11202004

Thanks to those of you who have posted here...it's nice to hear some encouraging words from fellow nurses. I know, in the long run, everything will be fine and work out ok, it is just a little overwhelming to think of being in charge of people's well-being without someone watching over me. But, I also know that it's not like I will be hung out to dry - there will be help available within my facility... :)

I had a detox patient a couple weeks ago who was detoxing from alcohol and it was amazing to me the change in the patient's condition that occurred over night. When I left the hospital, the patient was acting pretty normal, but when I returned the next morning all heck had broken loose and the patient was a mess. It took us almost 300 mg of Valium to get the patient even slightly sedated and comfortable. I guess I wasn't expecting that, but then again, I didn't really know what to expect.

Do any of you experienced nurses out there have any advice for making a smooth transition from student nurse to professional nurse? Is it as scary as I think it is going to be?

Does anyone have any interesting experiences with detoxing a patient?