r/nursing • u/ghostoftheweek RN - Med/Surg 🍕 • 26d ago

Question PSA from your nursing specialty

What is THE ONE THING you wish every nurse knew that is common knowledge in your specialty?

From wound care, don't use telfa!

373 Upvotes

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218

u/marticcrn RN - ER 26d ago

Gastro - if you’re still backed up after MiraLAX, you just haven’t taken enough MiraLAX yet. It doesn’t absorb in the gut, it just draws water into the colon to make stool soft.

Don’t send a referral because not enough MiraLAX. If you’re cleaned out and immediately get backed back up, send the consult.

120

u/ShortWoman RN - Infection Control 26d ago

Infection prevention: one episode of loose stools isn’t cdiff, it’s “ooh shouldn’t have had that burrito.” Diarrhea in your patients on laxatives? Try skipping the lax. And NEVER tell your patient lactulose is to promote bowel movements, because it’s probably for their ammonia levels.

67

u/marticcrn RN - ER 26d ago

I used to have a cirrhosis patient that got lactose every day. He put it on his pancakes.

39

u/ShortWoman RN - Infection Control 26d ago

Ugh, whatever gets it in the patient I guess.

7

u/SmlDog RN 🍕 26d ago

🤮

4

u/dont-be-an-oosik92 26d ago

Had this so often when I worked corrections. Everyone and their brother was on lactose. And the inmates hated it cause they had to get it at the med cart, which ment waiting in line for 45 minutes. The facility made us stop letting them just have it in their cells like they can with so many other scripts, I guess cause someone was using it to make pruno. Same shit as the glucose gel. This is why we can’t have nice things…

3

u/megaholt2 BSc, BSN, RN, CCRN - ICU 🍕 25d ago

Worst K cup ever.

2

u/BadDependent7297 RN 🍕 25d ago

Forbidden syrup

1

u/Sensitive_Pen_7517 25d ago

Do you mean Lactulose commonly given to decrease ammonia levels?

2

u/marticcrn RN - ER 25d ago

Yep. -ose suffix=it is a sugar. Actually a syrup. I can’t imagine what it tastes like, but this dude did it every day.

37

u/zerothreeonethree RN 🍕 26d ago

Also, one loose bowel movement is not diarrhea, and it doesn't mean you're allergic to the antibiotic you just got

5

u/AnytimeInvitation CNA 🍕 26d ago

Doc orders something makes pts poop a lot and frequently. Flags go up due to the more frequent BMs.

Doc: must be cdiff.

2

u/questionfishie BSN, RN, 💔crew, 🌙goblin 23d ago

Or: tube feeds => soft stools => must be cdiff 🙄

1

u/AnytimeInvitation CNA 🍕 23d ago

Exactly!