What I Learned This Week: Retired Nurses-Where Two Or More Are Gathered...

[OCNRN63]

Since ixchel is taking a much deserved break, she was gracious enough to allow me to fill in for her. Here's hoping I don't blow up her thread.

My next door neighbor is a retired nurse. She frequently comes over to visit me, which leads me to the title of the thread: where two or more retired nurses are gathered, the talk eventually turns to nursing.

Sharon (not her real name) has a son who works at a local hospital. He frequently fills his mother in with his experiences. She'll often share them with me, and many times the two of us end up shaking our heads in disbelief at how nursing has changed, sometimes for the good, often for the bad.

So what did I learn? I know that now, with greater certainty than before, that I dearly miss nursing, but not what it has become.

I've also learned that I must have some sort of invisible "Welcome, Free Lodging" sign over my head that only respiratory bugs can see. Every year like clockwork these invaders turn me into a coughing, sneezing, snotting host for them. It will get better, but by Oct/Nov. it will happen again.

And when a doctor gives you abx. for a sinus infection from Hades and tells you to make sure you take it with a probiotic, believe. him/her.

So, what have you learned this week? Hope you had a good one!

[NICUNurseEliz]

I learned that I am not meant to be a surgical nurse! We did a bedside procedure on my baby this week that seriously made me woozy for a bit (and I'm generally not squeamish). I took some deep breaths and reminded myself that my patient really needed me conscious to push his pain meds. Hats off to you awesome OR and trauma nurses!

I learned that I really hate the words "dehisce" and "tunneling." This may or may not relate to the previous paragraph.

I learned a lot about albumin this week! I've only given it once before and had much more time to read about it this time around and it's really a cool med, especially combined with hydrocortisone and bumex therapy.

[Farawyn]

I learned that I am not meant to be a surgical nurse! We did a bedside procedure on my baby this week that seriously made me woozy for a bit (and I'm generally not squeamish). I took some deep breaths and reminded myself that my patient really needed me conscious to push his pain meds. Hats off to you awesome OR and trauma nurses!

I learned that I really hate the words "dehisce" and "tunneling." This may or may not relate to the previous paragraph.

I learned a lot about albumin this week! I've only given it once before and had much more time to read about it this time around and it's really a cool med, especially combined with hydrocortisone and bumex therapy.

Your baby?

Well, GEEZ, maybe that's why you felt woozy?

I hope he/she is okay, and mommy, too.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I learned that I am not meant to be a surgical nurse! We did a bedside procedure on my baby this week that seriously made me woozy for a bit (and I'm generally not squeamish). I took some deep breaths and reminded myself that my patient really needed me conscious to push his pain meds. Hats off to you awesome OR and trauma nurses!

Hoping the "your" reference was that it was a baby you were caring for and not your own kiddo...if it was your own kiddo makes total sense why you were woozy. Had you eaten recently or were you between meals? Often (counter-intuitively) eating helps! Don't skip meals if you're going to be doing procedures...

Traveling to NICU or PICU (or any of our ICUs really) to do cases isn't exactly fun, but we make it work. Makes us appreciate the tiniest of our ORs as much larger than many of our ICU rooms.

I'm in the OR, and I'm okay with almost everything. Except my own blood (for some reason blood draws and really bad wounds - like ones requiring suturing). Some of the stuff we see - some of it stays with you a while though - as in, can be the stuff that your mind sees while trying to go to sleep. Decompressing is a good thing!

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

Things I learned this week (or lately as some of these aren't just this week as it's been a while since I posted in one of these):

1. My admissions decision about grad school can't come soon enough. (sighs) Don't mind me, I'm just over here, impatiently waiting.

2. I called out one day this week. Just because it'd been a long time since I called out doesn't mean I can't or won't…

3. I had a conversation with my boss about some personal stuff. I feel for the personal stuff she and her family are facing. I hope for the best for them, and pray for the best possible outcome.

4. I'm relatively positive my boss lied to me to my face about something affecting my growth and development this week. She verbalizes one thing; her actions and decisions say another. I wish I had the stones to call her on it…

5. One of my newer coworkers and an experienced coworker who has been around a while gave me flattering feedback. It was kind of nice.

6. A lot of stuff is bothering me again. I need to just go back to working out more. No more excuses (see, I got hurt then got super sick…but I'm on the mend so I need to get back at it).

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I learned that I can actually hook up an isolette and initiate phototherapy; I was grateful that one of my coworkers is an L&I'd nurse.

I learned from hooking up phototherapy that I still get excited when learning (or relearning) nursing interventions and procedures; it makes me feel that a new nurse again.

