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Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2005

What are care plans??? Yikes, that's kind of hard to put into words. Basically, it's what you are doing for the patient from a nursing standpoint. It needs to be individualized and research or evidenced-based.

For students care plans are tedious and time consuming but a good way to learn how to treat your patient based on your assessment.

I know that doesn't begin to clear it up for you, so hopefully someone will explain it better than I.

The qualities that go into making a good nurse are many, but I would think that empathy is right up there. Putting all judgements aside and taking care of the patient as you would want yourself and your family cared for, actually trying to feel what the patient is feeling.

That and good old common sense.

p.s. Don't call yourself "lowly" we all were there once. :)

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 15, 2005

Could anyone fill me in on what care plans are?
Well hopefully this will be the start of a very informative thread. Please post questions!

Care Plans: A document which outlines a plan of care for the patient/client. It is created upon admission and continues until discharge or death of the patient.

This plan changes often. Daily, hourly, minute-by-minute..........Others should be able to view a care plan and locate all the information needed to provide the utmost care for the patient/client.

This is but a brief definition and not at all what is involved in the creation of a care plan. Remember, it is individualized for every patient/client.

Go to http://www.careplans.com

http://www.nursesintraining.8m.com and click on Care Plans for a little more info.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2005

A great idea that has been addressed by our sponsors at allnurses. See nursing student assistance forum. You should find lots of jewels there.

Student_Nurse_WV · Aug 15, 2005

Thank you all for the information. :)

momgrad5/07 · Aug 16, 2005

O.K., from a "pre-nursing" student a lot of questions come to mind. Here are just a few that I have. :rolleyes:

Are nursing drug calculations hard?

Do you always remember EVERY part of the anatomy?

Do you have a "most embarrassing moment" to share?

Do you ever just want to give up?

What keeps you inspired to move on to the next level?

Thanks,

Cindy

Student_Nurse_WV · Aug 16, 2005

Thanks for asking questions Cindy! Hopefully an experienced nurse can answer them for us. :)

ruthiebaby88 · Aug 16, 2005

a good nurse - someone who realizes that they don't know everything and uses the resources available to them to find the best answers for their patients. beware of people who seem to know everything because they might just be very confident about giving you their best guess. there are books scattered around the unit for a reason, it's not possible to memorize every ill and therapy out there - use books -

a good nurse - is not always 'ok' and sometimes needs help if they have a difficult patient load - they sometimes get overtime because they spend more time caring for their patients

a good nurse - listens and tries to resolve problems without being confrontational - tries to find the best solutions for problems taking care of the patients but also caring for their coworkers (helps other nurses and doctors, even if its not their job)

a good nurse - teaches

care plans = gateway to the hellish land of paperwork - perhaps a good exercise when you are a student as it helps you coordinate your thoughts on how to deal with people's various problems - in the workplace it's generally one of those forms which you are required to fill out and sign in order to satisfy regulatory agencies although no one ever even glances at it - so it's basically just something to keep you looking busy?

basically it's a list of a patients problems - what you plan to do about them - why you plan to do that - and the measured outcome and response to the outcome

some drug calculations can be tricky but most are not - so if you are confronted with a tricky one be sure to check it with a coworker or the pharmacist - and don't give them your answer or they might rush and make the same mistake to arrive at the same answer - pediatrics and icu tend to have more tricky calcs

i never remember every part of the human anatomy - even in school i only remembered the parts that were on the following days exam - even when talking to patients i usually try to use words that they are more likely to understand and relate to than pulling out a lot of latin mumbo jumbo - i think it's more important to remember how the parts work than what their names are - you probably have a pretty good understanding of the basic ones already - and if you ever really needed to know a term certainly there would be a resource around available for you

my most embarrassing moment was when i was dancing on a stage and my pants split down the back - oh you meant a nursing moment oops...

yes sometimes nursing you can have some very very bad days - but all together it's not a bad job and it can give you the opportunity to travel all over the world and to experience the extremes of human existance

it is easy to be inspired about nursing because everything you do matters - i get inspired to be a better nurse by remembering it could be my family member in that bed - and i get inspired to work by dreaming of vacation - but now that i'm on vacation i can't wait to get to work and feel like i'm doing something important again!

