What's the ONE best nursing tip you've ever received?

[Dempather]

A GI doctor once told me to place an NG tube in warm water for a couple minutes before inserting it. Simple enough, reduced patient discomfort, and made the whole process a whole lot easier.

What's yours?

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

In an emergency take your own pulse first.

and a related one-

You can't hurt a dead person.

I agree that if a patient says they don't take that med you need to go back and start over. Also if a parent says something bad is wrong with their child, they are always, always right. Especially when they say they don't know what, but it's something bad.

[bjaeram]

If someone says they are going to die believe them.

If you don't know ask don't guess.

[back2bRN]

1. Patients lie, either by omission or comission. The story changes from triage to the back.

2. If your instinct says something is off, it usually is, figure it out.

3. If the ng won't go in softened up, try the tip in iced water, go slowly.