Disclaimer: this is a short and sweet explanation of a nursing assessment of an unconscious neuro patient. References are included at the end with supplemental information. Always refer to your hospital’s policies and procedures to guide your practice. This post contains affiliate links. A neuro assessment is a critical skill for any nurse (not just neuro […]
patient education
Atrial Fibrillation Tips for Nurses: How to Talk to Your Patient
Atrial Fibrillation is scary, but it can be handled with control. These atrial fibrillation tips for nurses are exactly what you need to know, whether you are a new nurse or one with more experience. Disclaimer: This is informational only, always follow your hospital’s policies and procedures. For more information on disclaimers, click here. Atrial Fibrillation […]
Explaining MRSA to Your Patient
With every single shift that I work;, there is at least one patient that is on something called contact isolation precautions for MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus). What is that and why is that necessary, you ask? Because antibiotics were overprescribed for years, organisms developed that are resistant to the antibiotics that used to work on them. […]
Nurses on the Front Lines: How Do You Handle Patients Addicted to Prescription Pain Killers?
Have you seen this video posted on KevinMD this month about drug seekers in the emergency department (ED)? Take a look at this 4:31 video made by an ED physician. Spoiler alert! If you love Taylor Swift, you will totes love this. Disclaimer: If you are someone who does not manipulate physicians and nurses to obtain […]
Insider Info: What Your Nurse Wants You to Know
Is mom getting admitted to the hospital frequently? Did your grandma just have a stroke and now your life is half-home and half-hospital? Many families experience this and they are more than willing to do anything to make it easier for everyone involved – they just need to know what to do! I’ve been […]
VTE Prophylaxis Basics Explained
When you work on an inpatient nursing unit, something that is applicable to all patients is the prevention of VTE’s. VTE’s are venous thromboembolisms and, as far as reimbursement and the patients are concerned, is preventable. If we, as health care providers, take the initiative to insure we are actively preventing these blood clots, patients […]
Patient Teaching for Common/Non-Scary Meds
There are a few meds that almost all patients in the hospital are on. Below is a list of a few of them (and common doses) and what I tell my patient when they asks, “Why the hell are you giving me that!? I don’t take that at home!” Colace 100 mg PO BID: “This […]
Dealing With Difficult Families
You know it’s bad when the first thing the nurse says in report is that the patient is fine but the family…. Let’s talk about difficult families.
Nursing Blood Pressure Management in Stroke Patients
Did you notice I love talking about strokes? I wanted to expand a little more on my previous post about them. Blood Pressure Management in Stroke Patients: Tips for Nurses Stroke patients are not like every other patient. There is special consideration that must be given for various aspects of nursing care, specifically in terms […]
Nursing Priorities for Post-Op Patients
These nursing priorities for post-op patients will help you keep your head and give the best care to your patients. You are rocking through your shift, feeling awesome because you kind of know what you’re doing now, and your charge nurse comes up to you to say you are getting a patient from the PACU. […]
Nursing Priorities for Ischemic Stroke Patients – From a Neuro Nurse
What are the most important nursing priorities for stroke patients? Oh, these are so important! I love my stroke patients. They have a special place in my heart. As a neuro nurse, I wanted to share what you should do if you encounter a patient having an ischemic stroke. These are the most important nursing […]
Nursing Tips for Heparin and Coumadin – Lab Monitoring
Nurses, I know how confusing Heparin and Coumadin lab monitoring can be. This guide will break them down, explain what they are, and help you understand it all. This post contains affiliate links This is informational only, always follow your hospital’s policies and procedures Nursing Tips for Heparin and Coumadin Lab Monitoring Something […]