Oh,I love these and found this one via WardBunny at wardbunny.blogspot.com
1. How long have you been a nurse?
A couple of years.
2. What Dept/area will you never work in?
L&D (labor and delivery). Too much stress for me.
3. What Dept /area would you like to eventually like to try?
Oh, maybe ICU, neuro, or administration...can't decide.
4. What Dept/area are you in?
Rehab.
5. What is the grossest thing you have encountered?
The acrid smell of one patient's colostomy. It was so bad it stopped people in their tracks walking down the hall when the patient was in the room draining the bag with the door closed.
6. What is the weirdest thing you have seen as a nurse?
The bagless Foley (only saw it in an advertisement: see www.optionmedical.com)
7. What one piece of advice would you pass on to new nurses?
Work hard, pay attention and help your neighbors.
8. How would you help retain nurses?
Offer to rotate nurses every few months if they want to try something new.
9. Do you have days you wondered why you ever became a nurse?
Nope...I'm still having fun, even if my back hurts sometimes.
10. If you hadn’t become a nurse what would you be doing?
I'd work in a marketing position selling t-shirts, knives or beer and hot dogs at the ballpark. Gotta have fun somehow!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A great swine flu article
This one, on the Lede blog at www.nytimes.com has a couple of great British flu commercials, one current and one circa 1948.
Bottom line: use Kleenex and wash your hands!
More to come...stay tuned!
Bottom line: use Kleenex and wash your hands!
More to come...stay tuned!
Change of Shift
It's that time again...for Change of Shift. Gina at www.codeblog.com is the host of this round, and yours truly is featured (right near the end!). Lots and lots of good stuff to read, so head on over as soon as you can.
If you're a budding writer and want to tell your story about being a nurse, check out Change of Shift. A lot of bloggers out there submit (but not nearly enough on a regular basis). Got a good story to share? Keep it in mind for the next Change of Shift.
Kim at www.emergiblog.com is hosting the May 14 edition, and if you notice the list, most of the other ones, too.
Wanna host CoS at your place? Just let Kim know!
If you're a budding writer and want to tell your story about being a nurse, check out Change of Shift. A lot of bloggers out there submit (but not nearly enough on a regular basis). Got a good story to share? Keep it in mind for the next Change of Shift.
Kim at www.emergiblog.com is hosting the May 14 edition, and if you notice the list, most of the other ones, too.
Wanna host CoS at your place? Just let Kim know!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Nuggets for April 28 - Media edition
Whew! Thankfully, I've got a break today, so here are a few things out on the 'net worth looking at today.
The WSJ blog discusses the WHO Flu Pandemic scale.
Dr. Val talks about Medbloggers as Press: Second Class Citizens or New Media Elite? I have to say as a peon nurse blogger, I found Dr. Val's article very insightful. Some RNs like myself think they just condescend to nurses and not doctors. Read on for more interesting insights from Dr. Val.
Nurse Ratched's Place is the reason I found this article about real nurses from Edward Norton RN's The Last Nurse Standing. I have to say Ed that the biggest compliment I ever got from a PhD was one who told me when I told her I got a rehab job, "That's real nursing."
Kathy Quan has a really good article on Ultimate Nurse called Nurses Position for Yourselves for Future Opportunities
The LA Times had this article with contributions from three RNs about the current state of nursing, and a great title: Only the strong need apply.
Finally, the Gloucester County Times (NJ) has a great article about male nurses called Male nurses praise job, though still minority.
The WSJ blog discusses the WHO Flu Pandemic scale.
Dr. Val talks about Medbloggers as Press: Second Class Citizens or New Media Elite? I have to say as a peon nurse blogger, I found Dr. Val's article very insightful. Some RNs like myself think they just condescend to nurses and not doctors. Read on for more interesting insights from Dr. Val.
Nurse Ratched's Place is the reason I found this article about real nurses from Edward Norton RN's The Last Nurse Standing. I have to say Ed that the biggest compliment I ever got from a PhD was one who told me when I told her I got a rehab job, "That's real nursing."
Kathy Quan has a really good article on Ultimate Nurse called Nurses Position for Yourselves for Future Opportunities
The LA Times had this article with contributions from three RNs about the current state of nursing, and a great title: Only the strong need apply.
Finally, the Gloucester County Times (NJ) has a great article about male nurses called Male nurses praise job, though still minority.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Who will be "healed"?
Ahh, the joys of waking up...when your sinuses are killing you! Happy allergy season to all!
When you work with people who suffer traumatic injuries (to brain and spinal cord), you don't often see people who actually fully recover and regain their ability to walk and take care of themselves.
