How My Orientation is Going

Nurses General Nursing

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I'd say it's going ok. I have high expectations of for myself so when I mess up I'm really mad at myself.

I think the most trouble I'm having is with the Pyxis. I've never had to use anything like it so it has been difficult to get use to it, scanning the patient's bracelet & then the meds. Then dealing with the narcotics. Oy! That's a whole other story! Have to have a witness to get them out AND to waste them. Holy hell. I'm trying to get use to that! I'm not use to that. I'm use to working in corrections so nurses didn't pass meds & the inmates rarely if ever got narcotics.

When I worked in nursing homes it was all on paper & we didn't have to go through so many steps like this. It's a whole new world to me. I feel bad & mad for messing up. I should know better but it's all so new.

I also feel kind of bored, it seems all monotonous. Go in, get report, pass meds, lunch, pass meds, give report. Blah. Same thing day in & day out. Maybe it will be different when I'm off orientation but man, I feel so bored with it. There aren't any codes or anything exciting that happens. I can see why no one stays in med/surg departments for long. I already want to bridge & move to the ICU or ER after I get RN med/surg experience.

I love Pyxis. Between Pyxis and Omnicell...Pyxis any day. Scanning patients bracelets and meds have saved patient's lives from incorrect meds and dosing. I have worked in a facility where we do not do that and I personally have given the wrong dose because the machine tells you the available and the ordered dose...and they're both right next to each other. Even when you go through the medication rights, if you don't focus on the right number, you will make an error.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
What is this about?

Just ignore him. He likes to rant. Mostly in non sequiturs.

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I work in mental health now and we use charts and I feel it is like using a dinosaur method. We have to put the whole chart together and it drives me mad. I miss the all computer charting. The only time I used a chart was to grab the scripts out of it. You will have major adjusting to do as in the hospital and med-surg settings a lot is put on the nurses. It will be great experience for you to gain if you can stick it out. Find someone you can trust and don't say, I am being trained wrong by and so and so but ask the person how they handle this and that regarding narcotic wasting and other things.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
No problem. If you have to get a witness to sign out narcs (never heard of that) and a witness to waste, take your time and find somebody to do it. Sadly, the patient will just have to wait. CY your A.

Oh yes, I will now! It was a tough but good lesson to learn. I'm glad I learned it while on orientation.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I love Pyxis. Between Pyxis and Omnicell...Pyxis any day. Scanning patients bracelets and meds have saved patient's lives from incorrect meds and dosing. I have worked in a facility where we do not do that and I personally have given the wrong dose because the machine tells you the available and the ordered dose...and they're both right next to each other. Even when you go through the medication rights, if you don't focus on the right number, you will make an error.

Oh, don't get me wrong I think the Pyxis is great because it has caught some things. Like the pharm techs put the med in the wrong slot. If it wasn't for the Pyxis it wouldn't have been caught! It's just tough for me to learn & then even tougher when I'm not being taught the right way.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Just ignore him. He likes to rant. Mostly in non sequiturs.

Lol. Yeah, I was like ... what the???

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I work in mental health now and we use charts and I feel it is like using a dinosaur method. We have to put the whole chart together and it drives me mad. I miss the all computer charting. The only time I used a chart was to grab the scripts out of it. You will have major adjusting to do as in the hospital and med-surg settings a lot is put on the nurses. It will be great experience for you to gain if you can stick it out. Find someone you can trust and don't say, I am being trained wrong by and so and so but ask the person how they handle this and that regarding narcotic wasting and other things.

I don't know who I trust right now, I'm still so new. I really do plan to stay here. I don't expect anyone to be my best friend outside of work, I just want to get along with them at work.

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While you have the time read and learning the policy manual especially about narcotics. What is your difficulty with pyxis and narcotics? You just have to take time. If you have to waste narcotics find a witness before. Bar coding saves lives, if you give regular meds no problem why is this extra step throwing you off. Also your med surge floor sounds easy and. not all floors are this slow.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
While you have the time read and learning the policy manual especially about narcotics. What is your difficulty with pyxis and narcotics? You just have to take time. If you have to waste narcotics find a witness before. Bar coding saves lives if you give regular meds no problem why is this extra step throwing you off. Also your med surge floor sounds easy and. not all floors are this slow.[/quote']

I guess my problem is I don't understand what my preceptor tried to show me. I did ok before she said/did anything & then she told me to bypass a screen to pull a narc without needing a witness. So that has messed me up ever since.

I know it does & I am thankful I'm on an "easier" floor as my entrance to the hospital world.

I know Pysixes? Pysixi? And bar code scanning are very important. I just wish I was taught the correct way, my WHOLE way through my training on the floor.

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I guess my problem is I don't understand what my preceptor tried to show me. I did ok before she said/did anything & then she told me to bypass a screen to pull a narc without needing a witness. So that has messed me up ever since.

I know it does & I am thankful I'm on an "easier" floor as my entrance to the hospital world.

I know Pysixes? Pysixi? And bar code scanning are very important. I just wish I was taught the correct way, my WHOLE way through my training on the floor.

As you can't even spell PYXIS, keep your head down and learn it.

Your training is up to you to succeed.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
As you can't even spell PYXIS, keep your head down and learn it.

Your training is up to you to succeed.

1) I can spell PYXIS.

2) Is it necessary to be that rude?!

3) Could you not tell I was trying to spell the plural form of PYXIS???

3a) Could you not tell I was joking???

Maybe pull the coal from your rear end & lighten up.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
I'd say it's going ok. I have high expectations of for myself so when I mess up I'm really mad at myself.

I think the most trouble I'm having is with the Pyxis. I've never had to use anything like it so it has been difficult to get use to it, scanning the patient's bracelet & then the meds. Then dealing with the narcotics. Oy! That's a whole other story! Have to have a witness to get them out AND to waste them. Holy hell. I'm trying to get use to that! I'm not use to that. I'm use to working in corrections so nurses didn't pass meds & the inmates rarely if ever got narcotics.

When I worked in nursing homes it was all on paper & we didn't have to go through so many steps like this. It's a whole new world to me. I feel bad & mad for messing up. I should know better but it's all so new.

I also feel kind of bored, it seems all monotonous. Go in, get report, pass meds, lunch, pass meds, give report. Blah. Same thing day in & day out. Maybe it will be different when I'm off orientation but man, I feel so bored with it. There aren't any codes or anything exciting that happens. I can see why no one stays in med/surg departments for long. I already want to bridge & move to the ICU or ER after I get RN med/surg experience.

Med/surg...boring? Monotonous?

Come work where I work. I have so many interesting stories to tell, from people shoving appliances up body orifices, overdoses and drug withdrawals, confused elderly and psych patients, massive wounds/pressure ulcers, colorful personalities and more! Not to mention, all the cool skills like IV starts and foleys, wound care and the occasional peritoneal dialysis. All while trying to juggle a patient load of 5-7 with high-strung family members.

And forget about lunch. Lunch breaks are like unicorns...they just don't happen. At least, not thirty minutes of uninterrupted peace and quiet from chaos that is med-surg land.

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