It does not pay to air out your home storage area.
Especially when Dahey inadventenly lets in wildlife that dies there and stinks up the storage, and the whole house. It makes bowel programs at the Hotel smell good.
I am so glad I'm leaving for a week soon.
That is all. More to come...
Showing posts with label bowel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bowel. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Time to update the slides
I do an education presentation for a local non-profit organization which many of our rehab patients belong. Traveling partner and I discuss the favorite rehab nurse topic: bowel and bladder issues.
We did a thorough research on the internet and in journals, etc., since the folks we work with publish stuff.
But, I never realized until today when I attended a presentation with a urologist that we forgot a surgical intervention: bladder augmentation. (And yes, it does make the bladder bigger.) I guess one of these days I may actually meet a patient who's had this done. So far, not yet.
Finally, they mentioned this device. I got flashbacks to nursing school when I had to do a soap suds enema (without a balloon, which would have been nice).
Stay tuned...
We did a thorough research on the internet and in journals, etc., since the folks we work with publish stuff.
But, I never realized until today when I attended a presentation with a urologist that we forgot a surgical intervention: bladder augmentation. (And yes, it does make the bladder bigger.) I guess one of these days I may actually meet a patient who's had this done. So far, not yet.
Finally, they mentioned this device. I got flashbacks to nursing school when I had to do a soap suds enema (without a balloon, which would have been nice).
Stay tuned...
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Let's be blunt...
Okay, sometimes as a rehab nurse, you have to do it.Using grandiose medical terms like micturition and defecation just don't cut it.
We have to ask "Did you pee lately? " (due to a variety of reasons) and "Did you have a bowel movement?" Yes, nursing students, if you can't observe it, you have to get reports from your patients, and like those videos, you have to ask questions: color, consistency, etc.
We sometimes even resort to the old standby, especially for the really deaf hard-of-hearing folks, "SO-AND-SO (insert name here) DID YOU POOP LATELY?" This is always especially fun when the soundproofing is not so good in the exam room.
So, needless to say, since I have some of those old characters (many of whom don't hear well) as patients, I really enjoyed reading the headline below (which wouldn't surprise me if I heard it out of our folks..)
Michael Douglas: Oral sex caused my throat cancer (from the UK Guardian)
While Michael still needs some patient education, he may have already inferred something from the literature from the comments he made.
I just wonder how Catherine Zeta-Jones took it all when she picked up the paper.
More later...
We have to ask "Did you pee lately? " (due to a variety of reasons) and "Did you have a bowel movement?" Yes, nursing students, if you can't observe it, you have to get reports from your patients, and like those videos, you have to ask questions: color, consistency, etc.
We sometimes even resort to the old standby, especially for the really deaf hard-of-hearing folks, "SO-AND-SO (insert name here) DID YOU POOP LATELY?" This is always especially fun when the soundproofing is not so good in the exam room.
So, needless to say, since I have some of those old characters (many of whom don't hear well) as patients, I really enjoyed reading the headline below (which wouldn't surprise me if I heard it out of our folks..)
Michael Douglas: Oral sex caused my throat cancer (from the UK Guardian)
While Michael still needs some patient education, he may have already inferred something from the literature from the comments he made.
I just wonder how Catherine Zeta-Jones took it all when she picked up the paper.
More later...
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Rehab nurses sure know it!
While I'm resting on my break (i.e. meaning I'm done with heavy lifting for a few minutes), I noticed an interesting e-mail.
I like to tell the nursing students who come to our unit at the Hotel that rehab nursing is really about bowel, bladder and skin (the physiological part).
Needless to say, I'm glad I was done drinking my Hefeweizen when I got this e-mail:
I like to tell the nursing students who come to our unit at the Hotel that rehab nursing is really about bowel, bladder and skin (the physiological part).
Needless to say, I'm glad I was done drinking my Hefeweizen when I got this e-mail:
You have a new follower on Twitter
Kegel Universe
@kegeluniverse
We promote and support Kegel exercising! Our main purpose is to educate and remind individuals of the benefits of Kegel Exercising!
United States Of The World
@kegeluniverse
We promote and support Kegel exercising! Our main purpose is to educate and remind individuals of the benefits of Kegel Exercising!
