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

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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:

Specializes in Oncology (OCN).

I worked oncology my entire career and loved it so a lot of my likes are kind of specific to that area. Accessing ports. Line draws (picc lines, ports, etc.). Patient teaching, especially related to chemo or new diagnosis. Administering chemo, but especially a really intensive or complicated regime. My absolute favorite--induction chemo for leukemia patients. (Hated it for them) but just the intensity of it, chemo, followed by nadir, countless transfusions of blood products, and then when you finally start seeing bone marrow recovery. I loved all the patient teaching involved. Patients were often with us for 6-8 weeks so you really developed strong bonds with them. We didn't have a BMT unit but I often thought I would enjoy that also.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Precepting, Education.

Sterile nursing procedures like catheters and central line dressing changes. Maybe its because I have to slow down and take the time to think each step through to ensure that sterility is maintained. The change of pace (mentally and physically) for a few minutes is a nice change during a typical hectic day. Although, thinking back to my most recent catheter insertion I came close to getting kicked in the head by a sweet little 92 year old...

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I love IV starts. Didn't always, but at my current job I start up to 20 a day. I just love seeing that flash on pt's with difficult veins and I love when I can make their day by getting it on the first try with little difficulty. The other thing I sometimes love is paperwork. Honestly, it's just so nice to sit down every once and a while.

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Specializes in OR.

I love OR, calming my patient's fears, getting them properly positioned, foley inserted, prepped and draped. I love being a part of helping to save a trauma patient, what a rewarding feeling!

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Specializes in General Surgery.

Pain Management

Patient Education

Dressing Changes

Deep Suction (trach)

Bladder Scans

NGT decompression

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I love pulling anything out, Chest tubes, femoral sheaths, IJs, JPs, etc...

Yes. That.

Except for yesterday, when my patient had a chest tube that had internal and external sutures in place, so that puppy was not budging...called IR to come remove it. Pulmonologist shows up and just yanks that sucker out....OUCH. Yeah. Thanks doc.

^evil man^

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I like giving prn haldol Ativan and Benadryl :)

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I like giving prn haldol Ativan and Benadryl :)

Geodon.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Anything to with central lines, especially lab draws and dressing changes.

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Specializes in ED.

While I love getting difficult IV's, recently I had the opportunity to spend some time on another unit and was asked to feed a patient. I miss being able to do the simple stuff.

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Specializes in PICU.

My favorite was drawing up code meds during a code. It's not my role anymore, so I always look longingly at the nurses in front of the code cart trying to look up doses, draw everything up and label it quickly.

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.
Geodon.

winner winner chicken dinner

Seriously though, I love stabilizing a patient with a team of good people.

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