help !!

[fiestaflame]

Hi. I have been a qualifyed nurse for one year now and I currently work on a surgical ward. My aim is to eventually work in a&e as thats what I really want to do. I have just got a new job in the medical assessment unit as I feel this would be really good experience for me to help me get into a&e..... But because all I have every done is surgically nursing I am really nervious about working on this fast past medical ward!!!

Does anybody have any advice for me before I start my new job in 6 weeks time?

Thanks

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

I worked on a MAU for 4 years and loved it.

Don't be afraid to ask. Pace yourself and get used to the paperwork

[Billy Shears]

Assess, assess, assess.

Look at your patient holistically, they have come in from the outside world because they are feeling ill. As a Nurse, what are you going to do to make them feel better?

Don't get bogged down by the paperwork (OK it has to be done), get focused on your patient's condition.

Good example:

I had to float to our CDU/MAU recently, middle aged pt newly diagnosed IDDM, uncontrollable sugars. Insulin regime not helping so they were giving Actrapid prn. I went to give her regular meds, offered her a cup of water to take them with & she said she had some lemonade thanks which she usually took her tablets with. The lemonade had sugar in it. Pt had been there two or three days and really this could have been spotted earlier.