Things you tell newbies

[JBudd]

A fairly new nurse asked for help bagging a body, as she had never had to do that before. On the way in I stopped, grabbed her arm and said "dead bodies make noises!". She just looked at me with a "yeah right, pull the other one". The other nurse solemnly agreed, yes, they make noises. Newbie couldn't quite decide if she believed us or not, when we kept insisting that dead bodies really do make noises!

So as we were turning the poor fellow onto his side, (he was rather large), the air rushed out in a loud "AAUUUUGHHHH".

She froze looked up at us, totally wide eyed and exclaimed "I am SO glad you warned me before!! I didn't believe you!"

So what would you tell a newbie?

[Heinz beans]

Remember to switch off after work (its hard so start early). Don't let nursing interfere with personal life and likewise at work. Make sure you have interests outside of nursing.

[rnbabyzoo]

Work smart and use your CNA, trust your judgement and ask lots of questions

[EileenSHeckler]

Treat everyone nice. Patients and staff. Secretary, cna or patient tech, security, blood bank labs, etc. Being kind doesn't take any more time but leaves everyone with a good impression of you. Then when asking questions, looking for equipment or finding another dept. People more willing to assist. Always say thank you even if they're rude. It helps you stay calm and they look petty!

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

When you are thinking more about food, your bladder, or your colon than you patients, it's time to take a break.

READ YOUR ORDERS before acknowledging them. It's the number one way orders get missed on an EMR!

Spend time with the patient during first assessment and the big med pass at the start of shift. Tell them the plan. Ask them if any of the meds sound "off." Set their expectations for the day re: timing, especially if it's discharge day. Survey the room and see what needs to be done: new tubing, SCDs ordered, chair set up for OOB, thickener at bedside for dysphagia, pillows for turning, heel protectors, wound care supplies, ostomy supplies, sample collection supplies (sputum, urine, stool), check the sharps box for exchange.

If the patient is complaining about his/her IV, CHANGE IT! Non-dominant forearm placement is best if you want it to last four days.

Learn to delegate.

[TeeKay12]

Accept responsibility for your mistakes. Everyone makes them, at some point. If you learn from them, you're doing better than most.

[englishgeek]

Don't ever tell a pt "You're my first (IV stick, foley, whatever)"!

I'm still the months new. Went to a patient's room with an experienced nurse to start her mediport IV, my first. She asked, "Are you learning, or do you know what you're doing?" I looked her in the eye and said, "I know what I'm doing... and I'm learning."

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

Therapeutic communication can do so much to help you solve a problem - with patients, with family, with other units. It will help you quickly figure out if someone is manipulating you or if their situation is unique. Asking open-ended questions like "what happens if brush your teeth now instead of later?" Or "how long have you been living in a spaceship?" Will reveal so much more than refusing to believe what they are telling you.