3 things you wish someone would have told you, that you had to find out on your own..

[OnlybyHisgraceRN]

The purpose of this thread is to pass "pearls of wisdom" to novice nurses, experienced nurses may learn something too. I'm not a new nurse, 3 years in but I can still use some pearls. I'll go first:

1. Always go with your gut instinct, if something does not seem right investigate and ask questions.

2. Never unspike a pressure bad without deflating it first. It will explode

3.Remember to clamp the line when unhooking lines... especially when running PRBC

4. Don't trust everyone that smiles in your face, however it is important to have atleast one work buddy to confide in.

Okay, that is four. Add as many as you like.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

when something just doesn't look right, have somebody check it out. don't wait to see what happens if you aren't sure you'll know what to do when it does.

(this also applies to cars making funny noises and the kids being just too quiet in the living room)

[picurn10]

dont always defer to "more experience" or "the expert" when you feel like something's wrong. I had a situation not too long ago where this was highlighted: Both the attending and two residents incorrectly assessed the situation, but I knew I was right about it and kept harping on it until they took a second look. Lo and behold, I was right! This pt went immediately to surgery and I really believe my insistence either saved her life, or made her recovery time much, much better. Six months ago, I would have talked myself out of what I knew was "off" because three different doctors were not seeing what I was seeing. I'm so glad I didn't just defer to them.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

1) Remember, you DO make a difference.....

2) Always do your own rounds (in LTC anyway) as soon as you can. TO me it is critical that I know I started the shift with everyone alive...

3) You always need to learn more about something!

4) The dumbest question is the one not asked.

[nursie_nursie_415]

#1: EVERYONE will mistreat us at some point at any given time of the day so just don't take it personally & don't bother trying to explain to them how hard we are working, how much we are sacrificing just to get things done, & how much of a beating we take everyday because they just don't understand - & those who do understand simply DO NOT care. Nurses are doormats & we're expected to be saints, perfectly compassionate & able to pull miracles out of thin air. We are not allowed to have opinions & heaven forbid we say anything less than kind to ANYONE. We are not human, we are not allowed to make mistakes, & we don't have feelings so it is socially acceptable to be rude to us & have unrealistic expectations of us.

The end.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

1) There will be times when you're convinced you've killed your pt. Or that you missed something vital that caused them to die.

2) Most of the time people die when it is their time to die. You can't stop it. You can't fix it. It is not in your hands. (I work mostly with the geriatric population)

3) There will always be somebody who tries to make you believe the above is not true.

It's obvious what kind of night I had at work.

[msjellybean]

Best piece of advice I ever got: if you're struggling with whether or not to call a rapid response code, do it.

2nd best piece: Your gut tends to be right more than it tends to be wrong... if it feels wrong, trust it.

[StarryEyed, RN]

1) If a patient says, "I'm going to die tonight", DON'T automatically chalk it up to confusion.

2) Patients do NOT sleep all night on night shift.

3) Don't assume that's chocolate pudding on that LOL's face and hands!

omg, I freaked out one time cuz I saw gooey brown stuff all over my A&Ox4 pt and was thinking "how the heck did that happen?! Plus it nearly touched my arm but luckily only my glove actually did, then I saw a little dessert cup hidden in the blanket mess and realized it was in fact, chocolate pudding. I remember having seen it there when I had done my initial assessment :)

[Elladora]

1 - It's rarely personal. (I work in psych)

2 - PEG tubes can and will puke on you. They can also splash at an alarming distance.

3 - Go with your gut. (To echo others) If something feels wonky, it probably is. If your inner voice is SCREAMING "Call 911/a code", chances are really good that you should.

[AshleyO77]

1) If a patient says, "I'm going to die tonight", DON'T automatically chalk it up to confusion!

This is one of the most important lessons my first nursing teacher taught me. She said, "when your patient tells you they are gonna die, you better believe them because even though they might look stable, when it's time to go, most of them know it."

[AshleyO77]

1- If you don't love every one of your patients and feel the utmost compassion for all of them, it doesn't make you a bad nurse. It makes you a real person. As long as you treat them all with respect and take care of them the best way you know how, you're good.

2- Take your break. Yeah you have a lot of work to do but go sit down for a few minutes and EAT! You'll go crazy if you don't.

3- Teamwork is the key to success.

[Queen2u]

1. Chiropractor will be your best friend

2. Time management will not come overnight--it takes time and practice

3. Always take 5-6 pens to work with you because you WILL loose several throughout the shift.

[msalt]

So true