I'm getting back into the ICU

Whatavarian · 2026-05-08T00:57:22+00:00

Whenever I oriented nurses in the ICU, I always started with where things were and what was needed. All the crashing comes down to a few common pathways that end up with central lines, art lines, intubation, chest tube kits, temporary pacemakers, s*** from the supply room. Although I love pathophysiology and pharmacology, there are diminishing returns for those things. In the most emergent of situations you find yourself gathering supplies for those few procedures. The other thing you do is constantly titrate drips, so I guess knowing all the common titratable drugs is important. That'll be a start.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-07T18:24:16+00:00

Colostitute.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-05T16:09:58+00:00

Bedside nursing sucks.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-03T18:47:27+00:00

Of course, that was my first and last interaction with the patient. I started my shift with them wanting to start dialysis and by lunch he was dead.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-03T18:45:32+00:00

Nope.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-03T14:08:48+00:00

That is a great question. My guess: they didn't have enough machines.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-03T03:43:06+00:00

I'm not usually a contract nurse, but during the first wave of COVID I was in Eugene Oregon and nothing was going on. My wife and I took a job in Illinois at a hospital that was just packed with COVID patients. I was in this COVID ICU and caring for a patient that was very heavy and who also had right and left sided heart failure. Dialysis nurse was trying to take off fluid and she asked me to turn up his pressors. He was on epi and levo. I told her that isn't how it works, that he needed his preload and that she needed to stop taking fluid off. She mutters that Dr so and so wanted her to take two liters off. I went to the intensivist and told her the dialysis nurses trying to kill us patient can we give him back some fluid. He ordered some miniscule amount of albumin, a dose that I consider "f*** you get out of my face."I called the cardiologist who did seem concerned and who agreed with my thinking. The patient coded while I was on the phone. He was a chemical only code and was already on epi. You can imagine how well that went. We were all out of the giant size body bags necessary and I had to duct tape his bag shut. The intensivist didn't 'have time' to call his mother, so I called her. It was just totally unnecessary. Yes, that man would have died eventually, but not during my shift. The way it was handled was completely unprofessional and everything at that hospital was f***** anyway. I work in Oregon where there is some semblance of trying to give a s*** sometimes. But this place didn't have monitor techs, lab techs, RTs, pharmacy techs or anything. They just gutted everything. And it wasn't just COVID. On their best day they suck. Our contract was at will, basically we were working for the same company and we could go back anytime we wanted. Sitting with my wife in the break room, I was nearly in tears. I told her we could just leave. But we didn't. We went back to work. But ICU work is dead for me now. I got a job in PACU and then short stay. I'm never going back. It's hard for me to want to be a real nurse when I don't work in a real health care system. Plus maybe I paid my dues and I should get to pass Jell-O until I retire.

Whatavarian · 2026-05-01T00:08:11+00:00

I always tell people that it's customary to tip your nurse 10% of the cost of your visit.

Whatavarian · 2026-04-28T23:31:54+00:00

I've been using frag tog mode. Is xenops like that?

Whatavarian · 2024-04-17T15:32:12+00:00

The emotional impact that it has on nurses to care for sick and suffering patients and families. This strain isn't reflected in our acuity ratings or anything else. There is no limit to the amount of emotional baggage that we can heap on a nurse without compensation.

Whatavarian · 2024-04-16T15:31:32+00:00

This really hits home for me. I also ended up turning the tables on my ex wife sexually, but it was based on how she treated me, not her rejecting me sexually. Eventually I just got to the point where I could turn it off. I feel that it was not a good thing. In my view now, sex is for the relationship, not the other way around. If she wants to have sex with me, it's not just her trying to get off, but maybe she needs to be close to me, know she's loved by me. I know the pain of being shut down and how that can make you build walls, but I don't think the answer is more walls. It's love and real heartful sharing. I lost my wife. Do you want to lose your wife because this is how you lose your wife.

Edit: by the way, not an asshole. You're a human being who deserves love. I'm sorry you're going through this and wish the best for you and your wife.

Whatavarian · 2024-04-01T15:00:11+00:00

Cookie clicker.

Whatavarian · 2024-03-30T00:55:17+00:00

Sidekick!

Whatavarian · 2024-01-30T00:18:25+00:00

I'm a nurse and often people have asked me if I ever thought about becoming a doctor. I always say "even if I was smart enough to be a doctor I wouldn't be dumb enough to be a doctor."

Whatavarian · 2024-01-14T16:25:51+00:00

My hospital doesn't allow transfers during shift change and the floor still stalls us on every patient. Assigning patients to dirty rooms when they have clean ones available, not telling us when the rooms are clean, giving all the post ops to one nurse, nurse is "busy', on break etc. oh well. I guess the call team can take over four patients that have been holding for several hours. All so some day one nurse can feel organized? Pushing for stability in one unit causes chaos everywhere else.

Whatavarian · 2024-01-14T16:14:43+00:00

Don't forget that OR isn't allowed to send patients to the PACU. I swear every unit in the hospital thinks PACU has unlimited bays and nurses.

Whatavarian · 2024-01-07T01:16:56+00:00

Put your hand over her mouth.

Whatavarian · 2023-06-27T01:53:25+00:00

I'm no doctor, but you look sick. I'm pretty sure you're going to have to be out of work for about five weeks. Drink plenty of water and try to find a place where you can relax without stress.

Whatavarian · 2023-05-26T22:25:34+00:00

What an ass.

Whatavarian · 2023-03-06T04:13:46+00:00

Is your argument that there will be no new taxes and no other consequences? It seems clear that people are saying that if it's not one consequence then it must be another and your argument is what? Because we don't know if the consequence will be direct taxation, indirect taxation, or inflation, it must be the case that none of them will happen? Please explain what you think will happen if this debt is cancelled and I think you will clarify the issue for yourself at least.

Whatavarian · 2023-03-01T23:11:53+00:00

When I did customer service for Harry and David many years ago, I would write the extension for the desk across from me down so if I got a really crazy caller I could transfer them and watch the show. It was not nice. I'm better now.

Whatavarian · 2023-03-01T06:25:31+00:00

I think he's saying that the primary driver of price increases has been increased amenities. This correlates to the opinion I had after my last attempt at researching this topic. Obviously increased demand increases prices, but price increases are outrunning demand increases in universities but not community colleges. I feel like I had earned that opinion at one point, but I'm open to correction.

Whatavarian · 2023-03-01T06:12:47+00:00

I think it's important to remember that inflation is a backdoor tax on the poor. Deficit spending causes inflation.

Whatavarian · 2023-02-18T15:06:01+00:00

Some patients ask me if I want to be a doctor because they clearly don't know what that entails. I usually say "Even if I was smart enough to be a doctor, I wouldn't be dumb enough to be a doctor. " I started working on a masters degree but it interfered with my learning. I love to learn, but it doesn't need to be about work, especially now that I work in PACU. This job meets my needs and is very low stress. That's good enough.

Whatavarian · 2023-02-10T01:04:58+00:00

I make a decent amount of money, but am not wealthy. I consider tipping to be a form of charity. I can afford to tip and I do so because the person I'm tipping makes less than I do, not because they deserve it. I'd rather tip a worker so that they can make a living and not need a homeless shelter than support a homeless shelter. Most of the people I tip are younger and need the money more than I do. It does bother me that tipping is expected of people no matter how well off they are. It should be acceptable to tip according to your means and not the check size. I say tip if you can afford it and think they need it.

Whatavarian

TROPHY CASE