Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Friday, May 6, 2016
God, I love nursing students. And new nurses. And newbies, in general.
The best shifts I have come when I get to precept nursing students or new nurses. It doesn't happen very often, probably because I have a bad, bad reputation with Manglement when it comes to new RNs. I say things like "Don't let that doctor talk down to you!" and then call the doc in question out when he's been an asshole. That does not make me popular with people whose job it is to make sure the fruit plate in the doctors' lounge is fresh and full of papaya.
Still. . . .when I get to precept a new nurse, or a student, it's such a freakin' high. People who don't know a lot, or anything, about a discipline ask the best questions. I'll be talking to a newbie about the diagnosis for Mister X, and say something like "and, of course, he's very disinhibited because he had this right-sided stroke" and the newbie will be all "Wait, what?" and then I'll have to explain it in plain English. Which is exciting, because of the whole translation aspect, and also because I have to dig deep into this brain that's been doing this for a long time and come up with answers to the questions that'll certainly follow.
So, Newbies of every stripe, pay attention:
1. Really and truly, no question is a dumb question.
No, seriously. If you ask me a question that is extremely basic, I will not get mad at you. Often the most basic points of a problem are obscured by language or the cool stuff that isn't so basic. Ask away.
2. If you meet an instructor who says "Nurses eat their young" or "All nurses are codependent," look at them only through slitted eyes.
Most nursing instructors these days are, thank God, decent nurses. Still, you'll occasionally run into one who couldn't hack basic nursing, either because of a lack of brains or a lack of spine. Those are the ones who will tell you horror stories about nurses. Ignore them. Most of us--especially the younger ones--are without bullshit and without an agenda. We want you to succeed, we want to see you on the floor with us, and we're ready and willing to help you out.
Read more at the original site:
Still. . . .when I get to precept a new nurse, or a student, it's such a freakin' high. People who don't know a lot, or anything, about a discipline ask the best questions. I'll be talking to a newbie about the diagnosis for Mister X, and say something like "and, of course, he's very disinhibited because he had this right-sided stroke" and the newbie will be all "Wait, what?" and then I'll have to explain it in plain English. Which is exciting, because of the whole translation aspect, and also because I have to dig deep into this brain that's been doing this for a long time and come up with answers to the questions that'll certainly follow.
So, Newbies of every stripe, pay attention:
1. Really and truly, no question is a dumb question.
No, seriously. If you ask me a question that is extremely basic, I will not get mad at you. Often the most basic points of a problem are obscured by language or the cool stuff that isn't so basic. Ask away.
2. If you meet an instructor who says "Nurses eat their young" or "All nurses are codependent," look at them only through slitted eyes.
Most nursing instructors these days are, thank God, decent nurses. Still, you'll occasionally run into one who couldn't hack basic nursing, either because of a lack of brains or a lack of spine. Those are the ones who will tell you horror stories about nurses. Ignore them. Most of us--especially the younger ones--are without bullshit and without an agenda. We want you to succeed, we want to see you on the floor with us, and we're ready and willing to help you out.
Read more at the original site:
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