Search

The process of creating an intravenous therapy (IV) manual is discussed. IV manual copies should be accessible throughout the hospital in order to provide easy reference in looking up drug administration policies, protocols and procedures. It consists of general information, drug reference guide, emergency drug facts and administrative procedures for IV formulatry drugs. Each section is carefully prepared and undergoes pharmacy and therapeutics approval. Frequent updates are provided by hospital staff., When intravenous therapy caused interdisciplinary confusion, nurses, pharmacists, and physicians created this easy-to-use guide. A cardiologist directs an RN to give a patient propranolol (Inderal) IV. She hesitates; she's not [...]

Educational materials written for patients for the average national reading level are not necessarily appropriate for a medical care facility. This is because patients' literacy levels vary widely from one area to another. Accurately assessing the reading level of the patient population can furnish facilities with valuable information to be able to target print materials for the appropriate grade level. Furthermore, designing patient reading level assessment projects is a relatively easy task., Don't assume the education materials your staff wrote for the average national level are right for your facility. Patients' reading levels vary widely from area to area; therefore, many patient [...]

Tracking the record of a patient's IV therapy can lead you through more twists, turns, and detours than Alice took in Wonderland. Venipunctures are charted in the nurses' notes, but [...]

Is memo writing a task that you take for granted-just another layer in a mile-high stack of paperwork? If that's your attitude, take a new view. You can't possibly do [...]

Paperwork, paperwork. Most of us grumble that we'd have more time to spend with our patients if we weren't perpetually scribbling in their charts. Keeping the intake and output record [...]

KEY WORDS * blunt chest trauma * pneumothorax * hemothorax * flail chest * 'brown paper bag effect' * pericardial tamponade * aortic tear * commotio cordis A motor vehicle [...]

Thorough, comprehensive documentation is an essential component of patient care. But, as any nurse can tell, you the traditional paper chart has its problems. To analyze the problems--and hopefully come [...]

This month we look at six common types of surgical tape: paper, plastic, silk, elastic, cloth, and waterproof. All are available in rolls in a variety of widths, and some [...]

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms tend to be vague and sufferers typically visit various specialists. The syndrome, however, afflicts an estimated four million Americans, 90% of whom are middle-aged women. Symptoms include dry eyes and mouths and extraglandular symptoms such as arthritis. Diagnostic tests include the Schirmer test, in which a paper strip is put under the lower eyelid to indicate the presence of keratoconjuctivitis sicca or dry eye., Dry eyes and mouth are just two of the many symptoms that can develop as a result of this common but little-known autoimmune disease that gradually destroys the exocrine glands. [...]

Nurses are often called upon to make quick decisions based upon the patient's condition and laboratory test results. It would therefore be very convenient to have instant access to vital information about standard lab values and possible interventions for abnormal test results. Such information can be written down in a letter-sized sheet of paper folded in quarters. Each quarter contains specific information regarding blood components and electrolytes, standard values and intervention procedures., Here's how one nurse pulled together vital information about lab values and put it in her colleagues' hands. A staff nurse calls the lab for blood test results and enters [...]

The Mobile Charting Unit is a vertical charting station that makes point-of-care charting more convenient. The unit is designed to accommodate paper as well as notebook computer charting. The work [...]

I keep a daily work journal, which helps get the frustration out on paper. Sometimes reading what I've written makes all he difference--I'm able to recognize that the cause of [...]

In the obituary, my name isn't listed among the members of the deceased's family. The four-inch blurb in the local paper mentions Josephine's son and daughter, her grandchildren and their [...]

At our one-day surgical unit, the head nurse has asked the day shift to chart on paper, and then those of us on the night shift are to enter this [...]

Here you'll find a bibliography to guide your decision making and position papers published by key nursing organizations. There are also addresses of organizations concerned with ethical issues. If you [...]

Nurses can learn much from keeping journals of their daily practice. The events written on a journal can help nurses understand their jobs better. Journaling also brings life to the daily routines of nurses. It acts as a decision-making tool that brings confidence to nurses' points of view. Nurses will need a pen, paper or notebook, and quiet place to write. They should strive for honest writing and forget about grammatical rules, spelling or complete sentences., Keeping ajournal isn't a job, it's a joy, says this veteran nurse. And essential in these hectic days. For most of the two decades I have been a nurse, I [...]

'I know it's here someplace!' While nursing staff members waited impatiently to discuss their assignments, Margaret, the charge nurse, frantically rummaged through the stacks of papers on her desk. She [...]

