Hang in there new nurse!

So I wanted to share the message below with you, the new nurse who is reading this..
..To provide some encouragement and support because it is easy to feel incompetent starting your nursing career. Yes.. we are licensed BUT we are brand-spanking-NEW.. the transition will take getting used to because we are professional registered nurses and no longer student nurses. Now, we are performing the nursing skills we, as nursing students, were so used to watching our clinical instructors do.. BUT .. be patient new nurse.. and learn everything you can!! Ask as many dumb questions you see fit and don't be so hard on yourself, it will come with time!:

Hey new nurse,
You terrified yet?
Have you wanted to quit or reconsider your career choice yet?
If not… you probably will.

But, little nurse- take heart. Please take heart.  You are not alone.
That confident nurse you admire so much, the one whose work is done on time and is always available to help out.  The one who everyone asks questions and who can usually offer more ideas than the doctors. The one that always gets the hardest assignments and who you hope to see in a code.

That nurse was once where you stand.  They also once shook a little starting an IV.  They were also afraid they put the catheter in the wrong hole.  Their voice also quivered when they talked to their first ‘mean’ doctor.  They also woke up, put on their scrubs, looked in the mirror and thought. “OK…I can do this.” 

The thing about nursing is, you don’t know everything.  You never will.  But, that is both the beauty and the pain of the job- you never stop learning.  So, little nurse, hang in there.  Because that nurse that you admire so much didn’t get to where they are now by quitting.

(Disclaimer: The clinical suggestions, advice and recommendations described on sicunurse.blogspot.com are based on my personal opinions and are not medical advice. The content is for entertainment purposes only. I, surgicalnurse.blogspot.com, do not own, nor did I create any of the animations above. I did create the captions written above and below them, customizing them to my experiences along with learning tips I have found helpful in my practice).

LIFE FLIGHT: Trauma Center Houston

Finally a show about flight transport and trauma...YES! March 2nd Lifetime aired the season premiere of a new documentary/educational show called 'Life Flight: Trauma Center Houston. I was sooo excited when I was told about this show because I am very interested in becoming a flight nurse. When I researched flight nursing years ago, I realized it is not a "simple" process. It requires years of critical care experience and certifications, in different areas. After settling into my career as an ICU nurse, I would like to participate in a ride along with an Air Transport team, particularly rotor-wing (helicopter), to get a better idea of what being a flight nurse feels like. While in nursing school, I read a book called 'Trauma Junkie: Memoirs of an Emergency Flight Nurse' which really gives great insight about the career from a first-hand stand point. To learn more about air & surface transport click here. To learn more about flight nursing and the experience and certification requirements, click here.


                                  Flight nurses ROCK"

                             

                               "Me when I found out this show aired"                 
                         

"Trauma surgeons be like"

 "My first time going out to the helipad during my critical care rotation"

(Disclaimer: The clinical suggestions, advice and recommendations described on sicunurse.blogspot.com are based on my personal opinions and are not medical advice. The content is for entertainment purposes only. I, surgicalnurse.blogspot.com, do not own, nor did I create any of the animations above. I did create the captions written above and below them, customizing them to my experiences along with learning tips I have found helpful in my practice).

TGI'm getting the hang of this!

Week 3 on the unit..COMPLETED! I have been on the unit a total of 8 days and literally.. learning something new. on. each. day. These first few weeks have been a mixture of new grad orientation, critical EeMR classes and being on the unit. As a new grad, I also have to complete critical care courses that are part of my residency completion such as: ECCO/hemodynamic monitoring, CRRT, dysrhythmias EKG and a few other topics. I will start those classes next week so I'll tell you all about it in my next post. Until then, enjoy the GIF stories of this weeks events!

                                              "Waking up for work"

Lesson learned: I'm just not a 'hear-your-alarm-and-hop-right-out-of-bed' person. So, until I am in my car heading to work with music blasting...I am still SLEEP! End of story! 


                                     "New grad life AKA My Life"

Lesson learned: Well this is pretty self-explanatory haha! As a new grad in the ICU, you must have patience and be well aware of the fact that, there is a STEEP learning curve. I literally learn something new every day! Realistically, you probably won't feel comfortable until you reach that '1 year' mark and that's ok!

     
                                   "The good ol' days!"

Lesson learned: Sighssssss I remember it like it was yesterday! Cheers to YOU student nurses! For the long, HARD but rewarding journey you have begun. You can do it!

                          
"When the older ICU nurses tell some medical joke that goes way over my head"

             Lesson learned: No lesson learned here ((haha!)) this was just funny to me because I definitely missed the memo! One day, I'm sure I'll look back at this moment and laugh ..but until then, I'm not even going to pretend like I 'got the joke' ((haha!!))


                                        "Titrating for the first time"

Lesson learned: Now this was a concept that puzzled me most in nursing school during my critical care rotation..mainly because there was no way in hell the ICU nurses were going to let me, the nursing student, touch their pumps & titrate ((totally understandable). Titrating is basically adjusting the dose on the IV pump (pressors aka BP meds or sedation usually) according to what your patient is doing, hemodynamically or physically, the key is to be safe while doing it. An with that said..can we say AUTONOMY?! 

