New Nurse Rocking it!

Specialties Geriatric

Published

So, I've been working in a LTC facility for a month now and I'm a new LPN. I've really got into the swing of things and learn very quickly. These residents are all new to me. Anyway, so I came in on Sunday,counted, and got report. Well, on report I received that a resident had nor urinated for 16 hours! Why wasn't action taken after 8? I haven't a clue. So while on my med pass, I assess the female and realize something is just not right with her. She's lethargic and not following simple directions. I knew something was up. So, I'm standing at my cart at my aide notified me that the resident asked him where her medicine was. That's when I knew she was away from her baseline because it's a challenge getting her to take her medications anyway and she never asks for them and shes alert and oriented. So, I fill out my SBAR and brought attention to my supervisor. Called the doctor and received the order to send her out. I suspected a UTI and dehydration. She was later admitted with a UTI and altered mental status. Then another aide told me she had noticed the resident wasn't her normal self a couple of days ago. My question is, why didn't a nurse take action sooner? I feel if I had not floated to that hall way, the resident's issue would have never been addressed. Are they lazy or what? Just wanted to share how proud I am of my first hospital send out being necessary and that my intuition as a nurse is intact! All in all, I really feel amazing for catching it!

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Awesome job! What a great feeling

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Proud of you girl keep it up.

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Specializes in Nursing Home.

Let me just say congrats to one fellow new LTC Nurse to another. I have been an LTC Nurse/LPN 6 months now. You sound as if your doing an outstanding job but domt get to high and mighty. I remember a time for the first few weeks i was working 3-11 and everytging ran smooth i mean pass meds chart go home. Had plenty time to be mr. Perfect nurse. Then a few weeks later i started getting slammed with admits, new orders, remember a day having 2 new admits and 2 I&As one very demandimg admit who kept the other residents from getting there meds on time. The days will get bad, there will be times when all problems just wont be able to get adressed in one shift. My advice, your catious as a nurse and thats a good thing. There are some lazy nurses out there yes. But dont be that nurse whos throwing all her co workes under the bus because i promise u as a new nurse you will need there help and experience at some point in the near future. No, not every resident needs to get sent out for no output in 8 hours. It depends on the situation if its a little old ladu who refuses tp drink she will have minimal to no output. You did the right thing however 16 hours is a long time with no output. But just a piece of advice those days of the LTC stress people tell you about are coming your a new Nurse dont get to cocky ! If you do, and you have one of those hell shifts with admits and i&as your gonna need an experienced hand as a newbie. Remember that.

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Let me just say congrats to one fellow new LTC Nurse to another. I have been an LTC Nurse/LPN 6 months now. You sound as if your doing an outstanding job but domt get to high and mighty. I remember a time for the first few weeks i was working 3-11 and everytging ran smooth i mean pass meds chart go home. Had plenty time to be mr. Perfect nurse. Then a few weeks later i started getting slammed with admits, new orders, remember a day having 2 new admits and 2 I&As one very demandimg admit who kept the other residents from getting there meds on time. The days will get bad, there will be times when all problems just wont be able to get adressed in one shift. My advice, your catious as a nurse and thats a good thing. There are some lazy nurses out there yes. But dont be that nurse whos throwing all her co workes under the bus because i promise u as a new nurse you will need there help and experience at some point in the near future. No, not every resident needs to get sent out for no output in 8 hours. It depends on the situation if its a little old ladu who refuses tp drink she will have minimal to no output. You did the right thing however 16 hours is a long time with no output. But just a piece of advice those days of the LTC stress people tell you about are coming your a new Nurse dont get to cocky ! If you do, and you have one of those hell shifts with admits and i&as your gonna need an experienced hand as a newbie. Remember that.

Number 1.... nobody is being cocky, whatsoever.

Number 2... I've had my rough days.

Number 3.... Nobody at this facility gives a crap to help me anyways so they can go screw themselves, I know the good nurses and I know the crappy ones. I know who to confide in.

Soooo... with that being said, sounds lIke you're insecure in your abilities as a nurse, too bad I'M NOT. I'm not super nurse, but I stand confident in the nurse that I am and the care that I give. Good luck with you LTC work!

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OI

Number 1.... nobody is being cocky, whatsoever.

Number 2... I've had my rough days.

Number 3.... Nobody at this facility gives a crap to help me anyways so they can go screw themselves, I know the good nurses and I know the crappy ones. I know who to confide in.

Soooo... with that being said, sounds lIke you're insecure in your abilities as a nurse, too bad I'M NOT. I'm not super nurse, but I stand confident in the nurse that I am and the care that I give. Good luck with you LTC work!

You actually do sound pretty cocky.

You're falling into a common new grad trap wherein you observed a change in condition, intervened appropriately..... and then proceed to blast your coworkers as lazy, uncaring, stupid, etc. for not acting sooner, and paint yourself as super-nurse who swooped in and saved the day.

The shift will come where you, too, fail to notice a change in condition because:

a) you had three admits

b) you're short staffed, and you're passing mess for two halls

c) the CNA fails to notify you Mrs Jones didn't pee this shift, and you never received report she didn't void last shift

d) you simply fail to notice something one day because you're human

....and then, the nurse on the shift after you will notice the change you (and others) missed and winds up transferring the resident to the ER. This *will* happen to you. Be proud of the fact you caught this issue and acted on it. But don't do so in a way that implies that your coworkers are incompetent goons.

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Specializes in hospice.
Number 1.... nobody is being cocky, whatsoever.

Number 2... I've had my rough days.

Number 3.... Nobody at this facility gives a crap to help me anyways so they can go screw themselves, I know the good nurses and I know the crappy ones. I know who to confide in.

Soooo... with that being said, sounds lIke you're insecure in your abilities as a nurse, too bad I'M NOT. I'm not super nurse, but I stand confident in the nurse that I am and the care that I give. Good luck with you LTC work!

I was with ya right up until here, buddy. As another poster recently, and hilariously said, gear down, there, trucker.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

Well said, Brandon LPN

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@ 1 month you don't know what you don't know.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
@ 1 month you don't know what you don't know.

So true. I learn new things every day after 6 years

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Amen Brandon LPN! I have worked in my fair share of nursing homes & I have gotten bogged down by the amount of paperwork (due to admits, falls, etc) & didn't pass down in report every minute detail. Does that make me a lazy nurse? No.

I have also had CNAs who don't do what they are suppose to. If I don't have aides who don't do their job, I don't get the information I need. That doesn't make a nurse lazy.

You don't know what happens shift to shift. But I wouldn't call your coworkers lazy. But with that attitude I would see why your coworkers might steer clear of you.

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I completely agree with Brandon.

Don't go questioning the work of your peers (especially when you're so new). Who knows what previous shifts were dealing with. This will happen to you one day and I bet you wouldn't like your colleagues questioning your abilities in caring for patients.

You did a good job with assessing, planning and intervening with your patient. Leave it at that.

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