When you work on a unit with lots of double and triple rooms, you don't get a lot of opportunities to keep people in the same place during their entire stay. Yes, it's all about isolation status.
The Hotel Rehab will be at full capacity tonight, so let the bed bingo begin. It will be interesting to see how many patients are suddenly "healed" of their various bugs (like MRSA, VRE, etc.) enough to go into a different room.
Gotta go get that saline spray! More later!
When you work with people who suffer traumatic injuries (to brain and spinal cord), you don't often see people who actually fully recover and regain their ability to walk and take care of themselves.
When you work on a unit with lots of double and triple rooms, you don't get a lot of opportunities to keep people in the same place during their entire stay. Yes, it's all about isolation status.
The Hotel Rehab will be at full capacity tonight, so let the bed bingo begin. It will be interesting to see how many patients are suddenly "healed" of their various bugs (like MRSA, VRE, etc.) enough to go into a different room.
Gotta go get that saline spray! More later!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Start typing...
Or writing or whatever you have to do. WARNING: Rant ahead!
Nurse Jackie is loose on Showtime. Thank you MJ and Kim at emergiblog for discussing this.
Yes, the brain trusts of TV has unleashed a new "saint and sinner" portrayal of nurses, and it leaves an odor of the evening ritual of Hotel Rehab...which, to those uninitiated, is sh^t. Thank God I don't have Showtime (or watch much TV).
If you want to see the trailers and promos for yourself, check out the link above.
If you're really perturbed, send your nastygrams in bulk (recruit your friends, etc.--cut, paste and steal these addresses...) to the folks below. They're ultimately responsible for this product...and if that doesn't work, share your anger with the advertisers on the show, by boycotting their products.
Are you listening, Showtime? Hint, hint: pissing off a couple of million (that's right...MILLIONS) nurses is NOT a good thing for you or your network.
Matthew C. Blank,
CEO Showtime Networks Inc.
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Leslie Moonves
President and Chief Executive Officer
CBS Corporation
51 W. 52nd St.
New York, NY 10019-6188
And while your at it, if you're an ANA member, tell them to get off their duffs and take a stand on this, too.
Rebecca Patton
American Nurses Association
8515 Georgia Avenue Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492
301-628-5000
301-628-5001 (fax)
1-800-274-4ANA (4262)
Nurse Jackie is loose on Showtime. Thank you MJ and Kim at emergiblog for discussing this.
Yes, the brain trusts of TV has unleashed a new "saint and sinner" portrayal of nurses, and it leaves an odor of the evening ritual of Hotel Rehab...which, to those uninitiated, is sh^t. Thank God I don't have Showtime (or watch much TV).
If you want to see the trailers and promos for yourself, check out the link above.
If you're really perturbed, send your nastygrams in bulk (recruit your friends, etc.--cut, paste and steal these addresses...) to the folks below. They're ultimately responsible for this product...and if that doesn't work, share your anger with the advertisers on the show, by boycotting their products.
Are you listening, Showtime? Hint, hint: pissing off a couple of million (that's right...MILLIONS) nurses is NOT a good thing for you or your network.
Matthew C. Blank,
CEO Showtime Networks Inc.
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Leslie Moonves
President and Chief Executive Officer
CBS Corporation
51 W. 52nd St.
New York, NY 10019-6188
And while your at it, if you're an ANA member, tell them to get off their duffs and take a stand on this, too.
Rebecca Patton
American Nurses Association
8515 Georgia Avenue Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492
301-628-5000
301-628-5001 (fax)
1-800-274-4ANA (4262)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
On to sunny skies...
I told G. I'd go since she was leaving town. I wandered back on the unit at Saintarama to celebrate one of the techs I worked with there. Suzy was a bright, cheery older woman, who worked really hard and took wonderful care of her patients...and I'm not just saying that.
When Suzy had an assignment, you breathed a sigh of relief. You knew your back was covered. Suzy knew what was going on because she was out in the rooms taking care of her people. You didn't have to ask her if it was done, because she just did it. They tell you a lot about working with unlicensed personnel in nursing school, but if they had a poster child for a nurse's dream unlicensed staff member, Suzy would have been on it.
You could occasionally help Suzy...if by chance she missed something because she was with someone else for a moment and you snuck in to do it. She always came to work immaculate--hair done just so, clothes pressed, makeup on. The patients loved her and she loved the patients.
They also tell you about having staff reinforce different teaching points with patients, and Suzy was a champ. I remember one of my patients had had a UTI, and Suzy even told her family to bring in a big bottle of cranberry juice, so she could make sure her patient had it every day, in case our dietary folks forgot theirs. Suzy fed this patient on each shift she worked, so I knew she'd get that cranberry juice, even though the patient said, "I'm never going to drink it again, I've had so much." When she saw Suzy, she always relented and drank it. "I don't want another infection," she said, looking at Suzy.
