latebloomrn

As a student on a med/surg floor, you are going to be faced with a lot of different situations that you cant or won't learn about from a text book. I feel like this rotation forces you to hone your critical thinking skills because every patient has so many different issues to focus on yet you still must know how to separate critically important information from not important. Employers like med/surg nurses because among other things, they have been doing complete assessments as opposed to very scaled down, focused assessments like in the ICU or ED. Knowing a med/surg nurse can spot problems with any body system is a plus. This is truly the time to go in with both eyes and ears open and soak it all up. I've done both CCU/ICU and med/surg work and there is a difference. I'd suggest you also look into getting a tutor/mentor now to help clarify and support you thru it all.

I'd suggest getting a tutor/mentor early in the game to help out. I too started my nursing career late and felt somewhat out of place but it was great! Like someone else said if you love it fight for it but be careful become too discouraged too soon. Believe me things will get even more challenging.

How exciting! I would suggest you take plenty of water, some nuts or other little snacks for a quick boost, and any study material that you can copy and keep on your clipboard to review when things slow down (as they will as a student during a long clinical). The last thing you ever want is to look bored or not-busy, so having plenty of material (pertinent to the rotation) is a great way to stay busy and impress your instructors as well as learn something new. It will be different doing 12 hours at first, especially as a student, but remember it goes a lot faster the more you do! As far as assessing the mommies and babies, just take a breath before you go in, get your bearings and exude confidence. They may be feeling overwhelmed and nervous and the last thing they want is a student that doesn't seem competitent! Know what you are going in to do before you go in, make sure you have all supplies and ask your preceptor any questions you may have prior to going in. This will make you feel more confident and put the mom at ease!

WOW, now im even more confused??? Are PDN agencies that desperate for cases that they would allow the safety of their nurses to be at risk? I can understand if I just didnt like the individual, but this person is definately suicidal potentially homicidal and I could potentially face retaliation for being reasonably afraid? Caliotter, I am glad that you weighed in, I would have never thought about it from that perspective. Needless to say my husband is in an uproar and absolutely does not want me in that home again, even if it means I loose my job, but i dont want to quit, I just dont want to be the dead nurse that was there at the wrong time when Mr. Crazy comes to finish everyone else off... Now as for plausable reasons, is there such a thing if fearing for your life wouldnt cut the mustard? I have nothing negative to say about the patient or the condition of the home or really anything else. Im stumpped...

Hi all- i am in quite a situation with my current patient's home. I absolutely love taking care of my patient. The problem lies with the patient's family member who has a serious mental disorder which I have just really started realizing is manifesting or getting worse. Without revealing to many details, some of the concerns i have surroung the new appearance of guns and bullets around the home combined with a plethera of anti-psychotic medications and verbal abuse. What do I do? I do feel somewhat unsure about being in the home with this person but im not sure if i am jumping the gun or not and since it is my first case i dont want to seem ungrateful or like a complainer by my agency? Im contemplating even going in tomorrow as i found out there was a major incident that occured last night which no one alerted me to today, which resulted in someone being taken away on a restraining order but not jailed and able to come home at will??? Advise please, i really dont know who I could talk to about this without HIPPA coming into play or facing a raised eyebrow from my employer.

Wow Caliotter, that's scary! My current patient is certified for another 90days, who knows what's gonna happen after that! I hope I still have work! It sounds like maybe you have some concerns about whether your PDN experiences will get you in the door elsewhere, is that correct? I hope I didn't make a horrible mistake switching from the hospital to PDN... I'm really scared now...

Hi all- I'm new to private duty nursing, pediatric cases and also in school working for my BSN and although I'm really pleased with private duty nursing right now, I'm wondering what are a nurses options if they ever decide to leave PDN? I see a lot of agencies want 1 year acute experience to do hospital work, LTC centers want 1 year LTC experience??? What gives, is PDN considered a black hole of nursing, once you enter you're pretty much stuck? Is this an indication that facilities don't appreciate or recognize the work that PDN's actually do? Please help, I'm started to feel discouraged....

HI all- Im new to this website, and Private Duty Nursing, coming from ICU nursing, but excited about the switch as I am returning to school online and needed the flexibility to make that happen. What I am wondering is what do other PDN's do while your patient is sleeping ? I have a 9 month old baby on a trach and G-tube which keeps me busy , but while my patient is sleeping what is "acceptable" or allowable for me to do after cleaning and charting have been completed? I dont want to appear bored, nor do I want to seem like I am not paying attention to the child if I am reading or online doing classwork or something...any advise would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks, latebloomrn