just so you know...
When I tell people I'm a nurse, I'm usually asked, "so what do you do all day?" I usually give a really lame answer, like, "oh, you know, give meds. call the doctors." I don't think I'm doing my profession much of a service with such an answer. so here goes the real thing:
I get on shift and start looking up some information on my patients before I get report: lab information, any procedures scheduled for the day, the patient diagnoses, the latest orders from the doctors, the medications I will give that day, latest vital signs, etc. This takes a while, so I have to finish after I've gotten report so that the night nurses can go home. I walk into each patient's room to get a quick nursing baseline of the individual, and then it's usually time to start calling people. If a procedure is supposed to be done but is not scheduled yet, I call down to the appropriate department to see what's going on. If I have questions on doctors' orders, or if a patient requests something that has not yet been ordered, I have to figure out who to call (which can take a while), and then follow-up if I don't get a call back (which happens). If a new medication is ordered, I give the patient a brief overview of the medication and its side effects; if a patient is being discharged, I figure out where the prescriptions should be sent, if the patient needs supplies (like gauze, tape, etc) to take home. With the help of the nursing assistants, i get vital signs on my patients every 4 hours (sometimes more often if a sedating drug is being used, or if the patient is getting blood) and calculate the intake and output every 8 hours. if something is out of range, I call the appropriate doctor (again, this takes a bit to figure out. sometimes the person I call knows who i should really talk to, but sometimes I just have to try again). Before mid-morning, I get a thorough assessment on my patient: heart sounds, lung sounds, bowel sounds, pulse strength, heart rhythm, skin integrity, muscle strength, pain level, level of consciousness and responsiveness, wound and dressing status, wound drainage system settings, etc. Again, if anything is outside of baseline, I call the doctors. Hopefully by this time I have charted something on all of my patients, and then I can take a 15min break. If not, well, then I just eat something really quickly, and then take my 30min lunch as soon as I can.
If I give blood, or give chemotherapy, or give insulin, or do any sort of procedure with controlled substances, I have to find a second nurse to check the order with me. Most of the time other nurses are busy, but we generally try to help each other out. We are pretty good at responding to beeps, whether it be a low battery on the IV pump, or a call bell, or a bed alarm. I chat with my patients when I can, usually when I'm walking around with them or changing a dressing. I perform various interventions to prevent constipation, minimize urinary retention, promote hygiene, encourage deep breathing, improve circulation, avoid medication interactions, and promote comfort. When i go to work, i pray that my mind will be clear and that I will have strength to do what is necessary. Typically, the only thing I do after work is shower and go to bed.
I like my work. It is hard work, but I take a lot of pride from what I do. It is gory glory.
I get on shift and start looking up some information on my patients before I get report: lab information, any procedures scheduled for the day, the patient diagnoses, the latest orders from the doctors, the medications I will give that day, latest vital signs, etc. This takes a while, so I have to finish after I've gotten report so that the night nurses can go home. I walk into each patient's room to get a quick nursing baseline of the individual, and then it's usually time to start calling people. If a procedure is supposed to be done but is not scheduled yet, I call down to the appropriate department to see what's going on. If I have questions on doctors' orders, or if a patient requests something that has not yet been ordered, I have to figure out who to call (which can take a while), and then follow-up if I don't get a call back (which happens). If a new medication is ordered, I give the patient a brief overview of the medication and its side effects; if a patient is being discharged, I figure out where the prescriptions should be sent, if the patient needs supplies (like gauze, tape, etc) to take home. With the help of the nursing assistants, i get vital signs on my patients every 4 hours (sometimes more often if a sedating drug is being used, or if the patient is getting blood) and calculate the intake and output every 8 hours. if something is out of range, I call the appropriate doctor (again, this takes a bit to figure out. sometimes the person I call knows who i should really talk to, but sometimes I just have to try again). Before mid-morning, I get a thorough assessment on my patient: heart sounds, lung sounds, bowel sounds, pulse strength, heart rhythm, skin integrity, muscle strength, pain level, level of consciousness and responsiveness, wound and dressing status, wound drainage system settings, etc. Again, if anything is outside of baseline, I call the doctors. Hopefully by this time I have charted something on all of my patients, and then I can take a 15min break. If not, well, then I just eat something really quickly, and then take my 30min lunch as soon as I can.
If I give blood, or give chemotherapy, or give insulin, or do any sort of procedure with controlled substances, I have to find a second nurse to check the order with me. Most of the time other nurses are busy, but we generally try to help each other out. We are pretty good at responding to beeps, whether it be a low battery on the IV pump, or a call bell, or a bed alarm. I chat with my patients when I can, usually when I'm walking around with them or changing a dressing. I perform various interventions to prevent constipation, minimize urinary retention, promote hygiene, encourage deep breathing, improve circulation, avoid medication interactions, and promote comfort. When i go to work, i pray that my mind will be clear and that I will have strength to do what is necessary. Typically, the only thing I do after work is shower and go to bed.
I like my work. It is hard work, but I take a lot of pride from what I do. It is gory glory.
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