I've been very good and haven't taken time to post in the last few days. It's not easy to keep quiet here on my blog, but I'm committed to getting good grades and giving my education top priority - something that's hard for me to do because I'm more happy doing for others. And, this was finals week at Bohecker until we had a snow day and threw everything off schedule.
ON Tuesday I made 100% on the Pharmacology final! As someone said, "That's a lot of medicines to know." I also took the dreaded A&P but that isn't graded yet. I think I held my own and for that, I'm happy.
Tomorrow (Friday, January 30, 2008) are my last two finals before a week off!
During that week, by the way, my friend Buffy will celebrate a birthday!!!! (February 1) so make her day and post a Happy Birthday Buffy even if you don't know her. Just know that she's one of the BEST as a friend, wife, mother, daughter and now Surrogate Mother. Baby Ava Margaret (named after Buffy as Margaret) is due March 9. Buffy is a true and loyal friend with a great big heart and more courage than anyone I know!
You can send her a birthday message at my email bestnurse@usa.com (From your email to make sure I get it.) I'll forward it on to her. Or, for those of you who use MySpace, she is a friend on my MySpace. Leave her a pretty glitter graphic and message on MY site at MySpace, and she will see it there. The link to my MySpace is on the left of my blog page. (For those of you who get this by email it's http://dustyangels.blogspot.com .)
To make it even better, suggest you forward this message to your friends (address book) and ask them to wish Buffy a great day. She deserves it . Trust me.
MySpace address is http://www.myspace.com/linda5555
Guess that's enough to confuse even the best cyber surfers with all the choices.
I forgot the KISS (keep it simple simple). More later.
Take Care on the Journey,
~~~~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
January 29, 2009
January 23, 2009
Little Things With Big Meaning
- The constant trickle of water in the toilet bowl - cost us $140 this month!
- A flashing smile from the smallest daughter of the president - captured in a million photos
- The ding-ding-ding of the change oil light that they didn't reset at the last oil change
- Dozens of small doggie poops buried in the snow
- Alarm clocks that beep five minutes before you wanted to wake up
- That small food spot on the front of your blouse or tie that you didn't notice all day
- The airline pilot who didn't call off sick a few days ago
- The bumble of one word in the presidential oath - heard around the world
- A patch of ice on the sidewalk you didn't see in time
- The phone call you meant to make yesterday - is too late today.
- A polite heartfelt "that's okay" when they forget to call your name
- Paying a bill to the wrong address
- One coupon and one 'on-sale' price make the product FREE
- Remembering a birthday one day late!
- Forgetting to put soap in the washing machine
- A wave in the rear view mirror to the person who let you in
- Sitting at the computer five minutes longer...
Well, you get the drift. Life is short and time is sweet.
Take Care on the Journey ... As you do one act of kindness every day
And remember the Little Things DO make a big difference.
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
January 16, 2009
New York Times Story of US Air Crash
Reuters photos: Gary Hershron (click for original photo)
This is a phenomenal, miraculous story that will go down in United States history as an one of the most incredible, magnificent events of our lifetime. It happened in the city of my birth, so I feel somewhat intimately connected. As a trained first responder, I can also identify with the rescuers. And, as a former newspaper correspondent, I feel the energy of the reports and photographers!
New York Times January 16, 2009
When we had our first family reunion on Staten Island, I was amazed and awe-struck with the Staten Island Ferry and rode it back and forth for hours. (In 1990, it cost 25- cents.) For those of you who get his by e-mail, I'm posting this page from the New York Times on my website to see if you can zoom in and read the story.
Take Care on the Journey,
And always listen to the flight instructions
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
January 15, 2009
Patient and Patience
It's been a strange week here. I've been on the opposite side of the table having spent last Monday in the emergency room most of the day being tested for the cause of a bothersome irregular heartbeat. The tests they did couldn't find any cause, although I wore a monitoring device (holter monitor) for 24-hours and just returned that today for evaluation.
I asked for copies of the results of the tests they did in the ER, and the dozens of blood tests were all within normal range. My EKG looked very good although the heart monitor on the wall clearly showed the arrhythmia's as they happened.
