Spinoff : What We Do, What We Used to Do

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

The HIV thread reminded me of a thread I've wanted to start here for a while. (Apologies if it's been done!)

I love to hear accounts from experienced nurses about how nursing practice used to be, or how different practices have evolved. For example, an experienced traveller shared with me recently how patients with feeding tubes used to have what everyone else had - just pureed like crazy. (Interestingly to me, she also informed me that there was no such thing as a tube-fed patient with obligatory diarrhea. She felt this was because the patients got "real" food. I thought that was very thought-provoking.)

So, please share. Nursing history of all kinds really fascinates me. I wouldn't restrict this to practice-based issues, either - nurse/patient, nurse/doctor, nurse/nurse relationships have also evolved in fascinating ways. Let's hear it!

Edited to Add : I'm also interested if anyone has experiences which exemplify where certain procedural changes originated - i.e. our vigilance with IVs.

[JBudd, MSN]

We took roll around spirometers to the rooms for the post ops, at least each pt. got their own mouth piece.

Standing at the door holding a laundry bag so the gowned, gloved and masked nurse in the room could load the inside room laundry bag into it, and then the trash bags.

Never had to have a consent to give blood.

Didn't have to have orders to put restraints on someone. Poseys were "nursing actions".

No fitted sheets, learned to tuck those corners just so, and good and tight.

County prisoners shackled to the end of the bed, no guard in sight, in a 4 bed semi room.

Had to pay for the TV except on Bronco game Sundays, they were turned on in every room, then off again after the game.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

Pt's buttocks exposed, one butt cheek taped to the side rail, MOM applied to decubitus, heat lamp to dry decubitus, BID.

Clinitest to test urine for glucose. Hot test tubes = burned fingertips.

White clinic and nursemate shoes. Nursemate came out with shoestrings with small blue hearts on them. Big controversy at work whether or not to allow nurses to wear decorated shoelaces.