Summers3

Please read my reply to the OP in the previous post. Just like him I personally believe you're not giving yourself enough credit. You may be doing little things that are very empathetic that you may not even realize. empathy can be seen as kindness and why should your kindness be a weakness if it's a moderate healthy amount? Too much of it obviously can make you self-destruct. Therefore, I find it very hard to believe that you have never felt empathy before either for a patient or anybody in your real life. Empathy can be simple words or even a small action. Please see my previous post for examples. And like I said, in the previous post a good way to judge your care is that if you're OK with the type of care you're providing to patients, you should be OK that a future provider give the same type of care to your love ones. Also, being antisocial is a wide range. Of course they can live a very successful meaningful life contributing much for society, but you need to be aware of the severity too. Can be anything extreme like "I don't care what happens to you" to a mild version of "I just don't want to be around people too much.” How would you feel if somebody say they don't care what happens to you or your loved one? Will you truly not feel anything negative? Even if in the end, you don't care because that's somebody's random opinion, but then think about the world that we live in if that is the attitude of the majority of the population? At the end of the day, why should I help anybody? I don't care! Why should I donate to charity or volunteer or help the less fortunate? I don't care! "Oh, your father, who was on hospice passed away? Well, we all knew he was gonna pass away at some point.. You guys are been crying for like 15 minutes now. OK I need to take him to the morgue now you guys need to go home so I can clean the room and admit another patient. Please go go" ……..???? Too much empathy is a bad thing. But a moderate amount of empathy is never ever bad. Should never ever be seen as a weakness. being empathetic means you care to a certain healthy point about another person (even strangers) even if you don't receive any thing back. It's one thing to fake being empathetic at work because you were being paid for doing your job. But are you not empathetic in your real life? So what have a random stranger in front of you drop their phone? Will you pick it up and give it back to that person or will you just keep on walking? Because you don't care right? because you are currently off the clock and not working so not getting paid, right? Even spending that extra 20 seconds of picking up their phone and giving it back to them is kindness and can be seen as empathy. Especially when you're not getting anything back in return Except maybe a simple thank you. Something as simple as that can make that person feeling very grateful for what you did. Sorry for the long post, but in a nutshell: Too much empathy can burn out your mind and body in the short run. So avoid too much! But a moderate healthy amount can really be translated into kindness for your fellow human beings, even if they are simply strangers at the end of the day.

A good way to judge your care is that if you are OK with providing that kind of care, then you should be OK with a future nurse providing that type of care to your love one. A moderate amount of empathy is healthy, but obviously somebody who is overly emotional that cries himself to sleep Every time a patient expire is gonna not last long in the nursing profession at all do to burn out and unnecessary stress you were putting on yourself. So no, you don't have to be overly empathetic to be a nurse to provides good care! But you should still provide "professional empathy" meaning you just "pretend to care to provide good care" if you know what I mean....and just look at it as part of the job you're being paid to do. You are being paid to maintain and promote the physical health of the patient.....but also their own mental health. Especially if they are being admitted for a psychiatric diagnosis. if a patient is on hospice, then obviously, the goal is no longer to save them, but to make them as comfortable as they are so they can pass on. Part of your job as their nurse make them physically comfortable .....but also mentally comfortable. What's the point of pain medicine to be pain-free but yet their mind is full of anxiety about death about leaving behind their family for example? sometimes a conversation to relieve loneliness can be more effective than pain medicine. So in the end, even if you don't care, do it anyway because you were being paid to do it. So yes, as you said, fake it, but in a "professional way.” Also..... I really think you don't give yourself enough credit. There are very small things that are very empathetic that people don't think about. Running or walking fast to get a patient's pain medicine instead of walking slowly is empathetic. Charting in their room to stay with them instead of charting in your own quiet comfortable corner of the unit is empathetic. Sitting down to have a nice conversation with them even for five minutes is empathetic. Giving any sort of encouragement is empathetic. Calling engineering three times yourself to ask them to fix the temperature in the room to make the patient more comfortable instead of telling the clerk to do it when she's finished with her work 30 minutes later can also be empathetic! ( believe it or not) All these above examples showed that you go an extra step for your patient in order to promote their physical or mental comfort when you don't have to or when you could have just delegated the task to somebody else who could have just done it at a much later time.Is this not empathy? so I'm very sorry about the family member who said those things about you. Maybe you should take those things with a grain of salt or maybe not even take them at all. And honestly, I feel you should give yourself much more credit for what you do.

