Advice for Incoming Housestaff

From the 7/9/2021 newsletter

 

Perspective/Opinion

  

Advice for Incoming Housestaff

 

 By Jennifer Popies, MS, RN, CCRN-K, ACNS-BC; and Ashley Herman, BSN, RN, CNRN

 

 Ms. Popies and Ms. Herman give advice to incoming housestaff from the nursing perspective…

 

Jennifer Popies:

• DO ask the nurse caring for your patients about their perspective on what is going well and what any outstanding needs are that they see should be addressed – this goes a long way in building true collaboration!

• DO bring food for the nurses on the floor you are most frequently working with – this also goes a long way to building true collaboration J!

• DO use order sets to help guide your patient management – many disciplines have spent a long time on each one trying to help make sure best practices are incorporated.  You can always tailor it to your patient’s needs, but use it to your advantage to help ensure best care so things don’t get missed!

• DO clean up after yourself when performing bedside procedures.  Nursing staff does enough “cleanup” for other reasons in the process of patient care!

• DON’T be afraid to say you don’t know something!  Everyone is human and nurses (and others) will respect you more for knowing your limitations.

• DON’T forget to take care of yourself – and if you need to talk, you can reach out to a nurse, a social worker, a chaplain, etc….it doesn’t just have to be a fellow MD!

 

 

Ashley Herman:

 

Some advice to residents and fellows that come into the NICU that I have learned in the many years in the ICU:

• We are all about the “team” approach and want to do the best for our patients. It’s important to get a multidisciplinary approach to cares for a patient so that it is well-rounded care.

• Always give your rationale about things, especially if the nurse questions the reasoning for things. Most nurses just want to know the “why” behind things and aren’t just trying to be difficult. Nurses love new knowledge. Healthcare is always transforming, and nurses like to hear the most updated evidenced-based practice/research.

• Have open communication with different teams and welcome their expertise.

• Communicate any changes to the nurse if he/she isn’t in the room while you are updating families. Many times, the family/patient relies on the nurse to explain further about information and it’s always best when the nurse isn’t surprised hearing new information from the patient about what the doctor discussed.

• We all deserve respect…times can be tough and emotions can run high, especially in the ICU. If there is miscommunication or words spoken in the heat of the moment, it isn’t weakness to say, “I’m sorry.”

• You can always win nurses over with snacks, haha J.

• Keep things “light” when appropriate, laughing is always the best medicine when the shifts are long.

 

Thank you and welcome to everyone!

 

Jennifer Popies, MS, RN, CCRN-K, ACNS-BC, is a Clinical Nurse Specialist – CVICU at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin.

 

Ashley Herman, BSN, RN, CNRN, is a Neuro ICU Educator at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin.