Nursing not for me

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Pts waiting at the med cart for pain meds. I feel like I don't know what I am doing. I'm thinking about just forgetting nursing. Other nurses who are new nurses catch on so easily. I just let it go.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

Oh wow! Patients waiting at the cart is the gift horse, and you're looking it in the mouth. Those patients/residents that come to you and stand there and wait---thank them for coming to you and give them everything (routine meds) that they have ordered for that timeframe. Trust me, there are more patients that you have to go hunt down than there are those that come to you. The hunting is so very time consuming, and makes way for anyone (other patients/residents, family members, visitors, other staff, etc., to stop you in the hall, ask for favors, or make way for any number of distractions to occur because they assume you're not busy if you've got time to be strolling the hallways.

Once you KNOW who you can expect to be standing at your cart before you even get set up, you can have their medications waiting and grab those residents when you see them coming up the hall. You just have to recognize the beauty in your situation. It could be worse. Imagine being at the end of a hall and the person you're looking for is sitting, looking out of a window on the opposite side of the building; or you are engulfed with issues such as the case of the disappearing CNAs. You just need to focus, Hun, and do one thing at a time; one resident at a time. Then your pace will gradually pick up because you will have learned that Mr. Joe gets that Vicodin at 2:30 p.m., or Miss Sara wants that iron tablet at 7:45 a.m. (before you even put your purse down). It will get better. (((hugs)))

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Thank you so much for all the support. I really do need the encouragement!

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Specializes in TBI and SCI.

Pt at the cart are great! You may think they are "rushing you" but they will do this to every nurse... just mention it in shift report and the nurse will say "oh yea he/ she always does that"

I've had coworkers put on their own alarm because there's the pt that know" ok oxymorons is q6, I'll call in exactly 6 hours 0 min" lol. It's just how some people are.

Older people like routine is all and the one with pain meds are either addicted or it's like a placebo affect, they just take it thinking it's helping them... so they too are addicted lol.

I just started my sub acute ltc and trust me I was soooo behind my first couple days I wanted to cry. I would see he othe rnjrses at the station charting and doing other things and I was like "damn I'm so slow" but no, not that slow. I had pt and family calling me to rooms I had already done, or if I answered a call light it put me behind. Don't worry. As you keep working and learn all your meds, learn your cart, and find a routine, you will see you become better and it's easier.

Nursing isn't easy, don't think you are failing!! You're just new. It takes time!

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Thank you

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The only time I had an issue with residents hovering over my cart was in the memory care unit. That was because they were more interested in asking me when the train was coming to take them home, when the cruise shift was taking off, or the worst, trying to browse my med cart. That stuff was distracting!

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