Re: Better Ending to a bad shift
Ha! I just had my 4 month licensing anniversary! As a new LVN, I am scared of so many things! I know dialysis as a PCT, that's what I did for over 3 years! Learning dialysis as a nurse is so much different. I'm drawing up and giving meds everyday. No narcotics or anything(the strongest thing we have is regular ole Tylenol!) But the drugs are expensive! I almost wasted a syringe of EPO, but the preceptor jumped in and was like "No! Never do that!" then showed me some fancy, MacGyver-way to salvage it, lol. I'm finally getting more comfortable doing it every day.
At the start in my "training", I had so many things to do and learn every day that I went home exhausted and feeling defeated. I thought this would be an easy transition! I was so wrong. Now I have catheters to access and dressings to change, meds to give and pts to assess and charting, charting, charting AND my normal assignment of 4 patients! At first, yes it was crazy and overwhelming and stressful.
I still frequently worry that I will assess lung sounds incorrectly. I will say someone is "clear" but they actually have crackles down there! I'm thinking, "Is that crackles? Or is that my fingers creaking? I can't tell! I can't keep my fingers still enough!" LOL. They keep saying "You'll pick it up in time." I try to get the other nurses to let me know when they hear something so I can listen, too.
Good job on the IV! I know that felt awesome, right? In my opinion, there can be many crappy things that happen during the day. But then something awesome happens and it changes the perspective. Like me, being super-slow drawing up my meds and then giving them and then cleaning my messes up and getting my vitals and taking someone off the machine...Well then, someone calls me to stick a difficult fistula, or maybe a brand new one. I get it done, and do it awesome! That makes the day good.
Nursing News