Tag Archives: learningopportunity

Major Update: I Quit My Job!

I have not posted in a while because I have been busy with some life changes. I recently resigned from my new grad RN job and accepted an offer to work at another hospital. What could have possibly taken me away from my #1 choice hospital and my highly pursued new grad program? A spot in my dream unit, the NICU!

It was tough for me to leave my program since I felt like the people were supportive overall. I truly appreciated the environment, community, and staff. I was learning a lot and growing as a nurse. However, my experience as a new grad RN working in the Float pool with adult patients also affirmed that my ultimate goal is to work with babies in a NICU.

My hospital has a NICU, which was a big reason I applied to their new grad program – I had hopes to move into their NICU eventually, especially after having a NICU preceptorship during nursing school. However, after working as a resident, I learned that the NICU at the hospital where I was employed does not accept inexperienced NICU nurses. The NICU manager recommended I apply to an L&D fellowship after my Float Pool residency, and maybe I could transfer to the NICU afterward. That would mean the earliest I could go to our NICU would be 2023, and that’s with the caveat that I would get accepted into a competitive year-long L&D fellowship. I would be competing with other nurses whose ultimate goal is to be an L&D nurse and other more experienced nurses previously rejected from the L&D fellowship.

After learning all this, I had the opportunity to interview during a mass hiring event for another hospital. The hospital already had my application from earlier in the year, one of the 70+ positions I applied to before starting my new grad program. I shared I only wanted NICU positions – there was no other reason I’d leave my new grad program since it was a great program in a good hospital. I interviewed with the NICU manager at the new hospital via MS Teams in between scheduled night shifts. At the end of the interview, she shared she’d like to hire me. I gave my job three weeks’ notice once I passed the background check and received a target start date. I started orientation for my nightshift NICU position at the new hospital on Oct. 1, last Friday.

I know it’s customary to give two weeks’ notice, but I felt obligated to give my old hospital three weeks. I ended up working four more shifts than if I had only given two weeks’ notice. During those four shifts, I had the most brutal shift I’ve had since coming off preceptorship and working solo. If I had left sooner, I could have saved myself from experiencing the most horrendous shift I’ve had so far. Luckily, my last shift was smooth and helped build my confidence after feeling torn down and broken from the week before – I met my patient’s needs promptly, charted everything on time, gave good shift reports, and my patients had no incidents. At my last job, I ended on a good note and had valuable learning experiences. My horrible shift in the week leading to my final shift taught me that when I’m overwhelmed, not only should I delegate, I should escalate to the charge nurse or nurse leaders. I will remember how awful my experience was on that shift to remind me in my nursing practice: “When Overwhelmed, Delegate + Escalate!”

I will remember this lesson as I start my new job. I am excited to have the opportunity to be in a NICU again. The children’s hospital where I precepted during nursing school opened its new grad program about a month after starting my previous job. Various cohort-mates encouraged me to apply, but I decided I needed to give my program and hospital a fair chance. I passed the opportunity to apply to the children’s hospital NICU new grad program before learning that my hospital would not hire me into their NICU for at least two more years. I don’t regret not applying to that NICU program because I’m grateful for my experience and feel more confident as a nurse because of what I’ve learned working with adults. I gave my program a chance and put forth my best effort, and concluded that I wasn’t willing to wait years to reach my goal to be a NICU nurse.

The earnest pursuit of career goals is somewhat new to me. For years, I didn’t know what I wanted. I knew that I was comfortable but not necessarily excited or passionate about my previous career as an engineer/scientist. During performance reviews, I would dread when my manager would ask what 5-year plan was because I wasn’t inspired by what was around me. I didn’t want my manager’s job, and other than becoming more skilled, building my expertise, and gaining more leadership experience, I wasn’t sure what else to say. Now, it’s nice to have a goal (dayshift NICU nurse) and work towards it.

It’s still a little terrifying:
“What if I don’t like it?”
“What if the staff is mean at the new hospital?”
“What if it’s not what I thought?”
“What if I’m not good at it?”
“What if I can’t handle the long commute?”
“What if I can’t last long enough on nightshift to make it to dayshift?”

