be a better nurse

taking a class to prepare me for the CEN exam yet again. At this point I should just take it. I think I am ready. But the class is free and I have learned some very interesting things about right and left sided heart failure.
Have been doing front charge regularly at the hospital and am looking for a new job!

yet again a dysrhythmia test. Those people that claim traveling nurses travel to avoid “being caught out” probably dont realize just how many exams I take each year.

THis one sort of flipped me out as it had a mix of ridiculously simple questions (Identify the P wave on this EKG) and some very difficult ones about isoelectric lines and positive or negative deflections…

After a bit of surprise, I managed to pass with a 97.5%
and of course, I feel a wee bit more confident regarding the assignment.

happened yesterday. We had a very busy busy day and at 1 pm I decided I would just “die” without coffee, so I begged the charge to handle my pts for 10 min and tried to run upstairs. The elevator was broken , so I was standing there when a woman who looked vaguely familiar approached me smiling. It was the wife of patient I had had over te weekend with a dying heart. He had gotten a pacemaker and was just all smiles. I rarely get that opportunity to see how patients do. He thanked me for everything, especially reassuring him that he would feel like a new man after Pacer insertion (and he Did!). Not sure this qualifies as being a better nurse, but, It really made me feel happy with my choice of profession.

We actually defibrillated a patient the other night and saved his life on my last day of my contract. It was quite an unexpected event and the two of us that worked him both now say we felt like complete and utter morons. Luckily we were pretty fast moving and intelligent morons, as he actually survived, and survived well….
It’s actually probably one of the coolest things I’ve done recently, and the wierd part was that it was all autopilot…I barely recall doing it, but we did it correctly, thank goodness.

My contract here in NM. Probably won’t but as always it is nice to be asked. :)

I have not enjoyed this contract. I have felt like a Martian on Venus the entire time.
This morning, I met the manager for the first time. (I’ve been working here since October 15.) She thanked me for the OT I put in, asked me how things were going. I smiled and lied through my smiling teeth. She then smiled and told me the staff like me. and Thanked me again.
Initially I thought what she said was not genuine, but really she didn’t have to say anything, so I assume the staff really do like me.
Whoo Hooo. Thats good. Make sthe work environment a bit more comfortable for me.
Patients have been doing well too.

read a little article about a new drug, Clevidipine…
probably will be used to control acute hypertensive crises…
apparently has some nice benefits…
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/565240?src=mp
Keeping up to date is a responsibility that goes on and on.

Starting a new travel assignment tonight. Hope it will go well. I think it shall, but one never knows until one arrives. I saw the hospital yesterday to be sure I had correct directions, but I have Noooo idea how things will go.

both basic life support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support this week. Had a very good class at Catholic medical Center.

Interestingly, COarse and fine Vfib are back in vogue after being not in vogue for several years.

The renewal class at CMC actually helped me drill the drugs into my mind much better. I feel better prepared to deal with a code again….

today. My least faorite Physician here at this little hospital ordered an adult dose of Medication on the kid, and when I asked another nurse she told me she wa sthinking that dose was correct. So I called the supervisor who called the pharmacy and we discovered that the medication is not even given to kids that age….He eventually changed the order, but not without a lot of blustering. He’s a jerk, but at least the kid never got near that medication….