After reviewing the records today, my (medical) doctor says "not to worry" about it. His thought is that the 'stress of school could cause it". I wonder if he would say that so casually if it was HIS heartbeat jumping out of his chest every 15 seconds or so. But, he did agree that I could stop a couple of my medications and see if that helped. He just didn't want that coming as an order from him, I guess? (If I can stop them, why am I taking them in the first place?)
Another problem this week is that our digital thermostat for the furnace seems to have a 'heart' of its own in that it will either simply not come on at all or stay on until we realize the house is sizzlingly hot! Especially when I wake up at 2 a.m and its 90 degrees in the house. We have had the repair person(s) for our apartment complex here at least 4 times, and today when I called to report it still not working right - no one returned my call. I worry about leaving the house for too long when Sheba is home and it might get extremely hot for her.
At school we had a really big A&P test related to muscles on Tuesday that I think I was prepared for this time. (I studied diagrams of muscles in the ER and got a laugh from my doctors and nurses.) On January 27 and 28, I have quarter finals in every subject, so I hope you're understanding if I'm not as free with my writing time here.
If you live in Ohio or heard reports about the 'cold snap', believe every word! We got at least 6 inches of snow and super duper cold dipping below zero cold with at least -25 degree wind chill. Yesterday it was snowing really hard at 5 p.m. rush hour time and Jim's bus took three hours to get him home. I usually pick him up at 5:45 p.m. but last night it was almost 9 p.m. (He called, so I wasn't at the bus stop the entire time.)
Interestingly, last night if you were not trying to travel with bumper-to-bumper, frustrated drivers and icy roadways, the falling snow was beautiful. While waiting for Jim's bus to arrive, I scraped the snow from all the vehicles in the Park & Ride area. It was one of those random acts of kindness I try to always be on the lookout for. Funny, as the dozen or so people got off the bus having been trapped there for so long, they didn't even notice the snow cleaned off from their vehicles. Someone probably commented that "we didn't get as much snow" as downtown. ha ha
I guess that's what the random is all about...
Take Care on the Journey,
~~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
I asked for copies of the results of the tests they did in the ER, and the dozens of blood tests were all within normal range. My EKG looked very good although the heart monitor on the wall clearly showed the arrhythmia's as they happened.
After reviewing the records today, my (medical) doctor says "not to worry" about it. His thought is that the 'stress of school could cause it". I wonder if he would say that so casually if it was HIS heartbeat jumping out of his chest every 15 seconds or so. But, he did agree that I could stop a couple of my medications and see if that helped. He just didn't want that coming as an order from him, I guess? (If I can stop them, why am I taking them in the first place?)
Another problem this week is that our digital thermostat for the furnace seems to have a 'heart' of its own in that it will either simply not come on at all or stay on until we realize the house is sizzlingly hot! Especially when I wake up at 2 a.m and its 90 degrees in the house. We have had the repair person(s) for our apartment complex here at least 4 times, and today when I called to report it still not working right - no one returned my call. I worry about leaving the house for too long when Sheba is home and it might get extremely hot for her.
At school we had a really big A&P test related to muscles on Tuesday that I think I was prepared for this time. (I studied diagrams of muscles in the ER and got a laugh from my doctors and nurses.) On January 27 and 28, I have quarter finals in every subject, so I hope you're understanding if I'm not as free with my writing time here.
If you live in Ohio or heard reports about the 'cold snap', believe every word! We got at least 6 inches of snow and super duper cold dipping below zero cold with at least -25 degree wind chill. Yesterday it was snowing really hard at 5 p.m. rush hour time and Jim's bus took three hours to get him home. I usually pick him up at 5:45 p.m. but last night it was almost 9 p.m. (He called, so I wasn't at the bus stop the entire time.)