Sometimes, you don’t know if you’re going to like something or will be able to handle it until you give it a try. I also have to be open to the possibility of failure or making mistakes with this new job – it’s those moments where real growth occurs, however. That’s how I became a better engineer or scientist. I made a mistake and remembered not to do it again. It’s like doing something wrong a couple of times before you figure out how to do it right, or in the most efficient way.

I think a terrifying part of being a novice nurse is mistakes in healthcare can have a profound and permanent impact on a patient and patient’s family. If I made a mistake as an engineer or scientist, many processes and people were in place that ensured no one would get hurt or injured. Delays or mistakes I made may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but they would never hurt someone. As a nurse, I no longer have that sense of security or protection. It’s anxiety-provoking. I’ve met many nurses with high blood pressure, anxiety, or depression due to the stresses of this profession. I don’t want to develop health issues because of my chosen career. I went into this profession to help people, so I try focusing on how I can help or improve care vs. contemplating the many ways I can injure someone or how someone may injure me (a genuine consideration with adult patients).

I’m still a recent grad with less than a year of acute care experience and still developing. Fortunately, my employer views me as a new grad and is willing to train me as a NICU nurse. I consider my new position as an opportunity to learn, grow, and be a better nurse. I’m going to try to focus on that and becoming the best NICU nurse I can be. Wish me luck!

Vasovagal Syncope at a Mass Vaccination Clinic

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

I was at a week-long pop-up mass vaccination clinic last month in the parking lot of a sports stadium. We monitored patients for severe allergic and other adverse reactions after administering their vaccine injections. Luckily, we never encountered any patients needing us to treat them with an epi-pen in our tent. However, we did have a patient who fainted almost immediately after receiving their shot. The patient eventually regained consciousness, but not before being attended to by at least five nurses with medics and a doctor along the way. If a patient is going to have an adverse reaction to the vaccine, having one at a mass vaccination clinic prompts attention from an entire team of healthcare professionals!

I had never experienced a person fainting before and it was actually impressive to see so many experienced nurses quickly react and attend to the patient. I didn’t give this particular patient their shot. I didn’t even see the patient faint, since I was opposite end of the tent when it happened. I turned around from where I was and all I saw was a bunch of nurses rushing to care for this patient. Everything happened so quickly. As a new nurse, I want to share what I learned and saw so I don’t forget and can apply it to my own nursing practice!

What is Syncope? What causes it?

Fainting, or syncope, is caused by reduction of blood flow to the brain resulting in a momentarily loss of consciousness. With vasovagal syncope, this can be caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure due to dilation of blood vessels or decreased heartrate. Without knowing this patient’s full medical history, our patient’s syncope was likely an anxiety-provoked reaction to receiving the shot. Some people faint at the sight of blood, pain, or other stressors. It is thought this patient was so anxious about receiving the shot, that the patient fainted and had a vasovagal syncopal episode. I did not follow this patient back to the medic tent where the patient was further monitored and assessed. I also did not administer the shot, interview the patient, or provide the patient with the disclosure statement for verbal consent, so I have no idea if this patient has fainted before. However, what I’ve learned is if a person has a history of fainting, it is recommended for the patient to recognize what provokes the fainting (to avoid or work around triggers) and to also get a medical examination to ensure there are no other health conditions causing syncope. After our patient who fainted, we had a number of patients expressing a history of fainting after vaccinations, so we monitored them more closely and had them sit or lie down after the shot. Luckily, no other patients had a syncopal episode.

A-B-C Prioritization Always Applies

In prioritizing patient care, a nurse assesses a patient and prioritizes airway, breathing, and circulation. This is often referred to as the ABCs.

“A is for airway assessment, observing for airway obstruction which can be seen with a changed sound of voice, “see-saw” respirations, and stridor. B is for breathing assessment, observing for an abnormal respiratory rate, the use of accessory muscles for respiration, and cyanosis. C is for circulation, observing for color of hands and digits, an abnormal capillary refill time, and decreased level of consciousness (LOC). “

Picmonic.com

The patient was sitting when they fainted, and some nurses pulled the patient down from their seated position, in their wheelchair. Other nurses rushed to support the patient’s bottom, legs, and feet. After the event was over, some of the nurses wondered why the patient was pulled down from their wheelchair. After an internet search, I learned one should help a patient lie down and elevate their legs to encourage blood flow to their brain (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vasovagal-syncope/symptoms-causes/syc-20350527).

