Nurses, perception difference and education

I'm sorry;I'm not understanding your point. Difference in perception of what?

Mostly pertaining to how information is handled - broadness/narrowness + accuracy.

And relating to generic professional skill development as distinct from the 'professional' development taught in nursing school

Example?

Example?

Here's an example that crops up quite a lot in my unit.

A p't arrives intoxicated with a supply of vodka in their belongings. Many of my coworkers automatically throw the alcohol out because the 'p't has come in here drunk' and alcohol abuse is one of their problems.

However I keep the alcohol and the rest of their belongings in a secure place and return on discharge.

My rationale is based on a few points:

- The p't will just go buy more alcohol on discharge and that will likely mean they wont have enough money to fill their prescriptions on discharge and eat properly. Thus we will have them back in soon enough. It may also mean they could be so skint at that particular time - will be evicted as can't pay the rent -therefore now homeless and with all the problems that entails

- Will need to keep drinking in the short term to avoid withdrawl

- Alcohol is legal

-The alcohol is p't property

- It can be kept away from the p't and others whilst admitted so no risk keeping it in the hospital.

This difference in perception exists amongst our staff nurses and also amongst our group of charge nurses

I would have a problem with throwing away another person's personal property.

As far as alcohol is concerned though, what is the hospital policy?

Are you saying that you think the other nurse throws it away because of a lack of education or professional development on her part?

I would have a problem with throwing away another person's personal property.

As far as alcohol is concerned though, what is the hospital policy?

Are you saying that you think the other nurse throws it away because of a lack of education or professional development on her part?

Lack of broadness of perception relating to how she/he is handling information.

Mostly (but not always) correlating to education

She/he thinks 'the alcohol is the problem therefore we have to throw it away .... duh'

Others 'think out' more. Simply throwing away the alcohol wont have much effect on the whole picture.

(we don't have a policy on this)

If this is the only type of incident where you've seen a difference in perception related to education, I would beg to differ that it has more to do with the nurse's perception and personal experience with addiction and alcoholism than education.

Nurses that live with or have close family members with addiction problems can react from a myriad of emotions: anger, sympathy, understanding, acceptance, denial, intolerance etc that have nothing to do with formal education.

If this is the only type of incident where you've seen a difference in perception related to education, I would beg to differ that it has more to do with the nurse's perception and personal experience with addiction and alcoholism than education.

Nurses that live with or have close family members with addiction problems can react from a myriad of emotions: anger, sympathy, understanding, acceptance, denial, intolerance etc that have nothing to do with formal education.

I think personal experience might very well influence action for some nurses. However it is just one explanation for throwing out the alcohol and shouldn't be generalised over the whole nurse population.

Nurses who allow their personal experience to influence their actions here are not behaving like educated professionals

- that would be 'wearing heart on sleeve' behaviour and inappropriate for a professional and this would have a relationship with formal education

Just throw the stuff out. The drunk probably doesn't expect it to be returned, and you're only making it harder for yourself when finding a "safe" place store liquor.

Just throw the stuff out.

Just throw the stuff out. The drunk probably doesn't expect it to be returned, and you're only making it harder for yourself when finding a "safe" place store liquor.

Just throw the stuff out.

even if that means we have him back in tomorrow? and then two days later ?

Because that will happen when he makes a choice between buying more alcohol and filling his meds. Eg He doesn't fill his Metformin, his cellulitis worsens

I would mostly disagree with you, pedicurn. If a nurse can identify (the reality) that her personal experiences do have influences on her professional behavior, that's an educated and informed nurse.

What if it were professional experiences, such as working in the ER with altered and combative intoxicated patients, that caused her to pitch the alcohol? Is it any better or worse if that's the nurse's reason for throwing it out?

In my case, I've been in school for years, but I'm better with books than I am with practical stuff, and I have a tendency toward really poor situational awareness sometimes.

I'm still struggling to understand your point. The example that you gave simply illustrates (to me, at least) the differences in nursing styles, nursing personalities and nursing beliefs.

All of which will continue to exist across the educational spectrum. Even if you have all masters'-prepared RN's on a floor, you are going to have those that believe as you believe and those that believe in any number of alternative approaches to the situation that you cited. I'm having trouble believing that you sincerely think that if all nurses were equally educated (advanced education), they would all approach any given patient issue in the exact same way. Again, in the example that you gave, I understand that you believe your approach to the issue to be the preferred solution. If I were your co-worker, I might differ with your solution and would hope that you would appreciate that I might have a different, yet perfectly acceptable, approach.

"I would assert that it's inappropriate for these differences to remain if nursing is to be a real profession. "

Nonsense. Advanced/equivalent education does not make for robotic nurses who all believe, think, and act the same. Nor should it. There will never be any one perfect solution to patient issues. Thank goodness for our variability and our willingness to use nursing judgment to deliver patient care.