What nurse life-hacks do you have to offer?

[Purple_roses]

One day I forgot to apply deodorant, and I realized this a few hours into a twelve hour shift. This is how I discovered that hand sanitizer will serve as a decent deodorant in such cases of stinky emergency.

I also discovered that using essential oil underneath the nose helps when you have to deal with something that smells really bad. Usually the go-to is Vicks, but some people are allergic to this. Maybe essential oil will help you?

What hacks have you discovered?

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I like to use a coldpack wrapped in a paper cover in this position to help those patients who are nauseous in PACU.

Sometimes a mint or cough drop can provide enough of a smell to help distract the brain from vomiting, so I let some patients smell it under their nostrils.

Anyone have any lifehacks for keeping down PO meds on nauseous patients, besides them taking them with some crackers and a little juice or ginger ale?

Make sure it actually has ginger in it?

Seriously we have heaps of brands of ginger beer here, and only about two of them actually have real ginger in it, the rest are just flavour

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

60mls normal coke unblocks the most blocked PEG, PEJ or NGT

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

60mls normal coke unblocks the most blocked PEG, PEJ or NGT

Or cranberry juice.

[BD-RN, BSN, RN]

This was from my preceptor when I was a new grad: have a patient with a foley who wants to go for a walk? Take a glove and tie it around the IV pole toward the bottom. Hook the foley bag there. Voila! Have a great walk!

[Anna S, RN]

Shaving cream will help remove dried BM from skin- I think it's the lubricants in it. Plus, it makes the pt smell better.

Use a skin-prep pad first, then a baby colostomy bag applied around a peritoneal dialysis cath, central line, or perm cath will keep it from getting wet during bathing/showering.

It will also keep stomach secretions from getting on skin from around a G-tube.

Maalox applied to skin before applying a patch (such as a Fentanyl patch) will prevent pts who are allergic to the patch adhesive from developing a rash.

[twss2323]

I've used a cough drop and a mask for smelly situations before... the menthol from sucking on the cough drop does wonders, and you can *usually* find cough drops in your pyxis.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

One day I forgot to apply deodorant, and I realized this a few hours into a twelve hour shift. This is how I discovered that hand sanitizer will serve as a decent deodorant in such cases of stinky emergency.

I also discovered that using essential oil underneath the nose helps when you have to deal with something that smells really bad. Usually the go-to is Vicks, but some people are allergic to this. Maybe essential oil will help you?

What hacks have you discovered?

I will second the deodorant idea but with hand soap instead. It works! I've also taken two face masks, spread toothpaste on one and stuck the second mask on top of it and you have a great odor preventer mask.

[Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP]

Have a patient with dementia who's a "picker"? Give them a stack of loose washcloths and tell them they're for the babies in the nursery and you could really use some help folding them. When they get them all folded pick up the pile, leave the room, mess them up and have them do it again. Works best with the LOLs but some of the grandpas out there are real softies.

I've used this tip many times!!

[nursestacey62]

Alcohol pads loosen the adhesive on tape and Tegaderm. I use it every day to d/c iv's.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Alcohol pads loosen the adhesive on tape and Tegaderm. I use it every day to d/c iv's.

I forgot about this one!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Prepping patients for surgery who have been in house for a while and hooked up to EKG monitors. Sometimes those stickers leave a really, really stubborn residue behind that, for infection control reasons, needs removed. Nail polish remover pad (we keep a supply in the OR for those patients who come in with nail polish that the pulse ox can't read through) with adhesive remover added, let sit on skin for 10 seconds and it should wipe right off. Actually took some supplies home to deal with the residue from when I had to wear a 14 day cardiac monitor.

[Pheebz777, BSN, RN]

I've discovered over the years of nursing practice that the best time to give Lactulose is just right before shift change!