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There was a day at clinical way back when I was in There was a day at clinical way back when I was in nursing school 10 years ago. It’s funny how some of the simplest of conversations you remember forever. 

My preceptor asked me how I liked my coffee, and scared and passive little me mumbled “oh, however…”

She looked at me and told me, “Always know what you want. So how do you like your coffee?”

Black I said. 

Always know what you want. ☕️

#nursingschoolproblems #crnaschool #srna #anesthesiaschool #anesthesia #nursingschoolprobs #futurenurse #futurenurses #registerednurse #registerednurses #bsnrn #icunurse #icunurses #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist
Precedex Education! 💉⁣ We love precedex in th Precedex Education! 💉⁣
We love precedex in the OR, but I didn’t so much in the ICU 😂 ⁣
Who’s a fan and who’s not?⁣ & save this post for reference!
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#crnaschool #anesthesia #anesthesiaeducation #icunursing #icu #icunurse #icurn #crna #srna #srnalife #srnaprobs #futurecrna #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesiology #nursingschooleducation #nursingeducation⁣
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Another quarter down only ONE MORE to go 😀 3 mo Another quarter down only ONE MORE to go 😀
3 more months until graduation!! 🎓👩🏻‍🎓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⏰ 2,200 hours of clinical experience down and some more to go BUT
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The countdown begins 🎉
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#crna #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesiology #nurseanesthesiology #futurecrna #srnatocrna #nurseblog #icurn #crnaweek #nurseanesthesia #crna #crnaschool #srnatocrna #nurseanesthetists
I highly do not recommend tag-teaming a case with I highly do not recommend tag-teaming a case with your friend cause you will end up dying from laughter at each other the entire time. 🫀💉 @ed.tee 
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#crnaschool #arewedoneyet #futurecrna #futurecrnas #srna #srnalife #srnaprobs #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nursesweek2022 #nursesweek #anesthesia #aneathesiaschool #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #operatingroom #scrublife
PROPOFOL FACTS🤍😴💤 Did you know the last 2 PROPOFOL FACTS🤍😴💤
Did you know the last 2 slides? 🤓
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Don’t forget to save this for later!
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#propofol #milkofamnesia #anesthesia #anesthesialife #crnaschool #srna #srnalife #srnaprobs #srnatocrna #futurecrna #icunursing #icunurse #icunurses
Nurse Anesthetist loaaaaadingggggg… ⠀⠀⠀⠀ Nurse Anesthetist loaaaaadingggggg…
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4.5 months til’ the title!! 🎓
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#futurecrna #crna #nurseanesthetist #anesthesiaschool #nurseanesthesiologists #nurseanesthesiologist #srnalife #srnatocrna
I thought I’d be all coordinated and wear this c I thought I’d be all coordinated and wear this cap for dental cases, then the OR nurse asked me if there were butt cracks on my cap & now I’ll never unsee it 😂 🍑 looks like this is my new endo cap 💩

#crnaschool #srna #srnalife #scrubcap #scrubcaps #mallampati #futurecrna #anesthesia #anesthesiaschool #icunurse #gastrointestinal #dentalanesthesia
I’ve been seeing so many versions of what happen I’ve been seeing so many versions of what happened with #radondavaught that me & my roommate found the official court documents & photo evidence for those who are interested in what happened in the words of RaDonda herself. In general, don’t ever trust what comments you read on social media, & read the facts before forming your opinion, regardless of what stance you take. This is an unfortunate circumstance for everyone involved & I am so SO ready for the nursing profession to start to feel passionate and empowered again. 😕 Swipe to read, what do you guys think?
Let’s talk about blood transfusion! 🩸⁣ ⁣ Let’s talk about blood transfusion! 🩸⁣
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𝐩𝐑𝐁𝐂𝐬 ⁣
🔴 Transfusing 1 unit of pRBCs raises Hgb ~ 1g/dL & Hct by 2-3%. This provides a good estimate of where you should be at without drawing labs.⁣
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🔴 There are 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 that increase the shelf-life of blood. ⁣
- 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞: anticoagulant. You don’t want your blood clotting in the bag! It inhibits calcium. Keep this in mind if giving multiple units, could lead to hypocalcemia. ⁣
- 𝐃𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞: substrate for glycolysis for energy (ATP). This prevents the RBC from using the oxygen they’re transporting to the tissues. ⁣
- 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞: a buffer that prevents acidosis⁣
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🔴 Although these additives are great to prolong banked blood, they also come with consequences the longer the blood sits there. ⁣
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𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 include:⁣
- ↓ 𝐩𝐇 = ↑ lactic acid = bad⁣
- ↑ 𝐊 (keep in mind for renal fail pts). Hyperkalemia can result from an impaired RBC cell membrane that happens with stored blood, causing K to leak out. ⁣
- ↓ 𝟐,𝟑 𝐃𝐏𝐆 = ↓O2 release to the tissues. Which is the whole point of RBCs right. To deliver oxygen to the body. This is why with ECMO patients we used to ask blood bank for our blood to be <10 days old, to get the max benefit for these sick hypoxic patients. ⁣
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🔴What does 𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘬𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 mean? You’ll see this a lot on your blood bags. Leuko = WBC, reduced. This reduces/removes WBCs from pRBCs. This decreases the risk of febrile transfusion reactions & other adverse effects. ⁣
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💾 Save this post for reference! Want more posts like this? Let me know in the comments 👇🏼
It was a cool day. I remember the first time an an It was a cool day. I remember the first time an anesthesiologist went to intubate and he let me peek at the vocal cords when I was 15. I fell in love with anesthesia that day. 

Early on in clinical, I would think of that moment sometimes & wonder how he was able to do that so gracefully. I remember being so overwhelmed with intubating - how was he able to keep that perfect view for so long and so casually? I felt like I had seconds before I would lose my view and struggle to find it again. I felt like that would never be me and that I was a failure. 

I remember being asked by preceptors to explain each step of what I was doing during induction, and how my mind would literally black out cause I was trying so hard to focus on the tasks. How could they expect me to say everything out loud and the rationale plus answer their questions during such a critical moment? 

Today there were 2 nursing students shadowing in the OR, & my preceptor told me to explain everything I was doing & then I did. And when I went to intubate I got my view & asked them both if they wanted to see & then they did. And idk if I’m emotional because I’ve had 3 hours of sleep or cause that was just kinda cool because I finally felt competent enough to do what that MD did 15 years ago but yeah it was a good day.

Sassy Anesthesia

icu nurses hanging blood on belmont rapid infuser
Nursing

My Tips for Surviving Night Shift

September 6, 2017January 17, 2018

Currently writing to you from the nurse’s station at 0300. Welcome to the night shift. Although there is a constant struggle of merely living your daily life, I do love night shift for a variety of reasons, and don’t plan on leaving the dark side anytime soon. However I understand that majority of people do not enjoy workin’ the graveyard, and that it basically depletes you of a social life and leaves you malnourished with sleep deprivation.

Regardless of your preference of shift, you’re probably here because you work night shift, are about to start, orrrr you’re on dayshift and just want to laugh at all the modifications we have to employ every day. So here’s what has worked for me after 3 years on nights.

Bring healthy snacks and eat throughout your shift. I could lie to you and pretend that I do this, but anyone who knows me knows that I eat like absolute crap. One day I’ll progress on my personal goals to eat healthier but in the meantime I’ll tell you to do the opposite of what I do. Carbs and sweets will give you a short burst of energy but quickly disappoint and make the night drag on longer. And instead of eating one big meal on your lunch break which can make you sluggish and tired afterwards, eat smaller meals throughout the shift to help keep your energy in a good place. I always try to go on lunch as late as possible cause once I eat my full meal… goodbye brain.

Know how you respond to caffeine. I can down a dangerous amount of espresso and still feel tired while others get palpitations with a latte. Think about how caffeine affects you, and when you should stop drinking it on your night shift. Definitely have something at the beginning of your shift to give you a jump start, but be cautious with having coffee near the end of your shift as it can keep you up when your shift is over. I try not to have any caffeine past 0400 so I can fall asleep as soon as I get home.

As an add-on to that, I try to fall asleep as quick as I can when I get home. I have a quick breakfast and I am in bed within 20 minutes of being home. When I get distracted by the chores I need to do or stay up a little later after my shift, I find it’s harder to fall asleep. Maybe it’s because I’ve been exposed to the daytime longer and it’s difficult to adjust back to it actually being your “night.”

Know what kind of schedule works for you. Some nurses like to do three shifts in a row, others prefer spacing them out a little more. Try both and see what works best. I prefer not doing three in a row because I feel like I have more off time when I split up my shifts. Others prefer three in a row because it improves their sleep schedule. You’ll read a lot of people’s opinions on how to sleep for nightshift. Again, do what works for you. Some people force themselves to wake up early mid-day if they don’t work again that night. This way, they’re able to fall asleep at a decent time that night and have a productive next day off. In contrast, I prefer sleeping until like, 1500 because it’s not worth waking up that early to me. I feel like death anyways and my day is wasted struggling hard. But as a result, I am up late every night of the week.

I pretty much stick to a nightshift schedule on my days off, staying up until 1-4am. I am fortunate to work nightshift with my roommate, so we both have each other for entertainment when we’re up in the middle of the night. Our neighbors probably think we’re crack addicts when we vacuum or rearrange our living room at 3am, but that’s their issue.

My biggest piece of advice would be to sleep when you are tired. That’s it. Don’t force yourself to get up early if you don’t need to, and don’t force yourself to stay up late if you’re tired. Nightshift is a weird, abnormal, (awesome, in my opinion) schedule. Just embrace it and prioritize your health first. Which leads me to my next suggestion…

Learn to say no. Nightshift is difficult in the fact that you potentially could be somewhere during the day if you just don’t sleep. Whether it’s a friend’s birthday, appointment, whatever… people may expect you to be able to show up with no neurological deficits after not getting any sleep for the past 24 hours. One thing I’ve learned is that a lot (not all) people on a normal dayshift schedule really can’t empathize with people on a nightshift schedule. I explain to them that their 2pm is my 2am, so no… I don’t want to be awake right now and yes, it was you that woke me up by closing your door too loud. Which again leads me to proceed to my next point.

Make your sleep space sleepable. Say that 10 times fast? Don’t expect to sleep well if your room is bright or hot or loud. I’m sure you’ve heard you need blackout curtains. Most of these aren’t true “blackout” curtains, so buy two and layer them on top of eachother to truly darken your room. You’ll need at least one black set to really block out light. If black curtains don’t jam with your bedroom ambiance, put it behind the curtains you want showing. Even if some light is showing through the curtains or your eyes are closed, light in your room will trigger your brain that it’s daytime. Your circadian rhythm is influenced by light. Try and stay in bright light at work and make your bedroom at home as dark as you can. Like the true soul of the nightshift nurse.

If your house is hot, then invest in a way to cool it down. I know so many nurses that don’t have air and don’t sleep well because they’re too hot. Nurses need their sleep for the safety of themselves and their patients. Run your AC, or buy a portable AC unit for your room if you don’t have central air. The extra cost of air is SO worth the good sleep. If you sleep around a lot of noise get a white noise machine, app, or air filter. Turn your phone on silent so you don’t get woken up nonstop.

Talk to your roommates/spouse/neighbors/neighbors dog if they do something that continuously wakes you up. Most people that have never done nightshift do not understand how your clock is the exact opposite of theirs. Explain this to them, so they can truly understand how much it sucks if you wake up mid-day in between shifts.