When I found out Suzy had cancer, I really wanted to see her, but I missed the party they threw for her. She wanted her wake while she was alive, she said, so a bunch of staff went to her house and threw a barbecue. Suzy was weak, but loved every minute of it.
So, today, on a beautiful spring day, we celebrated her life, which ended a few weeks ago. Always giving, Suzy willed her body to one of the local medical schools. The service was beautiful --there were prayers and tears and lots of stories about her perfectly coiffed hair (which was usually a wig, since she loved wigs.) Her goddaughters showed up, children in tow, and one from across the country, to release bunches of balloons in her favorite color, yellow.
And they floated skyward in a gentle breeze. One strayed and looked as if it would land on the spike of one of the wings of the hospital, but quickly, it was lifted up by a gust, and floated toward the others. Perhaps, just another sign, of a part of Suzy wanting to stay behind.
When Suzy had an assignment, you breathed a sigh of relief. You knew your back was covered. Suzy knew what was going on because she was out in the rooms taking care of her people. You didn't have to ask her if it was done, because she just did it. They tell you a lot about working with unlicensed personnel in nursing school, but if they had a poster child for a nurse's dream unlicensed staff member, Suzy would have been on it.
You could occasionally help Suzy...if by chance she missed something because she was with someone else for a moment and you snuck in to do it. She always came to work immaculate--hair done just so, clothes pressed, makeup on. The patients loved her and she loved the patients.
They also tell you about having staff reinforce different teaching points with patients, and Suzy was a champ. I remember one of my patients had had a UTI, and Suzy even told her family to bring in a big bottle of cranberry juice, so she could make sure her patient had it every day, in case our dietary folks forgot theirs. Suzy fed this patient on each shift she worked, so I knew she'd get that cranberry juice, even though the patient said, "I'm never going to drink it again, I've had so much." When she saw Suzy, she always relented and drank it. "I don't want another infection," she said, looking at Suzy.
When I found out Suzy had cancer, I really wanted to see her, but I missed the party they threw for her. She wanted her wake while she was alive, she said, so a bunch of staff went to her house and threw a barbecue. Suzy was weak, but loved every minute of it.
So, today, on a beautiful spring day, we celebrated her life, which ended a few weeks ago. Always giving, Suzy willed her body to one of the local medical schools. The service was beautiful --there were prayers and tears and lots of stories about her perfectly coiffed hair (which was usually a wig, since she loved wigs.) Her goddaughters showed up, children in tow, and one from across the country, to release bunches of balloons in her favorite color, yellow.
And they floated skyward in a gentle breeze. One strayed and looked as if it would land on the spike of one of the wings of the hospital, but quickly, it was lifted up by a gust, and floated toward the others. Perhaps, just another sign, of a part of Suzy wanting to stay behind.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Nuggets for April 22
Yes, right on time...almost...is the latest installment of Nuggets from my meanderings on the web. Enjoy!
Could lice prevent asthma? It makes me a little creeped out, though. (Don't think too much and you won't itch!)
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE53L00M20090422
Walnuts and breast cancer. Another item they'll sell out in the stores now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53K52820090421
Diet can increase risk of kidney cancer
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53J5M320090420?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews
Study Raises Estimate of Paralyzed Americans. Note: the number of MS patients jumps significantly, so take this with a grain of salt.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21para.html
Probably the best inadvertent diet film you'll ever see, now on YouTube: SuperSize Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Tv_mihMBA
Blogs to check out
Clinical Cases and Images: The blog of www.clinicalcases.org
http://casesblog.blogspot.com/
Fat Doctor and her recent post on "Lifesavers" is really worth your time
http://fatdoctor.blogspot.com/2009/04/lifesaver.html
Needle phobia is an unreal story you have to read from At Your Cervix
http://atyourcervix.blogspot.com/2009/04/needle-phobia.html
Could lice prevent asthma? It makes me a little creeped out, though. (Don't think too much and you won't itch!)
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE53L00M20090422
Walnuts and breast cancer. Another item they'll sell out in the stores now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53K52820090421
Diet can increase risk of kidney cancer
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53J5M320090420?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews
Study Raises Estimate of Paralyzed Americans. Note: the number of MS patients jumps significantly, so take this with a grain of salt.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21para.html
Probably the best inadvertent diet film you'll ever see, now on YouTube: SuperSize Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Tv_mihMBA
Blogs to check out
Clinical Cases and Images: The blog of www.clinicalcases.org
http://casesblog.blogspot.com/
Fat Doctor and her recent post on "Lifesavers" is really worth your time
http://fatdoctor.blogspot.com/2009/04/lifesaver.html
Needle phobia is an unreal story you have to read from At Your Cervix
http://atyourcervix.blogspot.com/2009/04/needle-phobia.html
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Please forgive me...