United States Of The World
Never a dull moment with us at the Hotel. Hope you enjoy!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Back in the saddle...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Yes, we're a little crazy
To the average Joe/Jill patient, what we do at the Hotel seems kind of nuts. Rehab units are places where you can get up and get out, and you even have your own entourage, besides me, your unit tour guide.
Dear Mr. ABC:
Some people think I'm nuts when I tell them this, but it's absolutely true. I'm the tour guide and I usually get the job of helping you initially, getting settled in and used to the rhythm of the Hotel.
No, we're not like SuperLuxeRehab unit sown the street which gets remodeled, redecorated, repainted every time someone sneezes, no, welcome to the gritty world of the Hotel, which saw it's last wallpaper change in 1994. Now, the signs and some equipment you see are brand-spanking new, but that's just because. We didn't want the signs (management says we have to be "just like everyone else"), but we did want the equipment, since it makes our jobs easier.
No you won't get a private room just because you have MRSA. This is not SuperLuxe. Join the MRSA club in a double room (almost 75% of our people have it, and some other bugs for which we isolate, too).
We are rehab nurses, so the three things we care about are bowel, bladder and skin. People will come in asking all kinds of questions on those three things, so don't be surprised. This is why I explained the reason you need a post-void bladder scan for a while.
We'll also bug you daily about your bowel habits, to make sure you're going. Yes, we really do care if you're going and want details, if you bother to look.(If you don't, we will.) Bowels that work tend not to cause problems, unless, of course, they work a little too much. Moderation is the key.
Skin, to me, is a no-brainer. As I tell patients, it's supposed to be clean, dry and intact. This is why we look at it regularly. If you need help cleaning it, that's what we're here to do. If you can do it, we are thrilled. One less bath I have to do, so I can do other stuff you need.
So, yes, Mr. ABC, we may seem crazy, but we care about you, and your bowels, bladder and skin.
Hope you enjoy and make good use of your stay at the Hotel.
Sincerely,
RehabRN
Dear Mr. ABC:
Some people think I'm nuts when I tell them this, but it's absolutely true. I'm the tour guide and I usually get the job of helping you initially, getting settled in and used to the rhythm of the Hotel.
No, we're not like SuperLuxeRehab unit sown the street which gets remodeled, redecorated, repainted every time someone sneezes, no, welcome to the gritty world of the Hotel, which saw it's last wallpaper change in 1994. Now, the signs and some equipment you see are brand-spanking new, but that's just because. We didn't want the signs (management says we have to be "just like everyone else"), but we did want the equipment, since it makes our jobs easier.
No you won't get a private room just because you have MRSA. This is not SuperLuxe. Join the MRSA club in a double room (almost 75% of our people have it, and some other bugs for which we isolate, too).
We are rehab nurses, so the three things we care about are bowel, bladder and skin. People will come in asking all kinds of questions on those three things, so don't be surprised. This is why I explained the reason you need a post-void bladder scan for a while.
We'll also bug you daily about your bowel habits, to make sure you're going. Yes, we really do care if you're going and want details, if you bother to look.(If you don't, we will.) Bowels that work tend not to cause problems, unless, of course, they work a little too much. Moderation is the key.
Skin, to me, is a no-brainer. As I tell patients, it's supposed to be clean, dry and intact. This is why we look at it regularly. If you need help cleaning it, that's what we're here to do. If you can do it, we are thrilled. One less bath I have to do, so I can do other stuff you need.
So, yes, Mr. ABC, we may seem crazy, but we care about you, and your bowels, bladder and skin.
Hope you enjoy and make good use of your stay at the Hotel.
Sincerely,
RehabRN
Friday, November 5, 2010
Fridays on the floor follies
Ah, I'll be playing the Hotel lounge (and a couple of rooms) this weekend for a limited engagement, before I'm sent off to toil the holiday season in the sister unit.
Today's entertainment...two skinny (thank you!) characters who have bowel issues. One's constipated, one's runny. Oh, the joy of bowel mania! Nothing a little chugged Miralax can't fix, unless of course you chug it in front of the med nurse so fast with that cold juice that you promptly vomit most of it up five minutes later. Next, same patient coughs so hard that it's coming out both ends. Happily, (if there is such a thing) this was not a bowel prep, and the volume was low.
Most of the characters are happy to see me back. Some of the floor staff, not so much. No vacation yet, but am planning to enjoy some of the holidays at home this year. It warms my heart just thinking of it.
