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what does a nurses day consist of?
What else in addition to maintain accurate detailed reports and records, as well as administer medications to patients as well as monitor them for side effects?
6 answers
Updated
Marlena’s Answer
Other than what you mentioned, nursing is about caring for others! Being there for them, talking, getting to know them. You can learn a lot about a person with a few questions. Nurses are always busy, yes, but taking the few extra minutes to show you're listening goes a long way. There are also assessments, critically thinking through issues being experienced to determine the root causes so they can be worked on. We learn about barriers to going home, therapy, medications, care, etc. Nurses have a lot of responsibility but these are people, that need to be cared for on a holistic level, not just the medical issues, but on a human level with human real life problems that can slow or stop care. Being there for others, on a daily basis, is the most full-filling career with tons of opportunities, avenues, and choices! Always start your day with a plan, time management, and give allowances for some flexibility and everything in the day gets done with time to spend with patients/residents. A few minutes of planning takes a lot of running around wasting time out of the equation for when major problems happen. Keeps those major problems from causing major set backs to your day and delays with caring for patients/residents.
Time management
Planning your day
Organizational skills
Communication skills
Therapeutic communication techniques
Marlena recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Juliana’s Answer
Hi Damien,
That's a good question. It can be hard to answer. As a nurse, you can work anywhere from an elementary school to emergency flights to resorts to recovery rooms. Nursing truly is a wonderful and broad career. You can move from one area to another, as long as you are willing to work hard and learn quickly.
There are many things common across the board for nurses.
1. It is always people focused, no matter what - patients, families, schools, churches, communities, etc.
2. It is always focused on quality care, guided by best practice.
3. It always requires continual learning.
4. It always requires compassion.
Regards,
Juliana
That's a good question. It can be hard to answer. As a nurse, you can work anywhere from an elementary school to emergency flights to resorts to recovery rooms. Nursing truly is a wonderful and broad career. You can move from one area to another, as long as you are willing to work hard and learn quickly.
There are many things common across the board for nurses.
1. It is always people focused, no matter what - patients, families, schools, churches, communities, etc.
2. It is always focused on quality care, guided by best practice.
3. It always requires continual learning.
4. It always requires compassion.
Regards,
Juliana
Updated
Char’s Answer
Hi Damien,
It depends on what type of nurse you want to be, but these are general additional tasks that most hospital nurses have to do:
-Perform head-to-toe assessments (this one is huge)
- Prepare patients for procedures and tests (making sure they signed their paperwork correctly, had their blood work done beforehand, etc.)
- Check vital signs and blood sugars
- Perform bedside skills (placing urinary catheters, starting IVs, drawing blood, treating wounds, etc.)
-Assist patients with bathing, toileting, and other activities
- Educate patients and their families on disease
- Make phone calls to doctors, specialists, lab team, other departments etc.
- Assist doctors at the bedside whenever needed
-Oversee nursing assistants and give them tasks to do
-Handwashing ALL DAY LONG
You'll be doing these tasks (along with the ones you already mentioned) over and over for all of your patients during the entire shift. It can get pretty busy but over time it gets easier to manage.
It depends on what type of nurse you want to be, but these are general additional tasks that most hospital nurses have to do:
-Perform head-to-toe assessments (this one is huge)
- Prepare patients for procedures and tests (making sure they signed their paperwork correctly, had their blood work done beforehand, etc.)
- Check vital signs and blood sugars
- Perform bedside skills (placing urinary catheters, starting IVs, drawing blood, treating wounds, etc.)
-Assist patients with bathing, toileting, and other activities
- Educate patients and their families on disease
- Make phone calls to doctors, specialists, lab team, other departments etc.
- Assist doctors at the bedside whenever needed
-Oversee nursing assistants and give them tasks to do
-Handwashing ALL DAY LONG
You'll be doing these tasks (along with the ones you already mentioned) over and over for all of your patients during the entire shift. It can get pretty busy but over time it gets easier to manage.
