working less than one year and not learning anything

I guess I am not sure what area you feel you are not being educated in.

Are you lacking education in:

On unit orientation?

Patient cares for your specific unit/care setting?

Computer/equipment training?

Additional educational opportunities such as EKG/ACLS/etc?

Plus what kind of unit are you on, hours you work (days vs nights)?

A little more info and there might be suggestions for you, but at the moment this post is a little too vague for me to really try and offer anything helpful :)

Taitter

Sorry to be vague..here's the details:

I am on a cardiopulmonary floor, days. When asked for training for EKG' s I was told to buy a book. I was also told I should be in the position for at least a year before getting ACLS training. I did buy a book and have taken it upon myself to learn as much as I can.

We do have various patients and we do treat wounds..we have no wound nurse and each MD/nurse has different thoughts on how to treat (dressings, topicals, etc.) I can't even get clear rationales as to treatment options, and have tried to do some on-line searches without much luck.

We don't hang blood often, so I get thr protocol so I make sure I'm following procedure. I have my preceptor expaining about the tubing and how it doesn't matter if the resevoir is filled, and I have another nurse telling me it certainly does. Very frustrating.

Just a few examples, hopefully it is more clear.

I am self motivated, but throw me a bone!

I work on a mostly cardiac floor, so I would say if you have ANYONE on telemetry you should be in an EKG class. We take over 16 hours of EKG at our facility, 8 hours of that before we can sign off on our tele strips for each shift.

As far as ohter learning, ie dressings, etc I would really start searching for a support person. Anyone who you can really connect with, and say "hey, I am new here and I would love if you could give me a few suggestions" if the things they say chime strong to you, then trust it and stick with despite other suggestions.

As far as the blood tubing goes, I learned a lot of tricks from a very self-proclaimed "OCD" nurse. She was very protocol particular and was a fantastic, safe nurse. She was never afraid to pick up a book, call a doc or consult another department...and we worked nights! I was trained to fill the chamber, over the filter otherwise the blood cells have a chance to break as they fall and hit the filter, but remember to leave room to see the drip. I was also trained to NEVER run blood into the same line as any fluid OTHER than NORMAL SALINE. D5 and LR and other fluids can harm the blood as it goes in. When in doubt start a seperate IV line for the blood.

Another suggestion, purchase books, take them to work, use them, love them, break thier spines and highlight in them. It is never a bad idea to keep researching. Also I find, and I am actually going to trya nd implement a program at my Atlanta Hospital, to have nurses shadow other departments. Counting these experiences for education credits and towards earning levels I think would be a great opportunity for nurses to see what happens in surgery, dialysis, wound care etc. So in essence just ask if you can take some time in another department, maybe an hour after work and see how things work there. Remember everything you learn isn't just for your job, but to continue to increase the safety and level of care for our main priority, our patients.

You may be learning more than you think.

Do you do head to toe assessments of your patients?

Pass various meds (that you need to know why you are giving and when not to give)?

Have you gained skills in solving common problems such as respiratory distress,and pain management?

Are you developing the people skills to navigate the various relationships with patients, family, doctors, nurses, CNS's, dietary, pharmacy and PT?

You might not realize it, but you are developing judgement. When a nurse looks at at patient and thinks "I think something is wrong", that is learned from experience.

Experience is one of the most valuable skill a nurse can have.

Books read at home are a good idea. When you have settled in, contact the nursing education department and see what else they can offer.

Hindsight is 20/20 as they say...as a new grad I was just happy to have a job...next time I will definitely be more thorough.

And yes I am learning things on my own, but it would be nice to have a "go-to" person when I do have questions and unfortunately there are no strong nurses that I work with.

Thank you all for your input..God willing I can find myself a job that offers more in the way of education and support.

Sorry to be vague..here's the details:

I am on a cardiopulmonary floor, days. When asked for training for EKG' s I was told to buy a book. I was also told I should be in the position for at least a year before getting ACLS training. I did buy a book and have taken it upon myself to learn as much as I can.

We do have various patients and we do treat wounds..we have no wound nurse and each MD/nurse has different thoughts on how to treat (dressings, topicals, etc.) I can't even get clear rationales as to treatment options, and have tried to do some on-line searches without much luck.

We don't hang blood often, so I get thr protocol so I make sure I'm following procedure. I have my preceptor expaining about the tubing and how it doesn't matter if the resevoir is filled, and I have another nurse telling me it certainly does. Very frustrating.

Just a few examples, hopefully it is more clear.

I am self motivated, but throw me a bone!

I would inquire about continuing education classes for nursing in your area. I took a few classes in EKG, wound care, diabetes, and 12 lead EKG interpetation. I also had an orientation that basically sucked, but, I had to supplement my education, so to speak by doing things like this. If their answers were vague, I would make sure that the continuing ed course that I took was current, and would compare that data to what the job is using. Also, the books do have CD ROMs now, to practice with. There are wound care books you can purchase as well; even Incredibly Easy has a wound care book that is not too expensive. Good luck!