STOP the Cap on Travel Nurse Wages and Ask for Safe Staffing and Fair Wages
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
It has been brought to my attention by a post from @newthingnurse that some Members of Congress and hospital administrators are trying to cap the wages of travel nurses due to the burden of the pandemic. If nurses were valued historically as a profession, we would not be in this predicament. We would not feel the urge to leave and earn money traveling to pay off loans and support our families and it is likely that hospitals would have been staffed appropriately prior to the pandemic, thus decreasing the pressure on hospitals. This is all proof, more than ever, that nursing is invaluable. No ot ..read more
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ICU Drip Titration: A Basic Guide
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
It turns out that many of you have questions about drip titration in the ICU. The key is to remember that the body is not static, it’s always changing, so your drip rates should always be changing. All drips should be running at the minimum of what the patient needs. Making contact with the provider at the beginning of your shift and learning the plan for drip titration should be one of the first things you do. For instance, if your patient is on 3 vasopressors, which one should you titrate first? If your patient is on milrinone, but has become hypotensive requiring more vasopressin or has dev ..read more
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Ten Nurse Instagram Accounts You Must Follow 2021
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
Whether you are a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), or nurse practitioner (NP), there is a nursing Iinstagram account that can benefit your nursing practice or daily life in one way or another. The following are ten nursing Iinstagram accounts that I love following for education, motivation and even just for some humor.  This post is sponsored by my favorite company for board review question banks, BoardVitals. BoardVitals has board review questions for almost every nursing and medicine specialty, as well as, CE questions, pharmacology questions and certification que ..read more
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Free Download: Myocardial Infarction Cheat Cards
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
Click here for image credits. Ten years ago, my first job was in cardiac medical intensive care. Our typical patients consisted of cardiac arrest patients requiring a hypothermia protocol, post-PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) patients, heart failure patients, and many more. I worked in a university hospital environment and it was extremely busy and emotional, as around 50% of my patients died. It was impossible to learn everything immediately and I admit, I struggled with understanding the location of my patients’ myocardial infarction (MI). I would get in report, “the patient receiv ..read more
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International Women’s Day: I’m Finally Getting It.
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
#IWD feels different this year. It has evolved, almost unrecognizably to me due to my own life situations and to the current changes in our culture. I never even used to know it existed, one, because social media helps spread the word and two, because years ago I could never get out of my own head enough to care. However, with new life experiences and recognitions, including marriage to my life partner, a pregnancy in my 35th year, previous dating and travel, and so much related to being and becoming a nurse, I appreciate women more than ever.  It took me several years of nursing and a b ..read more
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Should You Be an Advanced Practice Nurse Without “Practice?” The Great Debate.
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
There was so much discussion regarding experience prior to NP programs on yesterday’s post I wanted to summarize some thoughts. To preface, I do not want nurses to feel judged by what I am going to say, but some are not going to like my opinion. I also realize there are exceptions to every rule, and experience may be dependent on the type of NP and the area of practice. However, it’s important to realize that this is in reference to educating the masses and there should be an element of standardization. Prior to beginning NP school, I worked as a full time bedside nurse for three years, pickin ..read more
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Free Download: Management of Post Op Bleeding in Cardiac Surgery Patients.
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
Management of post-operative bleeding in cardiac surgery (and cheat sheet, swipe): Many factors contribute to bleeding in cardiac surgery that do not necessarily entail a surgical etiology. The cardiopulmonary bypass pump (CPB) pump itself is thrombogenic, thus high dose heparin is administered to prevent clotting. Although heparin is reversed at the end of the surgery, remnants still linger. Other coagulopathy factors include platelet activation and consumption, hypothermia, and dilutional issues with crystalloid and pump priming. The definition of a “bleeding” patient varies by institution ..read more
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The Best Gifts for Nurses
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
Coffee Coffee, coffee, coffee. Coffee in healthcare equates to culture. There is something about sharing a fresh pot of coffee from the Bunn coffee maker in the breakroom with your favorite colleagues, or walking down to your hospital’s Starbucks and picking up some beverages for the crew. Nurses love Yeti tumblers because they keep drinks hot or cold for long periods of time, and let’s face it, breaks can be rare for some of us. Starbucks gift cards are always a safe bet too. Even if a nurse isn’t a fan of a standard cup of coffee, there are always various food and drinks ..read more
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Free Download: CVICU Report Sheet
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
When I was a bedside CVICU nurse, I prided myself on my personalized report sheet. I did tailor it to fit the unit where I worked as a nurse, but I cannot express how much it helped me get through my day and give sign out to the oncoming nurse. The following was my morning routine as a bedside nurse and included is a free download to my report sheet. Best of luck to you in your careers! NOTE: This is done simultaneously with a thorough head to toes assessment. Steps for a head to toe assessment are not included in this post. The purpose of this is to include parts of a morning routine that ar ..read more
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You Should Know This Before Getting Your DNP
Nurse Abnormalities
by Danielle LeVeck
2y ago
I have now officially been working with my DNP (Doctorate of Nursing Practice) for almost a year and want to share a few key points with you all. After researching the articles available to the general public, I am disappointed by much of the information provided. I noticed most of the articles are written by people who do not have DNPs, thus it’s nearly impossible to grasp the reality of earning one, having one, and working with one. The following are six unconventional facts you should know before going to graduate school for your DNP.  The DNP is a Degree Not a Role  The DNP ..read more
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