More later, so stay tuned. The day has just begun.
Today's entertainment...two skinny (thank you!) characters who have bowel issues. One's constipated, one's runny. Oh, the joy of bowel mania! Nothing a little chugged Miralax can't fix, unless of course you chug it in front of the med nurse so fast with that cold juice that you promptly vomit most of it up five minutes later. Next, same patient coughs so hard that it's coming out both ends. Happily, (if there is such a thing) this was not a bowel prep, and the volume was low.
Most of the characters are happy to see me back. Some of the floor staff, not so much. No vacation yet, but am planning to enjoy some of the holidays at home this year. It warms my heart just thinking of it.
More later, so stay tuned. The day has just begun.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Heard on the unit, volume 2
"RehabRN!" "RehabRN!" "RehabRN!" Patient #2
Remember him from our last installment? Yes, Mr. Demented proceeded to call out my name all weekend according to the night shift and he did it on day shift, too.
One of these days, we'll get those meds calibrated correctly, won't we smarty Dr. GeroPsych?
"Who is that nurse who looks like Gumby in pink?" Mr. Complains-a-lot.
All I can say is....I like Easter egg colors some times.
"If I had the middle covered up on this brace, (a TLSO) I'd paint a six pack on it." Mr. Renoir
Somebody really, really doesn't want to adhere to a diet that does not allow pie with every lunch and dinner. Said patient was outed to the dietician for eating seconds on pie this weekend, which is not part of his weight loss plan.
And if that's not entertaining enough, seen in orders....
"Record patient bowel movements to see if we need more forceful bowel preparations." noted for one of our patients being evaluated for colostomy.
We really like BM stories at the Hotel. We also get requests for frequency, color, and smell. We sent a C-diff for one patient after s/he suffered all weekend soiling the linens and the MDs wrote it off as a diet change....right!
School started recently so I'll be reading away.
Don't forget...the next Change of Shift will be right here at the Hotel Rehab on February 4th. Keep those cards and letters coming!
Remember him from our last installment? Yes, Mr. Demented proceeded to call out my name all weekend according to the night shift and he did it on day shift, too.
One of these days, we'll get those meds calibrated correctly, won't we smarty Dr. GeroPsych?
"Who is that nurse who looks like Gumby in pink?" Mr. Complains-a-lot.
All I can say is....I like Easter egg colors some times.
"If I had the middle covered up on this brace, (a TLSO) I'd paint a six pack on it." Mr. Renoir
Somebody really, really doesn't want to adhere to a diet that does not allow pie with every lunch and dinner. Said patient was outed to the dietician for eating seconds on pie this weekend, which is not part of his weight loss plan.
And if that's not entertaining enough, seen in orders....
"Record patient bowel movements to see if we need more forceful bowel preparations." noted for one of our patients being evaluated for colostomy.
We really like BM stories at the Hotel. We also get requests for frequency, color, and smell. We sent a C-diff for one patient after s/he suffered all weekend soiling the linens and the MDs wrote it off as a diet change....right!
School started recently so I'll be reading away.
Don't forget...the next Change of Shift will be right here at the Hotel Rehab on February 4th. Keep those cards and letters coming!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Fantasy becomes reality
Lots of good and potentially not so good stuff going on today, so some fantasies readily become reality and some we wish would just go away.
First, one of our patients who was very depressed during his/her stay came to us in a very good mood. Said patient has a goal--to go hunting this fall. All patient needs is a letter from us so patient can get a special permit from our nearby state to participate in a special program. We wished patient well and hopefully, this fall, we'll see some venison sausage and lots of smiles. If only we could convince more of our patients to participate in the Wheelchair Games!
Second, lots of things were discussed recently with our team, which includes the nurses. One of the worst patients the place has ever seen may be returning to the unit. Said patient is so abusive and mean to staff that some long-serving nurses have threatened to quit if said patient is brought back. It's all about policy and paperwork, so we'll see what happens.
Third, my patient who's been wanting to get out of bed for days got his wish. His bowel problems resolved enough that I was able to get him out of bed for his allotted hours. He went to therapy and worked his arms so much he was tired by the time he got back, so I put him to bed.