Hello! I am still fairly new to where I am working. I wanted to study and pass the exam for a certification in the field I am working in. But a friend from school (who also is in nursing) stated that was a waste of time. Stating that "what is the use of extra certifications/licenses if you don't have the knowledge/skills/experience to back it up? People just like the certifications b/c it makes their resumes looks good or they can boast to others about it to make themselves look better." I understand her reasoning but I can't agree with it. But I'm fairly still new and inexperienced my in own skills/experiences so I can't argue with her standpoint. I understand her point. I plan on staying in my position for years to come, and I understand if you would compare me at five years of experience vs a new grad with zero experience but with an extra certification in that same field, I understand my 5 year experience looks better than a certification with no experience at all.... However. How can I response to that? She stated "Then what's the point of pursuing a med surg certification? Just work in med surg and gain experience/skills that way! Or what's the point of getting a end of life certification or oncology or rehab or women's health or so and so certification? " We recently had someone hired into management position bc she had her MSN in that area (before she was floor nurse). My friend even said "What good is her MSN? She has zero experience and doesn't know what she's doing anyways." I explained that school and experience is different and nobody knows everything when they're just hired anyways! But my friend is not convinced. She even thinks membership to nursing associations is a waste of time and money too. I wanted to do ACLS but she stated "you don't need ACLS where you work so why do it? Just do normal BLS." :/ I was excited to start studying for a certification in my field (the test itself is $300-400, $100s of studying material, months of studying/effort) but I wanted to do it. But now my friend said this, it dimmed my excitement and now I question myself I wanted to sit for this test. I understand her reasoning but I can't agree with it. But I'm fairly still new and inexperienced my in own skills/experiences so I can't argue with her standpoint. I want to do this certification (not just to put on my resume) but to learn more specifically the details/skills of the field I am working in in hopes to boost my knowledge and strengthen my skills (to an extent). Thoughts?

Hello! I am a new grad nurse and almost done with my first year of working. However, there are still so many skills and experiences I have not yet seen before of course. I have always been an anxious person but I'm just so worried about my skills/patient care is still lacking despite having a full one year experience under my belt. Some nursing essentials like experiencing a rapid response/code blue or hanging blood or performing electrolytes replacement are just a few common everyday skills I have not yet experienced. I will soon graduate from "a new grad" on my unit so therefore, I will just become a staff nurse like everyone else, no longer new grad. ..... but I still want to ask "stupid questions" when I don't know something! I still feel that my critical thinking is lacking by far and that's scary to me. There have been instances where I am told "Man, you have been here for this long and you haven't ever done that?!" or "How good of a nurse are you if you have never done that?" or "So and so has been here for almost a year, but she seems so helpless sometimes" So it's like I have one full year experience but yet still feels like I barely know anything and I'm taking care of people with this lacking skill and experience mindset...... I still rely on my charge nurse A LOT and I can tell others are noticing this habit of mine.... I write down everything I learn that day every single day and review it on my days off and I study my old school textbooks too for information. I write down all my mistakes so I learn from them everyday too. But I still feel it's not enough. I'm sure it's part anxiety and lack of confidence problem too. But may I please ask for advice on just how to build up skills and knowledge and developing critical thinking in spare time (besides just from more time and working)? Thank you so much!

