Updates
GST Expansion: Why: GS is overrun, ideally we can work ESI 4s and 5s out of the lobby but it is becoming a regular occurrence that we can’t get the 3s into rooms due to volume. It is necessary to make few changes while the volumes are high. I approved this through plant engineering and IP. There is a policy that specifically supports it which you can find on Policy Tech: IC005 Contact, Droplet, and Airborne. We will need extreme diligence in compliance with two patient identifiers and all lab samples shall be labeled at bedside. Confer with your CN about patient placement for anything questionable; we are well versed in the symptoms of covid and other infectious processes and will be purposeful in not placing patients at risk.
Rooms 1,4, and 6 will become double occupancy rooms. Cerner is unable to make an A and B or other identifier for these rooms. We will place a curtain down the center and are procuring double regulator wall inserts for the oxygen. We are seeing if we can split the call light and have two of those as well.
We are adding 2 hall beds by room 3 and 4…. I know this doesn’t make sense without a long explanation but our only choice is to call them ER08 and ER09 in Cerner. This ticket has been placed.
US Gel: Both sites will be ordering and stocking our own ultrasound gel, which surprisingly is in short supply nationally. The radiology / US has requested that the FEDs not use their gel to ensure that it is available for their testing.
Diffusics catheters: Similarly, please let the CN know if we are short on Diffusics catheters as we should not be getting our supply from rad but rather stocking our own. It is becoming an increasingly important and stringent requirement that CTs with contract will only be performed on patients with a Diffusics; therefore, please use these if there is any chance for a CT with. I know they feel different to place and are not your favorite but I believe you will get more used to them the more you use them, I know I have.
New Staff: several new faces have started showing up and there will be several more over the next month, please go out of your way to make them feel welcome as new jobs are intimidating and can be difficult transitions! Brandon….think you can update the employee list with phone numbers you made!?
Tiffany Finch – RN traveler
Kathy Stanton – RN traveler
Teresa Decker – RN PT days
Marisa Deleon – RN prn days
Marcos Garcia – prn tech
Cassandrah (Cassie) Hatfield – RN FT nights
Selina Rael – prn tech
Ashley Biskup – RN traveler will be back in Jan, yay!
Emily Blanton – RN prn days
Lynzi Bragg – new grad RN pt nights with prior experience
Bethany Garcia – RN prn (happens to be Liz’s sister)
LeAnn Personett – RN pt nights
James (Rick) Baker – RN FT nights
Other changes: Heather Mills will be going to FT days, Bobbie is now PT, Jenifer George and Lisa Garcia resigned, Jamie Randall has taken a job in Tulia where she lives.
We have ordered food for those working on Christmas day and will add an item for night. Thank you for working the holidays, it is a difficult part of our profession!
Airgas
Airgas comes every Thursday to fill tanks at both locations. I want to give you an explanation of how this works. The left regulator shows the psi therefore volume of the left set of tanks and the right regulator, the right set. You can ignore the middle gauge. If the left set are being used and become empty it will send a message / alert to the panel that staff see; this means that it has switched over to the other set of tanks and ½ is gone. There should still be several days of oxygen in the set it switched to, it is not an emergency to call Airgas but should be monitored. A leak or several high flow patients being held for extended times could deplete this quicker. Engineering on call at the hospital can come out and exchange tanks if we are in a bind. Call me if you have questions when this happens.
