8 Ways to Become a Better Nurse
One of the benefits of being away from bedside nursing is that I’ve had time to reflect on my own performance. How could I have been better? What simple precepts would have helped? Being out of the “fog of war” has given me a clearer view of what’s right and what’s wrong in health care. Our culture doesn’t offer much positive encouragement for the nursing profession. That’s a costly shame, as many Baby Boomers soon will discover. To help out, I’ve come up with eight ways to become a better nurse.
- Pay attention to how you perceive your patients
- Intend nothing but the best for your patients
- Speak the truth in a way that echoes your wisdom, not your darkness
- Act on the facts but respect your intuition
- Live your life as a connection to something greater than yourself
- Work through your hardest times, not against them
- Mind your mind: its power to destroy is its power to heal
- Focus on the moment, not the past
Some of us are cut for bedside nursing, some of us aren’t. I think if you’re in bedside nursing and enjoy what you do then you’re a Jedi Knight who commands more respect than you probably receive.
For those of you who don’t quite enjoy what you do, think about your reasons for what you do. Consider the eight precepts (or make up your own) and see if anything changes for the better. You have more options than you realize.
Feel free to add your own suggestions for becoming a better nurse. If I get to 101, I’ll post your thoughts here and promote the living shit out of the list.
I hope the list I’m offering here helps you to become a better nurse, a better person, a better part of our quickly-changing world.
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Try not to judge your patient's pain. If they say they are having pain, treat it, and treat it accordingly. This is huge pet peeve of mine.
Don't let a report on a patient be the end all be all, especially the character issues that get brought up.
Remember, your patients are sick. Sick enough to be in the hospital. And probably scared, too. No one is at their best when they are sick and scared. Throw 'em a bone!
Great stuff about caregiving. It's not a profession for me, but occasionally I do it. Thanks for your brilliant thoughts!
Ensure your patients have all the information so they can make informed choices about their care
-Treat the patient, non the disease. That means the individual who is ill as well as the family.
-No matter how 'difficult' caring for the patient may be, remember they are someone's family member (grandma, grandpa, dad, mom, sister) Treat them like they are your own.
-Answer the family's questions as best you can. Do not let any rock go unturned.
-Greet them with a smile.
-Just because your short staffed and having a bad day, does not mean it's the patient's fault.
I could go on.
Care for people! It doesn't matter if they are patients, family, hospitalilty, nurses, physicians, if you think and act as if you care for them all it will be notice, and positively impact them all.
1. New nurses will become what you are, for better or worse. Act accordingly.
2. You may not agree with or understand a patient's decisions, but always respect and
safeguard their right to make them. Remember, It's not about you.
3. Provide support to coworkers and they will respond in kind.
4. Try to sit when you talk with patients and families, they won't feel like you are in such
a rush (even when you are).
5. Take the time to show you value your subordinates. It's the little things that count.
This is great advice, and I'm in total agreement that those who enjoy bedside nursing are Jedi Knights.
Darn you! I found your blog just before I was supposed to go to bed…and now I can't stop reading! You have written some truly amazing stuff!
1. Always act as if the patient can hear you. It doesn't matter that they are sedated, or even sedated and paralyzed, or in a coma, or whatever. Who knows how much they can hear and understand?
2. Offer to help out your colleagues. You will be repaid kindly by their support when you need it. What goes around comes around.
3. If you don't know, ask. This applies to new procedures, meds, answers to family's questions, etc. It is better to ask a question you think you know the answer to than to get it wrong.
4. Respect your colleagues–not just other nurses, but RTs, techs, secretaries, docs, PAs, etc. You get what you give.
5. Don't stretch yourself too thin. If you aren't comfortable in the ICU, change units. If you are so bored by the floor, challenge yourself & move to a more intensive unit.
6. Don't be bitter. We all know we don't get paid enough, but we stay. Stay because you love it. If you don't, explore other options.
7. Never complain without offering a solution. Even if the solution is crappy, at least you have presented a problem AND a possible solution. Nothing is more frustrating to managers than employees who complain ad nauseum about an issue but offer no suggestions to remedy it. Even if your remedy isn't feasible, or isn't likely to happen, at least there has been an idea thrown out there–which can lead to more feasible and likely solutions.
8. Never stop learning.
Excellent post, and I have linked directly to it over on Nurse LinkUp. It is worth having every nurse see!
Wonderful list. Here's a few I'd add:
1. Improve one thing you do every day. There may be a lot of things you need to do, but work on it by choosing one thing every day.
2. Leave work at work. Unload before you leave the door. Your family will appreciate it.
3. Find outlets for creativity in your work.
4. Make patients smile.
5. Be kind, especially to those in need, whether they're your patients, someone else's patients or your coworkers.
6. Take care of yourself.
7. Keep your eyes on the horizon. Look out for trouble that may be coming.
8. Say please and thank you to everyone…and mean it.
Thanks to all who have added your items so far. I've gotten some great tips from you all.
Loved this!! I did a “my take” on your list, called “11 Ways to Be a Better DON”, on my blog:
http://www.skillednursingthing.blogspot.com
Check it out!
Wow – just read this after posting my latest on my blog about feeling empty after caring for multiple manipulative patients.
Another tip I would give is to keep your work life at work and your home life at home. In other words, leave it at the hospital door.
Now all I have to do is take my own advice!
This is a great post, btw.
1. Respect your education; and learn more.
2. Respect your limitations and know what you can and cannot handle.
3. NEVER bad mouth another co-worker. (that includes NOT eating other Nurses!!)
4. Advocate for each other and our patients.
5. When frustrated; back away and breathe. (that one breath can save yourself, your sanity, and a patient’s life).