Your Duties

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm starting my nursing degree now. I'm in my first year of clinicals, but have had numerous years in the healthcare profession. At our school, we have to learn Bedbath, Bedpan, Enema's, cath's, vitals, the first month. However, I'm told that RN's never do any of these in the real world, that Tech's do. So, I'm asking, on a daily basis, what "procedures" do you find yourself doing??

misti_z

375 Posts

All of the above, plus some, everyday!!!! :)

jfpruitt

205 Posts

And what is your job? Are you a floor nurse?

JF...u better learn these skills well, more importantly learn what each means to providing for the needs of your patient. You will certainly use them repeatedly. I have been in healthcare for over 30 years starting as an orderly and moving up and even as a nursing administrator, I assisted with ADLs, bedpans, baths, etc. My last enema administration was a mere 2 weeks ago, the same night i bathed an ED patient, cathed numerous patients, collected urine and stool specimens, cleaned feces, changed linens, gave meds, drew blood, comforted a patient and family confronting a terminal diagnosis, delivered jet nebs, taught post op breathing to a pre-op patient, started IVs, taught breathing to a patient with an anxiety attack, and the list goes on.....Learn well...you will be taking care of my generation very soon. It isnt the tasks you learn but how you can delivery them with meaning for the person with whom you are working....

best to you

chas

misti_z

375 Posts

charles--glad you typed all that, just woke up and don't think i could have done it as well as you, thanks! :D

jf.....yep, rn renal floor. we have 24 bed and most of the time are full! usually 4 nurses and 2 techs, but of course thats never enough. it ultimately the nurses job to make sure everything is done, hard sometimes--almost impossible.

but, i love my job!

seriously.

:)

jfpruitt

205 Posts

Good info, thanks. That was my next question. I'm going into case management I think and wonder what my role and duties will be there too. I don't mind learning these skills at all. It's just when I mention them to other nursing students they laugh b/c their school doesn't even bother with the basic skills like ours.

misti_z

375 Posts

JF..you will be much better off than those graduating from other school who do not teach the basic skills. Although its hard consider yourself lucky. :)

Good Luck in school. :)

MQ Edna

1 Article; 1,741 Posts

Boy, nurses that graduate from schools that don't teach them the basics are going to be in for quite a shock when they get out into the REAL WORLD! :rolleyes:

ICUBecky

109 Posts

learn all these skills well. in my experience and at my place of work we can't count on our CTA's to do anything...

huckfinn

108 Posts

Specializes in All Surgical Specialties.

SKILLS!!

Nurses don't need no stinking skills. After all we are professionals and leave the dirty work to the aids.

If you belive this and don't learn any, your first day of work is really going to be a punch in the face.

Learn every darn technique in the book and as many of the tricks you can pick up from the real pros. There will be many a day in your future you will be greatful for the skills you learn and perfect today. Even if you get a desk job you will still understand everything that goes into the treatments and procedures that you read about and assign to others.

By the way...I work in surgery. We still do baths and pans when necessary.

jfpruitt

205 Posts

Do they have desk jobs in nursing?

debbyed

566 Posts

Specializes in ER, Hospice, CCU, PCU.

I'm not sure who told you nursing is a clean job but they were lying. Basic skills are just that: basic. The care of all patients depends on basic nursing skills.

Tell me, would a patient who needed to use the bedpan be told to "HOLD IT" because the CNA called off sick?

Would a post-op patient in retension, be left in severe pain because there was no CNA available to put in the catheter?

Should a patient be left to lie in a dirty bed because the hospital you started working at has primary nursing?

I can't think of anyone who would answer these questions with a positive.

Are all your classmates going into "Case Management"? Are you so sure that you can get a job in "Case Management" straight out of school? Most facilities I know of that hire Case Managers want Experience as well as degree.

So hold your nose and bite the bullett and learn basic nursing care. If you are unable to give basic nursing care maybe you are in the wrong profession.

Those studients you talk about who said they didn't get the basics in school will have a long hard road to travel when they get out in the real world. You will be a few miles ahead because you are in a program that understands basics and foundations.

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