I almost finished with my residency here at the hospital and I am getting more excited every day! These last six months have been ridiculous. In that sense I mean good, bad, ugly, sad, depressing, and everything in between. I now have a unit to call my home--Medical ICU. It's a fabulous unit full of great learning experiences and great people as well. As I become more adapted into yet another new nursing role, I would like offer all the new nurses out there some tips.
1. Never, ever be afraid to ask questions. How are you supposed to learn anything or be challenged if you don't ask questions? Can you really take care of a patient you know nothing about? Would you be comfortable doing a procedure you have never done before? Ask! Always ask! This also comes in handy when you have a preceptor/co-worker/doctor who thinks he/she knows everything. Feed the ego. It can't hurt.
2. Be prepared for anything. Sometimes the job isn't as exciting as you think it will be. It is most certainly not nearly as enthralling as an episode of "Grey's Anatomy" or "ER". Sometimes it might be, but most nights, not so much. Then again, a disaster could strike at any minute and you could be thrust into the most action-filled night of your life.
3. Know your unit. Be aware of where everything is, regardless of how unimportant it may seem. Know where the crash carts are, the codes to get into the supply room, where the Pyxis is, etc. You never know when you may need this stuff and it will save you from running amok on the unit.
4. It's ok to cry. I do it a lot. Sometimes you just get physically drained, sometimes you are working a devastating case. Sometimes you just have to let it out. I have cried during break, on the way home, on the phone with my mom, with families, when I go to bed. Things will affect more than you think, especially when you are running on fumes.
5. Don't be intimidated by doctors. Easier said than done. I am still going through that, but I think it's great advice. Every nurse will tell you not to take offense to the docs who are pompous/mean/overbearing. They will also tell you when and when not to call the doctors. Always ask another nurse before calling a doc. You may be able to avoid it.
6. Learn to adjust to working nights. Unless you get EXTREMELY lucky, most of you will be working nights. There is really no easy way to make the transition. You just have to be patient. Get some room-darkening shades and tack them around the window to block out the light. Put a blanket at the top of the curtain rod to block out any additional light. When you get home at 8am the last thing you want is to be awakened by the high noon sun. Darkness is your friend. I've been on nights for almost four months and I am just now sleeping for at least five straight hours.
7. Ask for help. Quick-you just got a new admission and your other patient needs to use the bedpan. What do you do? Ask for help. As long as you maintain a healthy, professional relationship with your co-workers and give help in return when you can, someone will almost always be there to come to your aid.
8. Be yourself. The quickest way to lose points among your co-workers is to be stuffy, mean, and have a know-it-all attitude. Be who you are--and accept the people who are not the nicest folks. You may need them someday.
9. Vent! We all need to do it, and who better to vent to than your fellow nursing friends. (Family and friends outside of the healthcare realm are essentially clueless when it comes to our line of work). I have several friends from Lourdes that I work with that I can count on, as well as several new friends I met in the program here at the hospital. As you get to know the seasoned nurses, you will be able to complain away freely on the unit. Just don't do it in front of patients/families/people who you don't want to hear. You will feel better getting all the bullcrap off your chest.
10. Breathe! Collect yourself. This could be very overwhelming. Remember that you are new, you don't know everything, and you may feel utterly stupid. This field of work is always full of surprises, new learning experiences, and whatnot. The day you stop learning is the day you are either an uber genius or realize this is not the line of work for you.
11. Research. You probably thought that after Nursing Research, Community, and Management there wouldn't be research until you decided to go for your doctorate (no offense, nursing staff!! :>) ) WRONG! The only way to really get what you're doing (example: cardiac output, using a Swan-Ganz catheter, understanding sepsis) is to look it up. The AACN's Essentials of Critical Care Nursing is my bible, and along with the Internet, as well as my co-workers, I have information at my fingertips. I also subscribe to several nursing journals, which are also a great source.
Well, I think that's about it for now. It's almost 3am and my shift is almost over. So much for finishing up my Hemodynamic Monitoring module in ECCO. There's always next week.