Urine and Feces and Bed-Baths

If you are considering becoming an RN and you can't handle the smell of feces.  You may want to consider another line of work.

As a student you will absolutely be cleaning up feces and urine.  And maybe even changing feminine pads.  

I'm here to debunk the myth that these tasks are solely the PCT's job.  

That nurses don't have to wipe people's bottoms.  

They do from time to time! 

And it can be messy.  You can find patients lying in a puddle of runny feces if their bowel movements are loose enough.  

I have classmates that are leaning way more towards working in OB/GYN and Peds  because the smell of adult feces bothers them.

The patient care technician or PCT is primarily responsible for cleaning soiled patients, changing their linens, and giving them bedbaths.

In an ideal world the PCTs will do all of these tasks all the time, but in reality you will find yourself helping them or sometimes doing it yourself.  A part of being a good RN is helping the PCT when things are busy.  A part of dealing with a bad PCT is doing more than what you should to cover for them.  A part of being a bad RN is ducking helping the PCT with cleaning tasks.  You should ideally work together as a team.  

When you get to MedSurg clinicals, make sure to learn how to clean incontinent patients, give bed-baths, and change their linens.  Offer to help PCTs now and again so you can get these skills down.  

Patients that are in a vegetative state are the best individuals to practice on!!!

As an RN you will have to help patients on and off of bed pans.  
http://viewingcorners.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/bedpan.gif

As an RN you will have to help patients onto and off of bedside commodes.
http://www.unique-medical.com/steel-drop-arm-bedside-commode-with-padded-seat-arms-11125pskd-1/?gclid=CPichcOAt7cCFY-e4AodtnwALA


Only lucky students get to insert foley catherters into patients.  But you will likely end up emptying them and measuring the quantity of urine.
http://www.medicalexhibits.com/medical_exhibits.php?exhibit=09087_02X&query=foley%20catheter%20placement%20female%20pelvis%20bladder%20urethra 

Lace Up Your Boots Soldier!!!!

Left!  Left!  Left!  Right!  Left!

In the hospital, the drug dosing schedules run on military time.

My nurse preceptor has her cell phone set to military time.  If you can, I recommend you do this as well.

See the 24 hour clock below and that's pretty much how things go.

24-hour clock	12-hour clock
00:00	12:00 a.m.* midnight (start of day)
01:00	1:00 a.m.
02:00	2:00 a.m.
03:00	3:00 a.m.
04:00	4:00 a.m.
05:00	5:00 a.m.
06:00	6:00 a.m.
07:00	7:00 a.m.
08:00	8:00 a.m.
09:00	9:00 a.m.
10:00	10:00 a.m.
11:00	11:00 a.m.
12:00	12:00 p.m.* noon
13:00	1:00 p.m.
14:00	2:00 p.m.
15:00	3:00 p.m.
16:00	4:00 p.m.
17:00	5:00 p.m.
18:00	6:00 p.m.
19:00	7:00 p.m.
20:00	8:00 p.m.
21:00	9:00 p.m.
22:00	10:00 p.m.
23:00	11:00 p.m.
24:00	(midnight)* (end of day)

My Preceptor's Picks- Antihypertensives

I decided last week to take a copy of my 2011 Lippincott Williams Drug Handbook into the hospital with me, and ask my nurse preceptor to star all the antihypertensive drug she works with on a regular basis.  

My preceptor transitions daily between the Med Surg, Tele, and Stroke units.

The orange meds I feel like I've seen the most.  Especially metoprolol.

Try to be familiar with some of these before going into MEDSURG I if you can.  

If not then try to learn them little by little while you're in MEDSURG.  

Aliskiren
Captopril
Clonidine hydrochloride
Diltiazem hydrochloride
Enalapril Maleate
Furosemide
Hydralazine hydrochloride
Hydrocholorothiazide
Labetalol hydrochloride
Lisinopril
Losartan potassium
Metoprolol tartrate
Nadolol
Nicardipine
Nifedipine
Nitroglycerin
Quinapril hydrochloride
Valsartan
Verapamil hydrochloride

MASK FITTINGS ARE IMPORTANT MY DUCKLINGS!!!

Quack! Quack!  It's time to get fitted!

You will most likely be exposed to patients with TB and Measles at some point before you are finished with the program.  But don't be scared my little ducklings you will be protected.

One day they will corral all of you into a room and fit you for a particulate mask.  Probably around the time you're wrapping up your OB clinicals.

They will put a mask on you, then put a big plastic bubble over you head, spray something inside, and ask if you can smell something.  If you don't smell anything it means it fits properly.

Make sure you don't smell anything.  Don't let the big stupid plastic bubble and your classmates laughing at one another distract you.

Once you say you can't smell the spray, they will give  you two masks that are your size, and send you on your way.  Check the size.  It will be small or regular.  It's written on the mask.

That way when you go to your independent study and the nurse says lets go in the isolation room with the patient who has TB, you know for sure you are grabbing the right sized mask out of the box.

No one is really going to stress that to you when you get fitted.

For those of you wondering what the duck references are about.  Check the link below:

http://www.buyemp.com/product/kimberly-clark-tecnol-fluidshield-n95-particulate-filter-respirator-and-surgical-mask