i'm a dumb nurse

[julaybeeba20]

I just realized I'm worse of a nurse then I thought. I just gave report to my boss on two pt.s she's taking over, and one isn't even bathed. He has blood stains on his sheets, wounds all over (which were changed) and smells, I can't even imagine what she thought of my nursing skills. I feel like such an idiot.

[OldNurseEducator]

Don't ever call yourself "dumb". It takes time to learn time management skills. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the patient doesn't look like you spent that much time caring for them. Don't be so hard on yourself.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

don't beat yourself up. i totally 'cheat' to make sure im done on time and not rushed at the end. Lately most of my pts just need sba so they are pretty easy but when i have tons of pts that need 'turned and cares' I start my rounds with my CNA an hour earlier than other nurses typically do. that way we have the last hour to finish are charting do a final check and do those little things that i want. also at our facility the cnas no longer come to report they get report from each other so during nurses report they are suppose to team together to help do those last minute things as well. I utilize your resources and tweak your schedule. NO worries you will get it!

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

I would say 9/10 I try to leave my patient in a nice clean state with a nice clean room. There are the rare exceptions. If a patient is in DIC for example, you can fix them up nice and 5 minutes later they will be a mess again, because you can't stop it. Also, if a patient is coding, etc. You can't expect a neat room them. I take it in perspective. I like a neat room if the nurse has time to provide, but otherwise, I try to be fair. Nursing is a busy job, and if a patient is sick, I'd rather work with nurses who focus on the big items, like low BP, etc.

[julaybeeba20]

i must say i think i did a much better job today than yesterday. i was much more content when i left work and it was such a great feeling. my patients were clean, seemed comfortable, and i was well prepared for report. thank you all for your replies. i know i'm sometimes hard on myself, but it works well for me that way because thats wehn real change takes place :)

[nightengalegoddess]

Don't say you're dumb! Keep saying that and soon you WILL be. Time management is a learned skill, (some come by it naturally)......but they don't teach much time management in nursing school. I am sure, that as long as your patients were stable, this is the most important. We have to prioritize! And it is simply more important that physical stability is present than hygeine! Don't get me wrong! Hygiene is important too! But we are re-prioritizing every five minutes! That is one of the biggest lessons I try to teach my students about when I am handed them at work. Because I remember being given a seven patient assignment for my first day alone and I was bonkers then! OH! If someone had only taught me how often I had to reprioritize! Now, I've got it down. You will too.