Help, Any advice and helpful hints for a first job as Assistant in nursing?

[aussie_AIN]

Hi, I finished my course in Aged Care the end of last year and am a qualified Assistant in Nursing. I haven't done any work in aged care since finishing the course, as I had up until now still been working as a manager in fast food. Im studying to become an EN, got a job in aged care now, and have my second shift coming up. I was abit slow on my first day as I hadnt done any nursing for a few months and would really appreciate any advice or helpful hints to get off to a good start in my nursing career.

[ceridwyn]

NUMBER 1 best advice:

Do not see your patients/residents/clients/consumers as a bunch of symptoms and pathology results. ahhhh gets me everytime. Yes time is valuable, but just talking to them for 5 minutes can be worth more than a bunch of pathology and pills, Nursing in Australia is of the highest profession in integrity, care, etc etc and all those words by the population. People trust and like to have a good reppore with their nurse and often telll them things they have not told the doctors.

The only complaints of nurses do you hear is that they ""flit in and flit out, take this take that, do this do that"" 'do they see me as a person not a job?" please take note nurses from some overseas countries, seems to be lacking at times. In Australia it is wholistic care, that means, talking, communicating when you care for someone.

NUMBER 2 Advice: Look at your patients, are they happy, sad, in pain, perplexed, look worried. Then you know without asking, how they feel and you can relate quickly and care more efficiently. If I see one more nurse ask a patient if they are in pain, and the patient has their face all screwed up, crying, I will scream. As well as the patient.

1. See patients as a person first, spend time with people, even if a med is due now with someone else, spending 5 minutes with a patient to talk to them, how they are going, is just as important.

Wholistic care, thats the key word. Be approachable, talk, let the relatives know they are important as well and you will get all the reward you want as a nurse. As well as the money, which is good here in Australia, especially Victoria. ...and yes I am university educated.

and as for getting quick and efficient at gaining all these skills.....practise makes perfect.

Have fun, enjoy and good luck.