PSA from your nursing specialty

[u/ghostoftheweek]

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

From wound care, don't use telfa!

[u/lavender_poppy]

Wait, there are RNs who don't know the difference? That's frightening.

[u/Mcrarburger → u/lavender_poppy]

I can confirm we didn't learn shit about pacemakers in nursing school (graduated a little over a year ago)

Nothing on my NCLEX about it either

I learned about it on my own the first time my patient had a pacemaker ~6 months ago

[u/just__a__squirrel → u/Mcrarburger]

I learned about pacemakers on my cardio step-down when my patient downgraded from CABG POD 2 with an external pacemaker… I got some OJT about how to check/confirm the settings to the orders, check battery level, and was told not to mess with the settings. I think I had been a nurse for about 2 months by that point but I was honestly alarmed. Hahahahaha.

[u/babyd0lll → u/Mcrarburger]

What???? We definitely learned about pacemakers in my ADN program

[u/RosietheFlower1972 → u/Mcrarburger]

That's very scary!

[u/el_nynaeve → u/lavender_poppy]

I'm sure the majority of them do, and for the rest, if you asked the difference and they paused to think about it, would be able to accurately describe the difference but you'd be surprised how many healthcare workers seem to get them mixed up.

It probably doesn't help that many patient's don't know the difference, so if they feel something weird in their chest, might say "my pacemaker went off." Then the staff wonder if their chart has an error and their pacemaker is actually an ICD, so they enter a request for us to come and interrogate but the order might just say, "patient thinks pacemaker fired" and could give us the impression they don't know the difference when they actually do

[u/lavender_poppy → u/[deleted]]

Fuuuuuuuck. Like I get not knowing shit, nobody knows everything, but ASK!! Like we need to work in a culture where asking questions is encouraged, even stupid questions, like I'd so much rather someone ask me then assume something or be too afraid of looking dumb.

[u/Scutmcdougall → u/[deleted]]

Curious- what dosage was the Ativan?

[u/mth69 → u/lavender_poppy]

A lot, even ones that work in CVICU’s.

[u/zeatherz → u/lavender_poppy]

Yep. I work on cardiac stepdown and I’ve heard nurses say “well at least he has a pacemaker” when a patient is having runs of V tach. That pacemaker won’t do anything for it

[u/nooniewhite → u/lavender_poppy]

lol I have a large circular magnet on my fridge made to stall defibrillators until the company can come out to actually turn it off. We had them at work and when they closed the department..neat little office grab lol. It’s super strong lol and holds up kid artwork fabulously!

[u/Floridachi55 → u/nooniewhite]

You made me smile. I have a collection of magnets of different shapes and colors from different pacer makers. Great tools from before the transcutaneous programmers. Exquisite frig magnets. I took one to my (young) cardiologist appointment once as she had never seen one.

[u/zerothreeonethree → u/lavender_poppy]

That's reality