There are few more noble professions than nursing. Nurses not only help to heal the sick, they do so while ensuring they are treated with respect, dignity and compassion. If you’ve changed your career recently to walk this valiant path or even if you’ve always yearned for a career dedicated to helping your fellow man, the frantic pace of day to day life on the ward can be daunting to neophytes. Everything happens at such a rattling pace and your attention is split in so many different directions at the same time it can feel as though you’ve been thrown overboard into a chaotic sea of stress and confusion. But while the work may be hard, it is also extraordinarily rewarding. While veteran nurses all have their own systems for coping with the enormous demands placed upon their time and maintaining their energy and mental acuity even after a long and arduous shift, it can all seem a little bit much for those still early in their careers.

In a chaotic sea, new nurses need to cling to whatever flotsam and jetsam they can find. This often presents itself as a series of hacks, shortcuts and quick fixes which are inevitably picked up along the road. But why wait until your veteran years for tricks that you can learn today. Here are a select handful of helpful hacks which will not only make a rigorous and demanding job a little easier, they’ll make you better positioned to give your patients what they deserve… The best possible care that you can give them.

Invest in the right scrubs

While popular culture may declare a fondness for the pristine white lines of the traditional nurse’s uniform it’s fair to say that while these might have looked good on camera, they’ve never been all that practical or functional. Thus, the traditional uniform has for quite some time given way to the more functional scrubs. While these certainly make life a little easier, they are for from infallible and they’re certainly not all created equal. Some hospitals allow nurses to check their scrubs out. Others insist that healthcare professionals buy their own. Whichever system your hospital operates, it’s a good idea to invest in some next generation scrubs from https://www.medcouturescrubshop.com/. Let’s face it, if you’re going to be on your feet for 12-14 hours at a time you need to not only stay comfortable, you need to be able to move freely. The next generation of scrubs from Med Couture are made from a combination of polyester and spandex designed to move with you as you stretch and bend in various different directions throughout the course of your duties.

Put “helicopter families” to good use

It’s not easy watching someone you love in hospital. Naturally every patient has a family that worries about them, and wants them to know that they can count on their love and support while they convalesce. Nonetheless, it can be a little frustrating when you have duties to attend to while the family are present. Family can get in your way or just sit awkwardly watching you do your thing. Help to alleviate some of this tension by recruiting them to help. Give them something to keep hold of (even if it’s just the patient’s hand) or ask them to help keep a needle phobic patient calm and stable while you take a blood sample. Put to good use, a helicopter family can be a valuable ally in your quest to deliver great care.

Keeping yourself clean during a “code brown”

While a “code brown” is arguably the least enviable aspect of a nurse’s life it is nonetheless inevitable. Thus, it’s vital that you learn to do it efficiently and with a minimum of exposure to yucky stuff. A useful technique is to triple glove your hands. Clean every trace of fecal matter from the patient and then remove the first set of gloves. Then, when you have carried out waste disposal duties and made the bed, remove the second pair. This not only limits your exposure and protects the hands it also prevents the spread of harmful bacteria.

If a patient has had a BM before you’ve been able to get to them and solid matter is matter in their body hair, an old but effective trick is to lather the soiled area in shaving foam and wipe it off with a wet face cloth. If the smell is particularly pungent use the old nursing trick known as the toothpaste sandwich. Smoosh a layer of toothpaste between two surgical masks and you’ll enjoy minty freshness no matter what.  

In situations like this, empathy with the patient is particularly important. It’s likely way more uncomfortable for them as it is for you, so the more casual you can be about it the better. It is, after all, just another day at the office for you.

Use climate control to keep wandering elderly patients where they are

When you work with elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, you quickly get used to their erratic and unpredictable behavior. But you never quite get used to their ability to get out of bed and wander down the hall with almost superhuman speed and guile. Wandering is a common behavior for dementia sufferers but it’s one that puts significant stress on loved ones and nursing staff. Rather than spend time you don’t have chasing after them, some nurses use climate control to their advantage. Turn the heating down while they’re nice and warm and cosy in bed and they’ll be far less likely to go on on any adventures. They may even get some much needed sleep.

And finally… Take the “Oy Vey” out of IV

Throughout the course of their career a nurse will carry out many, many IV insertions. Of all of them, maybe a handful will go smoothly. Yet there are a few ways in which you can make sure that they go just right every time. Place a warm washcloth over the site. This will help blood vessels to dilate and allow you to find a good vein. If you’re still struggling to find one you may find that going by feel is more effective than going by sight. Check out this guide for hassle free IV insertions. Like any skill in nursing it takes a combination of practice, confidence and experience.