I’m going to do a few posts on various drips that are geared towards newer nurses. Here are my 11 points of enlightenment when working with drips! 1. When you get an order to start a drip, that becomes your priority. Yes, I know Mr. Roberson in bed 28 really wants his suppository but he will have […]
how-to
Orienting a Struggling New Grad
Love your blog! I’ve been a pedi cardiac nurse for two years and I’m orienting my second new grad (yikes!). I have this really awful feeling that she is not cut out for acute care. Week 4 into her orientation and it feels like day 1. We were giving an IV med yesterday and after […]
Dealing with Nurse Jerks and Bullies
Nursing can be a very humbling career path. In nursing school, you’re constantly told how to do things and being corrected, and not always in the most gracious ways. And then when you get your big fancy nursing job, you feel like you just went from 8th grade, where you’re on the top of the […]
Nursing Time Management Tips
Learning your own time management style is one of the toughest parts about being a new grad. Here are tips I developed after working on an acute care nursing floor with cardiac and stroke patients. I typically had 4-5 patients on day shift and 5-6 on night shift. Report was 30 minutes and ended at […]
Working With “Difficult” Patients
Have you ever had to deal with difficult patients? Examples would be non compliance or worse. How do you handle difficult patients?
When Should I Call the Doctor?
Loaded question, I know. There are lots of variables and situations. Typically, we have a lot at our disposal to be able to adequately many situations without calling the doc. I love that because it means I can handle a lot by myself (yay for autonomy!). However, here are a few basic guidelines/rules.. 1. Check […]
Central Line Basics for Bedside Nurses
A central line a catheter placed in a large vein in the neck, chest, or groin. Check out the Wikipedia definition for some good pics and different types of central lines. Typically, patients who need these are in a critical care environment, but when they get out to the floor, they still will have their […]