Finally, our facility is cutting more costs. Our own "Chainsaw Al" is willing to burn and pillage to make a name. We can only wait to see what happens next, as I pretty much kiss any hope of anything extra for school or certification goodbye.
Maybe that lottery fantasy comes true, so while I wait, I'm still filling out scholarship forms. It's a long shot, but at least, most scholarships have better odds than the lottery.
More later...
First, one of our patients who was very depressed during his/her stay came to us in a very good mood. Said patient has a goal--to go hunting this fall. All patient needs is a letter from us so patient can get a special permit from our nearby state to participate in a special program. We wished patient well and hopefully, this fall, we'll see some venison sausage and lots of smiles. If only we could convince more of our patients to participate in the Wheelchair Games!
Second, lots of things were discussed recently with our team, which includes the nurses. One of the worst patients the place has ever seen may be returning to the unit. Said patient is so abusive and mean to staff that some long-serving nurses have threatened to quit if said patient is brought back. It's all about policy and paperwork, so we'll see what happens.
Third, my patient who's been wanting to get out of bed for days got his wish. His bowel problems resolved enough that I was able to get him out of bed for his allotted hours. He went to therapy and worked his arms so much he was tired by the time he got back, so I put him to bed.
Finally, our facility is cutting more costs. Our own "Chainsaw Al" is willing to burn and pillage to make a name. We can only wait to see what happens next, as I pretty much kiss any hope of anything extra for school or certification goodbye.
Maybe that lottery fantasy comes true, so while I wait, I'm still filling out scholarship forms. It's a long shot, but at least, most scholarships have better odds than the lottery.
More later...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Bowel obsessed
And to think it's so early in the week! Yes, we have our share of bowel-obsessed people at the Hotel right now.
Here are a few examples:
One of my patients unloaded today right after lunch. He made his numbers before we even got the magic bullets out for the evening shift. "I swear it's that chicken," he told me (referring to today's lunch). Hmm....just make you wonder how much chocolate candy he really did eat today (the Easter basket's almost empty...)
Finally, before I was getting to scribble this down I found this bowel obsessed post at dethmama. Oh, do I feel your pain...and did I enjoy this...totally. I know EXACTLY where you are coming from!
Here are a few examples:
- We have a patient who wants a quantifier on any BMs, i.e. "how much?" all the time. Let's just say you're doing fine, thanks.
- We have another patient right now who has magnesium citrate, bisacodyl tabs and glycerin suppositories (because they use them at home) ordered PRN, just in case said patient feels "a little fullness." Patient's full of something all right...
- Another patient is on record taking one cup of GoLytely every day for his/her bowel routine. I guess if it gets you going!
- Finally, we have the patient who's gotten addicted to mini-enemas. "Oh, I can't go if I don't get one of those!"
One of my patients unloaded today right after lunch. He made his numbers before we even got the magic bullets out for the evening shift. "I swear it's that chicken," he told me (referring to today's lunch). Hmm....just make you wonder how much chocolate candy he really did eat today (the Easter basket's almost empty...)
Finally, before I was getting to scribble this down I found this bowel obsessed post at dethmama. Oh, do I feel your pain...and did I enjoy this...totally. I know EXACTLY where you are coming from!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Why nursing school is a lot like hazing
Yes, I've been thinking about the halycion days of nursing school for me and only one word fits: hazing.
Here's the top 10 reasons why nursing school is a lot of hazing.
10. Everyone gets herded into a big room and then you have to stand in line and get your mug shot taken. This is so all the humiliators, I mean, instructors, know you and you can't hide behind anonymity. Everyone is anxious--what is a care plan, what is a clinical, where do I get comfortable white shoes, anyone got cheap books?
9. You have to learn to wash your hands...again. (Yes, this was one of the first "labs" I participated in during nursing school...no joke!)
8. You have to wear a uniform that rarely looks good on anyone, with or without accessories.
7. You have to sit in large lecture halls for weeks on end with people who are sick and too worried about flunking to stay home. This means any and all germs circulate around the HVAC system, so eventually, everyone gets sick.
6. Instructors wear you down at every turn. You are very, very tired. They make you read hundreds of pages a night for one exam a week. They want you to answer questions in class so they can make you look stupid, even if you have the right answer.
