Nursing is a highly competitive and complex career. In the nursing profession, there are many things to remember, many things to do, and many things not to do. As a result, nurses often feel stressed to manage their day-to-day tasks.
Dos and Don’ts of Nursing
Moreover, the nursing profession is highly evolving and changing quickly. To keep pace with it, nurses have to upgrade their skills continuously. Whether you are an experienced nurse or a novice.
You will have to face difficulties and hurdles to progress in this career. To help out and make the process a little easier for you, here are some of the most important dos and don’ts of nursing.
Some of the things that you must not forget while performing your duties as a nurse are:
Listening to the Patients
Nurses are the ones who take care of the patients in their most vulnerable state. The job of a nurse is to provide proper healthcare and emotional support. So they must listen to their patients to understand their condition effectively. Listening to someone with failing health is an art. You not only have to hear what they are saying but understand what they don’t tell you to evaluate their health better.
Keep Learning
As said earlier, the nursing profession is evolving continuously at high speed. New treatment methods and diseases are being discovered every day. Nurses have to keep themselves updated with these innovations. The best way to keep pace with these innovations and gain higher opportunities is to acquire more education. You can achieve the pinnacle of success in your nursing career by earning an online DNP degree. The more educated you are, the better patient outcomes you can bring. If you keep learning every day, your job gets easier, and you become better as a nurse.
Communicate Effectively
Listening is just half of the job when it comes to communication. Communication is the primary tool for nurses in improving patient experience. It can either make or break your career. Better communication will help you be in touch with your patients effectively. In addition, nurses have to discuss their patient’s history and progress with physicians, and better communication will help you do your job effectively.
Clean Your Workspace
Patients are admitted to the hospital to provide care and a healthy environment. A messed-up patient room is the most unprofessional thing one can expect in a hospital. Make sure to organize and clean your workspace. Used medical equipment and debris are harmful to patient health. Check all the rooms and patients you visited and clear them out before your shift is over.
Ask Questions
In a hospital, nurses are constantly dealing with life and death. A single mistake can cost a patient their life. No matter how well you listen and observe, there is always a need to ask questions to understand better. Do not blindly trust the physicians, as they can also make mistakes. If you think the physician has prescribed medication that seems inappropriate, verify the dosage and type of medicine to be administered. Never start a procedure before completely understanding the method and objective of the process, and don’t hesitate to question your seniors.
Expand Your Network
Making more connections is essential to progress in the nursing career. More often than not, promotions and jobs are based on who you know rather than what you know. Therefore, try to develop as many connections as you can. Join communities and interact with professionals to improve your network and experience.
Don’ts of Nursing
Mistakes are a part of human life, but sometimes they are preventable. It would be best if you also kept an eye on what not to do to avoid those mistakes. Make sure to avoid:
Medication Errors
The most common issue faced by nurses is medication error. Medication errors result in harming over 1.5 million patients every year. In addition, medication errors also cause a financial burden on the healthcare system. Therefore, nurses should avoid distractions while giving medications and properly know the substances being used.
Letting Emotional Attachment Affect Performance
A nurse’s job is to act as a bridge between physicians and patients. They take care of the patients when there is no one around them and sometimes are the last person to care for a patient before their demise. Although nursing requires compassion, nurses should ensure equal care and attention for every patient to avoid hindrance in performing the duties.
Documentation Errors
Documenting the patient’s history and progress is a nurse’s responsibility. Physicians rely on the information provided by nurses to proceed with treatment and make critical decisions. Documentation errors are fundamental, but they might be disastrous and can lead to considerable losses. Most documentation errors are made in a hurry to save time. Be proactive and pay attention to details to prevent these errors. Some of the common types of documentation errors are:
- Using the wrong abbreviations
- Messy or inappropriate handwriting
- Entering information in the wrong chart
- Using wrong time, date, and missing a medical entry
Falling Accidents
Falling accidents are the leading cause of injuries that occur in healthcare centers. These accidents occur when nurses are transferring patients from beds or wards. Slip and fall accidents result in more than 27,000 deaths per year in the US. A nurse’s responsibility is to move patients in the hospital and prevent falling injuries safely. Ensure to check the hospital areas and search for any object that can cause a patient to slip. Supervise patients that are older, under influence, or injured.
Conclusion
In the complicated world of healthcare, nurses don’t have any margin of error. The path to success in a nursing career is to provide better care and be proactive. Go through the dos and don’ts mentioned above to bring better patient outcomes. Patient safety should be the top priority of every nurse.
Nursing is a challenging job for those who don’t have a passion for this profession. But, if you love serving humanity, you will need to do your job with honesty and devotion.
