WendyP61

I am a trainee enrolled nurse on my first ward placement. Went very well with first TAFE block and was looking forward to practical application of the theory buddied up with one or two RNs (as has been the case for others in my group). Turns out things are a little more DIY on this ward than I'd anticipated. Having trained staff myself in my previous life, this is very disappointing. Maybe it's the give them enough rope philosophy - either hang themselves or run with it. I am still trying to work that out. The NUM is related to the Invisible Man and I found out for sure that I had a preceptor when he decided to introduce himself after I had been on the ward for 2 weeks ... sort of remember a preceptor was mentioned but I've been too bamboozled with everything else that's going on. A week ago I was ready to walk away and forget the career change. If this was what being TEN was all about, how was I going to cope with being an RN? One of my assigned patients was transferred to rehab minus dressings on a couple of JUST healed skin grafts. When I asked what I should do with her earlier in the shift the reply was "Oh get her showered and packed up ... " supplemented by " ... and give the ambos the big envelope out of her patient file ..." OK - reading the transfer procedure in the ward info folder (assuming I ever have time) is now on the agenda, but shouldn't a more senior member of staff have actually CHECKED the patient physically before they wheeled her away to see if her wounds were adequantly protected? I still have visions of the grafts peeling off at the other end when they pulled back the blankets. The rest of that afternoon was spent looking after an occasional incontinent patient; one who couldn't use her arms and another who was a very agitated first day post op. The latter didn't get moved or washed until very late in the day, also missed some of her medications. If DIY is the name of the game when it comes to training, so be it and maybe I am just experiencing an unexpected effect of the RN shortage first hand. Any tips for task prioritisation, or is it Murphy's law that I will have one patient nicely soaped up in the shower when another will page with a sudden (urgent) need to be assisted to the loo? Oi vay. How about optimal placement of the pan? I seem to be doing a lot of pushing and shoving - and now understand why we encourage early ambulation! Had a bit of a disaster with "angle of trajectory" on a female patient - overshot the front of the pan. She was a bit on the plump side, are skinny patients easier to position? Am I just being too hard on myself as the TEN co-ordinator seems to suggest? I don't expect to be performing brain surgery by Week 3, but I also don't feel like the theory is gelling in practical terms. PS What is hospital etiquette about leaving at the end of shift? In my previous life, one was paid to work certain hours - yet I found myself being laughingly questioned by a CNS the other day who wondered why I was still on the ward when others on the a.m. shift had (in his words) "buggered off" at least 20 minutes earlier. I had noticed some familiar faces were missing, however, being an obvious newcomer to the ward, didn't want to be perceived as "slinker" - the minute I handed over my pager. The CNS made me feel like a prize bunny - should I slink with the rest?

It seems we can mention brand names, so here goes: Jurlique make a lavender hand cream that is wonderfully soothing. Downside is the price, at around $23-$25 a tube - so it's not something you'd go slapping on throughout the day! It smells divine, as does their rose hand cream, and I would go as far as to say it drives the most tenacious odours out of the old nose hairs. Another product I've tried is from the Heinz "Baby Basics" range - called Sudocrem, that contains zinc oxide. Again, it's not something you'd use during a shift, rather to soothe the hands while you are sleeping. I started using the latter product after my hands were virtually destroyed by an orphan kitten I was raising - clawed, gnawed and weeed on. I figured if the Heinz stuff was good for nappy rash, bed sores, eczema and abrasions it might help kitty-ravaged hands. Put it on at night and use cotton gloves - it's very thick and gluggy white cream. Cheers,