Nurses are human

[calledtodo]

As a nurse I know it is important to admit that you don't understand something, whether it is how to give a med or use equipment. Can you please share your stories of the humility of admitting you just didn't get something for the sake of your patient. What I am saying is that if you don't know how to properly use a blood pressure cuff, would you keep trying it on your patient over and over or admit you just don't get it and then get the proper training on how to use it? Would you hold any one of your coworkers responsible for not showing you how to use it? As long as it isn't faulty equipment should it be someone elses responsibility to show you how to use it? Please explain why you think it is a good idea to admit you don't understand something that some may assume you should know. Thanks!

At the end of the day nurses are human and make mistakes, it takes a humble person to admit they don't understand something. Please let that be you.....

[AllSmiles225]

I remember quite a few times of not knowing how to do things as it is still my first year as a nurse. I didn't touch a G-tube in LPN school and had no idea how to pass meds. I was also asked to insert a foley on a patient that I had only done once in school and quite frankly didn't feel comfortable doing by myself. So I asked for help. I didn't ask anyone to do the job for me..I asked them to come in the room and guide me to make sure that I perform the procedure correctly. Patient safety and comfort is the number one priority of all nurses. Many nurses get frustrated with new graduates and their "stupid" questions..well I think that that is just tough..I guess they fail to remember that they too were once new graduates. But like I said I would rather have a co worker huff and puff about my "stupidity" than a lawyer suing me for negligence & malpractice as I obviously didn't know how to perform a procedure.