How to start a work diary

confused101 · May 22, 2008

I did a work diary my first year of nursing. I put down room numbers and some details like couldn't get a iv or whatever. Never names and enough vagueness that you might know, but no one else. I still do it, but not as much as I should. I think it helped me get to sleep better hince I worked nights. I did it right before I went to sleep, so I didn't dream as bad in nursing. I encourage it and please let us know how it goes. I have a "fancy" diary, but since you are a guy you might just do a spiral notebook or 3 ring binder. Some days it was 3-4 pages sometimes it was a couple of sentences before I fell over. Good luck and I hope it helps your mental well being.

coltsgrl · May 22, 2008

edited this out...posted in the wrong place

Dolce, RN · May 22, 2008

I journaled a little my first year. It really helped me to get some of my feelings off my chest. I wrote about my "problem patients" and the stress I was feeling, feelings of inadequacy etc. I think if it is your personal diary you just need to be careful to avoid identifying details--name, DOB, SSN, etc.

Congrats on your graduation! :balloons:

alkaleidi · May 23, 2008

I've done this, especially when first starting a job, my first couple years.

My entries were pretty uniform...

age/sex/race

significant hx

admitting dx/chief complaint

labs that stuck out

very very brief treatment plan

even briefer narrative on care I gave/something that made this patient unique/whatever I wanted to say

That was generally it. I had a little 3x5 notebook that was full of patient loads. Some of the more "boring" patients (86/F/caucasian from nursing home with typical pneumonia) were VERY short entries ("hx: everything you can think of")... LOL... and some that I wanted to remember or remind myself to look up a diagnosis, or something, were a page or so.

For example? I wish I was still doing this (journalling), especially working in the ED. I have had patients with Olmsted's disease... so bizarre, very rare. The one lady I've taken care of said that about 20 people in the world have it, which I have no idea if that's true or not, but if it is, 2 of those 20 live in the town that I live in. And I can't find CRAP about this disease online except a few pages on the same kid in a Google search.