Vasovagal syncope most often occurs when a person is standing or sitting (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/v/vasovagal-syncope.html). Supporting a patient in the standing or sitting position while they have fainted can prolong their unconsciousness and decreased blood circulation to their brain – their blood will continue to pool in their lower vessels. The nurses pulling the patient down from the seated position were trying to improve circulation. The patient did not have a blocked airway and was able to breathe, but had fainted. The nursing intervention of changing the patient’s position was prioritizing circulation, the “C” part of A-B-C prioritization [Airway – Breathing – Circulation].

Techniques to Regain Consciousness

Because the person fainted, the person was unresponsive to verbal commands or requests. I saw a nurse perform the sternal rub in an attempt to “wake” the patient. Luckily, the patient regained consciousness after laying down and getting the sternal rub. Once the patient recovered from fainting, the patient was frightened and did not seem to understand what had happened. The startled patient grabbed at the nurses’ hats and clothing. It’s normal to be confused after fainting. The patient’s caregiver verbally reassured the patient that they were okay. By the time the patient regained consciousness, the medics from the medical tent had arrived accompanied by monitoring equipment and a doctor. The patient was calmed down and taken to the medic tent for further monitoring and observation.

It was not used, but there were ammonia sticks in our supply bin. These smelling salts can be used on a patient who has fainted, in an attempt to increase oxygenation to the brain. In the British Journal of Sports Medicine article, “Smelling Salts”, the author explains:

“Smelling salts are used to arouse consciousness because the release of ammonia (NH3) gas that accompanies their use irritates the membranes of the nose and lungs, and thereby triggers an inhalation reflex. This reflex alters the pattern of breathing, resulting in improved respiratory flow rates and possibly alertness.”

McCrory, P. (2006)

An experienced nurse shared with me that if the ammonia sticks or smelling salts are unavailable, alcohol wipes can also be used under a patient’s nose in an attempt to startle them into consciousness.

Prevention

If a patient stated they previously fainted after receiving a shot, we monitored that patient closely or had them lay down with medics present. We also monitored patients a little more critically if they had a prior allergic reaction or medical history that would warrant a longer than normal observation time of 15 minutes.

Often, people who experience vasovagal syncope have warning signs that they might faint. Some of the symptoms may include dizziness, nausea, warmth, sweaty palms, or blurred vision. If a patient experiences these symptoms, have them sit or lie down, as needed. If they can’t lie down, they can sit, bend down, and place their head between their legs. Cedars-Sinai’s website also suggests:

“Tensing your arms or crossing your legs can help prevent fainting. Passively raising or propping up your legs in the air can also help.”

Patients who experience vasovagal syncope or who have fainted before should be aware of their triggers so they can avoid them or develop ways to manage their triggers. To reduce the risk of fainting, Cedars-Sinai offers staying away from some triggers such as:

  • Standing for long periods
  • Excess heat
  • Intense emotion, such as fear
  • Intense pain
  • The sight of blood or a needle
  • Prolonged exercise
  • Dehydration
  • Skipping meals

I think the biggest impression left from the experience with the fainting patient was how important teamwork is and how quickly every nearby nurse jumped in to help. As multiple nurses were tending to the patient, other nurses were calling the medics for help. Everything happened and resolved so fast, that I didn’t have an opportunity to support them. I was proud of the nurses and what I saw (and ultimately relieved that I wasn’t the one who gave this patient their vaccine injection). As a new graduate nurse, I wonder if I would have known what to do or have been able to react so swiftly. I know for sure I’d be yelling for help. Now that this has happened, I at least have a sense of what to do, if I ever see a person faint. Hopefully, you do too!

