Hey guys!

Have you ever had an experience wherein something unexpected happen? Please share with us...

i remember one time in Dr.G's show she mentioned that an older people who had hip fracture is prone to complications which may result to death. something like pulmonary emboli is one of the major reasons why.

this info is from wikipedia...

Hip fractures are very dangerous episodes especially for elderly and frail patients. The risk of dying from the stress of the surgery and the injury in the first few days is about 10%. If the condition is untreated the pain and immobility imposed on the patient increase that risk. Problems such as pressure sores and chest infections are all increased by immobility. The prognosis of untreated hip fractures is very poor.

so i guess this thing happened to your patient, jane, sorry to hear that, kinda traumatic considering you were still a nursing student then.

I love it when you brought up pressure sore prevention.  That is sooooooooooooo important.  Prevention of a pressure sore is so much better than the treatment of it and the complications that can arise from a pressure sore.   Jane, you seem so observant!  Great point Jane. 

angienwgeorgia says ...

I love it when you brought up pressure sore prevention.  That is sooooooooooooo important.  Prevention of a pressure sore is so much better than the treatment of it and the complications that can arise from a pressure sore.   Jane, you seem so observant!  Great point Jane. 

I know what you mean... That's why we really try to turn our patients every 2 hrs. The problem is that, some patients tend to develop it eventhough you turn them routinely. Thanks for the compliment!

I was a new nurse in L&D, still on orientation and all hell broke loose, there were women delivering eveywhere. I was in the room with a 17 year old who was out of control, and the head was crowning. The doc had been called, but not there yet. I was so scared I wanted to pick up the phone and call 911, LOL... seriously though I did want to do that. I ended up delivering this child and all worked out well. I was on the biggest HIGH after that, and ready to do it anytime now.... That was 20 years ago and I am no longer afraid of much. I have been a ER nurse in a level one trauma center and believe me you learn to be ready for the unexpected...I have learned, not to panic, that just makes things worse. Just do the best you can, and pray for HELP... LOL

to Judlee:

Haha! I wonder if I'd like to call 911 as well in some situations...

Oh well... I'll be calling for help from anyone whose competent enough if ever. lol.

smoxignal says ...

I was working nights in an LTACH on tele/vents.  There were 20 beds.  We usually had 3 nurses and one CNA.  (I know Huh?)  One night we were short.  Two of us split the floor.  It was my turn on the code team, we hadn't had any in a while. It was only a 60 bed facility including an 8 bed ICU.  So the code team was the One ICU nurse, one RN from each of the other 2 floors and an RT, the Supervisor and the Moonlighter.  You guessed it.  Code Blue.  My partner was left on the floor with 20 vents/ teles.  The sup. sent me back as soon as I got the line in that I had started.  We ended up loosing the guy.  When I got back alarms were going off everywhere, my partner was crying.  She and the aide where literally running up and down the floor.  I'll never forget that night.

oh wow! That's really bad... I would really get stressed out in that kind of situation! HOw come you have such a big shortage on personnel?

smoxignal says ...

jane_0126 says ...

smoxignal says ...

I was working nights in an LTACH on tele/vents.  There were 20 beds.  We usually had 3 nurses and one CNA.  (I know Huh?)  One night we were short.  Two of us split the floor.  It was my turn on the code team, we hadn't had any in a while. It was only a 60 bed facility including an 8 bed ICU.  So the code team was the One ICU nurse, one RN from each of the other 2 floors and an RT, the Supervisor and the Moonlighter.  You guessed it.  Code Blue.  My partner was left on the floor with 20 vents/ teles.  The sup. sent me back as soon as I got the line in that I had started.  We ended up loosing the guy.  When I got back alarms were going off everywhere, my partner was crying.  She and the aide where literally running up and down the floor.  I'll never forget that night.

oh wow! That's really bad... I would really get stressed out in that kind of situation! HOw come you have such a big shortage on personnel?

Oh you silly girl, it was the night shift.  One sick call, who is gonna pick up a night shift on 2 hours notice?   LOL  

And I am sure that Risk Management came in at 9:00 a.m. sharp and filed a report, then went home promptly at 5:00. Kelly is right, NOBODY comes to our rescue at night. If a patient codes at 2 in the afternoon, Jesus Mary and Joseph get there within a minute. At  2 a.m., it might be just one nurse on their own for several minutes, praying for help that isn't coming. It is stressful, Jane. Everybody thinks the night shift has it easy, and that somehow night nurses can also be the Unit Secretary and whatever else.  A med/surg unit I was on only had 2 nurses for 26 patients on 11-7 on many nights - me and an R.N. that was super. No CNA, either! Stressful?

Jane,

That is why we are so happy to see a Filipino nurse join the staff over here.  Great work ethic, positive attitude, and well educated.  We had a huge shortage around Boston about 20 years ago and nurses from the Philipines and Ireland came to our rescue.  But not so much any more; problems with Visas maybe?

My first day of clinical I unfolded all the flagged charts. Well you could figure out all the damage I caused.                     Joni