Hello! I have a question I can't seem to critically think about. When a pt verbalizes numbness/tingling, what is the significance and treatment for it? I was told that in stroke/CVA pt, this might mean that they are regaining some of their sensation/feeling back. Of course, in diabetes, this means neuropathy. Or a potential side effect of medications that are new. But what about in the general population? Or what if numbness/tingling is a new complaint in a patient who have not had any new changes such as medical condition, status, or new meds (numbness/tingling suddenly occurs)? I was wondering if you recommend any websites for new nurses to follow to simply build upon more knowledge? Thanks!

Hi everyone, I am a new grad that just started a new position right out of school. I am off training for about one week and currently doing okay but that's probably the majority of the patients are currently deemed pretty stable. But I feel so mentally tired even when the shift is slow..... this is because my mind and body on high alert the entire shift because I am worried about making mistakes or missing something vital etc. I am, unfortunately, an anxious person and I worry about EVERYTHING. And I worry about this on my days off too so I feel I am so high alert and mentally wearing out all the time and tired all the time. But as a new grad, I can't do anything about my lack of inexperience and confidence. I of course ask questions when I am unsure or need help! But it's just the fear of messing up something big or missing a change in the pt etc etc that will lead to a bad outcome for the pt. I am afraid of that guilt. Not to mention that I will be starting to float in a few months or so and i'm so afraid. How did you survive your first year and.... the fear? Thank you so much for your time!

Hello everyone. Oh my goodness, for first, please let me apologize! I didn't realize that this thread has escalated to this point! I apologize, I am new and was simply confused by this order so I thought to just ask on here for input. I left early that day after only few hours. But after I came back the next days, I asked the others who took care of about that patient and the order. They said it was regarding abuse history. It was my first time seeing such an order so I was simply confused. Again, I apologize, I was behind on my time management that day and since I left early too, I did not make time to thoroughly read through the pt's notes to understand the big situation before posting this question onto here! But thank you for everyone for your inputs to add to my own growing knowledge, I sincerely appreciate it!

Hello! I am doing a residency program and learning how to be independent on my own. However.... with 4-5 pts on med surg and each pt has like anywhere from 5-10 meds.... how do you know the appropriate dosing range while still going at a decent pace esp in the crazy morning rush? Like what if something is normally 100mg but it was put into the computer wrong as 300mg...... I'm not going to know that 300mg is too much b/c of my inexperience! So how do you learn? Just give it time and experience? Or look up all appropriate dosages for every single med before you clock in to work? Thanks!

Hello! I recently took care of a pt with a foot fracture and he only had Tylenol for pain. I don't have any experience yet but I feel that this does nothing for pain of a foot fracture. And the pt is complaining that Tylenol does nothing for his pain...... However, there is an order that specifically states "Do not call the on-call MD for pain meds"...... Why? So the MD is aware of the pt's pain.... but does not want to give any other pain meds? Sorry but I don't understand this situation... why not? Thanks!

Hello everyone! Sorry if my questions have really obvious answers but I want to ask about more about Insulin. The other day I helped take care of a patient that was ordered to only have meal coverage. Usually I see meal coverage and sliding scale.... But this time it was only meal coverage.... So in general, why only meal coverage?! His blood sugar was 200 and the meal insulin will only take care of the carb he eats later, not the current 200 blood sugar?! So his blood sugar will still continue to be high even after the meal insulin. So.... why just meal coverage for some patients?! Also.... another question regarding lantus for night or morning etc. I see some take lantus only at night. I see some take in at morning and nights etc.... But once I saw someone taking as much as 120 units of lantus in the morning!!!!! This was my first time dealing with anything units this high so I was very surprised! I understand that this lantus AM dose is for controlling him for the entire day.... but 120 units?! I now the units of insulin is adjusted for everyone's different needs.... but is there a max to it? And how do I really know 120 units won't make the patient severely hypoglycemic?! Thanks!

