Acute Care Nurse Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What is the best report sheet for acute care Nursing Assistants? I am a RN on an acute care Med/Surg floor. We are revamping the giving and receiving of Nursing Assistant report at the request of our Nursing Assistants. However most of our Nursing Assistants are working their way through college or Nursing School and dont have the time to research and implement a new policy. I need you're opinion! If you are a Nursing Assistant: what details in report make the difference in your day? What blanks do you need on a peice of paper? How much space do you need on your report sheet? Please offer any tidbits of wisdom you have gathered from your years of experience. I am hoping to design a sheet with the critical- need to know information preprinted on it- with cooresponding room to write the info gathered- to ensure that it is handed off. RNs/LPNs: dive right in, I have what we at my faciltiy think our Nursing Assisstants need to know, or what we would like for them to know: but I'd love your opinion.

Answer: Nursing assistant assignment sheet- that I have used for 40 years in both hospitals and nursing homes pt. name dx. room and bed # primary language spoken needed for dentures glasses or hearing aids allergies diet any fluid restrictions specific assistance in adl's- dressing-feeding-bathing- toiletting etc. siderails in bed Y-1or2 --N continent or incontinent- diaper needed? foley - foley care # of staff need for transfer- or assistive devices need for transfer any assistive devices used in wheel chair or ambulating or if patient needs assistance to ambulate or to propel wheel chair any splints braces or prosthesis Ted stockings or ace bandages application when oob if patient is on falls precautions if patient has any skin breakdown or redness due to immobility need for positioning devices in wheel chair or bed head of bed to be elevated at__ degrees when in bed if on isolation which type if pt. is prone to choking on foods or liquids presence of any wounds-sutures-drains or dressings and care of same if present any redness drainage or odor present and color of drainage pt. resistive or combative with care Y or N if pt. can verbalize needs info on any active or passive R.O.M. with number of times a day and # of repetitions ( include site i.e. uext-lext or all ext.) if pt. goes to P.T.or O.T. what time they are scheduled for # of times B/P, T.P.R. per shift and if any site is restricted for B/P (as in a shunt site) I&O as ordered turning and positioning schedule and anything else that is specific or unique to the care of that pt. it can be a standard form with general information either checked off or written in with room on back for anything else either you or they need to write in

Question: acute care nurse practitioner slogan? I have to do a project for my allied health class. Its a mock job fair. I need a catchy slogan for an acute care nurse practitioner. ACNP are nurses that work in trauma units and emergency rooms and can do most things a physician can do. can someone help me come up with a catchy slogan??? For example a slogan for an optometrist slogan would be- "this is something you got to see!" Thanks

Answer: Anything he can do, we can do better, and we're aCUTE too! or; Who needs a doctor when you can have ACUTE nurse!

Question: What do Acute Care Nurse Practitioners do? Do they work in the ER? Can they suture? First assist in surgery? I would like to be a PA but the only program near me gets 1000 applicants a year for 55 spots - my grades are good but not 3.8 good! So, I am looking at becoming an NP...advice?

Answer: One of our best mid-levels in my ER is an ANP. The majority of our mid-levels, in fact, are NPs. I think as long as you have the credentials and experience, you can work in any department/specialty you want, regardless of what your title is.

Question: To become a Nurse Anesthetists, would working in the ER be consider acute care? All these schools require at least 1-2 years minimum working in acute care .. mainly ICU. But I'm working if ER would be considered acute care as well? Does it depend on the school?

Answer: Yes, ER is considered acute care.

Question: im a sophomore in high school and i want to become a nurse anesthtists how do i get there? do i got to college and then after college go to nursing school or do i go to college be a RN nurse then go to nursing school or is there a way i can go to nursing school and college at the same time...im confused but this is what i really want to do .. it says i have to have a minimum of 1 year of acute care nursing experience how do i do that...what are the steps and how do i apply for scholorships for me to go to UT...i just need answers im confused please help me i dont want to mess my career up.

Answer: Nurse Anesthetists have a Masters Degree. You could go to a two year program to be a nurse first but you wouldn't be doing yourself any favors. The best route is to get your bachelors degree in nursing, get some real world experience and then return to graduate school for your Masters. Prepare yourself now in highschool by taking all the math and science you can. Most Nurse Anesthetist programs are very difficult to get into so you will have to do very well in your undergraduate as well. Good luck!

Question: looking for private duty health care RN with education in physical therapy, massage Therapy? Looking to provide quality care for a select group of people. Well educated (B.Sc.N. and massage therapy degree) and experienced and would love to blend both the practise of acute care nursing with the practise of eastern health care.

Answer: Your asking for alot - but you'll probably have better luck finding that person by going on a job search site and actually posting the job and qualifications - someone should find it interesting.

Question: My Dad has been passed from Methodist Hospital to a nursing home and back to a Long term acute care hospital? in the original medical center. That freaking bed sore on his foot has been fairly ignored as if its not treatable and the infectious disease control people came by and put him on antibiotics for testing a positive culture for acinetobacter baumannii. The Dr. told me to please share whatever I learn about it with him because he would love to know more about what it is. ??? Whats going ON here?

