A message to new grads: NEVER....

[UM Review RN]

* un-spike the old IVF's with 100 mls left in the bag while it's still hanging

* say the word "quiet" in reference to your hopes for the shift

* say you've never had a patient ________ before

* take your stethoscope off till you're in your car and on the way home

* plan on going to that inservice/staff meeting/whatever during your shift

Experienced nurses, share your wisdom. What are some other things that new grads should NEVER do?

[leslie :-D]

NEVER "just follow orders" -- use your head

THAT cannot be emphasized enough.

no longer does your board of nsg accept that as an excuse, that "i was just following the doctors orders".

you need a knowledge base and know when to question;

and yes, doctors do need to be questioned.

[CardioTrans, BSN, RN]

Along the lines of "always"..........

Always open your charts as you do your assessments. That way you dont forget to chart something that you noticed or have done.

Always be the patient advocate.

Always remember that the patient you are taking care of is someones mother, sister, daughter, brother, or father, Not just the GI Bleed in rm 2 or the MI in rm 1

[BSN2004NSU, BSN, RN]

Thanks to all the marinated nurses for these wonderful tips! I am definitely taking notes. I start my first job on 1/18/05.

BSN2004NSU

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Never tell a patient "...because the doctor ordered it." Know why the doctor ordered, and teach the rationale to the patient. :)

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Never say "this won't hurt"!!!!!!!!

Never let parents tell their kids "if you aren't good the nurse will give you a shot!"

Never say "I don't know", always say "I will go find out" or "great question, I will look into that!" or even "I will check that out and get right back to you Doctor, where can you be reached" (that is an important one!!!!! They don't want to hear, I don't know!!!).

Never give excuses for not doing something to a patients satisfaction...like "I was busy with other patients (ohhhh do they get angry at that!)" or "I am a student nurse"...talk about the implementations you will do to correct it! Like "I will speak to your nurse and get right back to you", or "I am sorry I was detained, so please let me know what I can do to help you now". Patients don't want to hear your excuses, they want results...so using language with implementations tends to show that you are interested, care, and are going to do something about it as soon as possible :) (I learned that one the hard way...trust me!).

AND NEVER tell the next shift "I hope it is a quiet shift for you" or "it has been quiet/calm"....oh they will kill you! Never say quiet..it is akin to saying "good luck" to an actor! LOL!!!!! I simply say "good shift to you!". (it is actually my catch phrase at work...LOL! Get teased all the time..LOL!).

[begalli]

Please, NEVER go into work when you are sick.

You're not doing anyone any favors by doing so. They will survive without you.

[LeashRN]

Thank you -

To all the nurses who take the time to help us that are new/students in this wonderful profession/calling. I really do appreciate the time taken here by others to benefit all.

Leash (Alisha) RN student class of Dec 2005

[sharann, BSN, RN]

When a patient says "I feels something wet under my back/legs..." Put on gloves BEFORE you peek under the covers. I promise you won't be sorry you took the time!

[leslie :-D]

and as a new grad, NEVER act like a know-it-all.

i've seen too many new grads that challlenge the seasoned nurses, thinking they know it all from their recent education.

[begalli]

Never try to force a flush using a 60 ml syringe through a NG/feeding/G/J tube stopcock. If it won't flush easily, repeatedly and gently pull back and push forward or you will end up with whatever you're flushing the tube with all over your face, neck, upper chest and arms. (I learned this the hard way early on.)

[crazyearrings]

Never dismiss a parent who says their child is not acting right.

Always trust the opinion of a parent (unless you can prove it wrong), especially for a chronic patient.

Along the same line, never let a physician/charge nurse dismiss your gut feeling that something is not right. As a float nurse, I once had a pt with a head injury in PICU. All night long, I went to my charge nurse and an experienced PI nurse, telling them the child was very agitated, trying to pull out lines, vomited, etc. What can I do? They told me it was normal for a head patient. To make a long story short, the kid coded at 6:30 am, and the charge nurse made a comment to the doctor that he had been showing signs of increased intracranial pressure all night long. The kid had herniated and died within the next 24 hrs. I still wonder if things would have been different if that charge nurse had recognized the increased ICP when I kept asking her what to do about the agitation. We could have gotten a CT scan, called a neurosurgeon, done something! Hindsight is always better than current sight.

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

Never forget to turn the stopcock when changing syringes to access an art line.