Updated
Christine’s Answer
A nurse is a jack of all trades, I have worked on a hospital floor, in nursing homes and home health, worked for the state, and worked from home. When short staffed I have done CNA work after my nursing duties. You get report, review your patient's information, pass meds, hang IV's do wound care, give baths, answer questions, take call lights, do rounds with the MDs, take off orders, make sure patients get to all their testing, do assessments, teaching, discharges, maybe get to the bathroom, hold hands with upset or dying patient's, call Drs, contact family, care for the deceased person, do take downs of patients if needed, do personal care, change beds, clean people up, review labs, participate in codes, help out other team members, and chart, and get ready to give report. Give hugs if needed, comfort patients who are scared, be with the deceased's family, clean the floors, figure out how to communicate with those that do not speak English then go home. Hard work yes, it is different every day. And I am sure I have missed a few things!
Updated
Patricia’s Answer
Working as a nurse in a hospital setting requires a lot of direct interaction and care for patients. You'll find yourself in close contact with patients, conducting thorough physical assessments while ensuring their modesty and privacy. Part of your role will involve handling and observing bodily fluids, not just for disposal, but to monitor their quality and quantity. For instance, after a patient has undergone abdominal surgery, it's crucial to monitor their first bowel movement.
As a nurse, you'll also be educating patients about new medications, disease diagnoses, and dietary changes if necessary. You'll assist patients with their mobility, either helping them move or restricting their activity based on medical advice, such as after a procedure.
Interacting with patients' families is another part of the job, providing updates, education, and support. It's essential to only share patient information with authorized individuals, as not all visitors, even family members, have the right to this information.
As a nurse, you serve as the connection between the patient, doctor, case managers, physical therapists, dieticians, and other medical departments. If your patient is critically ill, sedated, or fragile, it's your duty to monitor their safety, from ensuring they're breathing properly to checking for skin and pressure issues if they're unable to move.
You'll likely be caring for multiple patients simultaneously, requiring you to verify you're in the right room with the right patient by checking armbands. Hand hygiene is a must, so expect to wash your hands frequently throughout the day.
In a clinic setting, your role will involve conveying information about numerous patients, answering calls from patients, insurance companies, and other medical offices. For in-clinic patients, you'll need to conduct a comprehensive yet swift assessment, reviewing their medical history while recording their current symptoms to aid the doctor in making a focused diagnosis.
Regardless of the specific area of nursing, the common thread is the need to balance providing quality, safe care with compassion.
As a nurse, you'll also be educating patients about new medications, disease diagnoses, and dietary changes if necessary. You'll assist patients with their mobility, either helping them move or restricting their activity based on medical advice, such as after a procedure.
Interacting with patients' families is another part of the job, providing updates, education, and support. It's essential to only share patient information with authorized individuals, as not all visitors, even family members, have the right to this information.
As a nurse, you serve as the connection between the patient, doctor, case managers, physical therapists, dieticians, and other medical departments. If your patient is critically ill, sedated, or fragile, it's your duty to monitor their safety, from ensuring they're breathing properly to checking for skin and pressure issues if they're unable to move.
You'll likely be caring for multiple patients simultaneously, requiring you to verify you're in the right room with the right patient by checking armbands. Hand hygiene is a must, so expect to wash your hands frequently throughout the day.
In a clinic setting, your role will involve conveying information about numerous patients, answering calls from patients, insurance companies, and other medical offices. For in-clinic patients, you'll need to conduct a comprehensive yet swift assessment, reviewing their medical history while recording their current symptoms to aid the doctor in making a focused diagnosis.
Regardless of the specific area of nursing, the common thread is the need to balance providing quality, safe care with compassion.
Updated
Dolores’s Answer
As others have said, the nurse's day is all about the patient and ensuring that their needs are met. You will develop critical thinking skills, clinical reasoning skills, and clinical judgement skills over time. Each day will be a new experience as you develop these skills, and you will constantly be learning as health care changes and improves based on evidence-based practices. If you are compassionate about helping others, than you may find a career in nursing rewarding. As others have said, nursing has many avenues for exploration and you can move to different roles in nursing until you find your niche. All the best as you decide on which career path you want to pursue.
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