Needing some experienced nursing advice

[newgrad1988]

So if you have looked through all my past threads you may notice that I get really concerned about small things and it causes me a great deal of anxiety, like feeling sick to my stomach. For instance, last night. I work at a pediatric clinic where I triage the after hours calls. A 3 week old patient was having cold symptoms so I asked the parents to get a rectal temperature. (In our office protocol to get a rectal temp on babies if less than 1 month). The mom had the father do it while I continued to ask questions to the mom on the phone. The temp came back within a normal range and I gave them some suggestions of some things to do and then we ended the conversation. I got home and realized I didn't even ask if they knew how to take a rectal temp. I'm getting really concerned about it due to the possibility of perforating the bowel! I really hope that wasn't the case, but how likely is it that that could happen? How quick do symptoms start presenting after a perforation? It's things like this that are really starting to make me question if I should be working in the nursing field after all. It's always been a lifelong goal, but now I'm rethinking it. I just have a great amount of anxiety before I go into work and especially after where I question everything I did that night. I would really appreciate some words of advice in what you would do about this.

Thank you!

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Breathe.

The only advice I can give you is with all the little things you have missed, used them as a future source of reference when you encounter those similar scenarios; issuing them as a source of anxiety will only burn you out.

If you have general anxiety issues, I suggest seeing someone professionally to help with coping with anxiety and possible self talk issues-even in your post "leaving the profession altogether" because you forgot to ask someone if they knew how to take a rectal temp, is a BIT overboard, don't you think?

You are always going to learn; best to use what you learn as a source of power, never as a weakness or a negative reflection of yourself.

Best wishes.

[duskyjewel]

If they had perforated the baby's bowel, he'd be screaming in pain, probably bleeding rectally, and the parents would be panicking and asking you what to do. Did you forget that babies are conscious human beings capable of communicating?

[RN_rescue_ninja]

If they had perforated the baby's bowel, he'd be screaming in pain, probably bleeding rectally, and the parents would be panicking and asking you what to do. Did you forget that babies are conscious human beings capable of communicating?

this, plus most parents with a brain are going to be like "HOW DO I DO THAT?" if they don't know. If they have another child, they likely do know how to do it and have done it before.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

If the parents perforated the infant during a rectal temp you would havd heard the screams over the phone. Infants most definitely have a way to communicate

You need to seek professional assessment and/or assistance for your pervasive anxiety from a licensed professional that can asses your issues and come up with a plan of action.

Based on your short posting history, is getting beyond new grad jitters. You find minutia to perservate on and consistently fail to look at the big picture (like the infant vaccine).

Do you have experienced nurses on staff at the office ? Do you feel that you received an adequate orientation to the practice and procedures? Do you have standing protocols for telephone triage?

[RunBabyRN]

If the parents perforated the infant during a rectal temp you would havd heard the screams over the phone. Infants most definitely have a way to communicate

You need to seek professional assessment and/or assistance for your pervasive anxiety from a licensed professional that can asses your issues and come up with a plan of action.

Based on your short posting history, is getting beyond new grad jitters. You find minutia to perservate on and consistently fail to look at the big picture (like the infant vaccine).

Do you have experienced nurses on staff at the office ? Do you feel that you received an adequate orientation to the practice and procedures? Do you have standing protocols for telephone triage?

I have to agree here. I think you're focused way too much on these little things, and they're going to wear on you. You need to work on coping mechanisms and seeing the forest beyond the trees. What will you do if you have a trauma where the MD is fishing around in a stab wound to see if it penetrated an organ? I guarantee you they don't sterilize the wound first, but people survive. You will burn out really fast if you keep on this track. I don't mean this in a judgmental way, I mean this in a "please help yourself for the sake of your long term health" way.

Good luck!