Nurses General Nursing
Published Jul 27, 2016
Hi everyone,
I'm starting nursing school in September. I've been reading these forums to give myself a better idea of what to expect. One thing I see a lot is "don't be afraid to ask questions" and "it would be irresponsible if you didn't ask when you're unsure of something" etc. I'm just a bit confused by this, because I also read about how incredibly busy nurses are during their shifts. Is there really time to stop what you're doing, and find a nurse to ask them a bunch of questions? I just picture myself trying to juggle 6+ patients and needing to stop every 5 minutes to ask a question. It just seems scary, like what if I'm in a time sensitive situation and I don't have the time to ask someone?
Also, I'm currently working in a very busy optometry office with about 7 other girls and we pre-test patients. It can get quite catty between us, and when someone keeps asking questions, people get sooooo annoyed and gossip about the person, calling them stupid etc. I'm really bad at being assertive, and I know I'll be so scared to ask a more experienced nurse for help, in fear of them getting annoyed. Is nursing the same as the office I'm currently working in? Is there a certain time period in which it's no longer acceptable to ask a million questions? Like once you've been there for 6 months you shouldn't be bothering more senior nurses anymore?
Thirdly, since nurses are so incredibly busy, how can I find a nurse that is free to help me with all my questions? What if everyone is tied up with their own patients? And how to I approach them? Do I wait until they're at the nursing station, or just walking down the hall (what if they're in the middle of doing something?)
I know these questions seem ridiculous and I'm hoping things will make more sense when I start. I just really don't want to be a nuisance to my coworkers, but I also know I need to keep my patient safe. I just want to know the proper way of going about asking for help.
Thank you!
cracklingkraken, ASN, RN
1,855 Posts
It only takes a few seconds to ask a question. Either the nurse can give you the answer or direct you to the resource where you can find an answer.
I think when you keep asking questions about things that you could easily find for yourself is when nurses start to resent the numerous questions.
Sour Lemon
5,016 Posts
While you're in school, most of your questions can be answered by your instructor(s) ...or you can write yourself a note and research the answer when you get home.
Once you're working, you'll likely be assigned a preceptor when starting out. Since you will share a load of patients, that preceptor nurse will have time to help you. And at that point, you'll be an investment- not someone just passing through.
While you're on orientation, try to build positive relationships with your colleagues so that you're comfortable asking each other questions. It's helpful to show appreciation, too. If you rely on a more senior nurse's technical skills or advice often, volunteer to do her accuchecks (or something similar) to repay her for the time spent. People are usually happy to help if it's not a one-way street. What you don't want to be is the person who needs help every five minutes and never helps anyone else.
NightNerd, MSN, RN
1,130 Posts
I agree with all of Sour Lemon's approach. I also think it matters how you ask. Don't just request a compete play-by-play of what you should do. Say what you know and what you think you should do, then ask for clarification. Use that noggin!
Also, obviously, if it's a simple question that can be answered by opening a drug or lab guide do that first. Save your questions for more critical thinking or policy-type stuff.
Know your resources - preceptor, charge nurse, nurse manager, nurse educator. Prolly better to ask them than other coworkers because the people I mentioned are there to help you do your job effectively. But also use your judgment; if it's an emergent situation, grab whoever you need.
I know nurses who have decades of experience and still ask questions. It NEVER stops, and that's okay! Two of the nurses at my previous job were so skilled and intelligent, and I looked up to them as mentors. Before I left, each of them had asked *me* something, whether about an updated policy, how to word something in documentation, or simply to look at a patient and say what I thought. It felt GOOD to be able to help, especially people who had been so good to me. Even though there are people who just don't like teaching, I think you'll find most people genuinely do want to help you learn, so long as you do your part and don't take advantage.
Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN
5,047 Posts
For the love of all that is holy.... ask all of these questions of your clinical instructor. Providing your clinical education is precisely their job. As you suspect, patient care is the bedside RN's job. (Exception: senior practicum/internship situations, where you are one-on-one with a bedside RN, vs. in a clinical group setting.)
Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN
955 Posts
Is there really time to stop what you're doing, and find a nurse to ask them a bunch of questions? I just picture myself trying to juggle 6+ patients and needing to stop every 5 minutes to ask a question.
At this level of uncertainty, you should still be a very new grad, probably not with 6+ patients, possibly still working with a mentor/preceptor. On a well-managed floor, you shouldn't be given that many patients until you've started getting the hang of things and the questions aren't constant.
It just seems scary, like what if I'm in a time sensitive situation and I don't have the time to ask someone?
