I'm trying nursing, but I'm hardheaded..will I last?

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I think I'm going to go into nursing, but I am hardheaded. On the job, I have to be told more than once to do things, my attention to detail is not that strong. I tend to make mistakes, though not fatal errors usually. Do you think this might be a problem in the nursing field? I like to cut corners and do things that are easiest for me instead of going by policy.

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cutting corners and doing things the easy way and against policy will easily get you fired and/or sued and definitely puts your patients in danger. if you decide to go into nursing, please, please, please change.

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cutting corners and doing things the easy way and against policy will easily get you fired and/or sued and definitely puts your patients in danger. if you decide to go into nursing, please, please, please change.

let me rephrase and say i won't deliberately go against policy just kind of alter it a little. for example, if policy says to keep yellow placed over green, then i will keep yellow placed over green but i may have cut a corner or two in getting there. or you might tell me not to feed a patient until say like 4pm. then i will feed him like you said, but i might start feeding at 3:45 because i need to hurry up and get something else done. this is what i'm talking about. then i might repeat this scenario more than once.

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I'd say it doesn't matter if it's deliberate or not, policy is policy for a reason. And cutting corners is just dangerous when peoples lives are in your hands.

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Specializes in NICU, Psych, Education.

Attention to detail is pretty important, particularly when you're assessing for small changes in a patient's condition, but I think there's hope for ya. :) Many people have issues with attention to detail but don't really seem to know it - and you do realize it. That's encouraging.

There is a good deal of flexibility built into nursing. As an example, the patients don't explode if you feed 15 minutes early, so a window of plus/minus 30 minutes is a widely accepted standard for feeds or medications.

Since you'll have multiple patients with multiple needs at the same time, virtually nothing can be completely set in stone.

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Don't even think about it anymore, if you're unwilling to change. Cutting corners and going against policy could get a patient killed. You would not want that on your conscience.

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Specializes in Med Surg-Geriatrics.

Gosh you sound like so many nurses I have met through the years,a bit of advice though..you'll never make it through nursing school unless you listen to your instructors,go by the book,and do not take shortcuts (I found nursing school to be the hardest part of my career!

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I think one of the biggest points in policies is that it is YOUR ass on the line if you don't follow it.

If for whatever reason you cut corners on a policy and a patient is somehow injured from it, your employer will not back you during a lawsuit. Healthcare is such a litigious area, its too dangerous to be someone who cuts corners.

Also, I worry about attention to detail. When you're talking about micrograms, milligrams, millileters, and math for medication, detail is your life for many hours a day.

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As I read this, I was thinking, this has to be a joke! Nursing is not for you! Stay away! :-)

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Specializes in NICU,ICU,ER,MS,CHG.SUP,PSYCH,GERI.

No, you won't even make it past first base. Don't waste your time!

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Specializes in ED, Clinical Documentation.

are you kidding us? nursing is about caring, doing the right thing, teamwork, being a patient advocate and I can go on. what is your motivation to go into nursing if this is your attitude?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Peds, Pediatraic Home Care, Infusion.

This is someone pulling your leg.

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