Find ways to stay alert during your shift. Drink ice cold water to wake your body up. Find productive tasks to help out dayshift, or get up and walk every hour. The more your mind and body are stagnant, the more tired you’ll be and the slower the night. If another nurse appears busy, help them out as a way to keep moving (and to be a nice human). Try not to hide out in a dark station, and talk with other nurses to keep awake. I guess you could talk to your patients too, for those of you on the floors. For whatever reason my patients never talk to me much..

DRUGS. Ahh sleeping pills..I know of a lot of nurses that need to take something to force themselves to sleep during the day. I’ve left this until the end because personally, I don’t use any sleep aids as I’m able to sleep pretty well. So, I don’t really have any specific recommendations for you in this regard. All I can say is that I would try everything I mentioned above to try and improve your sleep first, before needing to take a pill every day to get some rest. You don’t want to have to rely on sleeping pills the rest of your life. And the hangover when you wake up and have to go to work is dreadful.

Then there’s the more natural option, melatonin. I hear great things from a lot of people regarding melatonin. I don’t notice any difference when I have taken it day or night. And from what I’ve read, melatonin supplements may actually not work if taken during the day. This is due to the fact that melatonin is only naturally released in the body at night. So even if you take some during the day, your body realizes that it’s not nighttime, and it may not work as effectively. If it does work for you, awesome. Maybe it’s a placebo effect that I just ruined for you. Let’s pretend I didn’t say anything.

Stay safe on your drive home. Lastly, blast the air/roll down your windows to stay awake or play some loud music. Whenever I can barely keep my eyes open driving home I just think of becoming a trauma patient again and that usually keeps me wide awake. Trust me, STAY AWAKE.

Get home in one piece so you can do it all over again the next night.

Anything else that works for you nightshifters? I’d love to hear it! Thanks for reading.

www.sassyanesthesia.com

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Hi, I'm Marissa.

I'm a first year SRNA. Here you can find some education & motivation, along with a touch of sass to keep you sane in a difficult but rewarding career path. Thank you for stopping by!
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There was a day at clinical way back when I was in There was a day at clinical way back when I was in nursing school 10 years ago. It’s funny how some of the simplest of conversations you remember forever. 

My preceptor asked me how I liked my coffee, and scared and passive little me mumbled “oh, however…”

She looked at me and told me, “Always know what you want. So how do you like your coffee?”

Black I said. 

Always know what you want. ☕️

#nursingschoolproblems #crnaschool #srna #anesthesiaschool #anesthesia #nursingschoolprobs #futurenurse #futurenurses #registerednurse #registerednurses #bsnrn #icunurse #icunurses #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist
Precedex Education! 💉⁣ We love precedex in th Precedex Education! 💉⁣
We love precedex in the OR, but I didn’t so much in the ICU 😂 ⁣
Who’s a fan and who’s not?⁣ & save this post for reference!
⁣
⁣
⁣
⁣
#crnaschool #anesthesia #anesthesiaeducation #icunursing #icu #icunurse #icurn #crna #srna #srnalife #srnaprobs #futurecrna #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesiology #nursingschooleducation #nursingeducation⁣
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Another quarter down only ONE MORE to go 😀 3 mo Another quarter down only ONE MORE to go 😀
3 more months until graduation!! 🎓👩🏻‍🎓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⏰ 2,200 hours of clinical experience down and some more to go BUT
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The countdown begins 🎉
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#crna #srna #srnalife #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesiology #nurseanesthesiology #futurecrna #srnatocrna #nurseblog #icurn #crnaweek #nurseanesthesia #crna #crnaschool #srnatocrna #nurseanesthetists
I highly do not recommend tag-teaming a case with I highly do not recommend tag-teaming a case with your friend cause you will end up dying from laughter at each other the entire time. 🫀💉 @ed.tee 
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#crnaschool #arewedoneyet #futurecrna #futurecrnas #srna #srnalife #srnaprobs #srnaproblems #nurseanesthesia #nursesweek2022 #nursesweek #anesthesia #aneathesiaschool #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesiologist #operatingroom #scrublife
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