ClaireMacl

One thing I'm amazed about... a few people have stated that smokers leave the workplace for 15 minutes for a smoke break! I smoke and take it off my breaks, which I think is only right. I also only take 5 minutes out of the dept to smoke and by the e...

All of our burns pts get shipped out to regional burns units. Sorry I can't be of more help. Perhaps write to the director of the individual hospital and ask to be directed to the relevant person?

Had any less experienced nurse been looking after my pt today, I wonder what would have happened. The doctor clearly wrote "loading dose of Digoxin 500mg stat", we have many new nurses on our unit who don't even know what antiemetics are! I walked to...

I find the grumpy docs more difficult to deal with than the sarcastic ones! The ED I work in is quite a light hearted place, people being *human* as well as professionals and having a laugh. Most people realise the staff they can't have a banter with...

I got MRSA when I had an internal fixation, open reduction of my left leg. The nurse walked from one bed to another to inspect the wounds with the same gloves on. I was on so much morphine that although I knew what was happening, I could do nothing a...

Isn't AFC fun

Our Ed is a bit chaotic to say the least being one of the busiest in London, but room allocations are pretty good, the only exception being resus. Resus is four bedded and only includes (obviously) the MI's, traumas or possible intubations... sometim...

We have a nurse who had a TIA and brain bleed (not CVA) working with us. Never been an issue with her work!

Interesting idea, I'm not sure I keep my nails long enough to do this (we are contractually made to keep them short). I'll have a think about how I can do this in future... though to be honest, since the gloves provided are soooo thick and its only a...

I went to have blood drawn at a major hospital recently, I found the phlebotomists remove the needle from the vacutainer but reuse the plastic part, which is labelled clearly as single use only, this infuriated me! The one part I occasionally disagre...

My take on this is I hate working in the UK when I read threads like this with people talking about restraints for very abusive pts or those likely to harm themselves. We are not allowed restraints, full stop! I've had heroin high pts in the ED jumpi...

We have a play therapist, yes play (as in does colouring with kids and blows bubbles for distraction) who was recently banded as band 5!!!!!! I don't really need to say that this has caused complete amazement and anger with our D grade nurses. Afc, h...

I'm from the UK, but to the best of my knowledge, there is nowhere that gives incentives for being bilingual.... quite a few of the nurses in my dept speak 4-5 languages and its not taken into account.

Ha! This is just ironic. I was just coming here to talk about my itching, which I'm sure is psychosomatic too! I had a patient today (only for about 5 minutes because another nurse panicked and ran him to resus!), he had scabies (not his presenting c...

Are you joking with us? Morphine is a respiratory depressant and I've seen it happen! Doing vitals after giving it, particularly around 15 minutes after giving it is entirely essential!!!!

The amount of times I have to remind doctors/dentists/nurses that its clearly written on my allergies! I'm actually quite scared about their lack of knowledge... sure, the times I've reminded them so far, I've been A&O, but what happens when I'm ...

Congrats on the job! Don't go fretting about your confidence, if you got the job, they think you already have it. I'm a senior staff nurse in A&E and supervise junior staff and students, I occasionally have problems with taking my eye off the ba...

Phew, I'm not alone! I'm gradually trying to spread the word about allnurses around London, so hopefully we'll have more of us on board soon :)

Vicks does open the sinuses if used in the tubs directed uses, but if used directly under the nasal passage, all you will smell is the Vicks!

Ach well, I guess I'm alone here. I personally came here to read about the US perspective on nursing and also to see how it compared to the UK. I've not come across any UK nursing forums as comprehensive as this one, hence why I asked. But hey, I lov...

Me? I work in London. Our ED nurses are band 6 (old E grade), whereas the ward nurses are band 5 (E grade).

Our level 5 is problems over one week old, we use manchester triage. We also added a 6, which is see and treat, such as dressings, suture removal, nurse practitioner review etc. Can't wait until our minor injuries unit opens later this year, we curre...

In the UK, all ED nurses are paid more than ward nurses, this has caused alot of aggrivation amongst experienced ward nurses!

Well, I wrote to the producers, who knows what kind of an effect it will have! I love House, but do hate the fact that it never appreciates the work of the nurses who alert the doctors to the problem!

Just found out there is a propofol shortage in the UK, along with not having Diamorphine and a number of other drugs over the last year, all fun *ahem*