How to ask questions...

Specialties Travel

Published

I've been a nurse for three years, having half peds and half med surg.

I'm ready start travel nursing but I'm wondering how you go about brushing up on information that you are unclear on while on assignment. I'm confident in my skills and ability to critically think, but I still like to ask questions when I'm unsure of something. I view asking questions as the foundation of safe care, but it also can paint a negative image of you as "not knowing your stuff".

I know as a travel nurse you are expected to "hit the ground running". What do you do if you are performing a procedure you haven't done in a while or need to brush up on a disease process you haven't seen in a while?

I would ask because the truth is if you DID "know your stuff" in regards to that procedure, you wouldn't have to ask. But that's okay. You can't be expected to know everything. So you ask. One day you won't have to ask how to do it because you'd finally "know your stuff".

NedRN

1 Article; 5,773 Posts

Personally, I respect those who ask questions. It shows professionalism. As a traveler, you will of course have a lot of questions not only about clinical issues (hospital patient populations do vary widely) but even more on practices, pt flow, computers, equipment, and supplies. Best to wait a bit before asking as much of the time the answer will come in context or reflection. Too many "dumb" questions are not good - choose questions wisely.

Dinsey

112 Posts

Specializes in Pediatric Heme/Onc/BMT.

I thought it was helpful to frame it in something like "How do you guys do______?" Or "what is your policy/procedure on ______?"

you can also say "I haven't had as much experience with _____, can you explain ____?"

As a fairly new traveler I find that the staff nurses would rather you ask than that you guess. That being said, know the resources available to you, where to find policies/procedures, their online drug book, etc. I try to make sure I understand something about the context of my question, and ask something specific.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN

3,445 Posts

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

The problem I have had on assignment are nurses that encourage me to ask questions and when I actually do they appear to be frustrated about being asked, as if I am asking a dumb question. I mean seriously, why offer if its going to be an issue? I have learned by now who I can ask and who to avoid.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

NedRN

1 Article; 5,773 Posts

The way not to ask a question is to preface it with a statement like "where I come from we do it this way, why do you do it that way?" These kind of statements are common to new travelers who have only worked at one hospital because they have no idea that there other ways to do things. Very insulting to staff - do consider that they have also may have only worked at one hospital. This is like a house guest criticizing the furnishings!

morningland

341 Posts

I would ask because the truth is if you DID "know your stuff" in regards to that procedure, you wouldn't have to ask. But that's okay. You can't be expected to know everything. So you ask. One day you won't have to ask how to do it because you'd finally "know your stuff".

I passionately disagree with this statements implication with every fiber in my being.

Even if you "know your stuff" it can't be unprudent to brush up on a procedure you haven't preformed in a year?

thats what I'm asking about. Even if I "know" what to do, I'll ask if it feels safe as a refresher.

This is is in reference to. "Hey, I havent done an ng in a while. It's tilt the head forward, measure from nose to xyphoid, swallow while inserting right". Stuff like that, not something like "my patients sugar is 40, what do I do"

Can an someone offer some helpful apps that you might use as an information reference

Susie2310

2,121 Posts

I passionately disagree with this statements implication with every fiber in my being.

Even if you "know your stuff" it can't be unprudent to brush up on a procedure you haven't preformed in a year?

thats what I'm asking about. Even if I "know" what to do, I'll ask if it feels safe as a refresher.

This is is in reference to. "Hey, I havent done an ng in a while. It's tilt the head forward, measure from nose to xyphoid, swallow while inserting right". Stuff like that, not something like "my patients sugar is 40, what do I do"

Can an someone offer some helpful apps that you might use as an information reference

It's not imprudent to brush up on skills/procedures you haven't performed in a year, and you should do this on your own time. As nurses we are responsible for being clinically competent to perform nursing skills/procedures that are within our scope of practice in the area that we work. If you will be working in an area that will require you to be clinically competent at inserting NG tubes, and are unsure of how to perform this basic procedure, the onus is on you to review the procedure on your own time so that you are competent to perform the procedure.

To be honest, I believe it would be beneficial to gain more experience in nursing before considering traveling, both for your patients sakes and for yourself. One and a half years in peds and one and a half years in med-surg is not a lot of experience.

NedRN

1 Article; 5,773 Posts

Sure, if you know ahead of time! But there are a lot of tasks and one of the things about travel is there is always something new. Getting a hands on in-service is better than a book.

And perhaps surprisingly for those reading my posts about getting more experience before travel, I think 3 years is fine here. There may be some competitive issues for assignments until some travel experience, but not skills for the confident nurse.

MsConstrued

79 Posts

Oddly enough before leaving my last assignment, one of the most seasoned staff nurses there said "I really enjoyed working together, you're one of the only agency nurses I've seen who never says "I don't know how to do that". Which I found funny, because as a 2 year RN who has never technically worked MS, I ask questions ALL DAY LONG. But so far everyone has been so nice and helpful that it never comes across as a bother. I'm sure this also has to do with the fact that I am the first to offer help with things that are a no-brainer like: ordering lunch, coffee runs, turning patients, toileting people, charting I&O's, doing paperwork I'm comfortable with, etc.

Morningland, but if you knew then you wouldn't need a refresher. You'd just do it. The reality is that you're unsure or can't remember which isn't a BAD thing. I think sometimes nurses act like they know everything but it's the same issue doctors run into when they develop that God complex and can't take any threat to their validity. You don't know everything and so asking is how you learn. No biggie. maybe next time when that procedure arises you can demonstarate your knowledge by doing it without asking for help. :)

I passionately disagree with this statements implication with every fiber in my being.

Even if you "know your stuff" it can't be unprudent to brush up on a procedure you haven't preformed in a year?

thats what I'm asking about. Even if I "know" what to do, I'll ask if it feels safe as a refresher.

This is is in reference to. "Hey, I havent done an ng in a while. It's tilt the head forward, measure from nose to xyphoid, swallow while inserting right". Stuff like that, not something like "my patients sugar is 40, what do I do"

Can an someone offer some helpful apps that you might use as an information reference

sizzlev

17 Posts

i'm on my first assignment now and having this same problem. I came from a harder/bigger hospital but am having a tough time with the staff. I have had a lot of questions because so many things are different like policies, procedures, medications, and general culture of doing everything vs. calling for comfort care. So, with all my questions they question my skills and where I came from. It drives me nuts because I am a good nurse but I feel like a portion of the staff question my abilities.

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