So...What Kind of Nursing Task Do You LIKE?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

We've got a really good thread going on the kinds of nursing tasks we hate, so I thought I'd throw this one out there to get people talking about the kinds they actually enjoy doing.

For me it was IVs. I stunk at them for the first couple of years after I got out of school because I didn't have much of a chance to start them in the LTCs I worked in. But when I got into acute care, I didn't have a choice but to learn, and within a year I was getting calls from the ICU to come down and start an IV in someone they couldn't get a line in. Frequent flyers would actually request me by name to start their IVs because I could do it quickly and on the first try. I don't know why I had so much luck with the hard sticks, when sometimes I'd miss a big plump one in the hand; there was also the occasional shift where I wasn't "in the zone" and couldn't hit a barn door with a two-by-four. We all have those days. But I sure miss holding a 20-gauge angiocath in my hand and sliding that baby in smoothly and effortlessly. :yes:

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I like wound care. Examining and dressing wounds is really cool.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

I gotta say I LOVE being good a IV sticks too! It's kinda funny since I have a pretty severe phobia of needles when I'm not the one in control of them AND they're coming at me :wideyed:

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Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.

Once upon a time I was amazing at scalp vein IV's. It was so satisfying to be able to get those in! Having been out of the hospital setting for over 8 years, I doubt I'd be able to get a garden hose into a truck now.

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I love med education.

I also love giving a good bed bath. It's sooo satisfying to me.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
I like wound care. Examining and dressing wounds is really cool.

Ditto. Gnarly wounds with dressings I get to change.

Drawing blood on an easy stick.

Giving vaccines, because I get told "I didn't even feel it!" a lot

Diabetic teaching

Precepting students (usually... had a student fall asleep once, that one I didn't like)

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Anything I can pass off for when I am playing candycrush.

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Clocking out comes to mind first. With a little thought, I could also say that I enjoy patient education and therapeutic hypothermia.

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Also, ivp meds- mainly versed. Washing faces and ears- a freshly washed face and clean ears somehow make patients look less sick.

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I like doing goofy (everything I do is goofy-style) ROM exercises with happy, old people. It's like a dance class to them and they really seem to enjoy the activity and interaction.

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- inserting IVs/taking blood, including from art lines/CVCs etc

- lumbar drains/ EVDs

- maintaining fluid balance charts (I & Os) on people with lots of infusions/drains etc (appeals to my OCD side haha)

- complex gross wound dressings (but not everyday!)

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I always appreciated the guru of IV sticks. After all... no matter what's going on... we need access to treat it.

My skill is telemetry interpretation. I can call an arrhythmia .. from a two- lead, that cardiologist's have missed.:yes:[h=1][/h]

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