Interestingly, last night if you were not trying to travel with bumper-to-bumper, frustrated drivers and icy roadways, the falling snow was beautiful. While waiting for Jim's bus to arrive, I scraped the snow from all the vehicles in the Park & Ride area. It was one of those random acts of kindness I try to always be on the lookout for. Funny, as the dozen or so people got off the bus having been trapped there for so long, they didn't even notice the snow cleaned off from their vehicles. Someone probably commented that "we didn't get as much snow" as downtown. ha ha
I guess that's what the random is all about...
Take Care on the Journey,
~~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
January 11, 2009
Coupons Are Free - Save And See
Jim says when he was a newspaper carrier for the Columbus Dispatch about 50 years ago, he remembers several “older’ customers who only got the paper on Thursdays and Sundays – for the coupons! Now his wife is laying claim to the Thursday and Sunday papers the moment they hit the doorstep – for the coupons!Before you click on to something more your interest, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn some amazing ways to save a LOT of money – instantly! I'm saving so much money that hubby is walking on air! And I've only been doing this for a couple weeks! What got me started was when my sister sent me a coupon book for Christmas, and my friend, Buffy, introducted me to the real stuff that coupons are made of! She also tells me coupon secrets that I'm going to share with you.
Tonight as I left the cashier’s line after paying for my groceries at our local grocery store, an employee walked up beside me and asked if I was feeling okay. She said I looked ‘pale and quiet”. She asked if I needed help.
I told her thanks, but I was probably still in shock at how much I had just saved using coupons. When the original total came to $67.00, I informed the young clerk that with these coupons, the total should come to about $35 – if I had figured it right.
She looked at me disbelieving, and I almost agreed with her. I wasn’t sure that the few ‘coupon lessons’ I’ve learned from Buffy, would work for me. I figured that most of my coupons wouldn't work, or they would have some excuse not to accept them! But only one of about 25 was rejected.
First, the pennies came off from the discount I got from using the Giant Eagle member card (a free store service) because what I brought tonight were the store's weekly sale items that corresponded with my cents off and manufacture's coupons for the same products.
Then she deducted the ‘store coupons’ for the same items that I clipped from the paper and other places – and these were doubled this week up to 99 cents for each coupon.
Next, I handed the clerk the manufactures coupons that came in the Sunday’s paper for the same items. (They come in fliers – You don’t have to open the entire newspaper to get the coupons). Lastly, I handed her the manufactures coupons that I downloaded on my computer for the same products (anyone can do this). M
y final cost was just about $37.00 and my SAVINGS was $30.00! (Buffy could have done even better, but I’m new at this.)At the same time, I’m saving .20-cents per gallon of gas (at Giant Eagle) for every $50 I spend in groceries. And, we get 1% off toward groceries for every gallon of gas we purchase. And, we buy gift cards at Giant Eagle for the other stores we regularly shop (or eat at) to save further on gas – but that’s another story.
Some basic rules: When checking out, use the store (not manufacture) coupons first. It’s a store computer thing. Also, you do have to make sure you actually purchased the product, but not necessarily the exact one so long as it’s the same brand. The computer keeps track. (This is a trick I’m still working on. But Campbell’s soup doesn’t always have to be ‘chicken noodle’. I can also be tomato. Crest toothpaste doesn’t have to be the same size that’s on sale if another Crest toothpaste is cheaper.)
Finally, you must plan this coupon organization like it’s a second job! But, when it comes together, it’s a high-five feeling!
I made a new email account to use for website requests for coupons. Not wanting the spend money to save money, I used a large recipe box for my coupons that I already had. TIP: Label by manufacture because that's how you will save the most money. IE: CREST, CAMPBELL, DOVE, Etc. instead of toothpaste, soup, shampoo.
There are so many tips and lessons to learn about effective coupon savings that I'll always keep learning to be better and better at it. Rebates and refunds are still to learn!Oh yeah, an important one. Get out there and buy those store specials the day they come out because more and more people are doing the same thing. Those items that combine out to be FREE will be gone within a day. "Coupon people' know these things. Tonight at the grocery store, it seemed that everyone shopping had a handful of coupons.
