With the steady accumulation of indirect nursing tasks, many nurses feel their practice spinning out of control. The following tips may not be silver bullets for all that ails nursing, but, if embraced, they may help the bedside nurse optimize patient safety, better manage time, and ultimately and hopefully, restore some lost enthusiasm.
1. NEVER RUSH
When it comes to love, rushing in may be ill advised. In nursing, it can be downright dangerous. These days, we are forced to squeeze more tasks than ever into the same period of time. As a result, something's gotta' give[horizontal ellipsis]and it is usually our safety or that of our patients. When the sheer number of tasks gets out of control, stop and take a 5-second "minibreak." This may sound silly, but it is usually all it takes to break the cycle of dangerous momentum and restore your priorities.
Nursing too fast is hazardous to everyone's health. Never exceed your speed of safe practice.
2. WHEN YOU ARE SICK, YOU ARE SICK
There is nothing noble or satisfying about working while sick. Nurses who cannot perform at full capacity risk not only patient safety but also extending their own illness. However, many nurses feel guilty about staying home if coworkers are forced to shoulder the extra load. Some managers actually condemn sick calls as a contributing cause of inadequate staffing. This long-running blame game fosters Catch-22 environments, where nurses are pressured to work when ill or risk being labeled as uncommitted.
Nurses are not responsible for implementing thoughtful staffing policies.
Stay home, get better, and then go to work.
3. TAKE YOUR BREAKS
Regularly skipping breaks not only reduces your intellectual edge but also condemns new nurses to the same practice and, invariably, results in staff demoralization.
Each of us is under the same historic pressure to be the "good nurse." And although emergencies will dictate when you can, or cannot, take a particular break, denying yourself time off does a disservice not only to yourself but also to your patients.
Of course, if your unit is chronically in "crisis" mode and skipping breaks is the only way to keep up, your system is broken. Do not be a martyr, take your break[horizontal ellipsis]you have earned it.
4. LET IT RING
Nursing units are the communication hubs between patients and every other department. Not surprisingly, telephones ring constantly. Nurses may be a master of multitasking, but they will get no gold stars doing not only their own job but also that of a secretary.
Constantly interrupting our thought processes increases the possibility of committing patient errors. If you are free or anticipating a call, by all means answer it. Otherwise, stay on task.
5. RISKY ASSIGNMENTS
It takes courage to question an assignment that you feel is beyond your ability to perform safely. However, doing so is a dedicated act of patient advocacy and self-preservation.
Convey your feelings to your superior. Perhaps, a clinical situation has changed. Perhaps, he/she simply disagrees with your assessment. Nevertheless, your concern creates an important record of accountability should your superior's judgment be lacking.
Never abandon an assignment. But if you remain silent and disaster ensues, it will then be your judgment that will be in question. Know your strengths, find your voice.
6. GET OUT ON TIME
The practice of nursing is about as predictable as the flight of hummingbirds. Sometimes, we must stay late to convey critical information. But we each have lives outside of work and we should not feel guilty about wanting to get to them. Unfortunately, the steady increase in nursing expectations has made getting out on time for many the exception rather than the rule.
Remember, nursing is a 24/7 operation. If you are doing your level best to prioritize and work safely, there is no shame in passing along what you simply could not accomplish. Do your best and pass on the rest.
7. "I'M JUST THE NURSE"
If I only had a buck every time I heard that one! This single phrase disempowers our profession and undermines the enormously important role we play in the lives of millions of people. Granted, the public at large continues to remain unaware of what we actually do. And the popular media does little to dispel the notion of nurses as selfless or submissive physician helpers.
But, we, of all people, should not be confirming these irresponsible stereotypes.
Stand tall and banish the phrase!
Mark Stambovsky, MSN, RN
Staff Nurse
Intensive Care Unit
Baystate Medical Center
Springfield, MA
[email protected]