Oh my gadd i'm so embarrassed. Please help me..

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So we had our new kind of multidisciplinary rounds where all members of the healthcare team are there today.

Let me tell you that before this I was really doing good but today I felt really overwhelmed with my patient load and their acuity I didnt have a chance to browse through the notes too much.

So when I get to the room I was expecting to be called last since I had the last rooms but they wanted my report right away. What can I say, I stammered. I'm so sad about this. I looked like an incompetent fool which I am not. But now I just feel horrible.. Thank you

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

don't fret. I bet they get that a lot. It is hard to be on the spot like that.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

It gets easier. I was uncomfortable with it the first few times but it does get easier. On my floor the patients have long stays(weeks) so I usually get to know them better but if I have a new patient and I don't know everything about them I just say so.

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Thank you guys :(

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Do you have a computer in the room? If you weren't sure of something, I would think it would be ok to say, "I'm not sure, but I'll look it up quick"

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

:hug: We've all been there........it gets easier with time. Don't sweat the small stuff.....

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i see this as one more casualty of the staffing change from 8 hour shifts, five days a week, to twelves, 2 or three days in a row max, and often not even that. i know that fads in nursing come and go, but the one for primary care servd so many purposes, not least of which was better communication between all caregiver team members.

so here's this nurse, who has probably never seen any of her patients before, asked to give nursing input to the care team, and she has nothing to offer of use because she has had no time to learn anything, doubtless being completely consumed with the sheer volume of tasks she has. this doesn't just make you look bad (and it's not your fault, and you will get better at it, assuming you are a fairly new nurse), it makes nursing look bad from a team mgmt standpoint, and that ain't good.

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Specializes in ICU.

I usually take a quick run through the chart right after report. Take two three minutes and go through the notes and whatever. Sure, it's easier with only two patients in the ICU, but then at least I have an idea of the big picture before I get caught up putting out fires.

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You didn't have a chance to get the info- that's something I think EVERY nurse has been through.... you didn't puke on anyone's shoes- could have been worse :D

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

we have rounds every morning on every patient. Report from previous shift is at 630 am and they leave at 7am. Meds are not due until 8:00, and we have a half hour window to work with. So i cannot even pass meds until 7:30. So i take advantage of this 30 minutes (7-7:30) to look through patients charts etc.

Labs are always done at 5am, so we have them by this time. This way i know recent updates on the patient, recent lab results. i only chart abnormal results, because that is all the ones the doctors really care about anyway.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Urgent Care, Cardiac Ca.

At least you gave report on the right patient! :)

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

If it makes you feel better, I have been a nurse for five years...and the thought of doing what you had to do just made me a bit nauseated and anxious. I can feel my face turning as red as my hair!

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