I feel nursing is my "calling" for a few reasons, some practical, some very deeply personal. However, this does not stop me from having apprehensions about walking into the room of a person I don't know from Adam and checking out their private bits! I know I will get used to it, but I'd like to hear your stories of your first day of true patient contact - how did it go? Did you flake out and run away crying? Any major mistakes? General uncomfortable awkwardness? Or did you handle it like a pro?
I'm hoping for the latter, but we won't know til it happens, so for now I'll be content hearing some of your experiences!
At my school, we go the day before clinicals to "pick up" our patients. This means going in, introducing ourselves, telling the pts what to expect the next day from us, and maybe getting a little psychosocial history for our care plans. We didn't even wear our clinical uniforms on such occasions - just professional attire and our lab coats. This was strictly a "meet and greet." Not even vital signs were taken. That way, the next day we were already familiarized with each other to an extent and they knew what to expect when we began our physical assessments. It wasn't as awkward as it would've been if we just popped in and met them the first time that day and started poking and prodding.
The one thing I was nervous about being a guy was having to do assessments and taking care of female pts. Little did I know, and I soon came to realize that a lot of elderly female patients just looove having a young, male nursing student taking care of them. lol
Rainbow dash...I can honestly say it is way easier preforming pt.care on a stranger than family. I have been a cna for 20 yrs. and I would feel more awkward doing ADL's with family.Don't get me wrong though, I would be the first one there to take care of a family member if need be! All I can say is....PERI care!!! That to me would feel weird! Just talk to pt./resident , even if they're not able to communicate with you, it'll make them and you feel more comfortable in an embarrassing situation:uhoh21:
Also, I got a tech job this past summer where I was taking vital signs for anywhere from 10 to 20 patients every 4 hours during my shift. It's getting me real used to popping into pts' rooms, making small talk, interacting with them, and then moving on in a timely manner.
I just recently had my first interaction. We start our RN program doing CNA work at a nursing home. My first task was to change a patients briefs, get her dressed and the bed made. She's a sweet lady, and I was so worried about being embarrased/grossed out/shy/unprepared etc. But I got in there, had to get the job done, and with the help of another student we got her all set up. I was surprised at how UN-awkward it was. If you go in there, matter of fact and proffesional, the patient (who is probably used to it) won't mind it at all. For me, it really wasnt as bad as I expected, so relax, you'll be fine.
My first contact was with an elderly lady with alzheimers. I wasn't nervous. It got boring pretty fast, but I helped her get dressed and washed up for the day and sat with her at lunch.
The hospital was more intimidating. My first bed bath on a real human made a little nervous, but then I realized it was also no big deal. In fact, it helps that I do not know these people at all. After a point you see so many memberes and lady partss it no longer fazes you. I can't tell you how many times I had to look at a lady parts last semester during OB. It was almost like a normal part of my day lol
I've never flaked, but god I want to whenever someone has a code brown. UGH. And honestly, things like that make me question whether I want to do beside nursing for long. More likely get a few years out of it, and pursue something else. Eh, my passion is gone.
Thanks for all your stories. To be totally honest, I think I will be fine after I break the "butt ice". Once the initial peri care and change is done, I think I won't be worried about it - because honestly, the thing I'm usually afraid of in the end is the unknown - nothing more, nothing less.
And thinking of them as family on second thought might be a very BAD idea... I might giggle where I *really* shouldn't, so we will nip that idea in the bud.
Yes you will see so many behinds, front ends, and boobies that you do get over it very fast. I forgot to ad to my post that my first patient that was my own I was sitting talking to him to get a medical history and he was 95 yo and sitting there in his gown in a chair with his testicles just hanging on out. They were very enlarged and actually no one knew why he was in for something else but it was like "oh hello" hahahah
My first day with my patient were great!! She was very friendly and had a great sense of humor!! All was well until I left.. I backed into the Director of Nursings car in the parking lot while leaving.. Needless to say, she knew who I was the entire rotation! So embarrassing! But that was 2 years ago and I will graduate in May! :)
I don't remember my first pt contact (as a CNA fifteen or so years ago.) I took a loooong break from pt care and worked as a supervisor in the lab, so my second "first" pt contact was two years ago in nursing clinical, and I remember that clearly. I was only slightly less awkward than my clinicals partner (not enough pts the first day for all of us to get one pt.) It was a young guy in an isolation room for MRSA or some such thing. I pushed my partner to go in first and do everything because I had done it all before (the first couple clinical days are basically CNA work.) I think we spent 2 hours taking vitals because the guy didn't want a bath. It was just ridiculous, but I'm happy to say that I have regained my pt care skills....
I'm an EMT, and during the program, we went on a number of ride-alongs with local fire departments (I actually ended up getting hired by one of them later :) ). On my very first call (during training), we went to a man who'd fallen and possibly dislocated or broken his hip. The paramedic I was assisting took off one of the man's socks to assess for a pedal pulse, and I'm afraid I did not hide my shock and disgust very well when I saw one of the gnarliest, grossest feet I've ever seen. Horrifying toenails and what seemed like inches of scaly calluses everywhere. The worst part was, as the sock came off, a cloud of dead skin chunks came flying out, all over the first-in bag I was holding, and all over my pants. I am proud to say I didn't vomit.
Since then, I've had a lot more pt contacts, and it really does get less awkward with time and practice!
I dont actually remember my first patient contact but I do remember feeling absolutely terrified at the idea of going into a pt room and having no idea what to expect when meeting patients for the first time. That was until I got an externship during school, that was immensely helpful with just making me feel comfortable in the hospital and with patients. Now its second nature, they're just people like you and I. And I've seen enough memberes that they're now like seeing an arm LOL (I work at the VA with like a 95% male population). I second the idea that imagining them as a family member would make things worse! Sure it can be awkward at first with a stranger, but picturing them as my uncle naked doesnt make it better! haha. Just know that you'll probably make really simple mistakes like putting on a brief backwards that will seem humiliating at the time, but hilarious later. We've all done it, its all part of the nursing journey :)
BundokSaint
100 Posts
At my school, we go the day before clinicals to "pick up" our patients. This means going in, introducing ourselves, telling the pts what to expect the next day from us, and maybe getting a little psychosocial history for our care plans. We didn't even wear our clinical uniforms on such occasions - just professional attire and our lab coats. This was strictly a "meet and greet." Not even vital signs were taken. That way, the next day we were already familiarized with each other to an extent and they knew what to expect when we began our physical assessments. It wasn't as awkward as it would've been if we just popped in and met them the first time that day and started poking and prodding.
The one thing I was nervous about being a guy was having to do assessments and taking care of female pts. Little did I know, and I soon came to realize that a lot of elderly female patients just looove having a young, male nursing student taking care of them. lol