Reminiscing

[knockandhello]

Talking the other day at work about how much things have changed since our training days in the 60s and 70s.The young ones couldnt believe that there were designated areas for different years of training in the meal rooms.We werent allowed to enter a lift before our senior nurses or doctors.I can remember that if someone died on your shift you were responsible for that person till they had been removed to the morgue.Had to stay back once 2 hours after my shift ended at 11pmbecause of that and still had to start at 6 in the morning.Split shifts were normal.The opening of pillow cases had to face away from the doorway.(still do that out of habit).Testing urine using a bunsen burner.What do others remember?

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Visiting hours were observed! Families left when you asked them to! Families were polite!!!!

Ah, THOSE were the days!!!

[steelydanfan]

This thread makes me laugh, when some us older nurses talk about what counts used to be like,(remember rolling the bottles of Nembutal and Seconal around to count every pill)?

Med cards, how could I have forgotten those?

Stripping chest tubes. One evening me and my other team leader stripped a chest tube right out of the pleural space (it was clotted off anyway, we did the pt a favor by making the surgeon come in and reinsert it after we slapped the vaseline gauze on).

We mixed ALL of the antibiotics, kcl infusions, etc.

I fully understand why Cal. wants CNA's to learn manual BP's, you need to know the science behind the machine. I STILL get nurses that don't understand the difference between what an art line and NBP measure.

[weezer123]

Yes I remember charting in 3colors!! and flatus bags, and they worked and the patients actually thanked you. Does anyone remember ora graphin tabs they were like 1 1/2 inch long pills that you gave like 6 or 8 the night before for gallbladder testing. And God forbid the nurse that forgot to give them. Also remember the old signs outside the hospital that said "QUIET PLEASE HOSPITAL ZONE' ( I just remember those as a kid) also waking everybody up at 5am so they could shower and get ready for surgery, and you shaved whatever area that was going to be cut, and you better not nick the surg area either.!!! I also remember ether rubbed on legs and wrapped with sterile sheets for leg surgerys.... I guess grafts or something. and the old I.V. Pyelograms.. the patients had a big hole in their lower backs from needles.. ugh... and NO CT's or MRI's... what did we do before them? and only nurses that worked in surg or L&D got to wear scrubs. Wow have things changed,, but I really loved the old nursing, when it changed is when I changed I think... Nurse of 32yrs and I am only 53...but not working now..!!! and miss it... believe it or not.. Weezer

[JessicRN]

What about:

:) Having families cook & bring in real food, putting it through the blender, then giving it to patients via their feeding tubes at regular meal times - never had the diarrhea we have now!

:) Glass syringes for ABG's and having to heparinize them ourselves

:) Warm soaks q 20 minutes for DVT

:) Pre op meds - demerol,vistaril & atropine (or scopalamine). Hated scope - the pt. woke up crazy!

:) Z track

:) Liking interns & residents - even partying with them!

:) Looking forward to going to work

:) Metal IV catheters

:) Having to make up your own central line redress kit

:) Rubber sheets

:) Getting out on time!

Been a nurse 27 years and did not get out in time then and don't now.Some things don't change

[JessicRN]

What about:

Getting out on time!

Been a nurse 27 years and did not get out in time then and don't now.Some things don't change:

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

We still keep cabbage in our fridge for breast engorgement...if we see we're getting low we call down to dietary & they send us another head.

My grandma was an LPN x 35 years & when I got out of nursing sch (2001) she gave me all her old careplans and it amazed me how much things had changed....

...a 7 yo boy c undescended testes staying 7days postop after having them brought down.

...Demerol & scopolamine for everyone in labor

...episiotomies for EVERYBODY & then heat lamps on the perineum afterward.

And that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Personally, I prefer doing manual BPs. It's more hands-on, plus nobody fights me for the manual machine.

[gitterbug]

Whiskey and wine kept on unit and certain patients getting a shot @ HS.

Giving pain meds right before discharge without any fear of being in a suite.

Ironing my uniforms.

wearing white red cross nursing shoes.

doing an inventory of unit supplies every month on HS shift, sending out-of- date ones to central sterile for resterilization. NO DISPOSABLE anything.

Carrying Demerol in pocket from emergency pharmacy run for crashing patient when unit supple ran low and only signing a req form.

Removing sutures like it was a surgical procedure.

counting IV gtts while holding watch beside glass IV bottle then taping the roller.

Team nursing.

Physicians who made rounds and actually explained care to patients.

Physicians doing own dressings on burn patients.

Physicians praying in room with family.

Nurses smiling while still working.

[Rnandsoccermom]

COPDers and asthmatics all got admitted and put on aminophylline drips.

I actually met Ernie Posey (yes of Posey restraints) when he came to our facility peddling his new trach ties!

[DEB52]

Do you remember putting triple dye on newborns cords? That purple dye stained everything. We did dextrose sticks (blood sugars) and heel-stick hemocrits on all newborns. Babies went to the nursery at one hour of age. Every visitor had to look at the baby through the nursery window. And they limited visitors to two per patient. Visiting hours were from 3pm to 4pm and 7pm to 8pm. As for not wearing gloves (and we never did), we had to empty peri-cans on evening shift. Those were the cans that post-partum pts put the sanitary napkins in. And they didn't wear disposable underwear. They wore those peri-belts and huge sanitary napkins. I am happy for many changes in my nursing career.

[sanctuary, BSN, MSN, RN]

Remember when all patients stayed until they were ambulating without help, all tubes were removed and in most cases, the stitches were removed? I shudder to see how people are sent home now!!!

[crissrn27, RN]

Do you remember putting triple dye on newborns cords? That purple dye stained everything. We did dextrose sticks (blood sugars) and heel-stick hemocrits on all newborns. Babies went to the nursery at one hour of age. Every visitor had to look at the baby through the nursery window. And they limited visitors to two per patient. Visiting hours were from 3pm to 4pm and 7pm to 8pm. As for not wearing gloves (and we never did), we had to empty peri-cans on evening shift. Those were the cans that post-partum pts put the sanitary napkins in. And they didn't wear disposable underwear. They wore those peri-belts and huge sanitary napkins. I am happy for many changes in my nursing career.

We still do most of this stuff at my nursery. Yep, tripledye, mom only gets baby for 1 hour post delivery, visitors have to look at baby though window, limit of 2 visitors while in L and D. Except the glove thing......we do wear gloves. Ya'll can come work with us for a while and then you say "ahhh, now I remember why we changed this"....:wink2: Oh wait...I see you already know why it was changed.....but no one told my hospital.....lol:rolleyes:

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

What is clysis? Hypodermoclysis: The injection of fluids (usually NS) into the subcutaneous tissues to supply the body with liquids. I've given it in the thighs; have seen it given in the back. Back in the day there was a specific tubing set-up with two ports designed for the purpose. Haven't seen one of them for years.

we in the UKcall that Sub cut fluids and still do it on LOL espically if they arelikely to pull out IVs, usually in the back