I've been doing nights for 14 years now and I love the shift, but I too get sleepy around 4 am. I will get up and walk around or bathe my patient or chat. I also drink coffee but try to avoid that...
I've been working nights for 14 years now. I swore once the kids were older I'd go back to normal hours but like nights so much better than days. There are many advantages to nights---better...
You know how recently there is a big push to make sure all patients are on DVT prophalaxis? Well, one night I asked the doctor to order some lovenox or heparin for his patient to prevent DVT and he...
I work nights and we have a tech about 50% of the time and while it's great help for us they are counted in the hours per patient day the same as a nurse. The hppd is calculated as the number of...
I usually go by systems. Start with patient name age diagnosis allergies code status and pmh. Then just a quick system review. I also include the doctors including the consults. I hate when you...
I work the 7p-7a shift in critical care. On friday night we were pretty short staffed with several nurses having to "triple" (take 3 patients). I was in charge and had my own assignment which is...
Very well said!! I know in my facility the management is now saying that if you are a registered nurse you are expected to take leadership responsibilities and if you don't it will reflect on your...
1. customer service. I once told a patient who complained about "the service" that she didn't have to leave a tip. 2. Not starting report on time. Also since we pick our own assignments in the ICU...
I work in a 20 bed ICU. At any given time we might have 4 or more tele overflow patients because the tele unit is always full. ( Why doctors feel these days that every patient has to be admitted to...
I would ask if the hospital you are going to has a critical care course. My hospital had a very good core curriculum course and it was great. Although since you are just out of school and a lot of...
Zoomer replied to SheriLynnRN's topic in MICU, SICU
I am sure you will do a SUPER job. I came to the ICU after 13 years of med-surg. My organizational skills came in very handy. I remember thinking that the ICU nurses were all snobs when I was a...
i can relate. i had a wife get all mad at me one night complaining that we told her her husband only had a few hours and here he was still alive 2 days later and she would have to get her hair set...