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Aug 16, 2005

Are nursing drug calculations hard? A little till you get the basic consept down and then you can apply it to many situations.

Do you always remember EVERY part of the anatomy? Nope! But you remember the main concept of the anatomy you're working with and the physiology of it.

Do you have a "most embarrassing moment" to share? My first patient in the nursing home had dementia and really didn't like me very much. One day I came in to take her blood pressure, trying every way to be nice about it, and she punched me twice, called me a bull dog, threatened to call the police many times, and then called me a white B@#ch lol. I felt really bad though weeks later when I came in and she started deteriorating and wasn't able to talk anymore. It was a sad thing.

Do you ever just want to give up? Nope, I've put my three kids and husband through all this school, no way am I quitting now.

What keeps you inspired to move on to the next level? My kids seeing what I've accomplished and using that to motivate themselves to persue higher education. Also my husband cause he works 2 jobs right now so I can go to school and not work. After I start working he won't have to work so hard and I really want to give that to him. And I want to show my parents that their daughter can become a college graduate (no one ever thought I would achieve this!)

sddlnscp · Aug 16, 2005

OK, I already partway know the answer to this, but, as far as bedside practice, what really are the differences between a RN and a NP? I am looking into becoming a Neonatal NP somewhere down the road (at least, that is my current goal and I highly doubt it likely to change) and I'm curious as to what I will be doing once I become an RN and what I will be doing differently once I become a NP? I know this question has been asked in various forms before, but it seems like every time it is answered, there is another piece of the puzzle included, so if you would be so kind as to oblige? Please?

Also, do FNPs ever get hired in a Neonatal unit (I've heard there's more demand for FNPs although my heart is really set on NICU and I would prefer NNP if it won't limit me out of a job) or would I (in your opinion, of course) be ok and have a good chance at landing a job as a NNP? I have already had one person respond to this question (about a hospital close by needing NNPs) for me, but I am interested in everybody's opinion because, as we all know, answers vary widely from state to state.

Thanks so much everybody!!! And, thanks Student Nurse WV for starting this awesome thread! :)

Student_Nurse_WV · Aug 16, 2005

OK, I already partway know the answer to this, but, as far as bedside practice, what really are the differences between a RN and a NP? I am looking into becoming a Neonatal NP somewhere down the road (at least, that is my current goal and I highly doubt it likely to change) and I'm curious as to what I will be doing once I become an RN and what I will be doing differently once I become a NP? I know this question has been asked in various forms before, but it seems like every time it is answered, there is another piece of the puzzle included, so if you would be so kind as to oblige? Please?
Also, do FNPs ever get hired in a Neonatal unit (I've heard there's more demand for FNPs although my heart is really set on NICU and I would prefer NNP if it won't limit me out of a job) or would I (in your opinion, of course) be ok and have a good chance at landing a job as a NNP? I have already had one person respond to this question (about a hospital close by needing NNPs) for me, but I am interested in everybody's opinion because, as we all know, answers vary widely from state to state.
Thanks so much everybody!!! And, thanks Student Nurse WV for starting this awesome thread! :)

No problem. I think most nursing students have questions! I really hope someone can answer your questions about NP.

I have to thank everyone for really awesome questions and answers. Please keep both coming!!

I went to the student assistance forum as suggested by a previous poster but it said it was mostly for help on actual homework assignments (at least that was the gist of the forum I got). Hopefully this can be career advice that we keep very active or can be turned into a sticky.

And some more questions:

What type of stethoscope do students usually get?

What is the hardest part of your nursing career?

What is the most rewarding part?

How did you know nursing was for you?

Thanks for the excellent answers, please keep them coming :nurse:

momgrad5/07 · Aug 16, 2005

Since we're still asking. If there is a particular area of nursing that you want to be in (or specialize in), i.e., OR, ICU, CCU, MICU (what I would love to do), ER, do you need to be "certified" in that particular field? Does this give you more money? How do you go about doing it - more school?

Thanks Again,

Cindy

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