*proud*
Time to shift my thoughts to >>> happy thoughts.
Last Friday, I completed my required minimum number of chest tube and pacer wire pulls under direct observation. I am now certified to remove these!
Last Friday was also my first time to pull those epicardial pacing wires. Pulling pacer wires has this feel like Jackson Pratt drains with catch that feels as if they’re stuck. I'm so happy because all the patients tolerated the procedure well and experienced no complications. One of them thought I've been doing this for a long time.
So now what?
- I can now d/c pacer wires and chest tubes per protocol (absence of blocks, symptomatic bradycardia for example for pacer wires, or serosanguinous output of 140 or less in over a 12 hour-period for CT).
- I don't have to wait for an able doctor, NP, or certified RN to pull my patients' tubes and wires when it's time to do it. In the past, sometimes my patients had to wait a whole day!
- I can pull some other patients' tubes and wires and help patients and coworkers this way.
- These new skills will help soothe the boredom of some slow days.
- I have another reason to say I am NOT just a nurse fluffing pillows and passing medications. We all use our brains and do more than that!
Don't you like adding new skills to your list?
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3 COMMENTS:
STRONG WORK Girlfriend!
Congratulations.
I remember how 'proud' I felt after I got my certification in CRRT, how cool it felt to be able to say, why yes I know how to do that, and yes I'm certified to perform that task.
Way to go!
Congrats! I remember the first time I recovered a post-open heart patient all by myself--it was a GREAT feeling. I love learning new skills, although mine are quite different these days (managing a million dollar budget would be the big one, LOL!)
@strong one I remember floating to ICU back when I was still floating there. The dialysis machine was the only thing I did not touch. An ICU nurse asked if I could just silence that huge machine until she comes. I just stared at the thing. Getting your CRRT cert has to be a big accomplishment.
@nurseexec Managing a million dollar budget is a BIG skill.
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