You CAN succeed :)