schoona

Latest Activity

1. Night Shift Woes...When Do You Sleep On Your Days Off????

   schoona replied to BibleBarb56's topic in General Nursing

   I have been working permanent part time night duty for 18 years (up to 70 hours per fortnight) in a small Emergency Department (about 26K presentations last year). Initially for the family and now...

2. Best approach to patients and relatives complaining about "long wait."

   schoona replied to uniquenurse's topic in Emergency

   It may be able to work that way in the USA, but in Oz (NSW to be particular) it doesn't. I wish it could. When I worked in the Northern Territory 20 + years ago, it did work that way.

3. Personality Traits common in the ED

   schoona replied to trinitygrad07's topic in Emergency

   I also think the ability to cope with minimal sleep when you get cr...py rosters but still be on top of everything. Also a good massage therapist helps when your back,legs and feet are about to give...

4. Best approach to patients and relatives complaining about "long wait."

   schoona replied to uniquenurse's topic in Emergency

   We actually have an afterhours GP unit right next to the waiting room (it's a shared waiting room). It started in August '07. We as triage staff are NOT allowed to suggest pts see the GP, rationalle...

5. ER Nurses. Read This!

   schoona replied to ERERER's topic in Emergency

   Thanks for that post, after the New Years Day Night I had (which rated as one of my worst in 10yrs + in ED) that was great. I have copied and sent to all my ED friends. Hope everyones New Year is a...

6. Florence Nightengale Pledge.

   schoona replied to Diary/Dairy's topic in General Nursing

   Way back in '81 at my Graduation we recited it with one of Flo's lanterns beside us. I trained at a hospital where the first "matron" Lucy Osborne was one of Flo's girls. Lots of

7. I saw my first patient that died today...

   schoona replied to heartlover07's topic in General Nursing

   Dear Hearlover07, I still remeber the name and diagnosis (fungating CA Breast) of my first patient death, that was in 1979. You always remember the first. i also remember my first cardiac arrest, then...

8. It's that time again! Working Christmas?

   schoona replied to scrmblr's topic in General Nursing

   This year I was initially rostered N/D 25th,26th and 27th. No real biggy. However, one of my collegues ( a part timer ) was allocated 24th N/D and 28thN/D. She also had a bit of a hissy (though not as...

9. Docs and their dirty sharps...

   schoona replied to neneRN's topic in Emergency

   Most of our regular docs are ok, but it's the locums or o'seas trained that are an issue. 6/12 ago I got stuck buy a needle that had a safety cover, but the doc didn't take the micro second to flick...

10. Read the article about calling 911 to get seen faster???

    schoona replied to missboo622's topic in Emergency

    :chuckle Whilst our wait time is not quite as bad, the cattle prod on the residents works well. But obviously this is an international issue, I don't know how many times I've heard "..But I came in by...

11. Maternity Leave

    schoona replied to littlehobo's topic in International Nursing

    Not sure about Qld but would presume similar to NSW, must be employed for 12/12 before becoming eligible (Public Sector). In NSW when on maternity leave you can also convert leave over to sick leave...

12. Questions

    schoona replied to AussieTina's topic in International Nursing

    Hi Tina, I'm a few days behind and you've probably started, but as the others have said, know your antibugs, also anticoagulants eg/ heparin, clexane etc., antiemetics and pain relief both narcotics...

13. What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

    schoona replied to JUSTYSMOM's topic in Emergency

    Re Keith Richards, it was mentioned on a news report down here that when they took him for surgery that he was looking pale and gaunt. When in the last 20 yrs + hasn't he looked pale and...

14. ICU holds in the ER

    schoona replied to Altra's topic in Emergency

    This seems to be an international problem, I work in th ED of a small hospital with a 6 bed ICU (in reality a high dependency unit) and 9 bed CCU (mixed soft/hard wired). Regularly we sit on pts, but...

15. Pet peeves!

    schoona replied to ADN 2002's topic in General Nursing

    I always cringe when pts (even some nurses) tell me about their prostrate probs. My ultimate peeve is our staff room, why other staff can't clean up after themselves is beyond me. I work mainly ND and...