References:

Cedars Sinai. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/v/vasovagal-syncope.html

Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vasovagal-syncope/symptoms-causes/syc-20350527

McCrory P. (2006). Smelling salts. British journal of sports medicine, 40(8), 659–660. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2006.029710

Picmonic. https://www.picmonic.com/pathways/nursing/courses/standard/professional-standards-of-nursing-8246/prioritizing-care-32342/airway-breathing-circulation-abcs_8453

Reflection: A Difficult Preceptor

I attended an ICU clinical rotation yesterday and experienced my most difficult nurse “preceptor” I’ve ever had. A preceptor is a nurse to whom you are assigned during your clinical rotation that serves as a teacher/mentor of sorts. I used quotes because technically during clinical rotations, you are assigned a nurse to follow/shadow/help but not all are “preceptors” or teachers. Even though this particular rotation is one that is directly tied to my Advanced Med-Surge Lab (we have been going to this hospital pre-pandemic and go to this hospital as students as part of our course requirements), the nurse to which I was assigned didn’t want the role of preceptor. The other nurses were already assigned students, clinic nurses, or had COVID cases, so this was the nurse they assigned to me.

My nurse was in a room with a patient when my instructor announced to her from across the patient’s room that I would be the student with her that day. After my instructor left, I entered the room to introduce myself to her and the patient, and the nurse “shushed” me. The nurse whispered she didn’t want me to agitate the patient as her heart rate goes up whenever she interacts with her. Ok. I wasn’t there earlier. Maybe she just spent all this time getting this patient’s heart rate under control. I didn’t want to undo that.

After we left the room, my nurse asked me to be completely transparent if I’m uncomfortable about performing any skills. She asked me to perform a number of tasks, including Foley care. I shared with her I had never performed Foley care on a live patient. I peformed the skill first semester (last summer) on mannequins. I’ve never had a patient that required me or my nurses to do this for a patient. (Not that Foley care didn’t occur when a Foley was present – CNA’s can peform Foley care. Also, many hospitals avoid the use of in-dwelling catheters due to risk of infection). While I go to open skills lab to continue to practice my skills, skills lab access has been suspended due to the pandemic. Even though I hadn’t practiced in a while, I knew I could do the skill and wanted to do it. However, because I shared I never did it on a live patient and wanted her to watch me to make sure I was doing it right, she did the task herself and declared, “I am not your teacher. I am not here to supervise you. YOU are here to help ME.”

Wow. Uh, ok. This is a great way for me to start my morning. I know how to do a lot of things, but I don’t get tons of experience doing certain skills on live patients. I’ve practiced numerous times on mannequins, read instructions, and watched videos. I’ve done lots of skills once or twice before on patients with a nurse or instructor present. However, I’m not super confident in all my nursing skills yet – even though I passed all my skills exams. I recognize that getting a pass in skills lab doesn’t necessarily translate to being flawless in doing the skill with real-life patients. I don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize a patient, which is why I just wanted to her to briefly oversee me.

Shortly after she performed Foley care, my nurse asked if could spike a bag and hang a Lactated Ringer’s (LR) solution. I said, “Yes, ” but as I was preparing and doing it, she stopped me and asked me to talk her through the process. I hadn’t even finished explaining when she stopped me again and took the bag and just did it herself. I was a little stunned as I’ve hung a number of IV’s already. She said I should hang the bag first before spiking it. I was used to spiking a bag before hanging it. I’m short and don’t want to have to reach up to the IV pole or adjust and readjust a pole every time I hang a bag. I am also used to checking an IV line and flushing it before connecting anything to it, but my nurse did not do this. She connected the line to the patient after priming it with LR and flushed it from a port upstream. I had never seen this before. As I was trying to assess the IV sites, my nurse motioned me to leave the patient alone, again with the intention of not wanting to bother the patient, I suppose.

Maybe half an hour later, the patient seemed agitated and kept raising her arm. It turns out the chuck (an absorbant pad typically placed underneath a patient’s hips) was wet by her left side. She had a Jackson-Pratt (JP) wound drain, so my nurse figured the drain was leaking, added a dry chuck on top of the wet one, and re-positioned the drain and patient. A little while later, when I was alone with the patient, the patient was agitated again. The chuck was wet again with clear liquid. I tried to find the leak. It couldn’t have been urine because she was connected to a Foley, and the patient’s urine was dark yellow. I couldn’t see a leak from the JP, and the liquid in the JP drain was red and serosanguinous. She had three IV sites on her left side, by where the leak was: her hand, her wrist, and her forearm. Two were running and one was on saline lock. Which one was leaking? I couldn’t find the leak so I placed a towel underneath her left hand to keep her dry and determine if the towel would get wet. If the towel would get wet, it was one way to confirm and isolate the leak to the IV sites. I couldn’t see where the drops of fluid coming directly from any line, but because of the pattern of the leak and where it was wet, I determined the leak was from IV site where my nurse connnected the LR.

