What is your best tips for a new grad starting on med-surg type floor

I am starting on the unit next week. It is a post op surgical care unit. I will admit I am NERVOUS probably a little too nervous. This particular unit has lost quite a bit of nurses recently and now they are extremely short staff. I don't want to end up with 10-12 patients as a new grad but I fear it will happen. I want to do my best to keep an open mind. I don't have hardly any experience as a nurse tech or assistant with adults. ONLY babies and children. Only the clinicals we had through and you all know how limited those can be in some schools. So med-surg nurses what are your best tips especially for new grads

Thank you

[Shamrock, BSN, RN]

Act like a sponge and soak up as much as you can. If you feel

overloaded - SAY SO! Take a deep breath and go get em!!

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

I hope you have a preceptor! Find out from an experienced nurse how they manage time. How do they keep up with what needs to be done at what hour and when meds are due, etc.? I create a grid with hours across the top and room number along side. I then write in "RX" or "XR" (for xray), "D" (change dressing) or whatever helps plan the hours. I can then SEE when I have time to work in education and other stuff (like eating!). Good luck.

[sjoe]

Excellent suggestions above. And remember:

[EricTAMUCC-BSN, BSN, RN]

Hey, I too will be graduating soon and share similair anxiety. Sounds like a good time management skill suggested by purplemania. I will have to try that one. Good luck!

[nursenatalie, ADN, RN]

I am also starting at a busy post-op med surg...I appreciate all the tips and will be checking this thread often! I currently work as a CNA on the floor in which I will work as an RN and I have taken some tips from the RN's who I see handling their patient load effectively. I am lucky in the sense that our unit manager doesnt like a nurse to have more than 6 patients!

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Originally posted by peaceful2100

I am starting on the unit next week. It is a post op surgical care unit. I will admit I am NERVOUS probably a little too nervous. This particular unit has lost quite a bit of nurses recently and now they are extremely short staff. I don't want to end up with 10-12 patients as a new grad but I fear it will happen. I want to do my best to keep an open mind. I don't have hardly any experience as a nurse tech or assistant with adults. ONLY babies and children. Only the clinicals we had through and you all know how limited those can be in some schools. So med-surg nurses what are your best tips especially for new grads

Thank you

Take care of yourself-you will be under intense stress so get some good daily vitamins,make sure you get plenty of rest,eat healthy....And get some good shoes or sneakers with good support (thick soles with a good arch ) Padded socks....Lip balm.....Good protective hand cream(like Avon Silicon glove)...and take cranberry capsules daily because you will never have time to drink enough H2O during your shift-and if you did you would not have time to pee anyway....:chuckle Good LUck-OH-..and ask many questions -now and for the rest of your career......

[funnygirl_rn]

Originally posted by ktwlpn

.and take cranberry capsules daily because you will never have time to drink enough H2O during your shift-and if you did you would not have time to pee anyway..../QUOTE]

:roll

[ShortFuse_LPN, LPN]

First of all, congrats on the new job!! The best advice I can think to give is to ask questions, even if you feel like it may be a silly question. And don't be afraid to admit if you don't know something. Better to let your co workers know that you are inexperienced than to risk making a huge mistake!

Best of luck :)

[charissa]

Getting orgainized is a biggie, checking with more experienced staffers is a huge help. Also make out a "standard practice" for youreslf, your own routine that helps you out. Example, for me this means(when i m not in charge) listening to report, checking kardexes, checking mars, eyeballing every pt. in that order, followed by my other stuff. that way i know what i have to be doing and when and can work the rest of the night around it. Also at my old hopital assessments werent done until 8pm, five hours into shift. But when I checked my pts out at the beggining I would do an quick assessment. Later I would hit the high points, and then do a quickie again at eight. it seemed much easier that way, kind of like I had lready done my assessments and had them out of the way so all i needed to do was check that nothing changed quickly and get charting!

Everyone else is right, as a new grad all too often you get what you take, SPEAK UP!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good luck. You'll find your own way of doing things and what is a priority and what isn't.

Allow yourself time to learn. You are going to feel overwhelmed, disorganized and incompetent and that is entirely normal. Don't let anyone disrespect you for being so. Ask for help when you need it.

Good luck.

[passing thru]

See Please help..need advice ...nurse 1975 thread