What are the causes and treatment of hyperkalemia (a high potassium level)? What should we, as nurses, be looking out for when treating these patients?
Nurse Caitlin Brassington wrote a post on Instagram and Facebook about a comment that she heard from an acquaintance about how she was "just" a nurse. I think until people have either personally been hospitalized or have had a loved one hospitalized, they don't realize how much nurses actually do! We wear many hats: pharmacist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and caregiver, just to name a few. We analyze heart rhythms, perform lifesaving CPR, help families through the loss of a loved one, and much more. Look at Caitlin's passionate note about how she feels about nursing.
So this is my personal opinion on nights...not necessarily the absolute answer. Everyone is different in how their bodies react to being turned upside down from a sleeping perspective.
Do you remember what a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure is? Why do patients need to have this performed? Does it really change patient outcomes? Check out this quick summary from an ICU RN.
Someone I know was describing a procedure in which a tube was placed through a patient's back into their kidneys to drain their urine. I had never heard of this before. What is this called? A nephrostomy tube. Check out a quick summary of what it is and its indications.
I have worked the night shift for the past five years now! It has sometimes been a struggle to figure out how to flip back and forth from days to nights. Do I stay up late the night before my shift and sleep in? Do I take a nap right before my shift? Check out these tips to find out the best sleeping pattern for you.
Who benefits from having hospice involved in their care? Hospice focuses on pain relief and comfort during the final phases of a patient's life. Is this a type of nursing you are interested in? In the ICU we do short-term hospice care for terminal patients. It takes a special type of nurse to help families through these difficult times.
Nurses are the backbone of patient care and play an essential role in the health of millions of individuals. This 30 minute video (I know, somewhat long, but worth it!) focuses on the impact that we have on patients and how amazing we are!
If my kids ever need surgery, these are definitely the doctors I would want! They are genuinely concerned about their pediatric patients and their experience surrounding surgery. Is this the scariest experience they'll ever have? How can we make this a little less nerve racking?
Suprapubic catheters are not a tube that I see very often in the hospital. How exactly do you care for one? Are they very different from a urethral catheter? Here is a simple summary on the indications and care of a suprapubic catheter.
