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RealityRN
Posts Tagged ‘Authority’
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Rookie Wit & Wisdom

Sometimes it feels like I’m not given the time—or opportunity—to learn.

As a new surgical nurse, I’ve noticed that the nurses who have been around for a while don’t want to let me do some of the procedures. I’m nudged out of the way. I’ve talked with other nurses, and they say that they’re afraid of getting into trouble if the new nurse blunders, or they [...]
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Nurse Relationships
Nurses must confront workplace abuse.

The new nurse was doing the best she could. But it wasn’t fast enough for the emergency room doctor. As the doctor struggled to triage the patient, he became more and more agitated. Finally, he yelled and threw a bloody sponge at the nurse—right in the middle of a procedure.

When physical and verbal abuse takes place in the workplace, immediate action should be taken. But [...]
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Reality Unscripted

Just the other day, a surgical nurse, nine months out of nursing school, wrote me,

"Not long ago, after a difficult surgery in which the patient died, the surgeon started swearing at me, as if it were my fault. I know this sounds crazy, but he kicked me. Yep, with his foot. I hesitate to report him. What should I do?"

Now, in my 24 years of [...]
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Reality Unscripted

So he went to medical school, and you didn't. Plus, you are fresh out of nursing school. So who are you to question a doc?

Here's a common dilemma that many new nurses face: "I was put in a compromising situation last week. A young doctor gave me an order that I didn’t question—I just ran with it. After thinking more about his order, [...]
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Nurse Relationships
When you know the doc is wrong.

It was the ninth hour of a 12-hour night on Labor & Delivery when my fourth patient presented with complaints of vaginal bleeding.  Exhausted, I told myself this had to be another worst-case scenario—probably placenta previa or abruption.

I initially performed a comprehensive review of symptoms and thorough patient history, which I presented to the resident. He was a cocky first-year resident, just starting his first [...]
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