New to Nursing : Professional Development

Stress...Still?

Alexandra Cosan — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:12:00 GMT

Only recently, as I have begun my journey into marriage, and "I" has steadily become a "we" in all aspects of life, have I truly realized how stressful the profession of nursing can be. What I mean is that working on a surgical/medical oncology floor, as anyone can imagine, can be stressful both physically and emotionally. It can be stressful because you physically never stop moving for twelve hours or because your forty year old patient just received news that she now has bone mets. I think the transition of our unit and the new population of oncology patients certainly enhances the emotional stress.

However, the important part about that is how to manage it. The job is always going to be stressful. Somehow after almost two years I think I lost site of some of my stress management skills, as I have become a bit more senior on my floor and taken over more responsibility. I suppose it seems counter intuitive, but I find myself more overwhelmed at times.

Although I recognize the importance of not letting your personal life overlap into your professional life, I also do not want the reverse effect. Sometimes it's very difficult to unwind after a stressful day on the floor especially knowing the following day is more of the same. I'm sure many experienced nurses out there can relate exactly to this and as I enjoy my time being engaged and planning a wedding, I'm allowing that to be my beacon on stressful days. My fiance is always what I look forward to on a stressful day and I am so thankful for that.

It's almost as if I need to go back to the basics and my original motto of as soon as I walk out of the door, I need to leave work at work. And when it's overwhelming at work, a deep breath always provides some relief.

Personal Time Management

Alexandra Cosan — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 04:29:00 GMT

Now that I am back in school pursuing a master's in science degree in an adult health nurse practitioner program, I find myself having to manage my time off from work very differently. I used to be able to fill my days off the floor with house chores, errands, spending time with family and friends-- I now have to seriously reevaluate that.

Although I am only taking one course currently, I chose to take advanced pathophysiology, one of the more difficult courses in the program while still maintaining my 40 hour per week work status. The work required for the course is extensive so I spend much of my time off studying and preparing for class. I have to take into consideration when I am working night shift versus day shift so that I enable myself to sleep enough, but still study--another thing I did not have to consider before.

The positive side is that it is different than my undergraduate experience because I can hone in on the content of only one course, which I am finding to be very helpful. It's also helpful to be able to correlate my course content with my day/night work experiences and my patient interactions. I am often able to think about my course content, while at work.

With only a few weeks down, I am definitely experiencing stress, but I know it will be worth it for the long term gain and pursuit of my goals. Hopefully, each day and week I will improve on managing my time on days off by finding a balance between sleep, fun and regular day to day things that need to be completed.

Taking the Next Step...Already?

Alexandra Cosan — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:54:00 GMT

In my undergraduate nursing program it was essentially ingrained in the student body that we should all pursue an advanced degree at some point in our careers and sooner rather than later. Last year at this time all of this was far off my radar. All I wanted was to be gainfully employed. I knew that at some point I would want to pursue an advanced degree but I knew neither of in what area I wanted that degree as well as when I would want to do it.

Needless to say, that has changed. After only six months in my job I am pretty sure I am ready to begin taking classes toward a nurse practitioner degree. In what area and why now, you ask? Well, in adult health and not acute care, because I see myself working in an outpatient cardiology clinic or lung clinic both of which I feel would be appropriate branches from the type of acute floor I am on currently. I do not want to be in the hospital setting forever, but I am thoroughly enjoying what I am doing right now and I believe it is the best possible environment to establish strong foundations in various clinical areas.

As far as why now...now because I am ready to be back in the class room. I am ready to start learning again. I want to take it slow, one class per semester, but I know I need to start now before the external aspects of life begin to take more control.

I absolutely do not want to be the type of NP in which it is vividly apparent that he or she did not spend enough time on the floor, did not gain enough experience as an RN and does not have exceptionally strong skills as a foundation. That is why I am taking it slow and going to continue working while I go to school. Also as I mentioned, I am very happy with what I am doing right now on my unit. I love the type of patients we have and I love the people I work with. I am not ready to give that up yet especially while I still have the energy to be doing it.

The next step is both exciting and scary. I am going to be working full time and going to school all while trying to maintain a personal life. I know there are so many people out there that have done it and are doing it now, so I know I can be successful too. Until then...let the applications roll.

Documentation: My New-Nurse Challenge

Alexandra Cosan — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:31:00 GMT

To say that documentation is the only challenge I face as a new grad in nursing would be false, however it is absolutely one I am I struggling with on a daily basis. I suppose I also find it a bit surprising that I would be having difficulty with this as I was only taught one method of documentation which is the online type of charting and never had to transition from paper to the computer. I have only been taught one way thus I have one major barrier eliminated.

So what is my problem? My problem is that I am so focused on the patient care, going from one patient to another, completing a thorough assessment, checking and administering medications, that I am finding it very difficult to stop for ten minutes and document. I always finish my documentation by the end of the day, but completing in a timely matter is often such a challenge for me.

In addition to the documentation of the assessment, there is also the documentation of everything else you have done with the patient in the course of a shift and documenting any changes, etc. I recognize how integral this is. Proper documentation is crucial, especially if something happens to the patient and the documentation is looked back upon or heaven forbid any sort of legal action is taken. This is something I know I have to improve on it is simply taking me more time than I want it to.

Luckily, I know that I am not the only one struggling with this. Every nurse struggles with documenting everything they do in a shift especially with the transition from paper to computer, but I feel I have no excuse because I did not know the previous method. My excuse is simply that I am trying to find my groove in time management which is incredibly difficult. With each day that I become more efficient, I find I am able to improve my documentation habits a step at a time so I know I will get there eventually.

On My Own

Alexandra Cosan — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:05:00 GMT

As of Sunday, I am officially off of orientation! I thought college flew by-these twelve weeks went by at mach speed. It is remarkable to recall how I felt approaching the floor on the first day versus how I feel now about to really by on my own as an RN.

Throughout my orientation I rotated between two preceptors which although difficult at times, was ultimately very beneficial. By learning from two very different nurses I was able to decipher the traits/habits I want for myself and decide how I want to be as a nurse versus only having one preceptor and simply applying all of his or her nursing styles. It also helped having two different people providing constructive criticism because at the end of the day that is really what I needed and continue to need at times even.

My fears as I embark on my own are that there are still so many unknowns. There are many skills I have yet to master, despite having attempted most. There are various situations I haven't encountered that I am not sure how I will when I do and there is plain and simple knowledge I have yet to obtain. I am confident all of this will come with experience.

For now I feel very lucky to be surrounded by a team of very supportive nurses. Throughout the day everyone is always asking me if I need help with anything, but they are not just asking me that they ask each other that on a regular basis. It is comforting to know I am supported by my team on my floor and that is why I know I will be okay on my own.