What info should be "tattooed" on a nurse's brain?

[rloh961]

For those of you with nursing experience, I was wondering what knowledge you rely on all the time at work. This would be info that comes up so often you know it cold, without ever having to look it up, and which most non-medical people wouldn't necessarily know. Anything from knowing that PRN means 'as needed' to normal WBC values to typical side effects of a medication you administer often.

I just thought it would be interesting to see what actual working nurses find necessary to know, and having a list like this might be a neat reference for nursing students and new nurses.

[iNurseUK, RN]

Depends upon which speciality you choose. I used to be in Plastics where Hb was all we were interested in. Now I'm in Oncology where U&E's, white count and FFP are all=important

[LegzRN]

Treat the patient, not the labs

Treat the patient, not the rhythm

and medication rights...

You can't take a med error away once it's happened.

[Lovelymo79]

I think the "standard" is 6, although I have another book that lists 10.

My school taught 5 as well but would say "in some places there's a 6th"...

[ErinS, BSN, RN]

I work in hospice but things I have memorized:

Equivalency of common narcotics

Tele measurements- left over from working as a tele nurse

How common drugs are excreted, common interactions, common and uncommon but serious side effects (like some cardiac meds cause cough)

MONA-and that morphine should be used for dyspnea and chest pain

Types of diuretics and why different ones may be used

Aspiration precautions

Medications that can not be given subcutaneously

I guess the list goes on and on, but most important in a new nurse is to ask a lot of questions. I get nervous when nurses I am orienting that have 6 months or less hospice experience are not calling me at least twice a day with questions. Practice thorough assessments until you have a good grasp of when a focused assessment will suffice. Look up things that are vague in your mind. Good luck!

[pajoopie1]

Triple check all your meds

when in doubt, ask. One study found that of the medication errors caught, >80% were caught by NURSES. Trust your gut and never be afraid to question an order.

i agree with knowing phone numbers.

learn how to contact a doctor fastest

how to call a code or rapid response

[ponytailman]

In a crisis who can u depend on! Never let the patient and or family know that u are unsure, fundamentals become skills with time and no matter what common courtesy n respect with everyone u interact with can go a long way in mitigating your daily stress no matter what you really feel

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Understanding acid base imbalances, some of the clinical manifestations, and what this means will help to interpret lab values correctly.

[jmtndl]

ABC-airway,breathing,circulation

Warm,pink ,dry,you have a minute--Cold,wet,blue--get moving

Ask for a second opinion-two heads are better than one

Don't push potassium

Notify MD of condition change

Read the label of the medication when you take it out of the dispensing device

Reassure the patient

Think before you speak

Stay calm (panic is a medical emergency)

LISTEN to the patient

Any information you can get about your patient helps

I've been doing this since before most of you were born.I still learn every day and find nursing a fascinating job.All of the above suggestions have saved patients and myself before.Just a suggestion. Good Luck.

[skittlebear]

Right Med

Right Consistency

Right Dose

Right Time

Right Route

Right Patient

Right Position

Right Documentation

hmmm...what are the others?

[Nursebarebari]

Safety first. ALWAYS!!!

[casi, ASN, RN]

Look at your patient, not the machines.

ADVOCATE! for your patient and for yourself.

[ObtundedRN, BSN, RN]

Never say "I don't know." Say "I will find out" or "I'm unfamilar with that." It sounds better when a doc or family asks a question you don't know.

Know when to ask for help or ask a question when you are unsure of something.

Know what nurses on your unit are good and trustworthy, use them as resources.

Don't trust another specialty just because it's their specialty. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. I've caught way too many pharmacy errors, respiratory errors, MD errors, and other nursing errors, etc. We are all human and make mistakes.

Find some great resources you can carry to work with you, and never forget them. I carry a great EKG book, critical care quick reference book, and a couple of Tarascon's pocket reference books. I may not use them everyday, but when I need them they are very handy.

After school, never stop learning. Things are constantly changing, and there is always more information out there to learn. It always feels good when you pull some little tidbit of info out of nowhere, and someone says "how do you know all this stuff?" or when a doc is trying to remember what something is or means and you re-educate him.