What is the best nursing advice you ever got from another nurse?

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I will be graduating soon, and wondered what advice you've received that made you a better nurse?

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Make sure you do all your work the right way. Don't make any short cuts. If you do your work correctly then no one can accuse you of anything bad. :up:

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1. Watch your back

2. Cover your a$$

3. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT

4. If you’re not comfortable doing it, don’t!

5. If you are unsure, please ask!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

"It's always about the patient". Said to me by my preceptor when I was a fledgling, new nurse. Made my days a lot clearer...

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

- always trust you gut

-when in doubt, don't

-it is a lot harder to kill a pt than you think (given to me as a new grad when I was so scared to do anything!)

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- always trust you gut

-when in doubt, don't

-it is a lot harder to kill a pt than you think (given to me as a new grad when I was so scared to do anything!)

#1 and#2 are stellar, I'm not sure about #3.

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING IMPORTANT.

KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT UNLESS IT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR PATIENT, THEN OPEN YOUR MOUTH WHENEVER YOU THINK IMPORTANT. DON'T GOSSIP OR SECOND GUESS YOUR CO-WORKERS IN PUBLIC.

STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, YOUR PROFESSION AND YOUR PATIENTS.

(Sorry about the caps, friends, but I did want to impress this one).

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.
"It's always about the patient". Said to me by my preceptor when I was a fledgling, new nurse. Made my days a lot clearer...

Great signature brother. Best advice I ever got was to see it from the patients point of view.

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Specializes in PACU, ED.

1. If it's not documented it wasn't done.

2. Document so that when you are called into court 2 years later you'll be able to say what occurred.

3. Generally our patients survive in spite of what we do to them.

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Specializes in -.

  • Document or it never happened.

  • Say NO if you don't feel comfortable with doing something. So what, you might get glared at by another nurse or doctor, but I would rather that than making a mistake and killing a patient.

  • Everyone is human. Everyone gets scared, feels pain, loves someone and is a loved one to someone, and have good qualities. I try remember that when I have to deal with people who are jerks. :lol2:
  • Sometimes just talking to your patient will help more than any medicine could.

  • You are at work for your patients. Not to gossip or play office politics or socialize. Put your patient first. You can do the rest when you aren't at work.

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Specializes in CMSRN.

"Breathe, It will be ok." (said to me on the basis that all is human and things happen even with the best of intentions)

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

"If there are no male nurses working there it's probaly not a very good place to work"

Said to me by an old RN with over 40 years experience when I was in clinicals during nursing school.

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

"These are not cattle people" (said to me by a very wise clinical professor). I always hear this in my head when I start getting really busy, and forgetting I am dealing with a person, and not just a job".

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