"When one of my fellow nurses grabs my patient's medications from the tube system that I've been waiting for and drops it off to my room" 

Lesson learned: If you see a medication or any other items drop in from the tubing system..GRAB THEM! Take it out and place it in the collection bin OR give it to the nurse if you see him or her. It's always appreciated!

                    "When I receive an admission at 1800"

 Lesson learned: No one likes receiving an admission so close to shift change because you are less likely to leave work at a reasonable time...SO, to make your admission process smoother, check your room BEFORE the patient arrives and restock all supplies that may be missing. Also, try to take care of all tasks and medications with your other patient so you aren't playing 'catch up'.

                                       "Before Friday"

 

"After Friday"

              Lesson learned: Nothing like getting your first paycheck! That is all! :-)

                          "Leaving the unit on week 3"

Lesson learned: Each day gets easier and something new finally CLICKS in my head! ((haha!))

 
  (Disclaimer: The clinical suggestions, advice and recommendations described on sicunurse.blogspot.com are based on my personal opinions and are not medical advice. The content is for entertainment purposes only. I, surgicalnurse.blogspot.com, do not own, nor did I create any of the animations above. I did create the captions written above and below them, customizing them to my experiences along with learning tips I have found helpful in my practice).

Learning Q DAY STAT!!

Not bad, not bad at all..week 2 felt better than week 1! Not like this is a surprise or anything! I am finally starting to get a hang of how things work in a Surgical ICU.. I am still trying to form some 'start of shift good habits' and 'save you step' techniques but it is on its way. Some highlites  for me this week included placing an NGT tube, a foley ((the joy!)) and performing a bedside procedure called an esophagogastroduodenoscopy EGD. An EGD is basically a diagnostic procedure, that can be performed at the bedside, using moderate sedation, to place a scope down the throat into the stomach to identify any gastric issues such as ulcers or bleeding. It's pretty cool to watch, click here to learn more about this procedure. Welp! The GIFS can tell you about the rest of my week better than I can:

"When my preceptor walks in my room"

Lesson learned: Always know what's going on with your patient! From their lines, pumps, continuous IVF and even their IV sites from the time you enter the room during shift report. That way, any discrepancies can be addressed before the shift change. 
     
"When I walk in the room and my lines are a mess"

Lesson learned: Organize your lines at the start of your shift! In the ICU, you can have as 8+ pumps running for one patient. If your lines are all tangled you can't see or know what access you may have in case an emergency occurs etc.. also label them so you can easily know what is running through your lines without playing the "trace it back to the pump"game.

 "The way ICU nurses react to ANY beeping pumps or alarms" 

Lesson learned: Beeping pumps are pet peeves in the ICU! And can be a serious matter if your have a pressor or sedation hanging that runs dry before your start a new one. Always keep a new bag in the room if the current bag is nearing the end so when it finishes, your patients BP won't tank or your sedated patient won't raise hell!


            "Charting my morning assessment"

                   
              ...and refreshing the page before saving...

Lesson learned: Yes it happened to me this week ugh! It only takes this happening to you once for you to learn to save before refreshing that page ever again in LIFE lol! Save your work as you go!



"When my preceptor leaves me in rounds with the critical care team"

Lesson learned: Be ready lol! This week I attended rounds and survived. Nothing to learn here, just know your patient and what's going on so during rounds you aren't clueless. This is also the time for you, the nurse, to make any recommendations to the team that you see fit. They aren't at the bedside so they may not know everything that's going on in the course of one day as you do.

     
"When my preceptor tells me now is a good time to break for lunch"

Lesson learned: It is very easy to fall behind in your day as a new grad, so when you catch a break... take it! It's much easier to break awat if you bring your own lunch instead of speed racing to the caf like I did this week lol. Also, NEVER leave the floor without someone covering your patients. You'd hate to be eating peacefully at lunch then hearing a CODE MET "your patient" being called.
                            


        "Changing my first surgical incision"

                                                  ..well..

Lesson learned: Changing wounds isn't bad and there is no 'right or perfect way' to do it. Gather the supplies according to what is already there and what you think works best and go to town! Always make sure the patient isn't in any serious pain before you begin. If they are, give pain meds beforehand.


"When both of my patients receive transfer orders at the same time"

Lesson learned: If there is a transfer order in place for both of you patients, always work with one patient at a time. You don't want to be juggling back and forth and learn the hard way like I did lol.


                   "In computer orientation like"

 Lesson learned: No lesson learned here lol it's just boring! I DO know how to navigate through my EeMR with ease now haha!

             (Disclaimer: The clinical suggestions, advice and recommendations described on sicunurse.blogspot.com are based on my personal opinions and are not medical advice. The content is for entertainment purposes only. I, surgicalnurse.blogspot.com, do not own, nor did I create any of the animations above. I did create the captions written above and below them, customizing them to my experiences along with learning tips I have found helpful in my practice).