When my nurse entered the room, I shared with her the site was leaking and asked if we could switch sites. She switched the LR to the other IV site not being used and then gave me a tip not to use a towel for a patient because it can cause skin breakdown versus a chuck. I silently wondered, “If she had flushed the line before connecting the LR, could we have discovered the leak sooner?” I asked if we should DC (discontinue) the IV site that was leaking and she said why would she if she could save it? When I later told my instructor about the leak and wondered how it could be saved, she said maybe it was kinked or not hooked up correctly. A leaking IV could be saved if the hub was replaced or reattached. I clarified with my instructor if I could do skills on patients, even though I’ve never before done it beyond skills lab. She said I could and shouldn’t need any supervision. With that assurance, I knew I had to give myself a pep talk to be more confident in my own skills and just do things I know how to do, even though I haven’t had a lot of practice doing it in real life.

I also clarified with my instructor if my process for hanging a bag (spiking before hanging) is acceptable – it was. I followed up with the my preceptor and asked, “Why did you stop me from hanging that LR bag?” The nurse shared I was talking too much and not “doing” enough, and she didn’t see me do an assessment. I was frustrated because this nurse asked me to talk her through things, didn’t allow me to do things I normally do, and kept discouraging me from interacting with the patient. I had an entire day in front of me, and I needed to find a way to ensure I was able to do things. So I talked less, did assessments without my nurse present, and eventually got to push IV meds, administer oral meds, empty urinal bags, colostomy bags, and JD drain, witness a CVAD (central venous accesss device) placement, and spike and prepare an NS bag. It didn’t feel good, but I fought to have a day where I could practice my skills and learn.

Around two in the afternoon, my nurse asked if I wanted to eat. She had kept offering me to go on break and eat all morning, but I kept turning her down. I finally agreed I should probably eat as it was now 2pm. She said I could leave early if I wanted and not return from lunch. I was leaving the floor around 3:30pm, so if I was gone one hour, I could just leave. However, I wasn’t planning to be gone an entire hour since most nurses get only half an hour. When I asked to verify if her lunch was only half an hour and how I wanted to match that (how else am I going to get used to the work schedule of a nurse?) she replied saying someting about time management and how she doesn’t know me or my schedule but that I should do what I need to do to manage my time. I explained I would return from my lunch and that I still wanted to learn and do things. We had a patient that had urinary retention so I anticipated needing to do a straight cath (in & out catheter) on the patient. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to insert the catheter; I had never done this on a live patient.

I ate lunch and returned to the floor. The patient who was unable to pee refused the catheter. However, the same patient needed to have a CVAD inserted so we helped prepare the patient for the procedure and monitored him while the doctors inserted the device into a jugular vein. I held the patient’s hand, helped monitor him, and used therapeutic communication to keep the patient still and reassure the patient throughout the procedure.

I had to reflect on the day because while it was rough, I fought to have a valuable clinical experience, and I got it. It’s not often that students get to see a CVAD inserted and sutured to a patient. I wouldn’t have seen that if I left early, as my nurse seemed to encourage me to do. I also got to practice adjusting to different personalities. As a nurse, I’ll need to adapt and adjust to different conditions and personalities. My nurse kept saying multiple times throughout the day, “I am not your instructor”, but I took that in stride, accepted her feedback, adjusted, and performed more and more skills that day. I also learned I need to have more confidence in my own abilities.

My experience reminded me of a Winnie the Pooh quote from a book I’ve been reading my daughter “Pooh’s Grand Adventure”. Christopher Robin tells Pooh, “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” I have to remind myself of this. No growth is without challenges. I have to think that my difficult preceptorship experience just helped me to be stronger and forced me to reflect and be more confident in my abilities. Whether she wanted to teach me or not, I learned something.

One last thing my nurse told me before I left the floor. “Be kind when you’re preceptor. Always be kind”. Okay, I’ll remember that.