j0622

Yes, I did become some defensive at first, but what she said is also right with a second thoughts. I believe things will get better in the future. After all, nursing is a relationship, not an individual.

Thanks for your advice. Very straight and clear. You are a very insightful person. I need to work on my communication skills. My confidence will improve overtime. I promise. I will keep you advice in mind.

Ma'am you are perfectly right! There is a long way to go for nursing students!

Yes, you are right. I agree with you. It is not right to treat bad with bad. Bing kind and generous is the way. I need edit the wrong thought. I should not let fear and timidity get in the way. Thanks for being patient.

Yes," being strong and capable even if you are terrified" is something I have to practice. Sometimes, being humble or modest is not a good strategy to deal with difficult situation. Saying sorry makes people more angry. Being mean and difficult will earn more respect, at least, people will not pick you up because you are not the soft peach. LOL. That is a hard truth. Thanks for the tips.

Ma'am, you confused the two patients. But, it is OK.

I was not sure at that moment. I felt grateful when she gave me a chance to do it. I did the vitals fine. LOL. The good thing was the patient just got one stick. The IV was successful at first try. Good for that poor lady. She is a fighter.

I totally agree with you that the best interest of the patient is the RN focus. I am wondering how do you deal with this ethic dilemma. Letting a nursing student or new graduate practice IV is definitely not the best interest to the patient. Why not a experience one with 20 years of experience? However, if we never let them practice, they will never learn how to do it, so there will be no capable new working force in nursing field, and older nurses can not work forever. So, if the RN who let the students practice should be blamed for not thinking about the best interest of the patient?

Thanks for your encouraging words! Right now, I was more prepared. I will become better.

Yes, the whole post is about my failure. You are so right that I failed to build a therapeutic relationship with the patient. I did stayed to see if they need anything else that I could help, and that is why when the preceptor needed another needle I could get it to her right away. But, I did not know how to support the patient who became more and more agitated because of my presence. Holding her hands? Could it be a physical assaults to her without her permission? She was already so mad at me despite of my non-stop apology. Yes, I failed to achieve any relationship with that preceptor. Yes, I did not know what a port in the superior vena cava is. Shame on me! Nursing student should know everything about nursing. But, I know what it is a port now when Google and other helpful people who patiently taught me now. I agree that letting a nursing student or new nurse to start an IV is not to the patients' best interest. Why not a more experienced nurse? It is an ethical dilemma. I know that the patient whom I started an IV on has a higher chance to get a second poke compared to an experienced nurse. I never feel proud of that. I always feel sorry for that, and I always feel gratitude if the patient agreed to let me do it. I had no problem with any another patients or receptor during my whole ten-day clinical rotation. But this situation, I did not know how to deal with. The red flag is that I sense the patient may not want me to be there at first. She thought I was not nice to her, so she said " be nice". I greeted her and introduced myself the way I did to any other patients. Seriously, I had no problem at all with any other patients. I asked her permission before everything I did. I asked her "Ma'am, I am going to put the blood pressure cuff on you, is it OK?". She said "be nice". When I sensed that she did not trust me at all, I should not even be there, I was so confused, let alone starting an IV on her. It is my mistake! I admitted it, and I learned from it. And, please do not project my experience to any other nursing students or new graduates, especially the one you have to precept. The post is just about my failure, not others. Nursing students or new graduates will ask dumb questions, and seem have no skills at all. They can get scared. They do not know everything about nursing. They may make stupid mistakes. If you are not comfortable to be with them, please please refuse the assignment.

Thanks for your kind words. I was afraid of confrontation even it is not my fault. LOL and Tears! Being a student, or a new nurse in the future, sometimes, we do not really know if we did it right or not, or should we confront or not, or they treat us right or not. I guess this is part I should make an effort to learn in my future practice. Thanks!

Very appreciate that you shared your experience with me. I was stupid at that moment. I should have been more careful with the first patient who ended up cursing me. I did not follow the way you described to get a good vein. I kind of rushed. Stupid confidence! My bad! It should be done as thorough as you described. I will keep this in my mind for my future practice. Thanks!

Yes, the patient acted out like I was going to murder her. No experience at all to deal with such situation.

Most people will think this way, I believe. Most nurses I met are good and respectful. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to see others become more capable. It is fine when that person is not a preceptor. When I have to deal a preceptor who does not want to teach me or let me do anything, it is so frustrating, and I started doubting about myself. Will it be my problem that my preceptor does not want to teach me? What do I do wrong? Am I good enough? ....... Those are pretty bad feelings. Anyway, I was through those feelings now. I will not allow this to crash my little fragile confidence I made a great effort to build up. LOL. I need those tiny confidence or assertiveness.

Thanks for being a good preceptor. I like teaching. Someday, if I have a student, I will treat him or her like I wanted to be treated when I was a student.