old skills that we do not use anymore

1 hello,

I was wondering if you guys were doing anything different now than we did before? Like before when we would suction trach patients we would squirt NS down the trach but now after clinical study they say we don't have to that anymore because it does't work. So have you guys had any changes?
Quote from [email protected],I was wondering if you guys were doing anything different now than we did before? Like before when we would suction trach patients we would squirt NS down the trach but now after clinical study they say we don't have to that anymore because it does't work. So have you guys had any changes?

Maalox and Methiolate for decubitis care, then apply heat lamp to area....just dried out the wound bed.

I remember as a CNA in LTC a way long time ago, using Barbasol, as our skin care protocol. From what I hear, skin care protocols have come a looonnnnggg way! I work L&D now so I have no clue about that stuff.

Not so long ago, children were still being routinely bathed with alcohol when they had fevers. AND not being medicated for pain - even postoperatively or during circumsion. Pediatrics has come a long way.

Actually having to figure out drip rate. There were no IV pumpsIn home health - we were to teach families trach care using sterile technique.Now, we teach them using aseptic tech. Studies showed that family members couldnt always learn sterile tech - and they were more likely to give up.

I used to be a mean hand at scrubbing bed pans, changing water for the flowers, damp dusting surfaces prior to starting my shift, methoing the surfaces in the treatment, and pan rooms and not to forget changing the curtain ties..........Maybe, not quite what you meant, but they were all nursing duties when I started nursing. Things have changed. Back then I actually had time to do this, I can't imagine having the time to do the 'extra duties' now.

We used to use something called "common sense." Now, I wonder where it went. :chuckle

How about the little roll around incentive spirometry, looked like a clown, they had to breathe deeply and make the lights go up and down his stomach. Adult floor, at least everyone got his or her own mouthpiece :hatparty:

Resterilizing urinary catheters (the head of central supply kept trying to culture something out of them but never succeeded. They finally went to disposable when it became more expensive to redo them than to replace them)Clinitest (urine testing for glucose in diabetics), tricky because you were never sure if they emptied their bladder on the previous void, which was supposed to be 30 min I think before the test, and also because some people spill sugar when their blood glucose is normal and some don't when their BG is high.

Saline down the trach is still effective if you have a muc. plug, they stopped doing it because they felt whatever germs there were got pushed furter down into the lungs when saline was used.

Quote from LuvMyFiremanNot so long ago, children were still being routinely bathed with alcohol when they had fevers. AND not being medicated for pain - even postoperatively or during circumsion. Pediatrics has come a long way.

About 6-8 years ago we were using a then-outdated procedure for bowel obstructions..... the cantor tube. Sink it... have 'em turn on right side for so long, then on left side for so long... i forget exactly how it went.... dangerous stuff.. it was weighted with mercury... yup.. mercury... even had one bust in a patient once. It was not pretty. I think that was the last time we used it. That old school doc just loved them though, well... almost as much as he loved taking everyone's gallbladder within a 50 mile radius...lol