Answer: It's another antibiotic resistant bacteria. Seems to have been brought in from Iraq soldiers. Some lay information is linked below.

Question: how to become an Er nurse? i am pursing a career in Nurse anesthesia but i need to have one year in critical care or acute care nursing experience i am currently in my last semester and getting ready for the license exam i want to know if it is possible to get a job working the ER or surgical unit of a hospital right out of school or or is there experience required to be an ER nurse? thanks for the response. what about ICU or CCU can i get a job working in either of these departments as a recent graduate with no nursing experience?

Answer: Depends on the needs and preferences of the hospital, but generally, yes, as a new grad you can get a job in the ER. But be forewarned: working in the ER does NOT qualify towards the critical care requirements for almost all CRNA programs. You need to work in the actual ICU / CCU. Generally the ICU / CCU prefers experienced RNs but I won't say it's impossible to get in as a new grad - but it will be more difficult. Most of the time they prefer you have at least a year of solid experience working in a regular med/surg unit.

Question: Would you choose a masters in Biotechnology OR a direct entry Masters degreein Nursing( Nurse anesthetia)? I have just finished my BSc in Biochemistry but i am a bit confused on what path to follow , my 2 choices are Biotechnology and a direct entry into a masters in nursing(MSN) In nurse anesthetia or acute care nursing . I love both courses but you know both jobs would be lucrative but i dont know which is better.Help me if you can

Answer: Biotechnology might be more lucrative, and it definitely would be easier on your back. NA and Acute care nursing does not pay that well.Nurses are terribly underpaid, and we have crappy retirement pensions, and usually without health insurance.

Question: What type of travel nurses make the most money? Does a travel nurse with some type of Masters degree make more than just one with an RN? I know there are websites out there saying CRNA's make over $100 hr. traveling. I'm not sure about entering the CRNA program, only because it's so rigorous. How about Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, or Mental Health. Any ideas how much they would make traveling? Also, any website links would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer: You have two types of RN's, simply, one goes to school for approx. 2 yrs.(ADN), and the other goes to school for 4 yrs.(BSN). Generally the the Bsn is supposed to make more than the ADN, however because of the shortage there is little difference right now. Either one of these RN.s can work in any nursing field; med/surg.,mental health, ER, Ortho, radiology, respiretory, etc. It just depends on how much MORE education you wish to train for to get into specialized areas. The more specialized, the more money you make, that's traveling or not traveling.

Question: What exactly is "acute care"? To become a nurse anesthetist one of the requirements is to have at least one year of "acute care" experience. What exactly is acute care? I start my prerequisites for nursing school in August and I eventually want to become a crna. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer: An acute care facility is a hospital. They may define working in acute care as either working in any area of the hospital or working in critical care or ICU. You will jsut have to call the nursing department and ask to be sure.

Question: What is the difference between sub-acute care and short-term rehab? (in a skilled nursing facility???)

Answer: sub acute care is for residents that need 24 hour care but not a life threatining illness. Short term rehab is usually for residents that need rehab after a tramatic injury (heart attack,auto accident)

Question: Is it wise to start out in an ICU unit as a brand new nurse? Or should you get your feet wet somewhere else ? I'd like to have ICU experience for possibly getting a CRNA degree in the future. But I have heard that it is not a good idea to start off in acute care right out of nursing school because you have much to learn. Is this correct?

Answer: Everyone learns on a different curve. Some people can start out in ICU and do very well, other people really can benefit from working in a med/surg environment first to really hone those assessment skills and get comfortable working in the hospital environment. Going straight into ICU nursing could potentially be very overwhelming and stressful for a new grad. Also, some employers simply will not hire new grads into an ICU unit and require at least a year of hospital nursing experience. So you might not have a choice. Good luck, whatever you route you choose!

Question: What should the nursing ratio of nurse to how many patients to be of safe level care? In the nursing profession there is a tendancy to have one nurse for 5 acute surgical patients is this a safe practice?

Answer: It really depends on how complicated your patients are, what shift you work and how much help you have from nurse extenders (CNAs and LPNs).

Question: guys, can you give me a NURSING CARE PLAN FOR ACUTE TONSILLOPHAYRGITIS? PLEASE? please i need it now

Answer: Can you not google one? Lets see, Acute Tonsillopharyrngitis as evidenced by swelling and erythema at tonsilar site. Pain at tonsilar site.Patient is febrile. Adiminister antibiotic as presribed. Pain meds as presribed. Follow up in two weeks with primary care physician. Instruct patient to take all meds as directed.

Question: I am looking for sample nursing care plans of acute renal failure, help?

Answer: when you stated acute,then there is no cure and patient must go on dialysis for the rest of their lives.there are none in the skilled nursing facilities that offer dialysis. dialysis is scheduled in a hospital or a dialysis center