"Nurses shouldn't have to learn this".

[StudentOfHealing]

First off... I love my fellow classmates... and I especially appreciate this friend I'm about to mention.

Said friend always comments as to why we must learn what we are learning, that it is basically not for nurses to know and its for physicians to know.

"all nurses need to do is take the orders".

I'm not sure what their clinical experience has been but I've been lucky to see my nurses using that pharm and medsurg knowledge. Maybe I've been paired with nurses that always explain what their doing.

"we need to monitor this because... of this med"

"we need to hold this drug and call the doc"

I am so surprised my friend being a nursing student would knock down their own profession.

Its not like were learning the cellular mechanics of a drug.

why is learning the indications, contra indications, antidotes, watered down patho of the drug, typical doses, labs to monitor and effects on liver and kidney such a big deal?

I wish they valued their own profession a bit more and understood they're going to do more than pass meds.

I really appreciate this friend.

wish I know how to tell her.

Do you guys have any opinions as to why they do this? how to approach them? Maybe I shouldn't ... I guess they know and maybe they are in denial about how responsible they will be for someone's life... that's my only guess.

[Nurse_]

Our job is to assess. How are we to assess the effectivity of the medications/treatment plan without knowing how its supposed to be?

I have a patient with rhabdomyolysis. At the time of admission, she was admitted with ACS protocol and with that is an order for STATIN medications (to lower cholesterol). Once she was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, I asked the doctor regarding the Statin order and he immediately took the patient off the drug.

Giving Lasix, for example, lowers potassium. If it's a scheduled lasix IVP order, even if the patient's potassium is borderline normal (3.5-3.7) at that point, I make sure to ask the doctor if he wants a K+ supplement for the patient.

We give multiple antibiotics. Often times, we only have two IV (PICC) access. Knowing what IV meds I can give together and what I can't is part of patient safety.

There's really nothing to do. It's their opinion and they are entitled to it. My suggestion to you is to simply listen and decide for yourself. Sooner or later, it'll hit them in the face.

[zoe92]

I wouldn't approach the friend. I agree with the PP... People will always have their opinions & sometimes confronting them about it makes their opinions all the more obnoxious.

[StudentOfHealing]

I completely agree.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I agree turn a deaf ear...and do your thing.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

Here's a rule of thumb: learn what you would want YOUR nurse to know. Or the nurse taking care of your mom, dad, best friend, or baby. If you ask "what's that heparin for?" do you want to hear the nurse say, "I don't know, I just took the order"? Your friend obviously has no interest in learning, and IMO good nurses love to learn.

[flyersfan88]

Those people make me so mad! Today my patient almost coded because the nurse in charge of her walked out of her room without a second thought about her after pushing 2 mg dilaudid. Her dose was doubled, she's on benadryl, and it never occured to you to check your vitals??? THAT is why nurses have to LEARN things. Can I also mention that this was a relatively new nurse??? This stuff should've been fresh in her mind from school!

[Skips, MSN, RN]

She thinks what she thinks. I suppose you could argue with her about it, but it probably wouldn't get anywhere. She will have to learn the hard way. She will get nowhere with that attitude as a nurse...

[hodgieRN]

Nurses that just take orders usually end up killing someone. Every nurse here has had to go around one doctor and get the appropriate treatment order from another one on the case. Patients go down hill fast and things can happen for the worst. There will be times when you have to make a decision in the moment when there's no doctor around or you are waiting for a call back. Many times, a doctor's order can be two different ends of the spectrum which based solely on what you tell them on the phone. If a nurse plays down something or even worse, a nurse is lazy and doesn't feel like taking a pt down to CT scan because they haven't gone to lunch yet...that can lead to a pt's death. You will know when something is not right. You will know when you have to track through all the consults until someone hears to you. There is an area of autonomy in which we work and that can be the difference between saving your pt or being the nurse that just clocks-in and clocks-out. Hearing what your friend said ****** me off. I hear the results of people like your friend over the PA system in morning, when the oncoming shift calls all the rapid responses at shift change because the prior shift was reading a magazine and drinking coffee the whole time. I see pts go to the unit because a pt's blood pressure was in the 70's for 6 hrs and they gave the 500 ml bolus like the doctor said and waited. The blood pressure should have been treated 6 hrs ago. Or, the nurse that gave that heparin to the pt with a head bleed because "it was on the MAR. If the pt shouldn't have gotten it, then they shouldn't have ordered it." Don't ever be like your friend. Our job is to advocate, treat, and save lives. We are not minions.

[lmccrn62, MSN, RN]

Wow! What a attitude and see how long she lasts as a nurse. I sure hope my path never crosses hers being a patient. I currently work with somes nurses that say the same thing. When I tried to explain their role they were so rude my guess is just ignorant. Just always do the right thing by your patient. Climb over to ensure safe care but always be professional.