That's not a healthy work environment, and you'll find that the atmosphere varies from place to place. In a workplace whose culture values education and knowledge sharing, there's no time limit on asking questions, and a mark of a good senior nurse is being able to acknowledge that s/he doesn't know everything and to ask rather than make something up.
Start with your mentor/preceptor. As you encounter more and more nurses, you'll start to get a sense of who likes to chat, especially about work, and who prefers to just put their head down and get through the shift. You'll also get a sense of who really knows their stuff and who you'd trust to have the right answers or ^^^ to help you find them if they don't know.
blondy2061h, MSN, RN
1 Article; 4,094 Posts
I encourage someone to ask me a question of they can't find the answer and before doing something wrong with the patient. What I don't like is answering questions that can very easily be looked up (What's a normal range for a tacrolimus level? What is acyclovir for?). My hospital has a wide variety of online peer reviewed resources, along with all of our policy and procedure books online. If I'm asking you if you looked something up, I'm not trying to be rude, I'm trying to teach you how to use your resources.
I also don't like being asked the same questions repeatedly. Take notes.
Further, if we're busy with one thing, particularly of urgent medical priority, don't ask about something irrelevant at the moment. If my patient is having an emergency at 10, we can talk about their 5 o'clock meds a bit later.
Been there,done that, ASN, RN
7,199 Posts
"I know these questions seem ridiculous". You are questioning your questions.
You will know who you can count on. I was charge nurse for 20 years. Got questions from nurses, doctors , family and administration... all day long. I answered everyone to the best of my ability.
Deep breaths. No question is stupid.. ask away. Someday, you will be the one to answer them.
P.S. Please don't refer to yourself or coworkers as "girls"... you are all grown up.
Horseshoe, BSN, RN
5,879 Posts
The OP hasn't even started nursing school. I think she is asking if it will be okay for her to ask constant questions of the staff nurses when she is in clinicals.
And the answer to that question is NO. Your clinical INSTRUCTOR should be your main resource. Don't pepper the staff nurses with incessant questions. They are busy with their own patients, and while probably don't mind a question or two, don't have time to serve as a human nursing textbook. Look up as much as you can, write down your questions to ask your CI later.
wannabecnl
341 Posts
Yes, ask questions, but consider the source for the answers. Is it something you can look up? Is it a more conceptual question that is well-suited for your peers, professors, or preceptors? Is it procedural and well-suited for your clinical instructor? But ask them somehow, and if you don't understand the answer or don't think it is answering your question, reframe and start over.
The reason I encourage you to ask questions is because I firmly believe that the definition of critical thinking is ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, of yourself and/or others. The real challenge lies there, not in being able to answer questions. If you ask me anything about my patients, I can either answer you immediately or know where to quickly look it up. But if I fail to ask the right question, I can't act on the things I am observing when I assess the patient.
Here's an example: let's say one of my post-ops comes out with blood pressure of 172/90. The first question I ask myself is whether this number is accurate. I take it again. 168/90. I take it on the other arm and/or change the cuff size or location (if the cuff is too loose or too small for the patient, it will read high.). 170/88. OK, now I believe that it is really in the range of 170/90.
It's not enough to leave it at that or blithely call anesthesia for a Lopressor order, though. I have to ask myself what could be going on and assess the risk of harm from each cause or treatment. What is the patient's baseline BP? If it's usually high, I may not want to risk tanking him unless the risk of a high BP is worse (for example, if he has a new vascular graft or underwent spinal surgery, I"ll ask the surgeon for some parameters). Is she in pain? I'll medicate her for pain before giving anti-hypertensives and can often kill both birds with one stone. Does he have a full bladder? I'll grab a bedpan or urinal--this is noninvasive and simple to try. If none of these work, then I'll call anesthesia to discuss anti-hypertensive medications, including asking what BP we're shooting for!
Every decision you will make in a clinical situation is based on asking the right question and then answering it with your book knowledge, concepts you are developing in clinical, or actual experience with patients. By learning to frame questions early, you'll set yourself up to give excellent, informed, well-though-out care. Be curious. Think about what you don't know. Better to ask a question than make an assumption--"when you assume..." and all that.
If you become a nurse who never asks questions (especially of yourself), you will be useless at best and dangerous at worst. No one knows everything.
BSN16
389 Posts
i have probably asked 10000+ questions today....to say the least lol
quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN
953 Posts
As has been said, the people to ask during nursing school are your instructors and your clinical instructors. My school had post clinical conference immediately following our being on the floor. There we also discussed our patients and asked further questions if we had though of more.