Things I Learned As A New Nurse

Hi everyone! Nursing can certainly be a tricky field especially when first starting out. As a 2 year nurse, here are my tips that I found/thought about along the way.

• If an IV is hard to flush, pull back on the hub first or slightly push down (obviously don’t pull it out) and then try to flush the IV.

• If the IV is still slow or “sticky,” try to work the 10mL flush in bursts. So push 2mLs in very quickly then stop, 2mLs very quickly then stop. This usually has enough turbulence to clear the lumen.

• If the IV is still not flushing, then you need a new IV! Either the catheter is out of the vein and in the interstitial or you’ve got a blood clot. Neither you want to mess with.

• Prepour/prepull meds out of the omnicell before the rush of the other nurses. As a new nurse I needed all the time that I could get. I did not need to be waiting in line for medications at 0700.

• Look at vitals and mew scores 1st, then give meds. Some things can go without being spoken but also the reminder helps. This is especially pertinent for BP meds.

• Triage your patients: pick acute first then your chronic patients

• ACE and ARBs are not to be given prior to surgery but Beta Blockers (ex: metroprolol) are good to give prior. The way I always remember it: It’s good to laugh before surgery (metropro….lol). “Lol”s are good for surgery.

• If working on an orthopedic floor, make sure pain is managed 1st/2nd. Pain can manifest a higher HR and BP. Pt’s may also be in a worse mood as well. If BP’s are 200s/90s and pt has comorbidities with heart conditions this may not due to pain. But something to consider depending on your situation.

• If you’re unsure, ask!

Two more tips that help on a more personal side as we are all human:

• Sit with butt against wall and legs up after work to let the blood flow back to heart. Helps with varicose veins. Also compression stockings help with this as well.

• If your shoes stink put baking soda in them and tap the excess out.

• ID.me offers discounts to nurses. So if those shoes get bad, just buy some new ones ladies and gents!

Alright, if you found this helpful please let me know. These are quick little random tips that you might find over your years. And I plan to give more. Happy nursing!