Simple things new nurses or experiece nurses are not doing?

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:confused:new nurse has a post op patient who is running a fever, she/he gives patient tylenol for it. But experience nurses say a blood culture should be drawn. Why are the new nurses not doing this. Does this happen at your hospital that new nurse are forgetting to do. But not only new nurses I have seen this happening with experience nurses too.

Iv site care, cath care, IS use, dangling for post op pts. prior to getting OOB, proper use of Ted hose, skin checks for less mobile patients, bowel and bladder checks, these are all issues for new nurses. I hate to ask if a patient has resumed regular bladder/bowel regieme only to have the other nurse look like a deer caught in the headlights. One male nurse told me I was the only nurse male or female, who ever made sure the patient was getting back to normal within 48 hours of surgery. That was meant as a compliment, but it was sad for me to realize most of my fellow workers were ignoring a real potential problem.

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Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.

What I dont like is some of the Er nurses at my facility on dayshift will only secure an Iv with a tegaderm and no tape, hello thats really going to work on a peds patient whos trying to pull it out!

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Specializes in med surg, ed, icu.

How about when a UA is ordered but it keeps getting passed along and the patient has a foley cath. I also enjoy when we receive how many cc's of output they had the previous shift and when I enter the room their is no sign of a hat and the patient has no idea what I am talking about.

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Specializes in Med/surg;correctional;nursing homes;OR.

Both nurses needs to assess. Just asking for permission, giving privacy and make the assessment. I have found many surprises when I pull back the covers and found distended abdomines, distended bladders or my favorite the chest tube was found dislodged. I could go on. :nurse:

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I go balistic when a patient has a NG tube that is only secured with tegaderm. #$#%####.

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
My #1 pet peeve are sloppy IV's. Coming in to assess a patient and seeing their line has gone dry due to the nurse priming a line with a 1000cc bag, and then putting that the bag has 1000cc to be infused in the pump makes me want to pull my eyelashes out.

I had a clinical instructor who taught me to put in "950" or something in that ballpark for the pump so that it would alert someone before the bag went dry.

I can't tell you how many nurses and other instructors have looked at me like I have 3 heads when I've asked if I should do that since that time when I was being observed. To me, even as a student, it just makes SUCH good sense! I had one patient during my preceptorship recently who's bag and tubing was almost totally dry by the time we got to his room!! :no:

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Specializes in Telemetry.

"Simple things" is precisely the point, IMO. I think a lot of really useful, basic nursing care gets lost in all the details associated with modern health care. It does not matter how precise your monitoring is, or how technologically advanced - if you're not also ensuring that the patient has regular bowel movements, is monitored for skin breakdown, has accurate I & Os, etc - it's all for naught. I'm not sure who imprinted this on me, perhaps my experience in long-term care, but I tend to focus on basics first. The rest comes after, and is often enhanced by attention to these areas.

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Specializes in ED, Rehab, LTC.

I am not a med-surg nurse (hopefully will be soon). Just thought I'd add my opinion.

Transferring patients with urine collection bag on the BED!!! Even worse, leaving it sitting there. I have seen CNA's, EMT's, and Nurses do this. It seems so basic to know better, yet it happens all the time.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

one thing I don't understand is, why do so many nurses leave thye leave the clip (not sure of the proper name for it) open after they flush patient's heplock, it's not that difficult of a concept, and yet I see it quite a bit.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.
I am not a med-surg nurse (hopefully will be soon). Just thought I'd add my opinion.

Transferring patients with urine collection bag on the BED!!! Even worse, leaving it sitting there. I have seen CNA's, EMT's, and Nurses do this. It seems so basic to know better, yet it happens all the time.

definately. I know that I am clumsy enough, so when I am in aroom with a pt that i need to get out of bed, I take 30 sec to assess the situation. OK, where is there tubing, what are they attatched to, cords are where, am I am going to trip over anything and do I need another person to help me with ivac, etc.

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how do you guys address constipation?

given the amt of narcs most of these pts are on, do you give anything to prevent it?

or ask pt if they have gone?

leslie

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Monitoring vs. We had a pt with 214/82 bp and a new nurse who didn't do anything about it. Focusing on task instead of the whole picture. Not asking for help when they obviously need it. Keeping thier nn with them so I can't chart anything that I have had to do with their pts. I have a new nurse 6months out that still stays until 9pm just to finish stuff up.

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