First shift with multiple pts

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 29, 2011

and why not? How many patients you talkin about? Before I graduated, we did our leadership clinical for 6 months before graduation and had 4-5 patients all on us. We did all the admission, d/c, calling the MD, everything. And each student was on a different unit(so no classmates around to chat with). We had a preceptor who worked on that floor, and if someone didnt cut it, they didn't graduate and had to repeat the course(you fail clinical).

pockunit, ADN, RN · Jan 29, 2011

Only two and I folded like a cheap suit. I just made up a new brain that I think might really help me, but holy cow. Even with kids, my time management leaves a lot to be desired.

ShantheRN, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2011

The key is organization. It took me several rewrites of my brain before I found something that worked. Now I'm on 5 patients and have few issues with getting overwhelmed. Get it perfected before the patients start piling on :up: It makes such a huge difference.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 29, 2011

What made you fold though? You could ask the nurses on the floor what they do to keep on top of things. I work nights and we usually have 6 pts each, sometimes 5, and rarely 4. But what works for one person may not work for the next. just sit back and think about what makes you get behind

pockunit, ADN, RN · Jan 29, 2011

I think it was a perfect storm. Put me into a crazy situation and I pick up on the crazy, then I have a really hard time dialing it back. There was a shift change I didn't even know about, so my primary disappeared, I had a pt who was waiting way too long for a simple tx that I couldn't do w/o supervision, and it was our first time with two, so I was pretty stressed out to begin with.

I think this brain and a newfound willingness to stop, breathe, and check myself before I act will help a lot. If I get wound up, it doesn't help anyone.

I know I can't get it all done in the time we're on. I have to be okay with that and do what needs to be done vs what I want to be. That's hard because I don't want to put things on the next shift, but hey, it happened to me, so I know it's not unusual.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 29, 2011

what kind of things are getting put off? what all are you guys responsible for now?

pockunit, ADN, RN · Jan 30, 2011

We were doing total care minus IV push. So we could hang IVs, change tubing, do IM/SQ/PO meds, assess, vitals, pass trays, bathe, ambulate, etc.

I think it was too soon into the semester, but maybe it was just me.