CrabbyPatty

CrabbyPatty

ICU

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All Content by CrabbyPatty

  1. Have you been assaulted by a patient?

    I think I read an article here somewhere that stated nurses are assaulted more than any other profession. In my short 2 years as an RN, I've been assaulted (or seen other RN's assaulted) by patients MORE times than I can count (and I don't work in Ps...
  2. I'm already an RN. I'm wrapping up my BSN program (last 6 weeks) and want to update my resume so I can start sending it out as soon as possible (I haven't worked in 4 years). Should I only indicate my pending BSN under the education section, or shoul...
  3. Taking CCRN in 2 weeks- advice PLEASE

    I can't remember off the top of my head how many "recent" hours you need in Critical Care before you can take the exam, but the requirements are posted on the AACN website.
  4. Feel like part of my identity is gone

    Ok, we had the same thought at the exact same moment. I didn't get to post my reply because I had to let the dog out, but we are on the same wavelength!
  5. Feel like part of my identity is gone

    My first year as an RN was nightshift in ICU - it messed me up too. Switched to days, but health issues remained. 3 years as an ICU nurse and I've been on disability (I pray it's temporary) for almost 6 months and it's driving me crazy! My situat...
  6. End of life care - facilitating communication amongst staff

    I agree, it's imperative to know the patient's exact code status, which MUST be clarified by the MD in the form of a specific, detailed & signed order. Of course, miscommunication can happen anywhere in the hospital, but I think it becomes more ...
  7. End of life care - facilitating communication amongst staff

    I've not experienced capitated care yet. I've only been doing this for a little over 3 years now; have seen one or two charity care cases, so I guess that's the same? In those couple of instances, DNR was never an issue. Great advice to the OP
  8. End of life care - facilitating communication amongst staff

    When a patient is made DNR, we have an order sheet where the MD specifies whether or not pressors are to be given. We aren't withdrawing care, we're just not going to resuscitate. By "capped care", do you mean comfort care? When death is near, th...
  9. I think I have ADHD but I'm afraid to ask my Dr.

    Things can't get better if you're not properly diagnosed. Why suffer needlessly?
  10. Bronch for pt who chokes on dinner?

    Here's the scenario: Pt chokes on meatloaf, exact amount unknown. He coughs some up, airway not obstructed. Shouldn't a bronchoscopy be done in case some of the food is in the patient's lungs? If not, can't they end up with pneumonia? Obviously...
  11. I have had ADHD for as long as I can remember. For the past 3 years, after becoming a nurse, I have been struggling with: severe sleep issues & exhaustion (no matter how many hours I sleep) newly diagnosed PLMD (severe restless leg syndrome that...
  12. Resume: Folded or Flat?

    Having been an executive assistant for 20 years before I became I nurse, I can say that I would prefer to receieve a resume that was not folded up, just think it looks better, and if HR is getting a ton of resumes at one time, I would think they'd op...
  13. ADHD, Fibromyalgia & RLS - May I have a new brain please.

    you could be right (about the other article he wrote), but the info he compiled on neurotransmitters seems to be correct. I've spent hours reading journals & medical articles that seem to say the same thing; just happened to post the above link ...
  14. Nurses with ADD/ADHD?

    Did you get an answer to your question? I would think the doctor who prescribed these meds to you could answer this question. My son couldn't go into the Air Force Academy unless he was stimulant-free for a year because pilots are not allowed to ta...
  15. Moving Too Slowly in Emergent Situations

    I recently had one of those situations at work and my 2nd patient kept having psuedo seizures every time things would get really bad with my critical patient!!! When my poor patient was moments away from coding, I called the family in (they were in...
  16. Moving Too Slowly in Emergent Situations

    Wow, can I come work with you?????? My ICU experience (almost 3 years now) is just like the OP's!!!
  17. Nurses with ADD/ADHD?

    Feel like I'm going crazy!!! I was diagnosed ADHD in my early 20's, although i had the classic symptoms as a child (I was so impulsive that in 2nd grade I went to the bathroom and my teacher came looking for me after awhile to find me climbing over t...
  18. Is Hypertensive Crisis the only thing to worry about or can it cause others? If it's absorbed into the GI, I believe it can cause MI & Stroke. Not an expert on this one, I've just seen what happens when people ingest it in normal ways (snort it...
  19. Kennedy Terminal Ulcers

    Just had to add that I have had for the past few days, a patient who developed a Kennedy Ulcer overnight on her sacrum / coccyx that was GIGANTIC! It was 15cm x 15cm and classic butterfly shaped. She also had AWFUL heel ulcers that were new; they we...
  20. Patients who are too unstable to turn

    Although I feel it's better than nothing, the rotation function on the bed is for pulmonary issues and does not replace turning patients to prevent skin breakdown. At least that's what our management told us after a study at one of our sister hospi...
  21. It's 2:1 and sometimes 3:1 where I work. We're a "country hospital" (in a suburban setting) so not all of our patients are "critical". However, I've had a couple of situations where I've had 2 CRITICAL patients and a 3rd not-so-critical all at onc...
  22. Tele experience prior to ICU?

    I'd say if you are wanting to stay in the same hospital and they're telling you to go into tele first, then I'd go into tele first. I had 6 months tele experience before I left & went to another hospital for an ICU spot. My experience was so min...
  23. Increase of super morbidly obese patients?

    I wonder how sterile the process must actually be if it takes this many people to put a foley in. I've had to assist with holding a patient's legs out of the way many times, and it is very straining on the backs of the nurses assisting. We recently...
  24. Patients who are too unstable to turn

    I too would love to know what the options are. When I was on orientation, several hours into our shift, I suggested to my preceptor that we turn our vented patient.....as soon as we did, she went into SVT. I never had a situation like that again (t...
  25. I've had numerous patients with suicide attempts who were on lots of psych meds prior to their trip to the ICU; and after being intubated, these people required LOTS more sedation than the "average" patient! The nurse needs to communicate these issu...