5. Care plans. Enough said. Thank goodness some places have easy to use automated ones!
4. APA paper format. I came from a business background and have long used MLA and Chicago style. APA still sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
3. You don't get the true stats on how many nurses survive one year out post school until you're in your last semester. That was when they sprung it on my class in nursing management. (If they told you that in advance, you wouldn't give them the money for nursing school, now would you?)
2. You develop bowel and bladder problems from your clinicals. "This is just like floor nursing," your assigned nurse says. "No one goes to the bathroom on our shift."
and finally...you realize nursing school is like hazing because....
1. You survived nursing school with just a few scars (or sprained ankles, like me, because you tripped in the hall or on the steps) only to get to be the newbie again when you orient to your new job...and surprise! The hazing starts all over again.
Here's the top 10 reasons why nursing school is a lot of hazing.
10. Everyone gets herded into a big room and then you have to stand in line and get your mug shot taken. This is so all the humiliators, I mean, instructors, know you and you can't hide behind anonymity. Everyone is anxious--what is a care plan, what is a clinical, where do I get comfortable white shoes, anyone got cheap books?
9. You have to learn to wash your hands...again. (Yes, this was one of the first "labs" I participated in during nursing school...no joke!)
8. You have to wear a uniform that rarely looks good on anyone, with or without accessories.
7. You have to sit in large lecture halls for weeks on end with people who are sick and too worried about flunking to stay home. This means any and all germs circulate around the HVAC system, so eventually, everyone gets sick.
6. Instructors wear you down at every turn. You are very, very tired. They make you read hundreds of pages a night for one exam a week. They want you to answer questions in class so they can make you look stupid, even if you have the right answer.
5. Care plans. Enough said. Thank goodness some places have easy to use automated ones!
4. APA paper format. I came from a business background and have long used MLA and Chicago style. APA still sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
3. You don't get the true stats on how many nurses survive one year out post school until you're in your last semester. That was when they sprung it on my class in nursing management. (If they told you that in advance, you wouldn't give them the money for nursing school, now would you?)
2. You develop bowel and bladder problems from your clinicals. "This is just like floor nursing," your assigned nurse says. "No one goes to the bathroom on our shift."
and finally...you realize nursing school is like hazing because....
1. You survived nursing school with just a few scars (or sprained ankles, like me, because you tripped in the hall or on the steps) only to get to be the newbie again when you orient to your new job...and surprise! The hazing starts all over again.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
ARN journal now online
If you're a member of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, you can now access the journal Rehabilitation Nursing online at http://www.rehabnurse.org/. VA nurses: take note. This new issue is dedicated to polytrauma and has some great articles about OIF/OEF veterans who are suffering from multiple injuries.
Rehabnurse.org is a great site, especially if you're looking for information about being a rehab nurse. It's especially advantageous, since you get access to regular free CEs online.
In addition, you can also find some great general rehab-oreinted documents. Specifically, I found a guide on bowel care, which is a very important part of the rehab process. As my old friend G. used to tell me, "rehab is all about bowel, bladder and skin."
Rehabnurse.org is a great site, especially if you're looking for information about being a rehab nurse. It's especially advantageous, since you get access to regular free CEs online.
In addition, you can also find some great general rehab-oreinted documents. Specifically, I found a guide on bowel care, which is a very important part of the rehab process. As my old friend G. used to tell me, "rehab is all about bowel, bladder and skin."
Saturday, March 8, 2008
A nugget of a poem
Warning: if you have a weak stomach or are in the middle of your lunch break, come back later. Otherwise, continue, as you have been warned...
The Underside of Nursing always has an interesting ditty or two, but since some of the nursing bloggers I've been reading have been talking about bowels in one form or another lately, here's an ode to that potassium-ridding drug, Kayexalate.
Reminds me of Mr. G. Wonder how long he spent on the throne after leaving Saintarama with a going on 7 K a little over a month ago.
I'm always going to be wondering about the end of some of the stories I end up being part of as a nurse.
More later. Happy weekend all!
The Underside of Nursing always has an interesting ditty or two, but since some of the nursing bloggers I've been reading have been talking about bowels in one form or another lately, here's an ode to that potassium-ridding drug, Kayexalate.
Reminds me of Mr. G. Wonder how long he spent on the throne after leaving Saintarama with a going on 7 K a little over a month ago.
I'm always going to be wondering about the end of some of the stories I end up being part of as a nurse.
More later. Happy weekend all!
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