Do no harm

Someone recently asked me how hard it was to learn nursing. I think it was hard for the mere fact that you had to learn to do things that most professions never ask you to do. And in many cases, some of the things you have to do just don't seem natural. I went into nursing to help people. I remember having to learn to place an IV and thinking, "But I don't want to hurt them." Of course there's no other way to get an IV in. It's going to hurt- it's a needle. Initially that was a barrier because I felt like I wanted to soothe people and thought I was in the business to make people feel better...not hurt.

Then I one day came to the realization that there are things that are necessary to make them better and to feel better, and sometimes this will incur pain to get there. I learned that in order to treat your patient well and appropriately, you will have to do certain tasks that make them hurt or uncomfortable. Sometimes a proper assessment can cause discomfort (assessing a wound, checking for rebound tenderness, CVA tenderness, etc.) but to NOT do it is remiss. To not properly assess the patient, or not place the IV, is not taking care of the patient, even if it avoided hurting them for the moment. Once I came to this realization, I found doing what I had to do easier. And educating your patients is where you can really shine!

Providing your patients with the information as to why you're doing something is crucial. So often they are whisked here and there, told to do this or that, with little information or explanation. Telling your patient why your placing the IV, why it is important for them, and how it will help them is really what they want. Most patients, when they know why, are agreeable. It makes for happier patients, and your job easier. And I'm sure some of you say, "There's no time." I'm not saying to have a full blown discussion of the pathophysiology of it all. Just fill the dead air time with education. There's never a need for awkward silence with your patient because they always want to hear what information you can provide about their current condition, disease, the plan, what to expect, etc. As you pull the IV out of wrappers, or as you look at the wound, or whatever the case may be, talk as you do it. And I think it helps to know that to be a good nurse, you have to sometimes cause some pain. You don't help the patient by not doing the right thing for them.