Jeff Foxworthy. I'm only doing this post, 'cause Auntie sent me a funny e-mail you did.
You might be coming to stay for a long time at Hotel Madison if....
...you broke your limbs falling out of your wheelchair when transferring unattended.
...a drug deal went bad and you broke your arm when it was shot...and you didn't like that hospital where the ambulance took you, 'cause they're not as nice as we are.
...your doc told you "Oh, it's just a two day annual checkup. We're not going to do anything about that hole in your butt." and then changed his/her mind when our specialist showed up and said you were a candidate for a new, experimental repair.
...you have that insurance that pays you to camp out with us. Why work?
...you just like us so much, you try your hardest to get sick to come and see us. Every time the doc's in the room, you hyperventilate.
NOTE: I have embellished on the scenarios here, but at least 75% of these excuses are used to get an extended stay at our Hotel.
I wish I were joking...more later.
You might be coming to stay for a long time at Hotel Madison if....
...you broke your limbs falling out of your wheelchair when transferring unattended.
...a drug deal went bad and you broke your arm when it was shot...and you didn't like that hospital where the ambulance took you, 'cause they're not as nice as we are.
...your doc told you "Oh, it's just a two day annual checkup. We're not going to do anything about that hole in your butt." and then changed his/her mind when our specialist showed up and said you were a candidate for a new, experimental repair.
...you have that insurance that pays you to camp out with us. Why work?
...you just like us so much, you try your hardest to get sick to come and see us. Every time the doc's in the room, you hyperventilate.
NOTE: I have embellished on the scenarios here, but at least 75% of these excuses are used to get an extended stay at our Hotel.
I wish I were joking...more later.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Got me thinking...
Another day at work and thankfully, not too many dilemmas.
Monday went by quickly and relatively painlessly for me and most of the unit. It wasn't so painless for some of our coworkers who were involved in an accident while parking their cars on our busy front thoroughfare. A lot of craziness ensued, and everyone's okay for now. We'll wait to see what happens.
Bubba feels sick, so I get to go into nurse mode at home. I see the oak trees in the yard are blooming. Makes me wonder if allergy season has finally claimed him as a victim this year.
I did some more certification studying and for a little break I ran into Kim at emergiblog's recent Don't tread on my conscience post. Oh, it made me think!
Yes, it is hard to blog about controversial subjects including this one. Did I think about it when I was looking at specialties in nursing school? You betcha. I would have serious issues if I were in anything remotely related to Kim's topic, and yes, I did turn down a position with a world-renowned surgeon just because it could potentially pose such problems. I have my own set of values, which I'd prefer to display in my work rather than to discuss directly with patients. Yes, Momma did tell me never to discuss politics and religion and I adhere to that with my patients and coworkers.
I often think about situations such as this recent one where a per diem nurse lost her job because she discussed one aspect of religion. Do I agree that she should have bounced that ball to the chaplain? Sure, but do we know if anyone was around to take the pass, let alone be present with the patient. Another incident in the UK got a nurse suspended in February.
Finally, I'm often disgusted that we can't agree to disagree and realize we live in a country of many faiths and traditions. Allowing a nurse to honor his/her faith does not mean he/she is shirking the work, it reminds us that nurses are people, not robots, with traditions, beliefs and feelings, just like the patients. If we denigrate the faith tradition (or lack thereof--if that's your choice) of a nurse, we, in turn, denigrate them, too.
Kim: keep lighting the fires and making us think.
Monday went by quickly and relatively painlessly for me and most of the unit. It wasn't so painless for some of our coworkers who were involved in an accident while parking their cars on our busy front thoroughfare. A lot of craziness ensued, and everyone's okay for now. We'll wait to see what happens.
Bubba feels sick, so I get to go into nurse mode at home. I see the oak trees in the yard are blooming. Makes me wonder if allergy season has finally claimed him as a victim this year.
I did some more certification studying and for a little break I ran into Kim at emergiblog's recent Don't tread on my conscience post. Oh, it made me think!
Yes, it is hard to blog about controversial subjects including this one. Did I think about it when I was looking at specialties in nursing school? You betcha. I would have serious issues if I were in anything remotely related to Kim's topic, and yes, I did turn down a position with a world-renowned surgeon just because it could potentially pose such problems. I have my own set of values, which I'd prefer to display in my work rather than to discuss directly with patients. Yes, Momma did tell me never to discuss politics and religion and I adhere to that with my patients and coworkers.