I also learned that I'm scared to death to learn triage; to risk triaging incorrectly-only because I have been on the receiving end of pts who should have a higher ESI (Emergency Severity Index) level gives me great apprehension; I'm sure I won't be able to get out of it by the next triage course in the summer...

[Davey Do]

[ATTACH]21486[/ATTACH]

Isn't she cute?

Gorgeous!

Beautiful hair color.

I've learned I'm very attracted to that Radar O'Reilly look.

[NICUNurseEliz]

Your baby?

Well, GEEZ, maybe that's why you felt woozy?

I hope he/she is okay, and mommy, too.

Ooh, I just meant my patient at work and he is doing so much better!

Hoping the "your" reference was that it was a baby you were caring for and not your own kiddo...if it was your own kiddo makes total sense why you were woozy. Had you eaten recently or were you between meals? Often (counter-intuitively) eating helps! Don't skip meals if you're going to be doing procedures...

Traveling to NICU or PICU (or any of our ICUs really) to do cases isn't exactly fun, but we make it work. Makes us appreciate the tiniest of our ORs as much larger than many of our ICU rooms.

I'm in the OR, and I'm okay with almost everything. Except my own blood (for some reason blood draws and really bad wounds - like ones requiring suturing). Some of the stuff we see - some of it stays with you a while though - as in, can be the stuff that your mind sees while trying to go to sleep. Decompressing is a good thing!

I had just returned from lunch and this was a surprise procedure. I think maybe since I hadn't been expecting it that it threw me off?

I'm always impressed with the amount of equipment you all bring when you come for a bedside surgery and how quickly you clean it all up when you're done!

[Farawyn]

Gorgeous!

Beautiful hair color.

I've learned I'm very attracted to that Radar O'Reilly look.

[ATTACH]21492[/ATTACH]

[Farawyn]

Well, geez NICUNurseEliz!

:)

I call the students at school my kids, even though only one of them is.

[OCNRN63, RN]

OCNRN63, my mom is still friends with all her nursing school peeps. Once a season they go out and probably drink their faces off I know she misses nursing. When I started my SN job, she was the one who showed me how to use the Audiometer. Once a nurse, always a nurse.

[ATTACH]21486[/ATTACH]

Isn't she cute?

Wouldn't it be great if we could use our retired nurses who still wanted to work a few hours a week to help teach skills. Win:win for for all involved.

[MedicFireRN]

How do female patients of CBA seem to think that it's impossible for them to get pregnant even if they're sexually active and use no protection? On the same note, how are so many women oblivious to the fact that they're on their period? "My last period was about a month ago, and today I started to have vag bleeding"..... ....... ..... ..... -blank stare-

-I learned that some patients are happy to need surgery as long as they find out their UPT was negative

-I am still learning which meds are in which pyxis and what comes from the pharmacy. So much walking back and forth, so little time.

-I learned that bad gall bladders are way more common than one would think.

-I learned a ton about our charting system, and now I'm hoping I remember it. I learned that if you forget to update a patient's preferred pharmacy, they inevitably will prefer a different one this visit from the last one, which then delays things further because the physician has to print out their RXes. Oops.

-I learned the process for giving blood products at my facility. Wowza. I am glad it's so detailed but it requires so many steps. I now have a new respect for floor nurses who end up needing to give blood products. It's hard to manage in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio. Props to you floor nurses for getting it done! I learned that it's preferable to give any blood products slow for the first 15 minutes. I knew this about PRBC's but hadn't thought about doing it for FFP.

-I learned that at the end of a long day, I can forget whether or not I clocked in that morning. Seriously, some days feel like they last for 3 days.

-I learned that a doc may rx a 1 hr neb if you document abnormal lung sounds after they've seen a patient that they didn't check lung sounds on. I am glad to see that the docs pay attention to what we chart and not just to their own assessment. This just reminds me more of the importance of focused nursing assessments (not that I didn't already know that they were important....); the docs have way more patients than we do, and I think we are all guilty sometimes of being busy and looking at someone who doesn't have apparent symptoms and assuming they don't need xyz. At least I know I am.

[Farawyn]

I worked with a doc at the clinic who was a giant and had a thick Russian accent. He somehow acquired all the "wayward" patients.

They would be sobbing "... But HOW did I get pregnant??? AND get chalmydia??"

Him: Vell, did you HAFF SEX?

Her: *sob* yes!

Him: Vell, did you use PROTEKSHUN?

Her: ... No...?

Him: Vell, DARE you GO!