Five questions for nurses to answer for a nursing sutdent

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Hi I am nursing student currently. I have an assignment of interviewing an experienced nurse and asking the following questions. If you have the time, would you please answer one two or all of them thanks!

6. Are you involved in a professional organization, and if so, how has it helped with your career?

7. A registered nurse is responsible for her assigned patients' care until the next shift's nurse arrives to relieve her and receive report. If the next shift's nurse does not arrive, who takes over the care of these patients? Is the charge nurse responsible? Does the first nurse stay until the patients are reassigned?

8. A few times I have seen patient identification bands on the bedside table or pinned up on the wall of a patient's room. Is this an acceptable form of identification for medication and treatment administration, especially for the patient who is unable to communicate?

9. What are the most common mistakes you witness new nurses make and is there any advice on how to avoid them?

10. We have heard that the more experienced nurses can be abrasive and less than helpful to new graduate nurses transitioning into the profession. How would you recommend junior nurses prepare to mitigate conflicts that might periodically arise?

11. How do you train a Nurse graduate for an OR position? How long is the orientation and probationary period? If the orientation period is not enough for that nurse graduate, does the hospital have a grace period or extended period to train that nurse to function on her own?

Thanks again!

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Specializes in Oncology.

Normal I was told interview questions like this was not allowed on the boards so it might get taken down so I will answer a few gonna read them again

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Specializes in Oncology.

Gonna answer 8 and 9

8 no this is not acceptable form of Id on a patient definitely notnon a patient unable to communicate with you.

9 biggest mistake I my self seen and done was giving insulin such as lantus or a interemedit acting insulin that is not on slidi g s ale before the patient's blood sugar was check always always make sure you have a blood sugar before you give lantus or interemedit acting insuling with out sliding scale

:twocents:

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

6. Are you involved in a professional organization, and if so, how has it helped with your career?

Nope, not a one.

7. A registered nurse is responsible for her assigned patients' care until the next shift's nurse arrives to relieve her and receive report. If the next shift's nurse does not arrive, who takes over the care of these patients? Is the charge nurse responsible? Does the first nurse stay until the patients are reassigned?

The nurse stays until her patients are reassigned and she has given report on them. Sometimes the next shift's charge will take report or ask her to write/tape report so the charge can give report to the other nurses. She MUST stay until SOMEONE agrees to take ALL of her patients.

8. A few times I have seen patient identification bands on the bedside table or pinned up on the wall of a patient's room. Is this an acceptable form of identification for medication and treatment administration, especially for the patient who is unable to communicate?

No. It must be ON the patient.

9. What are the most common mistakes you witness new nurses make and is there any advice on how to avoid them?

Culture shock. Nursing schools "fantasy land scenarios" vs real life. Listen and watch when you're being oriented. ASK NICELY when you see something that doesn't jibe with what you've been taught.

10. We have heard that the more experienced nurses can be abrasive and less than helpful to new graduate nurses transitioning into the profession. How would you recommend junior nurses prepare to mitigate conflicts that might periodically arise?

Again, ASK NICELY. Do NOT start spouting that you learned this and you were taught that and that your co-nurses are doing things wrong. Try as hard as you can to learn, but always ask if you don't know.

11. How do you train a Nurse graduate for an OR position? How long is the orientation and probationary period? If the orientation period is not enough for that nurse graduate, does the hospital have a grace period or extended period to train that nurse to function on her own?

I don't know about OR positions.

Generally we would orient a nurse on the floor for six to twelve weeks, depending. The hospital would give an extended period to nurses who genuinely wanted to try, but weren't "getting it". They would have a smaller patient load, and check in with the nurse manager at least once a week to check their progress.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Might want to ad that it is not on she/her also male nurses work on the floor

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Spika Rn and Karosnowqueen Thanks for answering - appreciate it!

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Specializes in ED.

6. Are you involved in a professional organization, and if so, how has it helped with your career?

(DC) No, but then I have only been a nurse for 2 months. I plan on joining the ANA along with my state org, and ENA (Emergency Nurses Association).