I often think about situations such as this recent one where a per diem nurse lost her job because she discussed one aspect of religion. Do I agree that she should have bounced that ball to the chaplain? Sure, but do we know if anyone was around to take the pass, let alone be present with the patient. Another incident in the UK got a nurse suspended in February.
Finally, I'm often disgusted that we can't agree to disagree and realize we live in a country of many faiths and traditions. Allowing a nurse to honor his/her faith does not mean he/she is shirking the work, it reminds us that nurses are people, not robots, with traditions, beliefs and feelings, just like the patients. If we denigrate the faith tradition (or lack thereof--if that's your choice) of a nurse, we, in turn, denigrate them, too.
Kim: keep lighting the fires and making us think.
Friday, April 17, 2009
A bright, sunshiny day
It certainly was in our neck of the woods. Patients were escaping in droves--going on various trips or just sitting outside. The weather was glorious...I just wish I could have enjoyed more than the trip home outside in it.
One patient is leaving very early next week. I probably won't see him before I return to work. Another patient I had was his usual talkative self. He complained about a lot, but that's par for the course.
I'm still reading away on my cert books. I have a few DVDs to look at, so that should keep me busy this weekend. The weatherman says the weather will be rainy, so at least I'll have something to keep me entertained.
Stay tuned...more later.
One patient is leaving very early next week. I probably won't see him before I return to work. Another patient I had was his usual talkative self. He complained about a lot, but that's par for the course.
I'm still reading away on my cert books. I have a few DVDs to look at, so that should keep me busy this weekend. The weatherman says the weather will be rainy, so at least I'll have something to keep me entertained.
Stay tuned...more later.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I'd really like to...
...pummel some sense into the Slug and a sense of relaxation into some of my other coworkers, but unfortunately, that would constitute assault.
It was tempting...the boss left early, though, and I'd have been stuck cleaning up the mess.
Now for a really important cup of coffee and some relaxation.
More to come...stay tuned.
It was tempting...the boss left early, though, and I'd have been stuck cleaning up the mess.
Now for a really important cup of coffee and some relaxation.
More to come...stay tuned.
Change of Shift is up...again!
Check out Kim's Emergiblog for the latest and greatest edition of Change of Shift. You won't be disappointed!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Charge!
I'm still a relatively (under 5 years) newer nurse, so I didn't really relish the opportunity to be the charge nurse on one of my recent shifts. We never had them at Saintarama, so I don't actually mind them. At Madison, all the RNs take turns. I know the basic requirements, but it really threw me for a loop. Happily, even with a patient complaining of coronary issues, I survived.
So how did I do it? I asked for help where I needed it. Thankfully, most of the people I worked with that night worked the night before, so the assignments were a breeze. I talked to the charge on the previous shift and she helped me with some other issues. No one complained, so it must have worked.
Most of all, I had a very cooperative team and the oncoming shift arrived on time for the most part, so I got to leave on time. Hooray!
Here are a few interesting things I found out about charge nurses on the internet.
So how did I do it? I asked for help where I needed it. Thankfully, most of the people I worked with that night worked the night before, so the assignments were a breeze. I talked to the charge on the previous shift and she helped me with some other issues. No one complained, so it must have worked.
Most of all, I had a very cooperative team and the oncoming shift arrived on time for the most part, so I got to leave on time. Hooray!
Here are a few interesting things I found out about charge nurses on the internet.
- Lynne Connelly has a great article about being a charge nurse and what's out there in the literature. It's academic, but interesting in that it discusses the competencies needed in a charge nurse role and the factors that can be barriers or facilitators to charge nurses.
- There's even a good book out there about being a charge nurse: A Charge Nurse's Guide: Navigating the Path of Leadership.
- Charge nurses can make or break your unit. This article from Nursing Management talks about the importance of a consistent charge nurse on a unit.
- Who's in charge? is a great general article about the duties of a charge nurse and the legal ramifications from http://www.nurse.com/.
- It's an expired CE activity, but this article from AdvanceWEB also discusses the charge nurse role, including how to get mentally prepared for the role.
Finally, MJ from www.nurseratchedsplace.com has the BEST article about a real charge nurse incident. I really enjoyed it!
Stay tuned!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Nuggets for April 13
No, I haven't forgotten these...just been a little busy. Here are a few I found recently while perusing the net in my rapidly disappearing spare time. Enjoy!
