They can put a man on the moon. Why Can't They....

bobnurse · Jan 6, 2005

Im sure they could do those things, but the question they will ask you is "Why". They dont intend to spend the money on it........I mean look at all the money that is spent on diet pills, healthier fats, fat free products.......Unless it fits into that category, your SOL.

And if we have been to the moon, why havent we been back? WHy arent we there drilling, looking for elements, bacteria, or cures for cancer? I used to strongly believe we did go there, but after reading the conspiracy stories, it makes you think twice.....

Just like the conspiracy out there that there is a cure for cancer, but we'll never see it. Just think of all the money the government, drug companies, physicians, and so forth will lose if a cure came out.......

Example....5 years ago, well 6 now, we were doing a trial on a drug that dissolved lipid based plaque off of the coronary arteries. It was given by intravenous infusion. When we were doing it, people were saying this drug will never pass FDA approval. Think of all the money the cardiologists, hospitals, drug companies, pharmacies, jobs, nurses, equipment, and so forth will be out....I mean, if we found a cure to blocked arteries, it would cripple our economy, just as a cure for cancer....So.....makes you say hmmmmmmmmmm.

bobnurse · Jan 6, 2005

Oh, I forgot, this drug has never been passed, and I have yet to hear anything of it.........

JJRN · Jan 6, 2005

That is generally MD problem not a Nursing/mechanical problem. It requires a well educated caring physician, not an invention.
It also requires a cooperative patient and cooperative family support.

How is pain relief not a nursing responsibility??? Come on!!! MDs become aware of the patient's inadequate pain control by nurse notification. Don't sit back and say, "Well, you have already have taken the only ordered med, so just wait." And if you do not get an increased pain med dose, or different therapy, then inform the MD you will need to consult the ethics committee regarding the pt's right to pain control being ignored.

Nurse's #1 priority should be acting as a patient advocate.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 6, 2005

How is pain relief not a nursing responsibility???

It is not a nursing responsibility because we cannot prescribe pain medications.

Now, back to the original topic please.

oramar · Jan 6, 2005

* Invent a smaller K pill?
* Invent a tastier po K elixir
* Invent a "burnless" K rider
* Find an easier-to-take bowel prep than GoLytely
What are some of your ideas?

I used to work on a cardiac unit where we passes out K by the shovel full. It was a unit that took care of pre cardiac transplants. The doctors liked to keep the patients K levels up around 4.0. I got very tired of all the hassles involved. Everybody had a story why they can't tolerated K in the form ordered. We had to call the MDs 20 times a day and get the K orders changed to a form the patient was willing to take. I thought if the MD just said to the patient "I am ordering such and such, does that agree with you it?" it would have make our lives simpler. Another pet peeve is the fact that the doctor's order IV runs of K on people that are perfectly capable of swallowing. There is all that bytching and moaning that goes with the administration of IV K. I had one patient that had a K level of 2.0 all the time and refused to take it in any form. He could not stand the stuff and either can I. Strange, when I went to a med/surg unit to work the number of complaints about K really dropped. Mostly I just handed it to the patient and they took it. Made me wonder if these pre transplant patients had so little control over what happened to them that all that fussing about K was really about something else.

lifeisbeautiful · Jan 6, 2005

That is generally MD problem not a Nursing/mechanical problem. It requires a well educated caring physician, not an invention.It also requires a cooperative patient and cooperative family support.

Sending a man on the moon isn't a Nursing responsibility.

I thought this thread was asking for ideas, not just inventions.

My IDEA was to allow Nurses to have more control and responsibility with a patients pain management regime. I feel pain management is a huge responsibility for Nurses. I often feel that I am constantly caught in the middle of trying to get medicine from a doctor and trying to keep the patient comfortable.

It would be a great idea to allow Nurses to have better access and freedom to analgesics and pain management, seeing I am the one responsible for administering the drugs to the patient, not the MD. If a patient is in pain, the finger is ultimately pointed at me for not doing 'enough'.

live4today, RN · Jan 6, 2005

...................................................
My IDEA was to allow Nurses to have more control and responsibility with a patients pain management regime. I feel pain management is a huge responsibility for Nurses. I often feel that I am constantly caught in the middle of trying to get medicine from a doctor and trying to keep the patient comfortable.
It would be a great idea to allow Nurses to have better access and freedom to analgesics and pain management, seeing I am the one responsible for administering the drugs to the patient, not the MD. If a patient is in pain, the finger is ultimately pointed at me for not doing 'enough'.

Great idea, lifeisbeautiful! Pain Management IS very crucial to a patient's recovery process, and should not be taken lightly by nurses or doctors. :)

oramar · Jan 6, 2005

* Find an easier-to-take bowel prep than GoLytely
What are some of your ideas?

Someone once posted about a milder bowel prep that was being ordered for elderly patients at the place where she worked. GoLytely and is generic equivalents are so devastating to the elderly.

lifeisbeautiful · Jan 6, 2005

Right! My IDEA was to allow Nurses more freedom to use their assessment skills and education to manage a patient's condition instead of always having to wait and wait and wait for a doctor's order for every minute adjustment in pain management. I mean, we are allowed to titrate IV heart medications, but dog forbid we give a person 2 Vicodin every four hours for pain instead of the 1 prescribed because 1 isn't helping. Freedom of speech removed.

ktwlpn, LPN · Jan 6, 2005

My mammograms don't hurt at all .. .one side benefit of breastfeeding four kids and having NO density left in the old milk-makers.

nope-my mammogram didn't hurt either...What HURT was being jacked up OFF the floor by my twins....The MAMMOGRAM was not bad at all....

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 7, 2005

Have you never had a patient with ineffective pain management? I have; it's rampant, according to many studies. Have you never called a doc for more or different pain meds only to have the doc delay calling you back or completely refuse to raise the dosage?

Although nurses can call docs for new orders or suggest a Pain Management consult, we're essentially only able to report the problem or try non-narcotic interventions (which usually don't work real well on post-ops, anyway).

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Jan 7, 2005

Allow people to have easier access to pain medication instead of having to beg for it or having to resort to saying, "Well I'll just deal with it and suffer".

It would be a great idea to allow Nurses to have better access and freedom to analgesics and pain management, seeing I am the one responsible for administering the drugs to the patient, not the MD.

My IDEA was to allow Nurses more freedom to use their assessment skills and education to manage a patient's condition instead of always having to wait and wait and wait for a doctor's order for every minute adjustment in pain management.

Thanks for the clarifications.