What nurse life-hacks do you have to offer?

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Purple_roses

1,763 Posts

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

LOL! You're just a tiny bit evil, aren't you? :roflmao:

Tex.

232 Posts

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

Hahahahahha the story of my life as an LTACH ICU nurse...diarrhea. Diarrhea. Diarrhea. And oh, MORE diarrhea, coming my way soon because "he had lactulose/kayexelate ordered earlier today, but I was busy so I gave it about 15minutes ago....good luck."

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Not a nurse hack and not at all funny. Untreated hyperkalemia and untreated hepatic encephalopathy are life threatening.

Specializes in ER, Med Surg, Ob/Gyn, Clinical teaching.
Ngt coiling in the mouth? Use 18Fr NGT more rigid less coiling. Still coiling? Get a cup of ice water, attach the syringe, suck ice water in and out of the ngt, then while it is stiff, curve the last 2" portion down, insert relatively rapidly, because if you go slow the heat from the pt will make it pliable again.

Safety note - do not use on basilar skull fractures/facial traumas, CSF out of your NGT=bad. :facepalm:

Cheers

Still on NGT.... I had a patient a few nights ago... The am nurse had shoved the blue/white anti reflux stopper in so tight that we couldn't get it out to check residuals... On an attempt to pull it out.. Guess what it snapped into two, living each end in each tube, the blue side and the white side.... 😲😲😲😵.... We're left with not much choices... Either to pull out the entire NGT and call the doctor for an order to reinsert, then get radiology to do an X-ray to verify...or pull it out and then what..

Well my survival instincts kicked in... I just shouted HOT WATER!! My charge nurse went.. what do you mean!? I remembered my mum did a lot of canning and package of foods and hot water was her best friend when it comes to expanding her bowls and their covers...

So we took some hot water from the coffee machine and dipped the end of the NGT that has the stopper thingy stuck in it... ( we did explain to the pt and we did put protective pads and towels in case it spills, you don't want to burn your patient in the process..... oh no!)... We let it sit for a few mins while it softened and the tubes expanded ... then we tried pulling out each end of the stopper thingy, with a hemostat... And it just pulled out so easily.... No stress....pheeeeewwww!!!!😳😳😳

It almost got us freaking out I tell you...

Ngysun...

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Replace the antireflux valve if it gets wet and sump the blue air vent every four hours. Never instill water or use the air vent to check residuals or give meds.

The air vent must be patent to prevent trauma to the stomach lining. It is not to be tied in a knot ever.

Placing an ngt in the freezer and the use of hurricane spray for ngt insertion is prohibited by hospital policy in the facilities where I work. Get an order for lidocaine.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-issues-patient/blue-pigtail-on-985331.html

Specializes in ORTHO, PCU, ED.
This is an ICU hack for an intubated septic patient with an extremely high fever not responsive to ibuprofen, acetominophen and antibiotics who needs to be cooled actively and the hospital does not have an artic sun.

Place a sheet in cold water and wring it out. Use hemostats to attach it to the upper bedrails. Attach the bottom of the sheet to a fan on low at the foot of the bed creating a wind tunnel effect.

This is really a desperation move for when the fever is creeping up to 105 and the patient might seize

and you need to get that temp down quickly. This cooling method is only for short term use and for when you have continuous temp monitoring.

Another hack: the rectal temp probe can be placed in the axilla and secured with a biocclusive if you dont have foley temp probe catheters and rectal temps are not an option.

Ok Maggie when can I sign up for classes!?! I love your tips! They're awesome!!

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Salt water drowning victims will come to icu caked in sand. Place a sheet over the pillow and bed. Use dry face cloths and baby powder to remove the sand. Then roll up the sheet and remove.

Obviously you dont want to create a cloud of baby powder if the patient is teetering on intubation.

VioletMae

6 Posts

A strip of iodoform packing gauze tied to the head of the bed will DESTROY any stench from any source.

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.

Dementia/Alzheimers patients - I give a task -- "it's important that I know how many squares are on the floor from point a to point b, can you help me with that?" They then have a mission and forget they were upset. Also, a handshake works wonders. May be a generational thing but when offered a handshake to seal the deal (I will let you know right away if I see your horse, I promise), I found that patients calmed right down.

allnurses Guide

hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I

4 Articles; 5,049 Posts

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
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?

Hemostats have all kinds of handy uses at work and home -

Tex.

232 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.
A strip of iodoform packing gauze tied to the head of the bed will DESTROY any stench from any source.

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 tried the iodoform trick yesterday and IT WORKED!!! I can't believe how well it worked too...that's crazy awesome!!

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

The pleth or Sp02 waveform will increase vertically when you give an IV fluid bolus or blood products if your patient is volume responsive.

This isn't EBP but it is reassuring to see when you are monitoring a hypotensive patient.

Still on NGT.... I had a patient a few nights ago... The am nurse had shoved the blue/white anti reflux stopper in so tight that we couldn't get it out to check residuals... On an attempt to pull it out.. Guess what it snapped into two, living each end in each tube, the blue side and the white side.... 😲😲😲😵.... We're left with not much choices... Either to pull out the entire NGT and call the doctor for an order to reinsert, then get radiology to do an X-ray to verify...or pull it out and then what..

Well my survival instincts kicked in... I just shouted HOT WATER!! My charge nurse went.. what do you mean!? I remembered my mum did a lot of canning and package of foods and hot water was her best friend when it comes to expanding her bowls and their covers...

So we took some hot water from the coffee machine and dipped the end of the NGT that has the stopper thingy stuck in it... ( we did explain to the pt and we did put protective pads and towels in case it spills, you don't want to burn your patient in the process..... oh no!)... We let it sit for a few mins while it softened and the tubes expanded ... then we tried pulling out each end of the stopper thingy, with a hemostat... And it just pulled out so easily.... No stress....pheeeeewwww!!!!😳😳😳

It almost got us freaking out I tell you...

Ngysun...

This happened to me once!! I wish we had thought of that...we just kept pulling with hemostats and it finally came out...but will definitely keep hot water in mind if there is ever a next time! Thanks!

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