2025-11-17 – Weekly LPN News : Monitor messages that made us laugh

Last week in our LPN community, discussions were lively and varied. Members shared their thoughts on how to effectively time preoperative antibiotics, a topic that sparked quite the debate. There was also a humorous thread on the quirky messages sometimes displayed by patient monitors. Meanwhile, practical tips on heart failure monitoring and patient communication strategies were exchanged, reflecting the community’s focus on improving patient care.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Preop antibiotic timing pop quiz
Members are testing each other on best practices for preop antibiotic timing. It’s an enlightening way to brush up on protocols with your peers.
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When the monitor has jokes
A lighthearted thread about the funny, unexpected messages monitors sometimes display, reminding us of the humor in our daily duties.
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Practical heart failure monitoring tools
Practical tips and tools for heart failure monitoring are being shared, offering valuable insights for improving patient outcomes.
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Safe UF rate you quote to patients
This thread dives into the specifics of quoting safe ultrafiltration rates to patients, an essential part of dialysis care.
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Chemo teaching tools you actually use
Nurses discuss the educational tools they find most effective for teaching patients about chemotherapy, a crucial aspect of oncology nursing.
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FAQ/Guidelines
Essential reading for newcomers or anyone needing a refresher on our forum guidelines and FAQs.
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Admin Guide: Getting Started
A helpful guide for admins to navigate and manage the forum effectively.
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Is Becoming an LPN the Right Career for You?
A thoughtful discussion on the rewards and challenges of the LPN career path, perfect for those considering this profession.
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You Know You’re an LPN When
An entertaining look at those relatable moments only LPNs experience.
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Funniest Things Patients Have Ever Said
A collection of humorous patient quotes that bring a smile to any nurse’s face.
Read more here


Wishing everyone a productive and engaging week ahead. Keep sharing and supporting one another in our community.

2 Likes

On preop abx, I hang cefazolin so it finishes 20–30 minutes before wheels-in and set a timer tied to the OR board; if the case slips, I ping @ORcharge to re-time rather than pausing mid-bag — anesthesia can weigh in if we’re cutting it close.

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Quick example: ours used to throw “Apnea detected” every time a patient yawned; I asked @biomed to bump the apnea alarm delay to 12 s in PACU, which cut the noise without missing the real ones — if your unit locks settings, the “Smart” profile helps. On HF monitoring, I get a standing weight before morning diuretics and add “call if +2 lb in 24 hrs” to discharge instructions so we catch fluid creep early.

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Following @thomas_green71’s alarm delay tweak, we bumped SpO2 averaging to 8 s in PACU and set NIBP cycling to q5min after the first stable 15 min — cut the ‘Low SpO2’ and ‘Cuff leak’ spam a ton. Caveat: for known OSA or tenuous airways I keep SpO2 averaging at 4 s so we don’t miss brief desats.

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Ours kept flashing “Check patient” whenever a warm blanket loosened the ECG stickers; swapping to foam electrodes and wiping off prep residue cut those false flags a ton… If you tweak profiles, keep that alert high in ICU but tone it down preop — otherwise it nags like a Tamagotchi. Thanks for the spark, @c_jennings76.

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Our transport monitor kept flashing “Leads off” whenever a patient scratched their chest — apparently scratching counted as cardio. Routing the ECG cables under the gown with a bit of slack and taping the lead near the clavicle fixed most of it, and @biomed found a frayed lead set that was causing intermittent dropouts. If they’re diaphoretic, a quick wipe and fresh foam electrodes beat tinkering with alarm thresholds.

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I use the monitor’s timer for the 60‑min preop antibiotic window — saves me, but Philips hides it. @thomas_green71.

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