What did you learn today as a nurse?

Nurse-o-Matic · Apr 18, 2006

I learned......

Fentanyl and Dopamine gtts are compatable to run in the same IV line!

Indy, LPN, LVN · Apr 18, 2006

I'm off today. I learned that the combitube sounds pretty darn nifty. (leafing through my acls book) The laryngeal mask tube thing, on the other hand, looks like stuffing a bag down someone's throat. What the book doesn't answer for me is, can nurses use these things, since they supposedly lower the risk for death by intubating the esophagus and leaving it intubated? The bag on a stick thing, doesn't go past the vocal cords, and the combitube looks like it can go anywhere and still work. Hm.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2006

I learned last month do not give your honest opinion about your new manager to her supervisor, ie, that you do not think a non-nurse can be an effective manager of nurses. The reason being that you will be retaliated against by having a sexual harassment complaint made about you. Luckily, lesson number 2 is that a good union you back you up and help reduce your reprimand from a written warning to a verbal one.

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2006

I learned that RTs in my hospital can't intubate!! Even though an RT was the person who taught us how to intubate during orientation! I don't get that...

I also learned that severe dehydration can send a kid to the ICU! (rotavirus... go AWAY!!!!)

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2006

I learned who was turning my patients o2 up when i was trying to wean it off.

kukukajoo, LPN · Apr 18, 2006

I learned the local hospital has a tuition assistance program and I think I am going to apply for it!

HeatherLPN · Apr 18, 2006

I learned that the new nurses that were hired start this week and so next month they won't be begging us to work so many extra hours, just in time for the nice weather :)

veegeern, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2006

I learned that clinical coordinators in my facililty DO NOT get paid more than they did as a staff RN.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2006

I learned that increasing the PEEP on the vent increases oxygenation but decreases ventilation. The respiratory therapist assigned to my baby explained it to me when the doc gave the order to increase the PEEP by 1 but to leave the PIP alone. Sure enough, our oxgen demands went down but the next gas showed the kid was heading into respiratory acidosis, so we had to increase the PIP by 1 as well in order to ventilate as we had been.

Eight years working with vented patients. Never knew that.

cassilee30 · Apr 19, 2006

Greetings fellow nurses, I thought it would be interesting to have nurses tell what we have learned at our place of work in the course of our shift....
I learned (as I precepted in the ICU where I will be working when I graduate in 24 days :) ) that Xygris has to run in it's own line and that insulin can run with Bicarb together in a line. I also learned that sometimes a triple lumen plus a peripheral line is still sometimes not enough for all the meds that run into a very sick patient, because of incompatabilities. I also learned how to do an antibiotic challange on that same very sick patient who was allergic to everything under the sun .
I learned a lot...I love nursing :)
Cassi

not now, RN · Apr 19, 2006

I learned not to blow up the cuff on a trach if the patient has on a speaking valve or they will stop breathing (I haven't been around vents since nursing school!). Which lead me to realize why I had to spend two entire days with RT before I could set foot on the floor.

I also learned how to do about a million other things I had forgotten while in LTC.