A Fish Out Of Water

Remember that first day of school when your mother dressed you in the most God awful clothes and you were totally convinced that EVERYONE was staring and whispering and making fun of you? Remember that time you answered a question in front of the masses incorrectly and your face got red?! Or how about that time you were walking and tripped over your own two feet? Fell flat on your ass on the dance floor?  You nurses out there...remember your first day of clinical and how you knew you were an idiot...and you were pretty much  doomed to be an idiot until you had those initials, RN, after your name?! Ok..well that's how I feel. all those...wrapped up into one tiny small little-slightly LARGE package....every single day I walk into work. Nothing is simple. Nothing is in it's place. Nothing is comfortable. Nothing is like it use to be. It's quite the challenge...but I LOVE it!

I have some philosophy to share...so bear with me as I get these thoughts out.  I have come to agree with the conclusion that we are creatures of habit. I didn't realize how much of my efficiency in nursing had so much to do with my habits. Although each and every day was different-I am now realizing how important habits and routines are in the world of nursing.  How much less time it took me to do certain tasks because I had my passwords down to a T, a physicians pager number, where my supplies were located, were my trashcans were, what buttons to press on a certain machine, where my rooms were, how my assignment sheet was set up etc etc etc.

Once you have a routine down-you don't realize how much your mind relies on subconscious promptings.   It's funny how the most simple things I never use to forget are forgotten now because I am in a new environment with new ways of doing things. My contact precautions are not on the side of the door...but in the middle of the door, hence I'm not prompted to gown/glove/mask up when needed because I have the habit of looking at the side of the door for my precaution signs. Or how about the beeping of an IV pump. The beeping at Mayo Clinic automatically reminded me to get my Saline and Heparin flush...new alarms=less prompting.  I carry a pager now-don't even realize when it goes off because I am not in tune to the noise. My pockets fill with trash because my trashcans are not where I am use to having them. I'm slightly annoyed having to right click, left click, then click again just to chart one item in Cerner as oppose to clicking once on MICS charting. I didn't realize this detail until i was presented with a new documentation system.  The days of easily navigating a charting system are over-I could practically do it with my eyes closed-now I need a bottle of Tylenol after documenting one assessment.

I have seizure patients, respiratory patients...patients that normally I would immediately enter the room and look for my rescue equipment to be attached to the wall and ready for use. NOT ANYMORE! Drives me up a wall every time I enter a room and my rescue equipment is not set up because it's not "how they do things here" (ps...a cut corner due to budget...welcome to the real world of nursing Sierra!) Lets just say as a traveler...I'm covering my ass and going against the grain-my rescue equipment will indeed be set up because that's the routine I'm  use to-and that's whats best for my patients.

Computers in the room...scanners for meds...NOPE!  Back to the ol' school way that I learned in orientation prior to when Mayo was blessed with these electronic advances. How did I go about documenting accurate times again? I never carry around my assignment sheet anymore because I had the habit of using the computers at the bedside and having my meds charted the second I scanned them in the room. I still wait at the Pyxis machine to print my med sheet and all i hear is silence...no med sheet printed here. How do I do my patient ID checks without a med sheet?!?! Without a computer in the room?!?! New promptings needed ASAP!

My movements in the hallways may look like a total lost person NOT awake and oriented X3. I may forget to carry my pen and assignment sheet for documenting. I may forget to bring in certain supplies. I may not be able to discern one alarm from another. I may take a full hour to admit a patient. I may forget to chart a thing or two...but with time I will create new habits and new routines and have new promptings.  I'll be comfortable and become an efficient nurse again-just in time to be a fish out of water again in three months.


You are Nothing Less Than a Work of Art
God Bless
SBS

Song of the Blog:
Ranger by A Fine Frenzy

Verse of the Blog:
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. Proverbs 3:10-11