Pearls anyone? Nursing pearls that is.

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Specializes in CCU.

Anyone has any pearls, tricks to improve one's practice?

I'll start with this one:

If your patient is NPO, he will appreciate his oral swabs in ice, cold is + quenching than warm. :angryfire :cheers:

Make sure the bedside table, the tissue, the cup, the call light is reachable from your pt, and always ask: is there anything that I can help you with before I leave the room. You'll save yourself a lot of work. :flowersfo

Place toilet paper on the bottom of the bedpan (if don't need i&o's) . Easier to clean!!!

Thanks for sharing.

The best is yet to come. :Melody:

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If a pt has been receiving prn analgesia q2h or q4h, bring the med in w/ u in your pocket (unopened) when it is about time for it being "due". Assess pain and if needed, bring it out of your pocket then and administer it. If it is not needed you can always return it to the Pyxis or where ever.

If you have someone who is constantly hitting the call bell...tell them that you will be in to check on them every hour and follow thru alternating between aide and nurse checking in on them. There will (hopefully) be fewer calls on the call bell.

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Specializes in cardiac.
Anyone has any pearls, tricks to improve one's practice?

I am not practicing (yet! 3 weeks to go!) but I have pearls for students....

a) the correct answer to a test question most likely begins with "S"... so among the choices you have, select SAFETY (priority for patient care) SEDATION (as in most common side effect) or SEROTONIN (everyone's favorite neurotransmitter!)

b)never give grapefruit juice with any drug.

c) when in doubt, wash your hands. Gives you time to think and everyone likes to see you caring so much about infection control :p

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If you have time to do some task you need to do, never say to yourself "I'll do it later."

Something (or many things) will invariably come up, and you will wish you would have already done whatever it was.

When pts make small requests, such as for Tylenol, water, tissue, etc., write the request down in a small note pad and check it frequently. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten these small requests in the frenzy of the day. Now, I write them down, or I know I will forget, as more pressing issues tend to crowd these small requests out of my memory.

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