New LVN Med Sure Nurse

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I just got hired at a small hospital on the med sure floor and Im already on my third week of orientation. I feel like I haven't gotten anything down except the charting. I struggle with getting the doctors orders, giving report and actually figuring out what to do with the patient. I feel so slow and non of the nurses have been helpful except my preceptor and I appreciate that so much. I don't know what to do.

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Ok report is just a summary of each pt. Notate what is main diagnosis and why they are there. Check orders a couple times especially after they come in for rounds. If you have a unit secretary they put them in, if not fax to pharmacy and note them It’s just a system you are going to be fine. You be a pro before just know everyone started out at some time. Most patients want to be left alone or medicated just go in ask them if they need anything and treat them good always tell them to call you for anything they will love your caring nature. Good luck. I wish I could tell you everything on here but that’s a lot of stuff. Your going to be great!!

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On 9/1/2019 at 3:07 PM, nurseanngie said:

I just got hired at a small hospital on the med sure floor and Im already on my third week of orientation. I feel like I haven't gotten anything down except the charting. I struggle with getting the doctors orders, giving report and actually figuring out what to do with the patient. I feel so slow and non of the nurses have been helpful except my preceptor and I appreciate that so much. I don't know what to do.

Experienced nurses often struggle with those things, which is why you might feel that "none of the nurses have been helpful". They're probably trying to keep their own heads above water.
It gets better after about seven years. Hang in there? ?

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
39 minutes ago, Sour Lemon said:

Experienced nurses often struggle with those things...
It gets better after about seven years.

Yes, there is a systematic approach to everything, nurse anggie, that you too can learn that method with Sour Lemon's Seven Year Plan!

Seriously, once we see the system and develop a template and/or a routine, all we need to do is fill in the blanks.

Prioritization and time management are two biggies. If we focus on the priorities and perform them in a timely manner, the battle is won. Performing a process in a systematic way allows us to be called away from it and pick it back up where we left off. This all comes with time and experience.

And speaking of giving shift report, I have done it so many times over the years that I actually enjoy the process. I utilize an inductive approach, going from the general to the specific. I also spice it up a bit with that which I enjoy:

"It's been a __________ night on geriatric psych with ___ patients. In 106A, we have Ima Schizophrenic, who, if you turn your hymnal (pt info sheet) to page one, will see that she was admitted for running down the street naked, except for army boots, yelling, 'Where's Fred MacMurray?!' Ms Schiz refused her HS PO meds and required two haldol injections during the night for..." so on and so forth through comorbidities, labs, treatments, status, plans, etc.

I sometimes end report with: "And that is the report for this, the 2nd day of September 2019, in the year of our Lord. Any questions, complaints, concerns, compliments or condiments?"

I do what I like because I like what I do.

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