My RRT experience

I am finally posting an update.  Thanks to my friend Stephanie who enjoys reading my bizarre and disgusting posts about hospital life.  She has encouraged me to continue posting. 

In April I finally started orientation for my RN position.  Last week was my week on my own.  On my second night, I asked to be work reduced to have a night off.  They called me off work but put me on call from 7pm-3am.  I woke up at 2:15am and I thought I was in the clear.  I was wrong.  The phone rang at 2:55am and it was our house supervisor asking me to come in.  It was an easy night as I ended up being a float nurse and helping out everyone. 

Two nights ago was my 3rd night on my own.   It was going rather well, but one of my patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia & hypoxia was getting restless and hallucinating.  He thought his grandson drowned in a pool accident and he thought he saw golf balls in his room.  None of them were true...thankfully.  Well about 6am I noticed a change.  He was agitatied and his O2 sats were not staying up so I increased his O2.  I called the MD to get a chest x-ray and Arterial Blood Gasses (ABG's) which can show his pH, Co2 & O2 levels.  I was denied the order and he said to put a mask on and soft wrist restraints.  His urine output was 200ml in 12 hours and the MD said have the day shift MD take care of that issue.   By 6:45 I had to call Rapid Response Team (RRT).  I gave him 4 doses of Romazicon  to reverse the 2 mg Ativan IV given earlier in the shift.  He was non-responsive and we got a chest x-ray and ABG's.  He was in respiratory acidosis, with a pH of 7.16 and CO2 of 76.  The only option was to transfer him to the ICU.  Of course this was all happening at the end of the shift.  He ended up getting intubated and mechanically ventilated in the ICU.  I was very upset that the MD didn't order a simple blood test when I asked It was a busy and crazy end to my shift.  I am so grateful I had a great bunch of nurses to help out and assist me.  I work in such a supportive environment.  I love it!

I'm back and updating my blog

Well, after taking a very long hiatus, I have decided to log the interesting things that happen in the hospital. There is usually never a dull moment...although I wish there was sometimes. As I write things that go on, I will keep patent's information anonymous...thanks to HIPAA, I wouldn't want to be in violation. :)

Here are a few things that happened last night:

1. A very confused 87 y/o man asked for a pony blanket. I told him we don't have pony blankets in the hospital, and he started getting agitated and mad.

2. I was assisting a patient in changing his colostomy bag. He was draining it and said, and I quote, " Oh, looks like dinner." Seriously, no joke. I couldn't stop laughing, unfortunately the putrid fecal smell was invading my nostrils in a not so pleasant way. The hospital must literally be serving "crappy" food.

3. I went into a patient's room who has a brain degenertaive condition similar to Lou Gehrigs disease. While I was changing him, he spanked my bottom! Apparently he does this to everyone he comes in contact with. Next time I went in there I told him, "No hanky-panky business."

Job update

I started working at a hospital on the Telemetry (cardiac) floor on Dec. 7. I am working 3, 12-hour shifts a week from 7pm-7:30am. I was hired with the intentions that I would be hired on as a RN soon, unfortunately they didn't have a RN job at the time, so I am working as an Acute Care Assistant. That's a fancy name for nurses assistant. I get to deal with the patients, their vitals, and all their crap. Literally. I was hoping I'd start as an RN in late Jan/early Feb. After pinning my asst. mgr down I got a guesstimate start of Mar/April.

I really should be grateful I have a job, and working at an amazing hospital. I really enjoy it, although some nights can be very long and hard. I take up to 9 patient loads, but those nights are absolutely crazy! I hope they get their acts together and find someone to orient me and hire me soon. I've already started applying to other floors hoping they'll pick me up sooner. We'll see. There are absolutely no new-grad RN openings anywhere in the Sac. area. I didn't realize that when I graduated that I graduated in the right profession at the wrong time. In the meantime, I am working and waiting patiently and anxiously. I'll give an update when I should be training as an RN when the time comes....hopefully soon.

Oh Happy Day!

I am officially a Registered Nurse!

Last Monday I took the NCLEX, state board exam for Registered Nursing. I was unable to get quick results, and I thought I had to wait 30 days for results. I got a call from my mother-in-law stating that there is a large envelope from the State Board of Nursing. On the front it said "Do not bend". I told her to hang on to it and I'll pick it up later, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Jeff came home and I told him about the letter. He said he would pick it up and bring it back home. I told him it was like a mission call, and I had to open it. So we packed up the kids and drove to their house. I opened it and there it was, my certificate as a Registered Nurse. I couldn't believe it. I really thought I did not pass the test when I walked out of there. I was sick to my stomach. Thankfully it was not all in vain. The past 2 years have finally paid off. I am proud to say, I'm a Registered Nurse. Now I just need to get a job. :)

Nursing School Graduation

Nursing School Graduation Day

Today has finally come. Two long years of late nights studying, group study, early mornings dropping kids off at daycare, driving super long hours to school, and then 1 1/2 hours to clinicals, and spending time away from my family has finally come to a close. I can't believe the day that I had been waiting and hoping for has finally come. Before the ceremony, it didn't seem real. Once we walked on stage, it finally sank in and I realized I was finally graduating nursing school!

It was a wonderful ceremony. After a few teachers spoke, we had our significant others pin us with a nursing pin. My pin had RN with a medical symbol. Jeff and the kids came up on stage and they pinned me. After he pinned me and I gave them all hugs, Drew didn't want to get off stage. Everyone thought he was so cute...I do too. After that, we had candles (battery operated) in a lantern. We lit them to symbolize Florence Nightingale when she took a lantern with her to the battle fields to help the wounded soldiers. With our candles lit, we said the Nurses Oath. Afterwards, there was a slide show of our time throughout nursing school, and our families. Surprisingly, I didn't cry once through the ceremony. I must have been too excited for this day to come.

Too see the entire posting, check out my other blog.

My first cervical check

Tuesday morning started off with a bang. As soon as I arrived on the floor, I scrubbed up and put my sterile gloves on. I got the knitty-gritty information on a patient who was just about ready to deliver. My preceptor told me I was going to do my first cervical check. I was very hesitant, because I had not done one before and unsure what I would be feeling. She told me to stick my fingers in and she'll tell me what I'm feeling. I put my 2 fingers in her va-jay-jay and I felt something hard a couple inches up. My preceptor told me that was the head, and her cervix was fully dilated. Thankfully the woman had an epidural, so she didn't feel anything below her stomach. She delivered within 45 minutes of coming on shift.

I assisted her in her breathing and encouraged her to push during contractions. After the baby was delivered, I assisted with fundal checks (massaging the uterus), and watching for hemorrhaging. With the baby, I took it to the warmer, performed an apgar score, administered a Vit. K shot in the leg, ointment in the eyes, foot prints, PKU test, hearring test, and anything that needed to be done I did it. I also did a ton of teaching to the mother for her and her baby.

I really enjoy the OB. I hope that there are more births in the next month so I can have lots of experience.

OB precepting

On Monday, I started my first day of precepting in OB. I am working one-on-one with a nurse. She is teaching me how to monitor frequency, variability, and duration of each contraction. There is so much to document during labor & delivery, and she showed me how to do it all. Now the hard part is to remember and document correctly.

I took care of a patient most of the day. Right before my shift was ending, she was going into the active phase of labor. My preceptor allowed me to stay with the patient and see her through the delivery, and postpartum care. She was real tough. She declined an epidural, and had only one dose of fentanyl. She delivered a sweet baby girl. I assisted with monitoring the woman for bleeding, and assisted with the care of the newborn.

I had such a great day, and ended up putting 12 hours in that day. Can't wait for the next one!

I passed 5th quarter

Today, ended another quarter of nursing school. I took my final and did very well, and actually increased my percentage in the class. I walked out of there with a B and feel so happy. I went out with friends to lunch to celebrate. I then went to pamper myself and got a pedicure. Just in time for my trip to CA.

I am looking forward to next quarter....after a nice vacation. The first half of the quarter, I will be in lecture and taking tests. Then I start my preceptorship, which I am very excited. I have put in 3 separate requests, but I don't know which one I'll get. We'll see.

For now, I'm spending time with my family and vacationing.

Another use for Vics VapoRub

VICKS VAPO RUB - INTERESTING

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.

Some of us have used Vicks Vapo rub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. A new way to use it -and it works, I've tried it with 2 of my kids- And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapo rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime, then cover with socks. Even persistent,
heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong
prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soot hing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.

Just happened to tune in AM. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs so, I listened. It was a surprise finding and found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.


You'll be amazed how it works and how effective it is. Just give it a try.

Funny SNL skit about incontinent people

This is the very funny Oops, I crapped my pants skit from SNL. It is way too funny.