A quick guide for nurses to help avoid hemolysis and clotting when drawing blood samples.
Tag: emergency department
CPR, DNR and Death in the ER
“People think death is the hardest part of my job, but it’s actually being forced to keep someone’s body alive far past the possibility for any meaningful recovery. There are worse fates than death.” – Anonymous RN As an ER/Trauma RN, I have experienced death more times than I can count or care to recall. …
PD in the ED: Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come for [Patient Information]?
As an Emergency Department RN, I have worked closely with law enforcement throughout my career in a variety of circumstances and know firsthand the importance of maintaining a strong working relationship between hospital and police staff. I have worked in huge ED’s where the police department is always present serving as security for the hospital …
Assassinations Throughout History: Would They Survive Today? Part 2
In October 2018 I was lucky enough to attend the Emergency Nurses Association conference in Pittsburgh, PA. By FAR my favorite session there was Assassinations Throughout History: Would They Survive Today, originally given by Joseph Blansfield. As a trauma junkie, the idea that modern medicine has evolved to a place where even some of the …
Hot Hot Heat: A Guide to Treating Pediatric Fevers Effectively
So…what is a fever? As everyone already knows, a fever is an elevation in body temperature often due to an infection. Everyone also knows [for the most part] that a “normal” body temperature is considered to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. What most people do not realize is that although a temperature may be increased slightly, …