The best nursing advice you've ever received

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I was just thinking back to the advice and wisdom I'd received over the years and laughed at how true so much of it was!

Can anyone post the best nursing advice they've been given here?

Here are some of my favorites:

1. You control the room, the room doesn't control you

2. The best doctors are the ones who listen to nurses

3. Always trust your instincts

4. Never suction anything with your mouth open

Anyone else? :lol2:

Specializes in Hospice, Case Mgt., RN Consultant, ICU.

Never drive on a full bladder. If you are in an accident the last thing you need is a ruptured bladder. This was from a nursing instructor. :rolleyes:

Tobacco is a filthy weed and from the devil doth proceed. From my grandmother. :redbeathe

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Specializes in ER.
Never drive on a full bladder.

If you're in an accident you will also be immobilized for awhile, and peeing is uncomfortable no matter how you do it.

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I forgot this one...

This is so sick, but funny. This nurse I met, sang a phrase (and the whistle) after I vented to him about something that was going on. I was upset because the situation really sucked and there wasn't a thing I could do about it then, except...

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Specializes in Assessment coordinator.

Best nursing advice I ever received, all from the same ex-Army Nurse:

Do all your housework on days when you work, so your day off is your day off

Work 3-11 so you can wake up without an alarm

"That's what the middle of the night is for." (Anything I didn't want to do.)

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Specializes in floor to ICU.

"Work smart, not hard."

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Specializes in LTC.
Best nursing advice I ever received, all from the same ex-Army Nurse:

Do all your housework on days when you work, so your day off is your day off

Work 3-11 so you can wake up without an alarm

"That's what the middle of the night is for." (Anything I didn't want to do.)

Thats one of the reasons I love 3-11 shift. I don't have to wake up in the morning.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Utilization Review, Geriatrics,.

..."The doctor is much more likely to give you want you want (need) if you ask in a calm and organized manner. Get your ducks in a row and have the answers to his questions before you page him."

Good advice, it is all in the presentation!

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Specializes in Physical Rehabilitation.
Best nursing advice I ever received, all from the same ex-Army Nurse:

Do all your housework on days when you work, so your day off is your day off

Work 3-11 so you can wake up without an alarm

"That's what the middle of the night is for." (Anything I didn't want to do.)

This is some great advice! That nurse must have been a great person to learn from:)

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Specializes in Critical Care.

1) Don't necessarily rely on report. People forget things, confuse their patients, etc. Look at the patient, make your own assessment / judgements.

2) Learning critical care is like drinking water from a fire hydrant. :D

julie

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
For new nurses:

If in doubt of what to do- wash your hands and take a set of vitals, and ask for help.

If no pulse/no resp and you freeze up --> call code, start compressions/bagging pt. Someone will come!

The thing you spend all night worrying about after your first few shifts is unlikely to happen.

In an emergency situation, give yourself a 5 second "HOLY CRAP" moment and take a deep breath. Your training and preparation will kick in!

I was fresh out of nursing school, and while I was waiting to take boards, I worked as a sitter for Fairfax hospital in VA. I was assigned a profoundly mentally retarded client that was 8-12 hours post op abdominal surgery (don't remember exactly what) when he eviscerated and had to be sent back down to surgery to repair the evisceration. 2 hours later he was out of surgery and we escorted the client back to the floor. Approximately 4 hours post op, the RN taking care of him gave him some anti anxiety medications, as well as pain medications. While we were talking (the nurse and I) he went into respiratory distress. The RN in charge of him panicked (she was a new graduate, fresh off orientation) and RAN OUT OF THE ROOM LEAVING ME BY MYSELF!!! Here I was, alone!!!!! I had never done CPR on human being before (just the dummy) I thought to myself "Oh my God, what do I do?!?!?!" Then I took a deep breath,and heard my nursing instructor's voice say "AIRWAY!!" I went through the ABCs, found he had a pulse, but wasn't breathing, so I grabbed the AMBU bag off the wall and provided rescue breathing until the code team arrived. I'll leave you with a quote:

"Panic plays no part in the training of a nurse."

Elizabeth Kenny

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

- Always check the suction in each bedspace ....make sure it's connected, ready to go and has a Yankeur. Never rely on anybody else to check this

- Never ever take shortcuts with medication administration...never forget your checks. Remember to allow for potential trouble spots - nights? emergencies? interruption?

- Never get medication for more than one p't at a time from the medication room/pyxis

- Always check wristbands

- Always check IV infusions as soon as possible after handover - check dosages

- Never ignore the p't who says 'but I'm not on that pill'

- Always greet your patient and family nicely, remember to smile and establish rapport straight away

- Exhibit an immediate empathetic grasp of the p'ts issues and then state what you are doing to do about those issues. When treatment delayed - keep p't and family informed

- Anticipate elderly toileting needs ... reduce falls risk

-CYA (if you didn't chart it, you didn't do it)

- Learn to manage doctors with wit, charm, anticipation and preparation

- Never ever ignore intuition (this is a big one)

- Dementia p'ts can be occupied with food

- Cultivate a professional image ....helps with p't, family and Dr relations. Speech and grooming are important

- Take sandwiches to work when you think you might not be getting a decent break

- Keep a supply of nuts in your locker

- Drink a lot of water

- Spend a lot on your work shoes

- Never do anything with tubes and secretions until you have your goggles on

- Never take blood/start an IV on a confused or agitated p't without someone to help you

- Wipe up any spills on the floor before someone slips

- Don't lift anything until you have enough assistance

- Beware of lifting with a coworker who has poor technique, or doesn't put enough effort into it....can hurt your back this way

- Realize many or your coworkers aren't as fussy about MRSA/ESBL/VRE as you are ... you may need to glove before touching common equipment. And what's on keyboards, phones, bathroom door ? - scary thought

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Specializes in orto/neuro; LTC, rehab-inpt. med/surg.

well, if you are just starting nursing school: you WILL say to yourself, "self--what the @$#&%^*%*(& were you thinking?!?!?!" 2:don't look at the whole semester: look at each day and ask yourself-what do I have to do right now?? 3. you can and will finish if you decide not to give up! you will cry, threaten to quit, threaten to physically harm your instructor, and fall in love with your peers, AND your instructor! and when it's all over- you will wonder how you ever did it- and will be amazed throughout your career that you did it!!! happy studying!!:D

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