sv12b

That's okay, you're clearly just one of the students that doesn't notice very much. But we RNs notice the students who don't notice things.... and we let your facilitators know.... who let your university know. Your placements will be boring and you won't get a critical care rotation at the end... because patients lives depend on you noticing more and being able to think.

Such a good description, felt like I was at work just reading it! :)

I agree with both. When I was a student I didn't see all the 'cool stuff'.... what I didn't know was that when that nurse was handing out meds they are assessing the patient....are they swallowing ok, reacting appropriately, any changes to cognition, any swelling, are they speaking in full sentences, are they wincing when they move..... I didn't notice the nurses assessing skin integrity when they bed bathed, or checking if the body is limp or rigid, noticing a fever.... I didn't see when they wrote their contemporaneous notes they were checking things off, doing their A-Gs over and over in their head looking for signs of deterioration....and if there are signs what have they done, what is next.... I remember when I was a new student thinking vital signs were boring! I promise an exsanguinating pt, a septic pt, an airway obstruction, an arrest....vitals are very important, but by the same token, a good nurse can often catch a decline early. I remember once when writing my starting progress notes just before meds..... I needed to look at the patient's potassium level.... Not only was it 6.2mmol but the patient had been chartered for KCL PO TDS and given it the past 3 days. The patient also had a cardiac hx and recently started on ACE inhibitors.... Now student nurses.... ask yourself what my boring charting and meds process did for that patient.....

Good money!!?$? $? $???!!! The pay is terrible - for the responsibility, knowledge and expertise required. Nurses must know so much more than when my mom and nan did it.... the pay hasn't risen EQUATIBLY with expertise requirements. Nurses in management aren't taught how to manage staff.... they may have been great nurses, or just senior but that doesn't mean they know how to truly manage humans. N.B.....You might think your manager is/was good but it's probably because you are mostly self managing. As have most nurses been for years Couple poor people managing together with a new generation.....who are, as a collective driven and entitled. The problem with these 2 things is they have no idea what they don't know and think they can do better than those doing the positions they want. So they need VERY strong management which isn't available in nursing, that drive and ambition is needed.....managers need to learn how to use it. Gen-Y are like this in every industry, not just nursing What's more...the RESPECT I started to get when I left the floor skyrocketed. I didn't even know it was missing! Sadly, I look back now and I can see it. Floor nurses should be the highest respected. They keep the whole place running and people alive. CALL TO ACTION!!! Nurses, we all need to promote our expertise, and the respect our work deserves if pay is to ever be properly reflected (What this world pays each person is unfortunately usually coupled with the level of respect). We also need to respect each other more! Don't ASSUME everyone leaves because they don't want to do patient care, I still care....patients still get help from me....just not on the ward. Thought for the day.... once, not that long ago actors did what they did for the LOVE of it and were looked down on by society...... now with a little PR and a lot of climbing..... nurses don't need to climb as much as that.....but a climb is needed.