A First Assessment

Many of the lessons to be learned really take time, but then there are simple lessons, as well. To me, these are the ones that seem to stand out. Let me tell you about one of the simple lessons I learned along the way!

On my way in for my first day of work, I remember driving into the hospital parking garage, and feeling like the bottom was dropping out of my stomach.

Oh no! There's that terrible nauseous feeling again!

I rode the elevator, walked to my floor, and took a deep breath as I got my assignment and then took a report from the nurse going off duty.

I wondered if I was ready. I shuttered at the prospect of hurting someone and said a little prayer for God to watch over me and my patients. The reality was that as a new graduate and a novice nurse, I was going to have to perform one of my first real assessments on a patient. I did a quick review of the systems in my mind, visualizing how I would approach my patients, introduce myself, take a set of vital signs and then begin my physical assessment.

I steeled myself and walked into the room. My first patient turned out to be a very nice man who cordially conversed with me as I took his vitals. Our conversation was very generic and superficial. We talked about the weather and the nice nurses he had encountered on the floor, and the great care he had gotten so far.

I was taught to work from the head down when assessing the systems, so I knew one of the first things I needed to do was to assess was his neurological status, and to find out whether he was oriented x 3.

With this, I asked him if he knew where he was and he responded appropriately. Well, that was good, I thought! I asked if he knew what day it was and he, again, responded correctly.

All right, two for two.

But, I was unsure if he had just gotten lucky and, perhaps, had merely guessed correctly twice. I asked him my final question: "Can you tell me who the President is?"

Larry Tanner was his response.

I burst into roaring laughter as he looked at me with a smug grin on his face. What he gave me was the name of the president of the hospital we were in! Well, he was right; I didn't ask which President, now did I?

With that, I quickly learned that I needed to be more specific when asking that question next time!