Advice on going from one patient to two

[ARnursingstudent]

Next week, we start going from one patient to two. I'm in my 3rd semester of a small ADN program with no medical background (e.g. I have never worked as a tech or such). And so far, I really haven't had a chance to do many skills either -- just lack of opportunity with the patients I have had. Soooo...I'm feeling a little nervous going from 1 to 2 patients next week and am looking for any advice.

Here's things I'm doing to prepare: editing my clinical notes/forms (how I compile and keep up on information), going over some basic skills like injections and catheter insertion (mostly watching videos and finding little cheat sheets I can carry in my pocket to look up right before doing a skill).

I won't have to do a med pass for a while, so unless my teacher happens to be around when there is a med, she will mostly be with others for 9 am med pass.

Any other thoughts?

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

its not really so bad.. we had 2 patients by the end of first semester. im in the middle of third and sometimes have 3.

you will get into a routine and it will be second nature. just assess which of your patients needs more care and plan your care accordingly. if you are starting out with no meds it will be an easier transition. go in, get your vitals on both introduce yourself and do a quick assessment. look up any labs/pertinent information you will need. usually when im done doing that breakfast comes up. set your pts up with their food and feed them if need be. when they are done do their am cares. if you have two full assists, you may need to call upon the CNA or another student for help, but thats okay-- dont let yourself fall behind and get overwhelmed-- if you need the help, just ask for it.. after all if you werent there the CNA would be doing both your patients plus the rest of the hallway, they are usually very fast and proficient and know how to get the job done, and from my experience are never mad if i ask them for some help. after that i usually just finish my research and answer any call bells, checking on my pts at least every hour. (if your school makes you do research the night before, even easier.. but im not really sure what id do with my time then, other than helping out the nurses/cnas and stalking call lights.)

when i am doing meds, i usually look up my meds while they are eating breakfast (if they eat by themselves) or right after and save the am cares for after 9am med pass. you will get a feel for how you need to manage your time when you see your patients.

i like having multiple pts at once, i feel more productive and a lot less bored. good luck!

[ARnursingstudent]

Thanks for the feedback! I can kind of get a sense of how my morning will go -- on Monday we have no idea what we will have and on Wednesday when we return, sometimes it's the same patients but sometimes not if they have been discharged.

[virgo,student nurse, CNA]

Work on time management, and you should be fine.