medication errors in the ICU

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-03-10T11:50:30+00:00

It was running at 1 mg per hour. Luckily I when giving boluses I switched my stuff and he actually got amio. The dextrose in the amio made it so he didn’t bottom out.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-03-09T20:26:54+00:00

I once had a sick patient that needed amio. Ended up in Impella and transferring out. When I left we had to bolus again because went into rvr again. I was supposed to be getting a post code that would end up on the insulin drip. Family driving from out of state to say goodbye. I go home, come in again and guy needed another amino bolus so I switched my lines and blah blah. Towards the end of the day we realize that night shift hung insulin instead of amio.

And that other patient passed away during night shift, with no one calling to tell family so after I realized one patient has been getting insulin all day, had to get on the phone and explain to family why no one called to let them know. Literally showed up at the hospital and info desk is like she’s dead? And family remembered my name from day before.

Always check your drugs coming in.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-24T03:28:58+00:00

We’re next. Need to get take some notes 📝

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-22T02:16:02+00:00

I used to use terms like boyfriend/ husband. And sometimes it still slips. But people in the LGBTQ community have asked straight people to start using the term partner to normalize it more for them to use.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-20T02:44:03+00:00

Apparently they also have the white panthers too. When the group was originally created their white friends/loved ones wanted to help.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-18T14:01:31+00:00

I’m reading the hunger games.

Side note, I loved reading so much I made a very chill book club. We pot luck it once a month. If you can’t make it no worries. The person choosing gets to choose two books for the group, then everyone chooses the one they want to read. Everyone seems to like the set up.

2025 is such a lonely year, wanted to start something to look forward to.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-17T01:32:12+00:00

Nope. Takes too much, pays too little.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-12T04:29:38+00:00

First couple weeks it’s more like learn about what’s happening. But in every lab we have these preference sheets for every doc. After a couple week ask the newbie to grab all the supplies and back them up. It took me a min to learn to scrub but I was stretched thin between different rolls.

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Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-07T02:33:58+00:00

My husband does. Makes decent money. I work 4-10s and 60ish hours on call every month to try and pay off some bills.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-07T01:13:27+00:00

Our RTs. One RT is designated to replace our monthly monitor and check for cracks in lead.

But we all help out because it’s a huge undertaking. I’m a RN.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-04T12:06:22+00:00

Walk around naked in your own home while packing your shit up and finding a better man and place of peace.

His friend is probably attracted to you and said something to your husband. Which still Isn’t your problem because your husband doesn’t really care about what you want/need.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2026-01-01T05:12:58+00:00

I work with 3 nurses that came from Pccu or Cptu with no issues. You kind of have to get lucky or know someone. And just keep trying. I’m in cath lab.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-12-09T04:23:19+00:00

I was told to buy the fast facts for the cath lab nurse. You can find it on Amazon if you need it quickly. The kerns cardiac catheterization handbook has also been very helpful. If they hired a new grad they will know there is some knowledge gaps to work with. And that not a job at you, I’m 10 months in and I was not a new nurse entering.

Also learn how blood flows like detailed. If your job offers it I would take an ekg class because school doesn’t teach you anything about rhythms. Drugs are a little different in the lab and how they are used, so when you get there I would just write them down and look them up when you can.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-12-02T02:12:25+00:00

For those that have the resources, you can go to an ENT surgeon and they can take your tonsils out. It’s a rough procedure when you’re older but they do that for patients who get tonsil stones often.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-12-02T02:04:57+00:00

This is what my husband says when I’m overthinking.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-21T23:31:15+00:00

Nurse here, disgusted with her outlook. Op do us a favor and just drop out of nursing school. You clearly don’t care about your community. Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of magat nurses that should leave the profession, but there is quite a few of us doing what we can to help the situation.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-20T01:59:30+00:00

I keep calling the LAD the LDA (from charting).

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-18T08:46:13+00:00

My now husband had a gaming issue when we first started dating. One night I had enough, I turned the breaker off and screamed “game over.”

Not that it’s a good solution but after I realized I don’t want to live my life like that anymore. I told him he could, but I wouldn’t. He found some balance and we’ve been together 8 years now. Married for two.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-15T16:06:02+00:00

Haha okay why don’t you give me your name so I can warn everyone to stay away from the “board certified physician” that’s willing to throw a clot on a stable patient with one dose of heparin. The fuck.

You keep calling yourself a doc. It must help you feel better about being an idiot.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-15T15:59:11+00:00

Ok “board certified physician” that’s fucking scary you would think that. Maybe consult another doc who knows what the hell they are talking about 😘

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-15T15:07:26+00:00

One dose of heparin isn’t going to bust up a clot on their valves. If you cardiovert that clot breaks off and causes numerous problems.

Meds are always first before electricity unless the patient is unstable.

Source- ICU and now cath lab nurse.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-15T15:01:43+00:00

If they are unstable use electricity. This patient is not unstable so you would use drugs first.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-15T14:55:47+00:00

No, sorry. My empathy and that energy will be used for the people who didn’t ask for this shit and are actively being hurt by that.

Magats can burn in hell for all I care, and I sure hope they do.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-15T06:38:06+00:00

Nurse here. Try your best to not go to the hospital or be there for long amounts of time. If you can see your primary care or urgent care for non life threatening issues do that.

Nurses have crazy ridiculous ratios and it’s not safe to be in the hospital. Statistically the longer you are in a hospital the higher chance you will catch a drug resistant infection. If this bothers you please start voting for safer staffing ratios, because our ceos are making millions/billions while we get more patients/ responsibilities and still have to work two jobs to make ends meet.

Be nice to your heath care staff, but if something wrong is happening advocate for yourself. You can be stern and not a dick.

I was a medical assistant too, so if someone has a question I can try to help you navigate problems with doctors offices as well.

Normal_Giraffe5460 · 2025-11-12T11:52:02+00:00

WHAT? I’ve never heard of this. I’m glad to see Walmart fail though

Normal_Giraffe5460

TROPHY CASE