7. A registered nurse is responsible for her assigned patients' care until the next shift's nurse arrives to relieve her and receive report. If the next shift's nurse does not arrive, who takes over the care of these patients? Is the charge nurse responsible? Does the first nurse stay until the patients are reassigned?

(DC) The charge nurse has the option of taking the patients, if s/he has time. But we are usually a pretty busy ED. No RN leaves until somebody replaces him or her.

8. A few times I have seen patient identification bands on the bedside table or pinned up on the wall of a patient's room. Is this an acceptable form of identification for medication and treatment administration, especially for the patient who is unable to communicate?

(DC) Never - we don't have a burn unit, and that is the only reason I can think of in which it might be reasonable. If a band can't be put on the wrist, it is put elsewhere. If it has to be cut to place an IV, a new one is put on right away.

9. What are the most common mistakes you witness new nurses make and is there any advice on how to avoid them?

(DC) Focusing on individual skills and not catching the big picture. Sometimes causes the missing of a secondary issue with the patient, and often slows down total patient care. In my opinion, the advice is close mentorship. The mentor / preceptor needs to let the nurse do their job, then offer helpful advice, as opposed to either just letting the new nurse completely alone, or getting in there and doing it for the new nurse.

10. We have heard that the more experienced nurses can be abrasive and less than helpful to new graduate nurses transitioning into the profession. How would you recommend junior nurses prepare to mitigate conflicts that might periodically arise?

(DC) Listen to those older, crankier nurses, politely. Thank them for the helpful information, then move on. It doesn't help anything to snarl back, talk about them behind their backs, cower in front of them, etc. Just take what good you can from them, ignore the rest, and get back to work.

Thanks again!

NP - use what you can and ignore the rest :)

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Specializes in Dementia.

I'm confused. How would giving insulin w/o a blood sugar measurement benefit anybody... and how would that be documented?

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Specializes in Oncology.
I'm confused. How would giving insulin w/o a blood sugar measurement benefit anybody... and how would that be documented?

In my hospital insulin in particular lantus does not require a glucose check because it is long acting over 24 hours with no peak, thinking about it they still should have to put in a glucose when charting it in the compute, thanks NsugBuga I am going to bring that up to our computer people, but like I said it was a new nurse mistake I will never do it again

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Specializes in ICU, Home Health, Camp, Travel, L&D.

6. are you involved in a professional organization, and if so, how has it helped with your career? awhonn, acnm, cfm, mana and it's invaluable for networking and evidence based practice updates and educational opportunities. looks great on a resume, but that's probably the least of it.

7. a registered nurse is responsible for her assigned patients' care until the next shift's nurse arrives to relieve her and receive report. if the next shift's nurse does not arrive, who takes over the care of these patients? is the charge nurse responsible? does the first nurse stay until the patients are reassigned? depends. sometimes these pts can be divvied up between the nurses that actually showed up, sometimes the charge gets them, sometimes the offgoing nurse just doesn't offgo (ha-ha) until a kind-hearted soul who didn't screen her calls agrees to come in.

8. a few times i have seen patient identification bands on the bedside table or pinned up on the wall of a patient's room. is this an acceptable form of identification for medication and treatment administration, especially for the patient who is unable to communicate? no, this isn't best practice.

9. what are the most common mistakes you witness new nurses make and is there any advice on how to avoid them? 1. either thinking they know everything or being too afraid to ask questions...sometimes difficult to tell which is going on, at first. 2. med or procedure errors because they were distracted by the crap on the unit. helpful, i think, to make a list and take a few minutes to get your head on straight. a few minutes late giving the correct med instead of ontime with the wrong one is probably the way to go.

10. we have heard that the more experienced nurses can be abrasive and less than helpful to new graduate nurses transitioning into the profession. how would you recommend junior nurses prepare to mitigate conflicts that might periodically arise? show your passion and dedication to doing your very best. i'll take you under my wing any day, if you aren't a whiner and don't already know it all.

11. how do you train a nurse graduate for an or position? how long is the orientation and probationary period? if the orientation period is not enough for that nurse graduate, does the hospital have a grace period or extended period to train that nurse to function on her own? ok--not or, here, but our l&d newbies (0 experience) get almost a year's orientation to labor. no kidding. i sure hope you don't need more than that!

thanks again!

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