Essential Nursing Knowledge

[belabelisa]

I really need your help.

I'm about to graduate and feel as if I don't know nearly enough! In school, we are taught SO MUCH and retain SO LITTLE. I feel like my brain has been overloaded with details about disease processes, obscure medications, and such (much of which I don't even remember) and I don't have the essential “down and dirty” nursing knowledge that I will use on a day to day basis. Don't get me wrong, the details that I learned in nursing school will be very useful and will provide me with a strong foundation for nursing decisions but, right now, I just want to make sure I have enough basic knowledge to not kill anyone (and to effectively respond to the common patient problems).

When I get nervous, I make lists. And that's where I'm hoping you can help me. I want to make a list of the absolutely essential knowledge and skills that I need to know to be a somewhat competent graduate nurse. I think it would ease my mind so much to be able to go through and review the things that I absolutely need to know.

So... what are some things that you think fall into the category of essential nursing knowledge? (particularly for a med-surg floor) Which things (technical skills included) will I encounter frequently. Which lab values do I need to make sure I know the meanings of? Which medications do I need to know? Which problems do I absolutely need to know how to respond to? Which diseases processes do I need to understand most?

Thanks so much!

[belabelisa]

Since it's my question, I'll go ahead and respond with some of the things I think are good to know...

Lab Values:

PT, PTT, and INR.

White Blood Cell Count

Platelets

The Cardiac Enzyme Markers

How to respond to:

Decreased O2 Saturation

Hypertensive Crisis

Crazy High or Low Blood Glucose

Respiratory Distress

Signs of MI

Seizures

Aspiration

Fluid Overload

Technical Skills:

IVs and IV Pumps (Of Course)

Dosage Calculations

Trach Care

Central Lines

Feeding Tubes

Drugs:

Digoxin

Morphine (I work on an oncology unit)

Insulin

Potassium

Coumadin and Heparin

Okay - that's a start.