ICUNurseG

I work in a ~400 bed hospital. We are based in critical care and help out throughout the ICUs only. We help with anything from admissions to crashing pts to turns. Lately due to budget we have to be monitor tech on one end of the unit. So we aren't a...

Happy anyone made the transition from adult ICU to NICU? I have worked adult MICU x5 years and am possibly looking for a new position. Mainly due to poor management issues but also burnout. I'm aware that there are still going to be ethical dilemmas...

I work in MICU and currently we have an out of staffing role to respond to code blues & RRTs throughout the hospital. When not attending an emergency this RN helps out around the critical care units with anything from turns to assisting with proc...

Disease processes & their to such as septic shock, MI, COPD, etc. it wouldn't hurt to review ACLS also, even though you'll have to go through the class before you can officially use it. Hypothermia after cardiac arrest is another good one to stud...

I work micu, so I'm biased, but I think you should take that. Medical pts are very complex and you'll learn a lot about disease processes (sepsis!!) and managing them. You'll have ACLS down as well.

We check them on all gastric feeding tubes q4h. Anything 300ml and under is replaced. It can screw up ph and electrolytes if not. Think of it as if they vomited that much and how that would affect them.

"I produced some upchuck." I didn't see any vomit anywhere and the patient looked fine. I asked where he threw up and he said "in my mouth. I thought you might need to write it down." I'm pretty sure it was reflux. [emoji37]

Yes, we do with integrilin. Not heparin, but they shouldn't need a heparin gtt after a stent is placed. We pull if the act is

Gambro prismaflex here too. They're user friendly and the reps I've met are very knowledgable about the machine and crrt therapy. They teach the training and refresher courses for us. I've met and taken training from other product reps and they are...

This sounds great, but I have to agree with the point that patient flow wouldn't allow for zoning to be optimal. I work in a 24 bed MICU and we have certain rooms with dialysis and one room for remote fetal monitoring. As much as we try to leave thos...

Where I work the flight RNs are employed by the hospital. They work 12 h shifts and when they're not flying, they're helping in the ED, doing case studies in ICU, etc. they do a lot of transports, since we are a level 2 trauma center surrounded by ma...

I took it when I had been an ICU nurse for a year. I thought it was a great class and I'm actually looking forward to renewing next year (nerd alert). I don't know if all classes are different, but i remember the stations weren't all skills. There w...

Yes. Our hospital has a protocol that when someone is started on TF we do accuchecks q6h x 24h. If they're normal, we stop them. Remember, even if they're not diabetic they are probably at risk for hyperglycemia of critical illness. Most pts we star...

The last time we got any safe lifting training was two years ago when our facility purchased "slipper sheets". These are used to transfer pts from bed to bed and pull the pt up in the bed. It's a glorified garbage bag. They work really well transfer...

Drips: -vasopressors: levophed, vasopressin, epinephrine, dopamine, phenylephrine -antihypertensives/vasodilators: nicardipine, nitroprusside, nitroglycerin, labetalol -positive inotrope: dobutamine, isuprel -sedatives: propofol, precedex, midazolam ...

Never cap an arterial line. Where I work we at least leave it transduced and hooked to the monitor so it will alarm if it becomes dislodged. There have been cases of people exsanguinating from a disconnected art line. A good rule of thumb is if an in...

Does your hospital have any nurse-driven protocols for RRTs? Where I work were limited to ACLS protocol, but a physician is expected to show up. We are wanting to implement protocols to use in case a physician is late or doesn't show, especially for...

Thanks! And that is the plan- we are going to do a lit review, find ideas, then bring them to a hospitalist for approval, since they are the ones who are supposed to respond.

There are pros and cons to both. ER nursing will give you better skills (IVs, NGs, etc) and critical experience, although where I work new nurses aren't assigned trauma/code rooms for a year (but will still assist w those pts). Floor nursing will tea...

Don't use razor blades to clean your oven. They might fall onto your sandwich and you could accidentally ingest them. If you're walking down the street and someone offers you Xanax, you don't have to take it from them. And if you do, don't take all ...

Thanks! Does a physician or advanced practice nurse respond as well?

That is ridiculous. I usually mention "fire code" when people ask for chairs and that shuts them up. Although I don't know if it would have worked for that family.

Honestly, it depends. I started in MICU as a new grad three years ago. I also worked as a tech in an ICU for 3 years, and did my school practicum in the unit I work in. I highly suggest working as a tech or even job shadowing in a critical care unit...

I'm wanting to upgrade my stethoscope. Any opinions on the littmann cardiology iii vs the master cardiology? Is the master cardiology worth the extra $$? Currently I use a master classic. Thanks!

Charlie bell: call lights that require minimal touch to ring (usually used on quads/paraplegics) Travel pack: trach and peg, now they're able to be transferred to an LTAC Turn and burp: q2h turn, mouth care, etc. Web MD Doc: pts family that has vast...