Wanting to be a better nurse...

jkr2020788 · Jun 8, 2012

I think every nurse goes through this. There is a point in every nurse's career where they doubt they're ability to be "as good as everyone else". I even remember hearing about that in one of my nursing classes awhile back. Sometimes you feel like it is impossible to learn every little thing about nursing that there is, and to tell you the truth, it is definitely impossible. You only get more comfortable dealing with certain situations and patient problems. Nursing is one of those "ever-changing" fields. The best thing you can do is just get more and more experience, and things will seem to get better. After a while you will feel like you are getting more confident in your nursing career. Just keep progressing through the benner's stages : novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, expert. Those stages have been looked at by many people, and a LARGE majority of nurses progress through those same stages. My guess is that you are in the advanced beginner stage. Don't sweat it, you will get better!

4rmCNA2MSN · Jun 8, 2012

You are doing a great job! Don't stress, there's no way you can remember/ know everything about all of your patients, especially if you have more than 1 or 2. It's more important that you know where to find the info when you need it. And if you're not sure then make sure you know how to confidently tell the Dr. to HOLD ON ( in you're firm nurse voice) so that you can find out.

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2012

This process takes time so be kind to yourself an be patient. Reassess your progress at a predetermined schedule ,such as every 4 months and you will see the tremendous progress. You can even set some SMART goals so it will be easier for you. After 31 years of Nursing in a Hospital I can tell you one key to being a great nurse is to keep learning and stay current and never lower your standards. When I was working med surg and then floating I carried around with me reference material since there was no such thing as the internet back them. Sounds like you really care about the quality of care that you deliver...so hang in there it does get easier as your confidence builds.

sauconyrunner · Jun 8, 2012

You will get it! Those are things that really come with time. I never really used any papers or anything, and yes could pretty much keep everything straight- but I have over 10 years of experience doing it. I remember giving report one night toa newer nurse and he was like, "where's your report sheet...how do remember everything?" But even with all that experience there were moments where I felt like I was running about like a chicken with no head. It does get busy at times. Sounds like you are doing fine. Compare you to you...not to another RN who has been doing it for 20 years. Just look at all the accomplishments since graduation, you've made it successfully through your orientation and preceptorship and are now able to care for multiple people on your own!!! And now you are looking to be even better! Kudos!

I think that llg on here has a set of "brains" papers for nurses that help to organize thoughts for giving report, and getting report and tasking and such... hopefully she will see this topic.

OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN · Jun 8, 2012

I understand exactly how you feel. Be confident that it will come with time. What helps me is a brain sheet. I jot everything down as it goes.

minnymi · Jun 8, 2012

I can't help but to feel overwhelmed and to feel like sometimes I know nothing! Sometimes I go all night taking care of my patients, running from here to there trying to get things done, and at the end of the night I feel like I know nothing about my patients unless I get time to look through their charts! And that's a very rare occurrence. It's like I can't keep it all in my head. Sometimes I can't even keep my patients straight in my head unless I take time to really think.

i can find out more about a patient and retain the information by talking to them for five minutes than i can by studying a chart for five hours. not that i "study charts" but back in the good old days of care plans for school i would literally have to go to a facility, look up all the patient's information in their chart, and fill out pages of information before i ever stepped foot in their room. i'd spend five minutes searching the chart to find out something silly like which arm their IV was in. that's something you can see in two seconds by looking.

point being: when i first meet a patient, i just talk to them. "so, why are you here? were you just sitting at home when this happened...how'd you get here?" etc, etc. i'll end up leaving the room feeling like i know their life story. it helps to keep them "straight in your head" too because you connect with them as a person instead of "the post op patient" or whatever the case may be. of course, there's a lot more to it than just that.....but for me, just having a casual conversation with the patients themselves brings the picture together better than going on what i get in report and/or what's in the chart.

jkr2020788 · Jun 8, 2012

good post minnymi, i see alot of nurses that spend countless amount of time searching for their patients medical history and story and they flip back in forth in the chart when they have a talking, interactive, real life chart (the patient)that they can get info from.

minnymi · Jun 9, 2012

thanks. maybe it's the social worker in me that comes out lol. i never actually did social work, but i wanted to for a time. i find out so much that's not directly related to the work i do, but it brings the "big picture" together just by talking. for example: the little old lady who is too worried to death about her little dog that's at home alone to care that she's about to die...which explains why she didn't come in sooner....or why she refuses to be admitted. or the man who is having diabetes complications because he's blind as a bat d/t cataracts and living off pop tarts because he can't cook. this man kept asking for an eye doctor so i kept asking more questions about what was going on with his eyes and found out he didn't eat hot meals or cooked food EVER bc he couldn't see! it's amazing the things people will tell you and what you find out.

mjs2118 · Jun 9, 2012

I do find that when I am able to interact with my patients the way I want to, I retain much more information about them. Unfortunately, sometimes time gets in the way of that. Thats why I love admitting people and keeping them for the duration of their stay, I feel like I know them better and whats going on with them. I feel overwhelmed when I get patients that have been there for weeks, and I feel like I have to catch up.

orthonurse55 · Jun 9, 2012

Take a deep breath and give youself time to grow into your new role. Everyone above has given you great advice! I never had a great memory like some of those other nurses - I jusr carried a "cheat sheet" in my pocket at all times. It really helps! Good luck and don't give up!

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2012

It comes with time. Eventually most of the diagnosis/treatments/ orders become routine and you will have gone through similar events/situations so many times that you will excpect certain things to be ordered. and it helps that some of the patients are frequent fliers and you will know their histories better than your own!