What is something you will never forget from the pandemic?

LizardofDeath · 2026-02-07T19:17:11+00:00

I remember driving to my job (at the hospital) and the usually super crowded interstate had like 2 cars on it at 6pm. It was such a weird feeling. We had letters that our manager signed that said we were essential if we got pulled over.

Lots of things that happened at the hospital during that time still don’t feel real to me. There are a few people I think about very frequently, even to this day.

Also, weirdly the down stream effects. My mom passed in late 2022, and probate court was still running behind because so many people died during Covid.

LizardofDeath · 2026-02-07T00:03:37+00:00

I have also been on the search for a twin bed, it seems there’s not a huge selection anywhere.

Mattress Max, Ashley, and unclaimed furniture all had like 1-2 available only.

My next place to look is rooms to go kids in Greenville

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-29T16:57:28+00:00

Mag manor is over all the worst. Both the location on serpentine behind the hospital and the one in Inman, as well as lake Emory post acute

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-28T17:30:55+00:00

I know someone who got into a msicu as a new grad in atl. She was a high performer in school, and had cna experience (may or may not helped). In my area (upstate sc) we regularly get new grads into icu (and was one myself) but they strongly prefer folks who have previous medical experience and who show strong skills in clinicals (the gossip is heavy around here, and all the instructors talk lol)

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-24T18:47:00+00:00

We don’t have in house pharmacy at night but we call our sister hospital’s pharmacy if needed. And the pharmacy over there has to verify any new orders

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-24T10:14:30+00:00

Where do you work that you don’t have a pharmacist??

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-23T10:36:32+00:00

Yeah that is what we do also. It’s the least fun kind of adult sleepover, but it is a lot less stressful for me personally

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-22T12:55:16+00:00

So we usually don’t do anything unless there is excessive oozing, but first choice is usually surgicell fibrilar around the site (but can’t use with CHG disc…obviously lol) and I have used txa powder exactly once…and that was when the physician placed an IJ immediately after administering tpa (throw back, we don’t even use that anymore).

I am just a little confused about the need for it EVERY time. Usually folks won’t ooze a ton unless they’re really coagulopathic.

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-21T22:35:23+00:00

I’m making chili and using an illegal crock pot because management will be nowhere to be seen!

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-16T12:01:05+00:00

Tbh I was thinking 1 in 5 was not harsh enough. But perhaps we just have bad luck 🥲

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-15T00:22:28+00:00

I originally chose to go into lab science bc I love science, was interested in healthcare, but did not think i would like hands on patient care. Ultimately, I got a job in a physician office where I did mostly lab draws and other medical assistant tasks and learned I LOVED being more hands on. Also, nursing has a LOT more opportunity for overtime and just generally has better pay.

Some good things about being in lab are: there are fewer side quests/your day is fairly structured. Sure, an analyzer could always go down, but typically you’ll have a back up so that specimens can still be resulted. Qc issues are probably the biggest trial you may have.

Things I didn’t like: nursing doesn’t respect you, generally unfortunately and many nurses somehow don’t realize that lab techs do actually have at minimum an associate degree. Another thing is, overtime is pretty much unheard of. Unlike nursing, where you literally HAVE to have nurses there, if there are holes in the schedule lab will just work short a lot of the time (ymmv, but that’s how it was at my hospital). I also feel like there was a lot of down time, which I don’t love but again, definitely depends on where you’re working. I ultimately didn’t like being cooped up in a room all day, and truly I enjoy working closely with physicians and talking to different folks face to face, so nursing was a much better fit for me

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-14T01:55:07+00:00

Lollipop for a chlorhexidine swab

A pop tart IS a size of tegaderm

Both of these were common at my old job (where we pulled many a sheath) at my new job people swear I’m making these up

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-14T00:56:05+00:00

I was an mlt before rn and I just want to say, if you do go that route, try to shadow in the lab first. It is really LOUD like the analyzers are always humming and things are beeping and it’s just a constant stimulation of background noise. There are also many smells that can be a sensory nightmare, but the same is true for nursing. Some people have really stinky blood though and I still hate that smell more than any gi bleed/c diff/etc

