Gotta work on my nurse face

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So today we did mock medication administration for the first time with real people, they were actors. We had 5 patients with a variety of different medications to administer. I was doing great. I did pills, half pills, crushed pills, inhalers, patches, subderm injections, subq injections. But then I had to do an IM. I was filling it at the bedside, choosing the syringe size and the needle size, concentrating so hard on making sure to do it all right. And then I took off the cap, looked at the needle and my eyes went big, my mouth dropped and I said "Woah!".

Ooops. Gotta work on my nurse face.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

It will come with time. But remember, there are lots of firsts in nursing, even years after you graduate. There will still be "wow" moments.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

LOL - So True!!! It's great that you have already figured out that this is such an important aspect of any patient interaction. Those of us who work in ICU or with monitored patients can actually see the physical evidence - HR increases when the patient picks up on any disturbing facial expressions or body language from the care providers. Likewise, there is clear evidence that a nurse's "serenity" has a calming effect on the patient.

Jean Watson (nurse theorist- Human Caring) has actually incorporated this into a nursing model of care that is in use at many organizations. It consists of taking time to 'center' yourself prior to engaging in patient care. It is easy to apply in everyday practice. While you are washing your hands prior to taking care of the patient, use that time to reflect on how you are going to approach the patient - focus on him/her and the importance of what is about to happen.

Watson is a bit too 'spiritual' and 'woo woo' for a lot of people, but I found this to be very practical. If you want to explore it, here's a link http://watsoncaringscience.org/files/Cohort%206/watsons-theory-of-human-caring-core-concepts-and-evolution-to-caritas-processes-handout.pdf

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
LOL - So True!!! It's great that you have already figured out that this is such an important aspect of any patient interaction. Those of us who work in ICU or with monitored patients can actually see the physical evidence - HR increases when the patient picks up on any disturbing facial expressions or body language from the care providers. Likewise, there is clear evidence that a nurse's "serenity" has a calming effect on the patient.

Jean Watson (nurse theorist- Human Caring) has actually incorporated this into a nursing model of care that is in use at many organizations. It consists of taking time to 'center' yourself prior to engaging in patient care. It is easy to apply in everyday practice. While you are washing your hands prior to taking care of the patient, use that time to reflect on how you are going to approach the patient - focus on him/her and the importance of what is about to happen.

Watson is a bit too 'spiritual' and 'woo woo' for a lot of people, but I found this to be very practical. If you want to explore it, here's a link http://watsoncaringscience.org/files/Cohort%206/watsons-theory-of-human-caring-core-concepts-and-evolution-to-caritas-processes-handout.pdf

Well said; Benner and Watson can co-exist with this nurse. :nurse:

You will eventually get your "nurse face", especially when you encounter a deep tunneling wound...IM's will be a walk in the park! :laugh:

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Specializes in Primary Care, OR.

Lol!!

I always ask my students, "Do you play poker?"

its the same concept! :angrybird10:

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Well said; Benner and Watson can co-exist with this nurse. :nurse:

You will eventually get your "nurse face", especially when you encounter a deep tunneling wound...IM's will be a walk in the park! :laugh:

Or even a scrotal abcess...:eek:

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LOL - So True!!! It's great that you have already figured out that this is such an important aspect of any patient interaction. Those of us who work in ICU or with monitored patients can actually see the physical evidence - HR increases when the patient picks up on any disturbing facial expressions or body language from the care providers. Likewise, there is clear evidence that a nurse's "serenity" has a calming effect on the patient.

Jean Watson (nurse theorist- Human Caring) has actually incorporated this into a nursing model of care that is in use at many organizations. It consists of taking time to 'center' yourself prior to engaging in patient care. It is easy to apply in everyday practice. While you are washing your hands prior to taking care of the patient, use that time to reflect on how you are going to approach the patient - focus on him/her and the importance of what is about to happen.

Watson is a bit too 'spiritual' and 'woo woo' for a lot of people, but I found this to be very practical. If you want to explore it, here's a link http://watsoncaringscience.org/files/Cohort%206/watsons-theory-of-human-caring-core-concepts-and-evolution-to-caritas-processes-handout.pdf

Thank you. I remember reading about Watson in an intro class but I had nothing tangible to relate it to. I love your advice on centering yourself before seeing patients. Right now I'm still a fumbling mess at 30 days into my J1.

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Well said; Benner and Watson can co-exist with this nurse. :nurse:

You will eventually get your "nurse face", especially when you encounter a deep tunneling wound...IM's will be a walk in the park! :laugh:

I knew you guys would get a kick out of me freaking out about a needle. I found it funny too. There is so much more out there that is freak-out worthy. Thankfully I'm starting off slow.

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Lol!!

I always ask my students, "Do you play poker?"

its the same concept! :angrybird10:

I have never been able to play poker!

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Or even a scrotal abcess...:eek:

I'm afraid I would have said a lot more seeing that! Gonna need to practice.

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.
So today we did mock medication administration for the first time with real people they were actors. We had 5 patients with a variety of different medications to administer. I was doing great. I did pills, half pills, crushed pills, inhalers, patches, subderm injections, subq injections. But then I had to do an IM. I was filling it at the bedside, choosing the syringe size and the needle size, concentrating so hard on making sure to do it all right. And then I took off the cap, looked at the needle and my eyes went big, my mouth dropped and I said "Woah!". Ooops. Gotta work on my nurse face.[/quote']

Lol! I had a similar reaction the first time I pulled the cap off the needle for IM penicillin. And it was not an actor's bum I was aiming at ;)

Patient thankfully had a great sense of humor and was well acquainted with the procedure.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
So today we did mock medication administration for the first time with real people, they were actors. We had 5 patients with a variety of different medications to administer. I was doing great. I did pills, half pills, crushed pills, inhalers, patches, subderm injections, subq injections. But then I had to do an IM. I was filling it at the bedside, choosing the syringe size and the needle size, concentrating so hard on making sure to do it all right. And then I took off the cap, looked at the needle and my eyes went big, my mouth dropped and I said "Woah!".

Ooops. Gotta work on my nurse face.

That one should have had a beverage alert!

The "nurse face" comes with experience. The "nurse mouth" (where you refrain from saying something horribly inappropriate to the patient) sometimes takes a bit longer.

Back in the olden days when CCU nurses staffed the cath lab on the off shifts, one of my colleagues was present when a piece of equipment fell, striking the patient on the face and giving him two impressive black eyes. The first words out of my colleague's mouth: "You're not going to sue, are you?"

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