Out and about in the health world
DNA test outperforms pap smear (from www.nytimes.com)
I can count the number of female patients I see at Madison on one hand. This article discusses a new test that could eventually replace the infamous Pap. Prevention of this disease is a very good thing.
In cancer, a deeper faith (from www.nytimes.com)
I really enjoy the first-person accounts that appear in this section. This one, geared toward the Passover/Easter season, is quite memorable.
Uncovering the secrets of gray hair (from www.nytimes.com)
I don't cover mine, yet! I really enjoyed this article on how hair turns gray. As usual, they found out much of the information by accident--researching another topic.
A little more nursing-oriented
Are you feeling a little burned out and need some helpful hints to post on the back room bulletin board? Never fear, the folks at the Compassion Fatigue Project have the Eight Laws all ready in nice PDF format. Here's a description of what they're talking about from their web site:
The Eight Laws...
Here at the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, we believe you can take control of your own well-being and create steps towards healing in your own life.
The following are 'Eight Laws' to help you create a healthier workplace for yourself, provide healthier care for others, promote healthier change in your life, and practice better self-care.
Just remember...if you don't take care of yourself, no one else will!
I found this tidbit about nurses at Hell on White Clogs: An open letter to every patient and their family. It made me think of a lot of things: patients, regular people and the good, old Press-Ganeys.
If only we had bosses like these
$80,000 for a year off? She'll take it
A law firm in NYC offers a third pay to associates to take off for one year. The not-so-bad catch: you won't be laid off if you choose this when you come back.
Finally
And just when you thought RehabRN gets all of her nuggets from NYC...I found this one via my ANA newsletter: Dean researching off-peak hour hospital death rate. It certainly made me look...since it seems like all of our problems happen in the off-hours.
Out and about in the health world
DNA test outperforms pap smear (from www.nytimes.com)
I can count the number of female patients I see at Madison on one hand. This article discusses a new test that could eventually replace the infamous Pap. Prevention of this disease is a very good thing.
In cancer, a deeper faith (from www.nytimes.com)
I really enjoy the first-person accounts that appear in this section. This one, geared toward the Passover/Easter season, is quite memorable.
Uncovering the secrets of gray hair (from www.nytimes.com)
I don't cover mine, yet! I really enjoyed this article on how hair turns gray. As usual, they found out much of the information by accident--researching another topic.
A little more nursing-oriented
Are you feeling a little burned out and need some helpful hints to post on the back room bulletin board? Never fear, the folks at the Compassion Fatigue Project have the Eight Laws all ready in nice PDF format. Here's a description of what they're talking about from their web site:
The Eight Laws...
Here at the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, we believe you can take control of your own well-being and create steps towards healing in your own life.
The following are 'Eight Laws' to help you create a healthier workplace for yourself, provide healthier care for others, promote healthier change in your life, and practice better self-care.
Just remember...if you don't take care of yourself, no one else will!
I found this tidbit about nurses at Hell on White Clogs: An open letter to every patient and their family. It made me think of a lot of things: patients, regular people and the good, old Press-Ganeys.
If only we had bosses like these
$80,000 for a year off? She'll take it
A law firm in NYC offers a third pay to associates to take off for one year. The not-so-bad catch: you won't be laid off if you choose this when you come back.
Finally
And just when you thought RehabRN gets all of her nuggets from NYC...I found this one via my ANA newsletter: Dean researching off-peak hour hospital death rate. It certainly made me look...since it seems like all of our problems happen in the off-hours.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A note to all the civilians out there
Yes, your friends in the medical or healthcare industry may scare you.
I went out a while ago with some friends from high school. You could almost part the room by who's in a healthcare job and who is not or is not familiar with the healthcare industry.
Some interesting observations:
1. People with boys tend to know a lot about emergency rooms. One of my friends has several and rarely blanches when he tells the stories of Kid X running into the fancy glass table at the department store and getting a cut on his head or when Kid Y goes and has a compound arm fracture after some skateboarding stunt gone awry.
I just thank my lucky stars I don't work in the pediatric ER.
2. Allied health professionals often have their own interesting stories about doctors. One friend has a doctor she works with who asks her to call the special back office line so he can take care of whatever she needs for his patients right away. She can also tell you what doctors have the best staff in town.
3. Another one of my friends still works the night shift after several kids and 18+ years. I never cease to be amazed at how well she functions. I just shudder at the thought of 18 hours on the night shift, let alone 18 years! She works at a major teaching hospital, so she always has some funny stories about dazed and confused people on nights, especially the residents.
Sometimes I think she should have been a nurse. She'd be one kicka$s patient advocate. She is kind and pleasant and takes no crap from anyone.
4. One of my friends is a doc. I always think about this before I get really annoyed. Friend A has some great stories and some real heartbreakers, so I know the line Dr. K. told me a long time ago is really is true: "I have some patients I will never forget."
5. I am always surprised that these same healthcare professionals, who have years of experience tell me that they're amazed at what I do, and here I am, a newbie nurse. And no, I didn't pay them to say that. They work 24/7 just like we do. They've paid their dues and they've put on the flak jackets when some crazed MD or patient screams at them for no reason.
It reminds me that in many environments, nurses are on the front lines of healthcare. We are in the hospital trenches with patients. First, when things get down and dirty, we have to go and get whomever cleaned up and out of there. We're a little like infantry in that regard; a little like MPs, since we have to keep our guard up and watch out for trouble.
Finally, it gives me hope to know that these good people, doing their jobs in the other healthcare disciplines, are out there watching my back, too, even if they're not next to me in the trenches.
I went out a while ago with some friends from high school. You could almost part the room by who's in a healthcare job and who is not or is not familiar with the healthcare industry.
Some interesting observations:
1. People with boys tend to know a lot about emergency rooms. One of my friends has several and rarely blanches when he tells the stories of Kid X running into the fancy glass table at the department store and getting a cut on his head or when Kid Y goes and has a compound arm fracture after some skateboarding stunt gone awry.
I just thank my lucky stars I don't work in the pediatric ER.
2. Allied health professionals often have their own interesting stories about doctors. One friend has a doctor she works with who asks her to call the special back office line so he can take care of whatever she needs for his patients right away. She can also tell you what doctors have the best staff in town.
3. Another one of my friends still works the night shift after several kids and 18+ years. I never cease to be amazed at how well she functions. I just shudder at the thought of 18 hours on the night shift, let alone 18 years! She works at a major teaching hospital, so she always has some funny stories about dazed and confused people on nights, especially the residents.
Sometimes I think she should have been a nurse. She'd be one kicka$s patient advocate. She is kind and pleasant and takes no crap from anyone.
4. One of my friends is a doc. I always think about this before I get really annoyed. Friend A has some great stories and some real heartbreakers, so I know the line Dr. K. told me a long time ago is really is true: "I have some patients I will never forget."
5. I am always surprised that these same healthcare professionals, who have years of experience tell me that they're amazed at what I do, and here I am, a newbie nurse. And no, I didn't pay them to say that. They work 24/7 just like we do. They've paid their dues and they've put on the flak jackets when some crazed MD or patient screams at them for no reason.
It reminds me that in many environments, nurses are on the front lines of healthcare. We are in the hospital trenches with patients. First, when things get down and dirty, we have to go and get whomever cleaned up and out of there. We're a little like infantry in that regard; a little like MPs, since we have to keep our guard up and watch out for trouble.
Finally, it gives me hope to know that these good people, doing their jobs in the other healthcare disciplines, are out there watching my back, too, even if they're not next to me in the trenches.
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!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Ahh...sweetness!
The tang of the wheat beer and those darned barbecue potato chips...ahh!
I'm so glad it's Friday, I'm so glad it's Friday, I kept saying to myself today. I felt like I was constantly behind, even when I wasn't. Nevertheless, I made it through the day.
Lately, I've seen and felt a lot of emotions, as I've been running around the unit. Anger...that patient who just won't cooperate with his/her rehab goals. I finally capitulated to the coordinator, since the patient is stalling and just taking out frustrations on yours truly. The psych people took another tack...put the ball in his/her court and bring up discharge. Yes, this changed things some, but I still elected to work with another patient. It was hard to give up, but I felt in the interest of everyone, it made sense. So did the coordinator, which worked for me.
Anticipation...I'm getting ready for upcoming conferences and vacations. It's such a pleasant thought to think that in mere weeks, I'll be having fun outside the Hotel Rehab. I also got out of the GRE when I found out my grad program no longer requires it. I got my application in to the program just in the nick of time, so we'll see if I get accepted.
Excitement...Yesterday, I went to a training session on using our medication administration system. No one else showed up when I went, so basically, I had the person in charge all to myself for about an hour. It was great. I hope to someday end up in that department, and I got a whole lot of face time and plenty of information to boot...and a reference.
Outside of the emotions, there's always the physical aspect of the job. A whole lot of heaving and ho-ing. I had two patients that got up all three days. Neither of these two patients are lightweights (180+ lbs.). I did get both of them to help me. Almost all of our lifts have buttons on cords, so I could give them the cords to put themselves down in the chair as I pulled them into place with the handles on the sling. This was wonderful...and kept them busy. They got a charge out of having some control on how they transferred from their bed to the wheelchair.
