Simple things new nurses or experiece nurses are not doing?

100.5 or greater at my facility.

My #1 pet peeve are sloppy IV's. Coming in to assess a patient and seeing their line has gone dry due to the nurse priming a line with a 1000cc bag, and then putting that the bag has 1000cc to be infused in the pump makes me want to pull my eyelashes out . Also, leaving an open IV tubing dragging on the floor is so careless! I don't mind cleaning up other stuff from the previous shift, but for some reason wasting IV tubing and setting up the patient for injury by being so careless annoys me to no end!

Iv site care, cath care, IS use, dangling for post op pts. prior to getting OOB, proper use of Ted hose, skin checks for less mobile patients, bowel and bladder checks, these are all issues for new nurses. I hate to ask if a patient has resumed regular bladder/bowel regieme only to have the other nurse look like a deer caught in the headlights. One male nurse told me I was the only nurse male or female, who ever made sure the patient was getting back to normal within 48 hours of surgery. That was meant as a compliment, but it was sad for me to realize most of my fellow workers were ignoring a real potential problem.

What I dont like is some of the Er nurses at my facility on dayshift will only secure an Iv with a tegaderm and no tape, hello thats really going to work on a peds patient whos trying to pull it out!

How about when a UA is ordered but it keeps getting passed along and the patient has a foley cath. I also enjoy when we receive how many cc's of output they had the previous shift and when I enter the room their is no sign of a hat and the patient has no idea what I am talking about.

Both nurses needs to assess. Just asking for permission, giving privacy and make the assessment. I have found many surprises when I pull back the covers and found distended abdomines, distended bladders or my favorite the chest tube was found dislodged. I could go on.

I go balistic when a patient has a NG tube that is only secured with tegaderm. #$#%####.

I had a clinical instructor who taught me to put in "950" or something in that ballpark for the pump so that it would alert someone before the bag went dry.

I can't tell you how many nurses and other instructors have looked at me like I have 3 heads when I've asked if I should do that since that time when I was being observed. To me, even as a student, it just makes SUCH good sense! I had one patient during my preceptorship recently who's bag and tubing was almost totally dry by the time we got to his room!!

"Simple things" is precisely the point, IMO. I think a lot of really useful, basic nursing care gets lost in all the details associated with modern health care. It does not matter how precise your monitoring is, or how technologically advanced - if you're not also ensuring that the patient has regular bowel movements, is monitored for skin breakdown, has accurate I & Os, etc - it's all for naught. I'm not sure who imprinted this on me, perhaps my experience in long-term care, but I tend to focus on basics first. The rest comes after, and is often enhanced by attention to these areas.

I am not a med-surg nurse (hopefully will be soon). Just thought I'd add my opinion.

Transferring patients with urine collection bag on the BED!!! Even worse, leaving it sitting there. I have seen CNA's, EMT's, and Nurses do this. It seems so basic to know better, yet it happens all the time.