I just want to be a great nurse...

[KansasFNP]

I am a Practical Nurse that is currently in my second semester of an ADN program and am speculated to complete my RN in November of this year. I love nursing and really see it as a lifestyle instead of a "job." For me, it is truly a vocation, a calling into a field that has a higher purpose. All too often, you are the surrogate child, parent, sibling, and/or friend for individuals without someone to lean on during some of their most stressful times.

We have the opportunity to be a part of the most intimate moments of peoples lives. We witness a persons first breath and their last. We are freely invited into the inner circle of a family mourning for the loss of a loved one, and shed a light at the end of a dark tunnel for someone newly diagnosed with a chronic illness. You are the nurse at work, at home, at the grocery store. The neighbor that calls you at 3 in the morning with a child who is febrile trusts one of their most precious possessions to your knowledge base.

The daughter of an elderly parent sleeps better at night knowing that her mother is safe under the ever watchful eye of a licensed nurse. It is an honor and a grand responsibility.

I don't just want to be a nurse. I want to be a great nurse. I want to be the nurse on the unit that has the trust and respect of the staff and doctors. The nurse that the Charge knows can manage a difficult or complex patient. The nurse that doesn't blink or doubt his assessment of a patient and subsequent interventions. For all of you nurses who have lived in the trenches, I say not only thank you, but that I truly admire your skills and dedication.

Please offer some advice to a green nurse on how to become a truly astounding nurse and not just a "its-good-enough" nurse. Any resources, advice, and words of encouragement are welcome. We are so blessed to see things that many of our fellow man could never even imagine. Thanks all!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I think it is wonderful that you have set your standards and ideals so high. We need more people like you in the nursing profession because it seems as if you're willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Even though I wasn't "called" to this profession, I simply wanted to thank you for putting your very best into your nursing care. I believe that I would feel very reassured if one of my loved ones was being taken care of by you.

[LouisVRN, RN]

I feel that my charge nurses and the staff nurses I work with feel that way about me, unfortunately working nights don't see management much, but I'm always the one they volunteer to do committees, precepet, I was elected to represent my floor on our shared governance committee. Its honestly not big things that I do that I feel sets me apart. Its offering a helping hand, in nursing there should never be free time. If I have done everything i can for my patients I go around offering to help other nurses and the charge nurse. I dont care what it is, I will address thank you cards, update whiteboards, take out trash, get blankets, juice, restock cupboard, do patient education. One of the biggest things I can say is never think anything is below you, it all needs to be done. I may have a bachelors degree but I still wipe butts and take out trash, clean the floors and talk to my patients. Second, never be afraid to call a doctor, they can be rude/intimidating but never forget your patient at 2am when they are rating their pain 10/10, expects you to be their voice. Don't forget patients don't know the options we have available. I cant tell you how much it has meant to nauseated patients to get their potassium replacements changed from PO to IV, or about calling ahead of time to get IV pain medication when I know a patient will be NPO so they dont have to wait. Make sure the room is set up prior to change of shift, pt has fresh water, empty urinal/hat, full IV bag, pain medication, tissues, emesis basin, gloves are in the room, put fresh towels, gown, linen in the room. Never be hesitant to ask your patient what makes them more comfortable. Sometimes it will be trying to squeek in time for a walk at 2am, disconnecting someone for a shower at 3am, and watching a funny infomercial with someone at 4. My only warning is don't let trying to be a nurse in shining armor get in the way of your job, as they say the road to hell is paved in good intentions. First and foremost, assess your patients and document EVERYTHING you do. Everytime you see your patient breathe, document it.

Best of luck to you!!

[greenfiremajick]

I feel that my charge nurses and the staff nurses I work with feel that way about me, unfortunately working nights don't see management much, but I'm always the one they volunteer to do committees, precepet, I was elected to represent my floor on our shared governance committee. Its honestly not big things that I do that I feel sets me apart.

And humble, too...................

Just kidding! I bet you ARE an awesome nurse...Just teasing about the humble part.....

[Phlavyah]

you have very admirable goals, I just hope to never hurt a patient. I am so afraid to make a mistake...

[ChasingRain]

You sound like you have the makings for a Great Nurse already! Just don't lose sight of what you have just said; hold on to it when you have a bad day or get a tough patient:redbeathe You're the type of person we need more of in nursing...Kudos to you

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

You've already got the perfect attitude. You could care for my family anytime.

One caution, if you ever get to the point in nursing where you think you've got nothing left to learn, please retire.

[HollyHobby]

You are/will be an awesome nurse.

I've been a nurse for a while now, almost 13 years. In the beginning, during my ICU rotation in clinicals and then as a brand-new ICU nurse, I was often assigned to a patient who should have lived but did not. She was on our unit for 7 months, altogether, and at one point was going to be discharged home the next day- but that night she had bilateral spontaneous pneumothoraxes. We struggled to save her. She was 31 years old, only a few years older than me at the time, and had two children close to my kids' ages. The evening before she died, I saw her little children at her bedside saying, "goodbye, Mommy, I love you!"

I was devastated. I'd come to know her better than I knew anyone else, after spending months with her for three 12 hour shifts every week. I'd tried so hard to save her, but she died anyway. I decided then and there that I would never become so attached to a patient again. I kept an emotional distance. I didn't want to hurt like that again. I didn't become cold-hearted, but I maintained a shelter around my heart.

Recently, I reluctantly opened my heart again. Oh, it hurts. But I face the pain instead of running from it. I include my patient and his/her family in my team, and we all work together to find the right path- even when the end of that road is grief. I grieve with them, and I'm no longer afraid to do that. And when the end of that path is recovery, there is no greater joy, and now I can share that joy with them!

I've learned that allowing myself the freedom to have true empathy has vastly improved my skills and effectiveness as a nurse. Yes, it hurts, but the rewards are amazing. Of course, these rewards combined with a dollar will buy a cup of coffee, but I think I've finally learned what I needed to know all along. When I go home at night, I'm at peace. I know I've done the best I could do- not just the tasks, but the substance- that makes a difference. My patients and their families know that I am devoted to them. I'm not a handmaid or a waitress or a med-pusher; I'm the one who can help. I am the one who cares.

You will be faced with emotional challenges that shake the foundations of your soul. But don't shy away from it, like I did. Embrace it. Then you will be the best nurse you can be.

[EbonyBorn2Succeed]

Wow it is so beautiful to hear nurses speaking like this. This is is what nursing is supposed to be about, not just a paycheck. This makes me so proud to be in this field

[NaKcl, BSN, RN]

Wow- I am so proud of all of these compassionate nurses. I am proud to be one of them.