Alright, friends. I'm keeping this one short and sweet because my brain is sore and my dog is annoying.
This week, I have learned....
1. There should be a time limit hospitals should have to fix a problem. If things aren't better after, say, 15 days, let someone else try.
2. I'm in the mid Atlantic of the US with spring travel plans to Florida, and I'm actually feeling nervous about Zika. I had a guillian barre syndrome patient in nursing school. On his way driving home from work, his chest felt off, so he course corrected to the ED. When he pulled up and walked to the doors, he struggled with leg weakness. After he was done in triage, he couldn't stand. He was intubated, and completely paralyzed, before he left the ED for ICU.
3. A patient on neuroleptics will still have detectable epileptiform patterns on an EEG.
4. A good neurologist knows no matter how crazy the patient sounds describing symptoms, what they say is legit and will stay the course for diagnosis.
5. My favorite doctors to work with are the ones who will sit and talk patho with a nurse and enjoy that the nurse legitimately loves to learn.
6. Sliding scale coverage alone for inpatient management is not currently supported by research.
7. If working day shift doesn't eventually make me check into a psych ward, nothing will.
8. The GI doc who left me scrambling to save a guy's life (what felt like) single-handedly by doing no intervention before he got dumped on us (actively bleeding out 2 points of hemoglobin over 8 hours and maintaining a BP that won't leave 70s-80s) has suddenly become cautious enough to send a perfectly stable (hemodynamically, symptomatically, and on CBC) rectal bleed to ICU before meeting or scoping her after I've literally done all the work needed on her for the shift. And of course, I was rewarded with an end of the shift admission.
9. The Florida Man Collective has evolved to include its latest - Wrinkles the Clown. He is a scary-looking clown who is for hire to scare anyone you want, for any reason.
10. The more you annoy the doctor about the same thing, over and over and over, the more likely it is they will listen and maybe put in an order.
I have nothing else right now. My broken brain is feeble!
Yeah, we had a lot of that when I worked Neuro/Trauma. Drowning victims with anoxic brain injury, motorcycle accidents, massive strokes, delayed eclampsia... Very sad.
That's the good(?) thing about working MICU. We get them, but not as often. We just have the very elderly who it just really feels like we're torturing them for no reason, especially after they get every complication in the book from every procedure because they're so frail and end up dying anyway.
Every unit's got a different type of sad, I suppose.
I learned my boyfriend's apartment with his kid and his kid's friend, with a TV turned to the Superbowl, is not the most conducive environment for studying for something. I was ready to kill them all yesterday!
And I don't follow football much, but I am a little sad the Panthers didn't have a better showing. They are my home team.
I have no idea. Urban Dictionary says it's originally a snowboarder term, but who knows. I definitely thought my friend was making up this word but, 'lo and behold, UD says otherwise.
I have no idea. Urban Dictionary says it's originally a snowboarder term, but who knows. I definitely thought my friend was making up this word but, 'lo and behold, UD says otherwise.
Definitely meant "Doctor". Our NPs are amazing and usually notice the same things we do before pestering them would ever start to cross our minds. I love them. [emoji5]ï¸
I'm learning, again, how frustrating it is to have weakness on one side.
I hate physical therapy!
I'm tired of being stuck at home!
I guess that's enough whining for now.
xoemmylouox, congratulations on the new baby!
Sorry you are having to go through this again. Strokes are one of those things that can be so unfair, striking at most ages, lifestyles, etc. May your P/T benefit you greatly, despite the pain that is associated with it.
Definitely meant "Doctor". Our NPs are amazing and usually notice the same things we do before pestering them would ever start to cross our minds. I love them. [emoji5]ï¸
I agree. I've never worked with an NP I didn't both like and respect.
(I suspect that may change a bit after the new going straight through to NP programs let out their newly minted NPs.)
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I need your opinion.
I got a job offer in PDN, here are the pros:
- I get the amazing insurance
- My pay gets bumped up $4/hr
Cons:
- It's night shift (I told them when I applied that was the one shift I couldn't/wouldn't work)
- It's two hours away from me
- I have to pay for lodging
- Only 1 nurse has stayed with the case, a bunch have left & no one can tell me why
- The house is filthy
- People come in & out of the house constantly
After working in corrections the one thing that raises a flag for me is a dirty house & people constantly leaving & going. Hello, drugs! I'm not gonna work a case & put my life in danger. This area is a predominantly Hispanic area & I don't speak ANY Spanish. If I go in there as a small white girl, they will be able to tell.
I was excited because they offered me a position with benefits but then he told me the down & dirty of the case & I'm not cool with it. My week just busted. [emoji22]
AceOfHearts<3
916 Posts
I learned how fast a muscle spasm can hit and knock you on your butt. I also learned muscle relaxers are your friend when this happens :).