nursebubby

My unit takes newly qualified nurses, but I started after several years experience on a variety of surgical wards. I sometimes think the more you know, the more you know you don't know. I certainly feel experience gives a more holistic outlook and I do think there is a case for only accepting those with ITU experience in a busy acute unit.

Hi Sara, Where I am it is exactly as you describe minus the electronic documentation. Good old pen paper here in my part of the UK: Controlled drug book for checking out meds and documenting wastage and patient notes for administration. We also have a patient register where a note is made of meds given. I can't imagine how we would manage patient flow, breaks and shift changes without teamwork as you've described. I'm not aware of any specific policies other than those relating to ward settings. Theatre/recovery (PACU) tend to be seen as exceptions to the rule. I'd be interested to see how others work.

Four years qualified, three different surgical posts, followed by current job working in PACU where I hope to stay.

A man with 4 kidneys. Bless him, his first question was could he donate two of them.

300ml is minimal especially in the absence of discomfort or other relevant history. Normal bladder capacity varies tremendously. Do you know the patient's fluid balance? Why was catheter placed initially? Is there any other relevant history? I would document refusal, inform doc, encourage fluids and ensure patient understands the importance of reporting even minimal discomfort. I would rescan in an hour or two or sooner if discomfort reported.