Another important fact. Watch the check-out person!!!!! Make sure you get the product at the sale price and THEN watch as each coupon goes through that the register shows the discount (and double discount if applicable). Sometimes the clerks skip a coupon or it doesn't ring up at the right price. Today, butter was on sale for $1.99 at Walgreen's. It ran through as $3.99. I told her that it was on sale and had to wait while they went and looked to make sure I was right. (I was.)
Each week, gather all the circulars and look them over, pull out the grocery store specials for the week, check out your coupon websites (you can find them through friends and Google searches) and then make a PLAN for the items that you use, would like to use, or will learn to use after you figure out that with the appropriate coupons, some items might be FREE. After that, combine the store specials with all the coupons for that product for best savings. (You can find the local weekly store sales online too.)
Take today, for instance. Hubby and I went to Target on a mission for certain food items that were on sale and we had coupons for. The Cheerios were on sale for 3/$7. (14 ounce). (Hubby loves Cheerios!) I had several .40-cent coupons on hand. I had 3 manufactures coupons for $1 off I had downloaded. Using all the Cheerio coupons, I got three giant boxes of Cheerios for about $4. If I were better organized and had downloaded more manufactures coupons for Cheerios, we might have gotten all the boxes at NO cost. (Just make sure your coupons don't save MORE than what the items cost. Stores don't like that.)
Also, I have been looking for coupons for dog food, which is hard to find. At Target, they had a 48-pound bag of Purina dog food for 19.79 (advertised for $20) with a gift card of $5 when you paid for the dog food. (Sheba’s dog food usually runs about $14 for 12 pounds of dry food.)
After selecting all the items we had on our ‘coupon list’, Jim checked out with the dog food ahead of me and handed me the $5 gift card to help pay for the rest of our items. We winked at each other, but it was a perfectly honest plan! (You don't want to know how we dragged the bag through the snow and over the ice to get it into the house!)
At Walgreen’s, they have Campbell’s soup on sale this week for .60 cents a can. That in itself is great, but I had several Campbell’s soup coupons that added to the discount.
Another favorite item at our house is Instant Oatmeal. Last week, Walgreen’s had it on coupon special for $1.99. (Usually a box is about $3.50) I added another coupon for $1.00 off and got the last box they had when I got my limit of three. (The store is still out of Oatmeal.) (But we don't need any more right now please).
At first, you will find that you have extras of the same thing because you often have to buy two or three. Right now, the top of the refrigerator has several boxes of Kleenex and cereals. The bathroom has many containers of hand soap and toothpaste (some were free). The soup shelves are loaded with cans of soup. I have 8 boxes of Uncle Bens Rice. We have several bottles of fruit juice and many small containers of mixed fruit for Jim’s lunch. Some of those were free, most were probably 90% off.
Oh yeah, not to mention the toilet paper and paper towels!
Well, I hope this sparks the light to lead the way for your fun coupon adventure. Once you start, you will be hooked for life! If you have more helpful tips or information about coupons, feel free to add your comments at my website so all can enjoy them, or just post to my email.
Take Care on the Journey,
Each week, gather all the circulars and look them over, pull out the grocery store specials for the week, check out your coupon websites (you can find them through friends and Google searches) and then make a PLAN for the items that you use, would like to use, or will learn to use after you figure out that with the appropriate coupons, some items might be FREE. After that, combine the store specials with all the coupons for that product for best savings. (You can find the local weekly store sales online too.)
Take today, for instance. Hubby and I went to Target on a mission for certain food items that were on sale and we had coupons for. The Cheerios were on sale for 3/$7. (14 ounce). (Hubby loves Cheerios!) I had several .40-cent coupons on hand. I had 3 manufactures coupons for $1 off I had downloaded. Using all the Cheerio coupons, I got three giant boxes of Cheerios for about $4. If I were better organized and had downloaded more manufactures coupons for Cheerios, we might have gotten all the boxes at NO cost. (Just make sure your coupons don't save MORE than what the items cost. Stores don't like that.)
Also, I have been looking for coupons for dog food, which is hard to find. At Target, they had a 48-pound bag of Purina dog food for 19.79 (advertised for $20) with a gift card of $5 when you paid for the dog food. (Sheba’s dog food usually runs about $14 for 12 pounds of dry food.)