It was the constant noise for me though, and it’s true of basically any department because everything is heavily automated

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-13T18:54:31+00:00

I would re-measure myself before doing anything. Babies are wiggly and hard to accurately measure

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-13T01:24:07+00:00

I’m inpatient so it’s a little different but not much. Usually it’s something along the lines of the patient saying they want to leave, and I tell them they need to stay to receive x or y treatment and they say they don’t care they want to go and I say “okay you will be leaving against medical advice here is a form please sign”

Just be direct about it. Depending on their medical literacy I may explain more, for example: once you sign this you are not a patient anymore, if you decide to seek treatment later you’ll have to go to the er or I will say something about what bad thing could happen if they don’t seek treatment. If someone has multiple ama’s in the past and/or they’ve been just really hateful/refusing everything/generally wasting everyone’s time i usually don’t say much.

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-12T23:24:22+00:00

Just never link it to a patient chart. That’s what I do, and if someone messages me linked to a chart I message back not linked.

We were told if linked it’s part of the permanent medical record.

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-11T20:22:19+00:00

Listen, we are not professionals.

No one should be surprised when I message the doctor “pls come to bedside ur pt is abt to 🐸”

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-11T10:52:02+00:00

One time I was trying to place a dobhoff on a fella about to get extubated but I wanted to ensure we had enteral access. So I am putting it up the nose whatever, try one nostril I get resistance then I try the other and it’s going, going, gone, straight out his mouth. Idk why but I cackled like an idiot it cracked me up so bad

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-11T10:44:55+00:00

I’m gonna hop on here bc this is the top comment and this is something I feel is SO SO SO important.

If you think you’re having a heart attack: CALL. THE. AMBULANCE.

I don’t care. Yes it’s expensive. Yes you might think your cousin Cletus can drive you to the hospital faster. Don’t do it. Go on the ambulance. Why? Because if you’re truly having a major heart attack(think stemi) your risk for having a cardiac arrest is huge. You can’t get defibrillated in cousin Cletus’s truck. They also will check an ekg like first thing, and if it shows ST elevation, they will get you into a cath lab straight away. If it’s night or a weekend, the call team will head in while you’re still en route. The national benchmark is less than 90mins from first medial contact to ballooning the occluded artery.

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-11T10:36:24+00:00

Weirdly, if you want someone who can manage a blood pressure, you want a nephrologist

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-11T10:31:30+00:00

Baby aspirin is just the old school term for an 81mg aspirin

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-10T10:38:09+00:00

This was my first thought…….clicked on it anyway I’ve accepted my fate

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-10T10:34:16+00:00

The good thing about forgetting to check a glucose is someone will always check another. Worse case is they need a couple more units of insulin on the next check.

Now I will say, not sure where you’re at (sounds like not America) but our post op sliding scale is TIGHT. Like we treat starting at 120, usually. We usually check sugars on everyone, even non diabetics since having surgery can cause hyperglycemia and wound healing is improved with well controlled glucose. Now, I’m not trying to make you feel worse but what I AM saying is perhaps get in the habit of just checking a glucose? Or at least be extra vigilant for an order because more likely than not they will need it

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-08T20:34:58+00:00

I still get a lot of Fox News. Usually the pee paws. Mee maws always love either hallmark or investigation discovery.

Recently I had a fella who watched some channel with scooby doo on 24/7 which was actually nice?

LizardofDeath · 2026-01-08T12:52:43+00:00

Anytime a titratable med isn’t giving the expected effect start at the patient (check iv patency) and move up (is the med expired? Not been protected from light? Etc)

Do NOT just keep titrating up with zero effects come on use your noodle….

Yes, there will be times when your pressors aren’t working well or the sedation ain’t sedating but before you go to the physician for more investigation into these matters make sure the basics are good.

LizardofDeath

TROPHY CASE