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Reality Unscripted
Help, I Need Somebody!


I spent the better part of this afternoon helping my 9-year-old clean her room.

The term "pig sty" is fitting. She has avoided the task for weeks because it was simply overwhelming. I would have yelled more were I able to walk through the garage or guest room. The apple did not fall far from the disorganized tree.

Throughout the day, Kira kept saying, "This is so much easier with help!" Amen. My garage waits for my husband and me to work on it together. Some tasks are just too overwhelming to do alone.

That's true with many areas of nursing, too. We are expected to perform such a huge array of tasks that it's almost impossible for one person to be good at all of them. The only way through is to ask for help.

That may mean asking for help in the moment, when your schedule is drowning you. It may also mean asking for help/mentoring/advice in your areas of weakness. If you have a hard time with time management, ask someone to walk you through a typical day for them showing you how they organize their time. If your problem is charting, find out who does it best on your floor and get some advice. If your issue is dealing with difficult patients, do some role playing with someone you've observed doing it well.

We all come to the job with strengths, so it may be a fellow student or new hire that you turn to. Don't be afraid to ask. If we can't help each other out, we all suffer. No one can do it alone, and frankly, why would you want to?

Any 9-year-old can tell you life is so much easier with help!


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3 Responses to “Help, I Need Somebody!”

  1. Joseph J. Neuschatz M.D. Says:

    Not only life is much easier with help but, without help….we are helpless !

  2. Nardine Says:

    I have recently been taking on task after task, without any help from colleagues!
    I feel completly overwhelmed, and subsequently have taken “a mental health day”!!! for a break?!
    I had a close friend & colleague offer to take some of the load yesterday, and that has taken a load off my mind!!!

  3. nursingaround Says:

    Your discussion has brought to mind something which is crucial to nursing. In fact I consider it one of my biggest assets, knowing when and where to get help.
    I have had to work in environments where I had no one to turn to. In fact not only did I not have support, but the staff were openly hostile as well.
    But if you’ve got a good team to work with, it makes your whole job easier, in every single aspect.

    nursingaround.blogspot.com

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