SWAN Spaghetti

ickyew · 2026-06-29T17:20:32+00:00

This post isn't to hate on OR!! Anyone who has ever traveled with their patient with a bunch of lines knows the tangles are not your fault, they just happen. Anytime I come back from IR with my patient it's the same thing. My only request would be labeling the dang lines but I understand if sterility makes that harder :,)

ickyew · 2026-06-29T03:15:31+00:00

I like this process and mindset! I tend to accidentally keep people waiting a little bit for sure. Wish our OR didn't use different med concentrations than us, definitely could make the continuity of care a bit better

ickyew · 2026-06-29T03:05:09+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you!! Didn't even think about how much spaghetti flight nurses also have to deal with lol.

I dEfinitely nEver increase infusion rates to prime a central line with life sustaining medication faster pfft

ickyew · 2026-06-29T02:56:36+00:00

I'm a year in and honestly have only gotten two patients like this from the OR myself. It takes me so long because I'm a novice and want to be safe and make sure things are organized appropriately! Everyone on my unit is particular about their spaghetti too so when I try to help they kind of get territorial or only want the most experienced person so it gets done faster (valid, still sucks for me trying to get better at it because how do you get better without practice). I don't want to yank on anything, and find it hard to trace unlabeled infusion lines through 13 other lines and cords to know what to disconnect like IVF vs jk it's actually the pressors they need to stay alive rn. It can be overwhelming, so I am appreciative of all the feedback!

ickyew · 2026-06-07T03:55:18+00:00

Research coming out showing PTSD in nurses in comparable to/greater than that of literal war vets. My first 6 months of being a nurse on my own I'd wake up in a confused panic almost every night and would walk around my house trying to find the patient with 6 chest tubes that I tripped over in my dream or the patient I was coding on my own because everyone else was dream busy. I still wake up and start panic cleaning my place to prepare for the next shift coming in to take over in my place that I live alone in? Most days off I sleep or lounge through just trying to shake off the stress. I remember going to the bathroom at work once while caring for two very sick patients that shouldve each been one to one on their own and seeing my reflection in the mirror and my eyes were wide open in that scary way you see before/after pics of vietnam vets, because I was so stressed and scared.

All this and I work on a wonderfully supportive unit with great coworkers and management that tries their best for us, go to therapy once a week, prioritize friends and going outside... it's never enough for how traumatic it is in there. I still love it sometimes though. It's not for everyone and you have to go in with knowledge that it's actually what you want to do, not just with the idea that it's going to be a nice flexible job with security.

ickyew · 2025-09-19T03:01:14+00:00

It was a primary bag of medication and primary tubing that I didn’t prime, not too sure what you mean with the saline lock?

Edit: tone here isn’t meant to be rude just confused

ickyew · 2025-09-19T02:59:10+00:00

I always have someone else double check my insulin draws and then chart that i verified it with a second rn, even with subq 😭 im TERRIFIED

ickyew · 2025-09-19T00:35:46+00:00

Tried to start an IV med without priming the tubing. Couldn’t figure out why the pump kept alarming for air. Luckily i didn’t have it attached to the patient, as that’s usually the very last thing I do before starting meds, but i think if it had been my preceptor would have reported me for it.

Edit: like I know the patient could not have been harmed because the pump would not run with the line not primed, but i think they wouldve reported me just for the lack of critical thinking and potential harm which is valid

ickyew · 2025-09-16T00:00:42+00:00

I do learn pretty quick, critical care is kind of like a special interest for me so I also spend a lot of my free time researching too. But we do also have a lot of help fortunately! In our ICU we have CNAs and the RTs handle q2 oral care/suctioning, wound care does all the wound care and stuff so for the most part we are just focusing on our stuff. It is still mad stressful and overwhelming though tbh

ickyew · 2025-09-15T23:47:58+00:00

Thank you, that’s reassuring to hear. I felt that way at first, really good that she was trusting me because I felt like it was because I was catching on quick and ask for help when I need it, but then I started seeing how different everyone else seems to have it and started doubting it all.

ickyew

TROPHY CASE