Nightshade1972

Latest Activity

1. 

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

   Nightshade1972 replied to JUSTYSMOM's topic in Emergency

   I once read about a guy who showed up at his local ER, screaming and hollering about how his back hurt, it was killing him, he needs treatment *now,* why is the ER staff so rude/slow? Finally, after a few hours, it's his turn to be examined. Suddenl...
2. 

   Favorite "Lay Terms" For Diagnoses

   Nightshade1972 replied to OleMissRN's topic in General Nursing

   I was born with hydrocephalus, caused by aqueductal stenosis. Apparently "water on the brain" is a common colloquial term for hydro, even though it isn't "water" (it's CSF), and it's not "on" the brain, it's "in" the ventricles.
3. 

   If I Don't Laugh, I'll Cry: Nursing Things that are so Frustrating They're Funny

   Nightshade1972 replied to missnursingstudent19's topic in General Nursing

   My wife used to do disability hearings in the US. She learned early on that it was better to just ask her claimants to bring their medicine bottles with them to the disability hearing. If they didn't, she'd ask what they were taking, and she'd get ...
4. 

   How to deal with rude & demanding patients/residents?

   Nightshade1972 replied to Convoy2022_TrumpSupporter's topic in General Nursing

   Years ago, I was a pediatric patient in the neuro ICU, following brain surgery (hydrocephalus). Some sort of doctor or counselor came into my room to do some cognitive testing. During the day, my covers had gotten pushed down to my ankles, and I wa...
5. 

   How to Deal with Toxic People while in School

   Nightshade1972 replied to TheNursingdoll's topic in Pre-Nursing

   Don't react to anything they say. Let them have the last word. My mother always tried to provoke a response, as "proof" of how mean/rude/unstable/stupid/etc I allegedly was. I learned to just sit there and smile until she wore herself out. When s...
6. 

   Why Can't She Stay Here? Getting Kicked Out of Inpatient Hospice

   Nightshade1972 replied to jeastridge's topic in Hospice

   I think Cornerstone was the place that kept pestering us when my inlaws had their final illnesses. My inlaws knew they were reaching a point that they could no longer live independently. At the time, my wife traveled a lot for work. With my inlaws...
7. 

   The Essentials of Medication Reconciliation in Home Care

   Nightshade1972 replied to Melissa Mills's topic in Home Health

   I'm reminded of one of my MIL's hospital visits. My inlaws lived alone, confident they could take care of themselves. My wife would visit every weekend, usually Saturday. Sometimes I'd come, sometimes not. Anyway, MIL reached a point where she wa...
8. 

   Fired Due to Not Being Able to Get to Work

   Nightshade1972 replied to Studentworker's topic in General Nursing

   My mother was one of the unit clerks at the ED in a hospital in suburban Chicago. The entire staff figured out in advance who had four-wheel drive, and who lived close to who, so that on bad weather days they could coordinate. Sometimes that meant ...
9. 

   What Nurses really Want to Say When They Chart

   Nightshade1972 replied to SICUshortCait's topic in General Nursing

   My husband once had a claimant who had something like 27 cocaine-related heart admissions in 24 weeks. He still couldn't get a clue.
10. 

    What Nurses really Want to Say When They Chart

    Nightshade1972 replied to SICUshortCait's topic in General Nursing

    I'm reminded of some of the claimants my husband's dealt with over the years (he helps ppl file for disability). Hubby looks through their history, and asks them about their high blood pressure and their diabetes. They insist they "don't have" HBP/...
11. 

    Irritating spouses/family that don't understand?

    Nightshade1972 replied to Eleven011's topic in General Nursing

    My MIL was overmedicated for many years, because neither she nor my FIL understood that (for example) Warfarin and coumadin are the same drug--and that wasn't the only drug that happened with. When she finally had a medical emergency and the hospita...
12. 

    Being Ordered to Give Whiskey

    Nightshade1972 replied to purplegal's topic in General Nursing

    My husband's a non-attorney hearing representative. He goes in front of a Social Security judge to explain why his claimant deserves disability benefits. Several of his clients over the years have had an order for alcohol in their chart, for the sa...
13. 

    Complaints only, please!

    Nightshade1972 replied to ixchel's topic in Relations

    I know I posted a comment about this a while ago, on a different thread, but this reminds me of an article I read, about 30 yrs ago, about emotional child abuse. One of the anecdotes was about an elementary school-aged girl who apparently broke her ...
14. 

    Musicians, Artist career changers?

    Nightshade1972 replied to Elsa15's topic in General Nursing

    My mother trained to be a music teacher, but when I (her first child) was born with hydrocephalus, after she left student teaching (back then, you couldn't teach and be pregnant at the same time--I'm 44 yo) she stayed home with me for ten months, the...
15. 

    How does it feel to have a Foley insertion?

    Nightshade1972 replied to LDAthleteNurse's topic in General Nursing

    I'm usually already anesthetized before they put the Foley in (I've had multiple surgeries). After I wake up and the catheter's been removed, the first couple of times I have to pee it burns/stings like hell--first pee is the worst, then the discomf...