The number of patients with implantable cardiac devices is rising sharply. In 2000, 152,000 hospitalized patients received pacemakers, compared to 197,000 in 2003. (1,2) During that same period, the number [...]

These are the words of a 17-year-old girl, identified only as Harmony, who took part in an investigation of self-destructive behavior in adolescents. She is among what appears to be [...]

Over the last several years, the advantages of mobile chest drains have become more and more apparent, making them a desirable option for patients and one that you need to [...]

Fatigue. Apathy. Irritability. If symptoms like these are familiar to you, you're far from alone. Numerous studies nurse researchers and healthcare organizations have confirmed what many RNs long suspected: Chronic [...]

The summer sun will soon be creeping into our windows, extending its warm invitation to all of us. It makes a gentle request at first, but with time, that request [...]

A colleague tells you about a study indicating that antimicrobial cleansers promote wound healing more effectively than normal saline. A patient who was recently diagnosed with major depression wants to [...]

The statistics are staggering. Each year, approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men in the United States are physically or sexually assaulted by their current or former spouse, boyfriend, or [...]

You might know them as Gypsies, but members of his poorly understood ethnic group prefer to be called Roma--or Rroma. Traditionally nomadic, the Romani people originally came from India and [...]

A 64-year-old patient that I'll call Gary Wells was admitted to our telemetry unit for cardiac monitoring following a bout of chest pain. Initially his cardiac enzymes were slightly elevated. [...]

The police and an EMS crew respond to a call from a local bar. A 2A-year-old man has been shot after getting into a fight with another patron. They arrive [...]

A patient is given a concentrated solution that should have been diluted. A wrong drug is pulled from a stock bin. A dosage of an antibiotic that's dependent on the [...]

Cancer patients have a name for it--those problems with memory, attention span, and concentration that crop up after chemotherapy begins. They call it 'chemobrain.' Healthcare professionals prefer the more specific [...]

The importance of accurate and thorough documentation cannot be overemphasized. In addition to giving the entire healthcare team a comprehensive record of the patient's condition and care, the chart provides [...]

KEY WORDS * professional labor companion * doula * Doulas of North America (DONA) * childbirth educator * birthing ball * Association of Nurse Advocates for Childbirth Solutions (ANACS) Think [...]

When you relocate frequently, getting--and paying--your bills on time can be an annoyance, sometimes a costly one. Missing a loan or credit card payment can mean interest charges. How do [...]

The pulmonary artery (PA) catheter provides precise hemodynamic data that enables clinicians to identify problems and treat critically ill patients effectively. In a previous article, 'A PA catheter refresher course' [...]

I recently watched a staff nurse I'll call Nurse Leno prepare 'Mrs. Hampton' for discharge. The elderly patient was recovering from an episode of acute bronchitis that exacerbated her diabetes. [...]

In many respects, antibiotic resistance is a bio-threat of our own making. This backgrounder will help you understand how bacteria develop resistance, which have strains resistant to certain antibiotics, and [...]

The job posting at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center looked like a natural 'next step' for me. The opening was for a nurse study coordinator to recruit and [...]

Thanks to pharmacological advances in procedural sedation--formerly called 'conscious sedation'--we're now able to make patients more comfortable during invasive procedures and tests that generate pain or high levels of anxiety. [...]

Is your hospital prepared to treat mass casualties from a terrorist attack with biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons? The answer lies in its emergency management plan. In this fourth and [...]

The widespread availability of radioactive materials and advancing technology have made the prospect of nuclear terrorism a pressing concern. Yet few healthcare providers have ever had to treat radiation victims. [...]

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners bring a unique set of skills to ensure that victims of sexual attacks are examined sensitively while important criminal evidence is collected. Perhaps you would like [...]

Health workers should be made aware of the dangers of latex allergies. Only a small percentage of healthcare workers 8% to 12%, are affected by latex allergies. However, the results can be dangerous as evidenced by the death of 26 patients after they were exposed to rubber barium enema tips. Nurses and other healthcare workers should have themselves tested for latex allergies. Upon knowledge of this condition, the worker concerned should inform his or her employer to take the necessary steps, such as the use of alternative barrier protection or vinyl gloves., Latex allergy may not be as prevalent as we think, but it's still a serious problem that affects patients and healthcare workers alike. You can minimise its effects by knowing [...]

Hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, case managers and disease management organizations are urged to use the nurse-conducted stroke risk 0 screening questionnaire to create awareness among patients about their risks for stroke. With this screening tool, patients who are found to be most likely to experience stroke are given advice on how to modify their lifestyle and are directed to go through a complete medical examination., May is national stroke awareness month, a perfect time for nurses to start spreading the word about 'brain attacks' and identifying individuals at risk. Think of the stroke risk screening [...]

Nursing expertise and quality education are necessary in taking care of patients with sickle cell crisis. The priority nursing function when a patient with sickle cell crisis is hospitalized is to make full body assessment, at the same time taking note of the pain that the patient feels. Close monitoring of the patient is a must during the acute phase of the crisis, wherein hydration and pain control are primary concerns. Since frequent crises result in earlier death, it is imperative to teach patients how to prevent the occurrence of future attacks., Patients hospitalized for a sickle cell crisis will require expert nursing care and quality education aimed at preventing future attacks. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects [...]

The incidence of nosocomial pneumonia continues to rise, putting at risk critically ill patients and endangering their recovery. This type of infection ranks second to urinary tract infections but it has the highest mortality rate. Intubated patients are most vulnerable to the infection because they are fitted with an artificial airway that may not keep organisms from entering the respiratory tract. It is suggested that nurses touch the artificial airway only when necessary such as in cases when the patient is starting to develop oral ulcers., By implementing certain bedside interventions, you can help reduce the chances that this hospital-acquired infection will endanger your patient's recovery. Nosocomial pneumonia strikes as many as 40% of all critically [...]

Nurses should not just ensure the proper operation of a mechanical ventilator in providing air to the patient. They should also make sure that the humidity and temperature are at 100% and 98.6 degrees F, respectively. When heat and humidity decline below these values, the mucus thickens, the cilia break off from the cells in the airway, and alveoli might collapse. The three main types of humidification systems are heated humidification with a non-heated wire circuit, heated humidification with a heated wired circuit, and heat moisture exchanger., When caring for patients on mechanical ventilation, nurses tend to focus on the ventilator system and how well it's delivering air to the patient. We monitor high and low pressure [...]

Necrotizing fasciitis is a life threatening and rapidly spreading flesh eating disease that is caused by group A streptococcus. Predisposing factors are diabetes mellitus, obesity, atherosclerosis, alcoholism, IV drug abuse and immunosupression. Onset is often by traumatic injury and the primary symptoms are pain, inflammation followed by necrosis of fascia, subcutaneous fat and in severe cases, necrosis of muscle and epidermis. Aggressive treatment involving antibiotic therapy, surgical debridement, analgesia and compassionate nursing care is the best management for necrotizing fasciitis., Necrotizing fasciitis devours the skin, poisons the body, and can kill within days. Here's how to recognize and fight this virulent infection. Katie Conlon, as we'll call her, was a [...]

The electronic resume system is the latest innovation in using the computer to gain access to numerous job opportunities. The rising unemployment rate especially among nurses has led many to seek the use of the system to acquire a job. The electronic resume is not without problems such as questions of confidentiality among subscribers and a total disregard for human qualities. However, the effectivity of the electronic resume much like the traditional way is still dependent on the presentation and usefulness of the content., With more and more recruiters using computerized systems to find job candidates, nurses need to add a new tool to their job hunting arsenal. It's called the electronic resume. If [...]

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers that can exchange information almost instantaneously. It can be a big help to nurses because the practice of nursing is overflowing with information and with the use of Internet, one can keep track of new clinical developments which are coming out almost on a daily basis. Tips on how to make full use of this computer system, including the addresses of the best medical and nursing sites are presented., The Net is no longer the domain of computer geeks and techno-junkies. It's a vast storehouse of easily accessible health care information Even people who don't own a computer have [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whether your patient had an ostomy performed only recently or has been managing his condition for years, he'll tell you that ostomy care is a constant challenge. If [...]

The American Nurses Association's 'Code for Nurses' upholds the nurses' right to refuse assignments that conflict with their personal ethics. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has recognized that right in 1995. The law has also provided religious protection and conscience clauses in the 1964 Civil Rights Act. However, other statutes and some states limit conscience clauses to abortions and sterilization processes., You have the right to refuse an assignment that conflicts with your personal values. But there's a right way to say no. Abortion. Withdrawal of nutrition and hydration. Sterilization. These [...]