i'm a dumb nurse

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2011

It doesn't mean you are dumb. Perhaps you have poor time management skills, or maybe the fault lies with a too heavy assignment. If you've been given too many patients, I don't care how smart or accomplished you are, somewhere the care is not going to be up to snuff.

I'd discuss with your NM which of these things is the problem and work to find a solution to them.

Turd Ferguson · Feb 2, 2011

*crickets*

Miller86 · Feb 2, 2011

Don't call yourself dumb. Just take this as a learning experience. Look up time management skills, maybe write a sheet of "to do" list on all your patients and cross them off as the day goes on. I always double check everything I do, and try to get all my baths done in the morning before/after first break. Before your shift ends, always check the state of your patient before handing them off to the oncoming staff. It helps me when I do this and if anything is missed and there's no time or a good reason it wasn't done I let the nurse coming on know.

Best of luck!

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2011

I try to never leave my pts that way. last week i had a similar situation and i grabbed a day aide and i did most of the work but had her help where it was necessary to leave her with a fair start to her shift. sometimes that happens but if its a 10 minute 'fix' then i try to remedy the problem, there is nothing that makes me angrier than a nurse in report that says "i think the wafer on the colostomy is failing so you might have to change it tonight" and i go in right after report to find the pt covered in**** that had obviously been there awhile. It takes 5 minutes to change a wafer, it takes much longer to clean up the mess of a failed one that was ignored. Just my advice. even though it sucks to stay a few minutes late...people usually appreciate it. I don't try to make things perfect, just make sure they are starting with a 'fair' load.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2011

I try to never leave my pts that way. last week i had a similar situation and i grabbed a day aide and i did most of the work but had her help where it was necessary to leave her with a fair start to her shift. sometimes that happens but if its a 10 minute 'fix' then i try to remedy the problem, there is nothing that makes me angrier than a nurse in report that says "i think the wafer on the colostomy is failing so you might have to change it tonight" and i go in right after report to find the pt covered in **** that had obviously been there awhile. It takes 5 minutes to change a wafer, it takes much longer to clean up the mess of a failed one that was ignored. Just my advice. even though it sucks to stay a few minutes late...people usually appreciate it. I don't try to make things perfect, just make sure they are starting with a 'fair' load.

This is the best advice that I have seen in a while! Kudos to you Evo!

ckh23, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2011

Nursing is a team effort and it is 24/7. Sometimes things happen and you can't have everything wrapped up in a nice little package for the next shift, and the same can be said when coming on to a shift. It's one thing not to get to something like bathing or changing sheets and pass it on to the next shift if your other patient is going down the toilet. We can't dictate at what times certain things happen, but more often then not it feels like that happen right around shift change.

As the on coming nurse I really wouldn't have an issue with it unless it happened a couple hours into your shift and the patient sat like that all day. Also it would be more of an issue if you develop a reputation for doing things like that, and you do NOT want to be labeled as one of those people.

Nurse0621 · Feb 2, 2011

I always leave my patients in a state that I like finding them in. Brief changed, boosted in the bed and toileted ready for the next shift so they have a good start. I would say time management is a big issue, but there's really no excuse to leave patients like that, even if you have to stay a bit past your shift to fix them up. Try starting your patient rounds earlier and get time management advice from other nurses.

julaybeeba20 · Feb 3, 2011

i agree, i have absolutely no excuse, i feel totally embarrassed that i even did that, and belive me i'm usually good at having my sheets all changed and tidey and the pt looking fresh for the morning even if its just a simple tuck and change here and there. i guess this is a lesson to me to manage my time better, Ive only been a nurse for 5 months, and although its not an excuse, i have a long way to go. but i assure you with the way i felt driving home, i don't ever plan on that ever happening again, unless my pt was crashing or something and i had absolutely no other options.

Nurse0621 · Feb 3, 2011

I'm a new nurse too, 8 months. And I know how how you feel. Just for next time you work, try maybe to go in early and try to plan your day/night out how you want to go. I know that things happen sometimes that you don't feel proud of. We have all been there. Continue to hold your head high and know that your a good, caring nurse. I've seen patients left in horrid messes and it is always after the patient had a particular nurse. I swore i would never do that to my patients. But critical patients/situations trump any brief/sheet change. Just manage your time well and know your priorities and you'll be just fine :)

Malefocker, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2011

I think that the simple fact that you were willing to share this store with your "family" (community of nurses and students and hopeful students) shows that you obviously care and are constantly searching for ways to improve yourself. I agree with the other posts keep your head high learn from your mistakes

FIREMEDIC-CCRN · Feb 3, 2011

Big Deal, is it really that important? Was your patient stable? Was your patient alive and progressing when you handed care over at shift change? Did they get all of their meds? It amazes me to see nurses who get so wrapped up in dirty sheets and hygiene but fail to trend vital signs and other important events. From my experience I have never had a patient die from a bloody sheet or from body odor. Don't be so hard on yourself, you are going to make thousands of mistakes, and you are going to learn from mistakes. Mistakes are unavoidable, and they are the things that make life worth living. Embrace your failures and mistakes, they are wonderful teaching tools and moments.