I could kvetch and moan about the craziness some of the night folks left me with...full hampers, full urine bags and totally fsked up IVs, but I won't. I am celebrating the weekend. It won't be here forever, so I'm going to enjoy it, snow or no snow. I hope you do, too, wherever you are.
More to come...
I'm so glad it's Friday, I'm so glad it's Friday, I kept saying to myself today. I felt like I was constantly behind, even when I wasn't. Nevertheless, I made it through the day.
Lately, I've seen and felt a lot of emotions, as I've been running around the unit. Anger...that patient who just won't cooperate with his/her rehab goals. I finally capitulated to the coordinator, since the patient is stalling and just taking out frustrations on yours truly. The psych people took another tack...put the ball in his/her court and bring up discharge. Yes, this changed things some, but I still elected to work with another patient. It was hard to give up, but I felt in the interest of everyone, it made sense. So did the coordinator, which worked for me.
Anticipation...I'm getting ready for upcoming conferences and vacations. It's such a pleasant thought to think that in mere weeks, I'll be having fun outside the Hotel Rehab. I also got out of the GRE when I found out my grad program no longer requires it. I got my application in to the program just in the nick of time, so we'll see if I get accepted.
Excitement...Yesterday, I went to a training session on using our medication administration system. No one else showed up when I went, so basically, I had the person in charge all to myself for about an hour. It was great. I hope to someday end up in that department, and I got a whole lot of face time and plenty of information to boot...and a reference.
Outside of the emotions, there's always the physical aspect of the job. A whole lot of heaving and ho-ing. I had two patients that got up all three days. Neither of these two patients are lightweights (180+ lbs.). I did get both of them to help me. Almost all of our lifts have buttons on cords, so I could give them the cords to put themselves down in the chair as I pulled them into place with the handles on the sling. This was wonderful...and kept them busy. They got a charge out of having some control on how they transferred from their bed to the wheelchair.
I could kvetch and moan about the craziness some of the night folks left me with...full hampers, full urine bags and totally fsked up IVs, but I won't. I am celebrating the weekend. It won't be here forever, so I'm going to enjoy it, snow or no snow. I hope you do, too, wherever you are.
More to come...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Nightmares
Yes, I'm hearing about these, and in some respect, I'm living them.
I'm doing paperwork for the nightmare patient. This is the patient who refuses to take responsibility for his/her actions and blames everyone else, including me, for any trials and tribulations on the unit surrounding his/her pleasure. Same patient refuses to elaborate with me on any rehab goals as are needed regularly since he/she is a rehab patient.
I'm really ready to wake up and ask for a different patient. This one sucks. If one more neuropsychologist tells me to use motivational interviewing, I may vomit.
Recently, we had a patient code on the floor. Said patient had lots and lots of problems but the biggest one was with patient's MD. MD just would not listen to the nurses. We voiced concerns about the patient for days. I'm still very angry about this. I went and discussed this with a third party and the help and rationale was sound, but I still have misgivings. Thank goodness the third party didn't gloss over it. All those years of hospital experience are handy!
While I'm happy I CYA'd myself, I'm just not happy that I couldn't do anything about getting said patient the care needed. I feel like a failure. I know it's not my fault. I'm going to spend a lot of time on my days off vegging out, so I can forget what an a*& this MD is.
I will content myself with the fact that said patient told his/her family, who visited rather frequently, that our place was the best..."especially the nurses."
I'm doing paperwork for the nightmare patient. This is the patient who refuses to take responsibility for his/her actions and blames everyone else, including me, for any trials and tribulations on the unit surrounding his/her pleasure. Same patient refuses to elaborate with me on any rehab goals as are needed regularly since he/she is a rehab patient.
I'm really ready to wake up and ask for a different patient. This one sucks. If one more neuropsychologist tells me to use motivational interviewing, I may vomit.
Recently, we had a patient code on the floor. Said patient had lots and lots of problems but the biggest one was with patient's MD. MD just would not listen to the nurses. We voiced concerns about the patient for days. I'm still very angry about this. I went and discussed this with a third party and the help and rationale was sound, but I still have misgivings. Thank goodness the third party didn't gloss over it. All those years of hospital experience are handy!
While I'm happy I CYA'd myself, I'm just not happy that I couldn't do anything about getting said patient the care needed. I feel like a failure. I know it's not my fault. I'm going to spend a lot of time on my days off vegging out, so I can forget what an a*& this MD is.
I will content myself with the fact that said patient told his/her family, who visited rather frequently, that our place was the best..."especially the nurses."
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