After selecting all the items we had on our ‘coupon list’, Jim checked out with the dog food ahead of me and handed me the $5 gift card to help pay for the rest of our items. We winked at each other, but it was a perfectly honest plan! (You don't want to know how we dragged the bag through the snow and over the ice to get it into the house!)
At Walgreen’s, they have Campbell’s soup on sale this week for .60 cents a can. That in itself is great, but I had several Campbell’s soup coupons that added to the discount.
Another favorite item at our house is Instant Oatmeal. Last week, Walgreen’s had it on coupon special for $1.99. (Usually a box is about $3.50) I added another coupon for $1.00 off and got the last box they had when I got my limit of three. (The store is still out of Oatmeal.) (But we don't need any more right now please).
At first, you will find that you have extras of the same thing because you often have to buy two or three. Right now, the top of the refrigerator has several boxes of Kleenex and cereals. The bathroom has many containers of hand soap and toothpaste (some were free). The soup shelves are loaded with cans of soup. I have 8 boxes of Uncle Bens Rice. We have several bottles of fruit juice and many small containers of mixed fruit for Jim’s lunch. Some of those were free, most were probably 90% off.
Oh yeah, not to mention the toilet paper and paper towels!
Well, I hope this sparks the light to lead the way for your fun coupon adventure. Once you start, you will be hooked for life! If you have more helpful tips or information about coupons, feel free to add your comments at my website so all can enjoy them, or just post to my email.
Take Care on the Journey,
~Coupon Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
January 1, 2009
Calculating IV flow Rates Using MAGIC NUMBER Method
For my friends who get this by e-mail, you can ignore this one. It's for us math-challenged nurses!
After memorizing this formula, I just made 100% on an online Pharmacology Test!
Calculating IV flow rates using MAGIC NUMBER method.
I copied this from allnurses.com Thank-you NeneRN
Determining which "magic number" you will use depends on your tubing gtt size. (60 divided by gtt size equals magic number).
For example, 60 gtt tubing; 60 divided by 60 equals ONE.
15 gtt tubing; 60 divided by 15, equals FOUR.
10 gtt tubing; 60 divided by 10 equals SIX.
Okay, so once you know which "magic number" you're using, you then divide your ordered rate (ml/hr) by the magic number to get your gtts/min.
For example, You have an order for NS at 120cc/hr using 15 gtt tubing. What is your drip rate in gtts/min? 60 divided by 15 equals FOUR (magic number). 120 cc/hr divided by 4 equals 30 gtts/min.
Another example,Your order is to infuse D5NS at 240ml/hr using 10 gtt tubing. What is your drip rate in gtts/min? 60 divided by 10 equals SIX (magic number). 240ml/hr divided by 6 equals 40 gtts/min
Take Care on the Journey,
Always remember your Conversion Rules!
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
After memorizing this formula, I just made 100% on an online Pharmacology Test!
Calculating IV flow rates using MAGIC NUMBER method.
I copied this from allnurses.com Thank-you NeneRN
Determining which "magic number" you will use depends on your tubing gtt size. (60 divided by gtt size equals magic number).
For example, 60 gtt tubing; 60 divided by 60 equals ONE.
15 gtt tubing; 60 divided by 15, equals FOUR.
10 gtt tubing; 60 divided by 10 equals SIX.
Okay, so once you know which "magic number" you're using, you then divide your ordered rate (ml/hr) by the magic number to get your gtts/min.
For example, You have an order for NS at 120cc/hr using 15 gtt tubing. What is your drip rate in gtts/min? 60 divided by 15 equals FOUR (magic number). 120 cc/hr divided by 4 equals 30 gtts/min.
Another example,Your order is to infuse D5NS at 240ml/hr using 10 gtt tubing. What is your drip rate in gtts/min? 60 divided by 10 equals SIX (magic number). 240ml/hr divided by 6 equals 40 gtts/min
Take Care on the Journey,
Always remember your Conversion Rules!
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
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