SheriLynnRN

It's amazing how difficult it can be to convince people to shower in the hospital....but in a way I can understand it. Some people just feel too rotten and don't have the energy, and other people just don't feel comfortable in a strange shower/bathro...

One of the first steps in implementing this on our unit will be to go to the other unit in our hospital the uses it to observe the process "in action". I'm actually looking forward to that. It sounds like a great idea in theory..ie keeping the pt bet...

Just curious as to what the dress codes are for y'all. I am moving from one unit to another soon, and I have to purchase new scrubs because each dept. at my hospital has a "unit color". White is always acceptable, pants must be solid, tops can be sol...

Morphine used in a PCA is usually given 1 mg every 10 minutes or so, hydromorphone is much stronger, a usual dose would be only 0.2 mg every 10 minutes. So if you gave hydromorphone in the same concentration and the same dose as morphine, the pt woul...

I did not have an epidural during labor, I received Nubain and Phenergan ivp. I believe that my son was sleepier than he would have been otherwise, and consequently had decreased interest in breastfeeding for the first 2-3 days. Of course this is pur...

Please do not indicate to your patients that they can go home "now". They cannot leave until the discharge orders are written, the instruction sheets are printed and reviewed with them, they have successfully demonstrated the ability to change their ...

I work on a surgical unit, and we currently have a pt who is a registered "level 3" sex offender, designated as a "sexually violent predator." He was released from prison about a year ago after serving three years for the rape of a teenaged girl. Acc...

I followed the same nurse for the last couple of days, I work evenings and she works days. It seems like everytime I follow her, there is alway some issue of another that she mentions in report, the she obviously is aware of, but neglects to follow u...

Daytonite, I would have pulled my hair out in that situation. It sounds like you handled it very well. This nurse infuriates me, not so much because of tasks left undone, but because of an apparant lack of insight of her part. It's almost as if she d...

Thanks for all the responses. I'm glad you all see this in the same light that I do. Some of my coworkers don't, they just shrug and say "Just treat him like everyone else." I am back to work tomorrow and plan on speaking to my NM. I will update this...

I'm sure the reason that they haven't had a security guard on the unit is because he is a free man. I am glad that we know his history. As far as i know, none of us have broached the subject with him, but he must know that we are aware, since his par...

Venting about work situations in this forum is sometimes frustrating in itself, because it's nearly impossible to convey all the minute details. I'll try to address a couple of things that were asked. If I were just routinely checking a residual, suc...

Not to start a debate about the charge nurse issue, because in theory, I agree with you. But, the fact is that there IS a charge nurse on my shift and the established procedure is for her to call the docs. This works fine for me, it keeps me from cal...

We have been having some teamwork issues on evening shift, so yesterday our nurse manager implemented a rule that we are to "try for a week." We are not to leave at the end of the shift until everyone else is finished and able to leave too. She did p...

This is a really good point. It will take a huge change in mindset for me to do this though. I feel like I just CANNOT sit down to chart unless I am caught up with all of my other "tasks". At 2000, for example, if I have a choice between charting or ...

I pronounce it "CENTimeter", as do most of the people I grew up around. I got a very nasty look one day in nursing school related to this subject. We were learning about chest tubes and water suction. I raised my hand to ask if the "SONImeter" my ins...

I found something out today that makes this whole situation even more maddening in my eyes! I usually work evening shift, so the LPN in the OP is the only LPN I end up working with 95% of the time. Today I worked days, and happened to be chatting wit...

I answered the question regarding what LPNs are allowed to do in my state, but due to a comp glitch, it is gone. It was a long post that I don't feel like retyping, so I'll just make a list of what LPN's on my acute surgical unit cannot do. I hope th...

I answered the question regarding what LPNs are allowed to do in my state, but due to a comp glitch, it is gone. It was a long post that I don't feel like retyping, so I'll just make a list of what LPN's on my acute surgical unit cannot do. I hope th...

I do have to admit, I am somewhat intimidated by this LPN. She has worked at this hospital for 32 years. I have been there since Nov 2005. She is part of the woodwork. She is older and has WAY more clout than me. But those are my issues and are besid...

In my state LPNs cannot take verbal or telephone orders.

I love that whenever there is a new doctor's order written it is photocopied and the copy is placed on a magnet clip that hangs on a metal communication board at our nurse's station. Each nurse working that shift has her/his own clip. I just check my...

I graduated in May 2004. I have not yet been in charge, and I don't intend to be anytime in the foreseeable future. I have been pretty vocal about my feelings around my coworkers, and I will probably be bringing the subject up with my manager at my n...

I work on a surgical unit, we have an elderly gentleman in for I/D of his left elbow due to bursitis and cellulitis. He has end-stage Alzhiemer's. We are running tube feeding through a Dobhoff. His orders include having his HOB at 30 degrees at all t...

Today I learned that both my nurse manager and the social worker were made aware of this situation. In fact, I was told that the DIL was witnessed injecting a syringe of something into the pt's PICC. I didn't see this. It happened on day shift. The D...