[2009newgrad]

What would it be?

DO..... and
DON'T.......

I am in my final year of my registered nursing degree in Australia and my scope of practice on placement is that we are able to do anything with supervision. I am to have my final placement in a very busy ER dept and am SO excited. I don't want to get in the way, I have heaps of questions (but don't want to bother my buddy 'constantly') and I want to be of help so that being there is not a burden to my buddy RN.

So, thanking you in advance for your kind replies, what advice would you like to give me?

[glamgalRN]

Ask questions! And don't feel dumb if you have a question about something that you know you should know or already learned.

[sandys]

Do be honest about your knowledge, what you do and don't know. Be an advocate for your own education; when there's a procedure, diagnosis, IV start whatever that you want to do or watch, speak up and ask if you can do it, watch it, whatever the case may be. Your preceptors, if they are good, will try to watch out for interesting stuff for you, but ultimately your educational experience lies in your own hands.

Don't get in the way when things are extremely stressed and hurried (a code situation, etc.). I always would do the simplest things for the nurses I was watching such as gather up the trash after an IV start. They appreciate your willingness to do the small stuff too. Good luck!

[hellerd2003]

DO:
Be honest with your knowledge. A nursing student is not expected to know all.

Ask questions, but know when to ask. I orient nurses in ICU, and student nurses asking questions of the lead nurse in the code, while the MD is giving orders, is not cool (and I've seen it happen). Realize that after a crisis, a good preceptor will go through everything that happened. Observe, soak it in, and tally questions in your head. They will be answered in due time.

If a preceptor gives you "homework" (ICU has meds not used elsewhere with frequency, so I give a meds list to my preceptees to learn/ look up), take the time to do it. It will make your assignment a tad easier, and your preceptor will know you really want to learn.

DON'T:

Don't try to memorize facts (beyond meds/ calculations, which are a given). Nursing students get wrapped up in the thought that they need to memorize things, not realizing that although there are some constants, every patient is different and multiple factors are in play. There will be plenty of time in your nursing career to become an EKG expert, the ABG wizard, the vent master. Instead, try to understand the why's behind what you are doing. If you're treating a patient with disease X with drugs a,b,c . . . why? What do drugs a, b, c do for the patient? How do they change the course of the disease? Do this for every case you see. If you can do this-- rationalize through a problem and understand it instead of "just giving meds". . . you'll be leaps and bounds ahead of your student colleagues (and some nurses).

[hellerd2003]

On my last post, I talked about orienting nurses . . . I do that, but was addressing my comments to student nurses, who I also take on during their education. Although I think all the points I made apply to both new nurses in ICU and nursing students . . . ;-)

[frenchfroggyRN]

Remember, the only stupid question is the one not asked!!!

[2009newgrad]

Another thank you to those who replied to my thread about my placement in ED. It was fantastic; I learnt SO much and really enjoyed the ever-changing environment.

Great news... I applied and was accepted for my grad program in the same ED and I am sure that my 4 week placement there had a lot to do with it. So thanks for your advice and for this forum thread. I will have to change my username now but will be hanging around here a lot!

Cheers!