Hello! I am still a new RN and still training. But I finally made a mistake only after few months into the new job (made mistake taking out med from pyxis so I confused the pyxis and it wouldn't let me go forward. So had to ask someone else to call pharmacy etc etc to clear everything). It's a minor thing as told to me from the other nurses and of course this did not affect my patients in any way shape or form. Then... after this event, I started missing other things in the same shift. Like forgetting to chart VS until like 30-45 mins after, forgot to chart I/Os, forgot to chart other things until someone pointed this out to me etc. But since this is my first "mistake" (and not to mention as a newbie, I just held up the pyxis for like 20 minutes where no one else could get their meds) I just felt .... so new. But I know that reality is, I need to be patient and learn from experience since I am still fresh out of school. But my question is..... I still feel conflicted days after this little system "mistake" and I can't even think about bigger medical errors that would affect my patient! So may I please ask: how do you emotionally get over making mistakes? How do you overcome the fear that you may make mistakes in the future?

Hello! I want to ask: Is knowing JUST what the med is for really enough? I am a new grad and I still don't know much about med compatibility, side effects, contraindications etc for majority of drugs. I know that most EMR systems have links where you can check IV meds compatibilities as well as PO meds etc. But when a patient have like 10+ meds and you have like 5 patients...... how do I really just sit there at the computer looking up the compatibility? I know this may be a irrational fear but how do I know if say.... it's okay to give PO .... lisinopril with .... protonix..... with Colace..... with Norco..... with some other med? I know what all of these meds are for and maybe 1-2 side effects..... but that's it! I don't feel this is enough so how do you learn through all of these? Is it really one of those things where you just have to be patient and let time teach you the experience? Thanks!

Hello everyone! I have a silly O2 question that I just can't find the answer to. The nurse I was shadowing admitted a patient due to pneumonia with hx of COPD and was in the 82-84 on room air. I was taught that anything below 90 is like OMG, RED FLAG! The patient was having just A LITTLE bit of trouble breathing but the nurse just completed all the admit paperwork first and only put on 2L of O2 on nasal cannula about 20 minutes later. Yes, the pt's saturation slowly climbed up to the 90s in a little bit.... So I guess my question is..... for someone with O2 on room air in the 80s, is 2L on NC really going to do any good (although it worked for this patient)? And.... was my panic wasn't necessary? I would have think (as a student) that you get something more potent in delivering O2 like face mask RIGHT AWAY. Or is it because the pt has hx of COPD so therefore cannot tolerate more than 5-6L of O2 so Nasal cannula is the only way to go? Or maybe the patient wasn't symptomatic (she was only breathing a little bit heavy)? I apologize, I just feel that from school, anything under 90% is HUGE concern and that Nasal cannula is NOT going to do anything.... but apparently I was wrong for this patient? THis is the critical thinking as a nurse I am still lacking. Please give any advice I can to improve my thinking. Thanks for the feedback!

Hi there, You recently posted on my question about how to prepare for orientation of a new job. I'm so sorry to hear about this but I have to agree that we as new nurses still don't know anything and it's so extremely frustrating. I will be in your shoes and feel so crazy stressed out in a few weeks. I am scared beyond relief sometimes too. Please know you are NOT alone. I am sorry that reality is very stressful but over time after orientation and some time on your own, I'm sure you will eventually establish your own rhythm and pace for your job. :) Keep your head up and you are learning so much already! It really shows that you care greatly about the work you do and the patients you serve. I'm sure you will be a great nurse. It just takes time (as stressful and agonizing to wait) to improve and learn overtime. Like what you have told me, don't lose hope. :)

Hi there, This is probably not much help but ask for certain if the new grad programs accept students with less than 1 year of RN experience or students less than 1 year of graduating. There is a HUGE difference! Therefore, the less than 1 year of RN experience should apply to you since you have never practiced as a nurse yet (regardless of how long ago you have graduated). But of course, please confirm with the facility's new grad program manager first if you can still apply. Sorry this wasn't much help but I wish you the best in your search and congratulations on passing NCLEX! You CAN AND WILL find a job, I'm sure! :)