need help from RNs with over 6mo experince

ukstudent · Jan 21, 2008

hello, i'm a nursing student and need help in my homework assignment.
i need to ask two rns with experience over 6 months to tell me:
2 things different with working than being a nursing student,
as a student, if i didn't know an answer to a patients question i could say "i'll get your nurse." now i'm the nurse and need to know how to answer the questions.
as a student i didn't interact with doctors much and was never allowed to take orders. now as a nurse i interact with doctors continuously, take orders and give my recommendations as to what those orders should be.
3 things that helped you to succeed in the role as as professional nurse
great nursing instructors that i could use as role models.
a limited few nurses that i met during clinicals that i use as a role model for what i do not want to ever be like.
a tough school that made us go over and over meds. that would not allow any of us to give a medication without understanding what it did and why. as a nurse never give a pt anything without understanding why they are getting it and what the intended results are meant to be.
and how can you handle the care of more than one pt., it seems to me impossible right now.
you learn to prioritize. which pt is most critical, which intervention is needed the most. organize your day at the beginning and then be flexible enough to change it as needed. i had 2 pts the other night (work in an icu), one a post open heart pt on norepinephrine and dobutamine with a pa cath, the other post abdominal surgery with orders to leave the unit. the one that i ended up having to hover over all night was not the open heart. as you go though school you will learn how to prioritize, to see below the stated problem and to trust your assessment of your patients.
i appreciate your help;)

good luck in school

magdi · Jan 21, 2008

Good luck in school

Thank you soooo much!

CritterLover, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2008

hello, i'm a nursing student and need help in my homework assignment.
i need to ask two rns with experience over 6 months to tell me:
2 things different with working than being a nursing student,
1. not having to wait for your instructor/preceptor to do everthing -- give meds, do procedures, etc. it really makes things get done quicker. (all that waiting use to drive me crazy)
2. being so responsible for everything. it just weighs on you some days.
3 things that helped you to succeed in the role as as professional nurse
and how can you handle the care of more than one pt., it seems to me impossible right now.
1. working as a cna/unit secretary when in nursing school -- i understood how things work, why things were done certain ways. (when i worked as a clerk and had the time, i always read the progress notes so i understood why particular tests were being ordered)
2. reaslistic expectations. i knew that some things were going to be easier as a nurse (rather than as a student), but that many things were going to be much harder.
3. very supportive coworkers in my first job as an rn. it was a horrible place to work, but most of the staff i worked with (and most of them were agency, because the unit couldn't keep staff) were very helpful, supportive, and knowledgeable)
as for learning how to care for more that one patient, that comes with time. as you go on, you will realize how much time you spend waiting on your instructor or preceptor, looking up unfamiliar lab values and meds, etc. you will spend less time deciphering handwriting in the chart (because you will get good at reading it). you will learn who to call for what, so you will spend less time on the phone tracking down the right person/department. you will learn how to assess more quickly. you will learn where all of the boxes are on the documentation forms and will therefore be able to document more quickly (at least until they change the form).
all of those things, individually, only save you a few seconds or a few minutes each. but when you add them all up, and multiply them by several patients, it saves you mountains of time. and time management is 75% of the battle in caring for multiple patients.
i appreciate your help;)

hope that helps.

MA2006 · Jan 23, 2008

Hey I Think We Are In The Same Class!! I Just Asked The Same Questions..lol

magdi · Jan 24, 2008

Hey I Think We Are In The Same Class!! I Just Asked The Same Questions..lol

i think so :bugeyes:

EmilyUSFRN, RN · Jan 24, 2008

2 things different with working than being a nursing student,

-going from not knowing anything, to having to know everything seemingly overnight

-responsibility and my license on the line.

3 things that helped you to succeed in the role as as professional nurse

-organization! i spend a good amount of time prior to my shift starting getting organized, not just my paperwork, but my pockets, claiming my "spot" at the desk, and doing chart checks at the beginning to make sure something important, like a bowel prep, wasn't neglected to be passed on

-asking for help when i need it, and not letting myself continue to drown if i'm overwhelmed

-a good support system outside of work, of nurses and non-nurses to help me keep my sanity, remind me that i'm a good person, and that i can't always do it all.

and how can you handle the care of more than one pt., it seems to me impossible right now.

-you just learn to prioritize. you will know what you have to do, what you need to do prior to the end of shift, and what is able to be passed on. i'm not one to pass things on if i can help it, but its a 24 hr job, and sometimes you can't do it all. if you have someone requiring some extra attention, a glass of water and extra blankets can wait until the next time you're over there.... it really just comes with time though.

magdi · Jan 24, 2008

Thank you so much for your help:specs: