Send A Man To Nursing School

Let me just start by saying that any one day on the floor as an NA is easily worth a week of clinicals in school!

I have completed my orientation and have also had my first two days on my own.  Orientation consisted of two days with an RN (skills check off I presume) and two days with an NA.  My two days with an NA, for some reason, was with NA I’s (I’m an NA II which means I can do more procedures like placing urinary catheters, wound care, etc.).

Day 1: Was assigned to work on the ortho step down unit with an RN who I had twice as a co-assign during clinicals back in March.  Was a great day.  Followed her off and on and had 5 patients where I was the NA.  Great start to the process.

Day 2:  I’m assigned to another RN that was a co-assign a couple of times during my clinicals.  She’s excited that I’m working with her and blurts out “My favorite nursing student!!” as I approach.  This is heard by the unit manager and I earn a silver star!  (Stars are a form of “Atta Boy” used in the hospital and are attached to our badges.  You earn one for each recognition that comes from a client or co-worker).  Awesome start to day two!!!  Another great day of learning what needs to be done and working somewhat on my own.

Day 3:  (A Saturday) Upon arrival to the ortho unit I’m told that I’ll be with an NA other than the one I was assigned and the new preceptor and I are floated to the ortho rehab unit.  No problem.  I’m flexible and team player.  Unfortunately it kinda detoured at that point.  The NA usually works nights and this was a day, she isn’t that great of a communicator, and she isn’t well organized.  Throw in that all this work seems to be getting in the way of her social life and Wastebook (Facebook) experiences.  While spending most of the day trying to figure out what to do and when and being her personal bitch I try to make it a learning opportunity.  Then she tells me (after lunch) that she is only working an 8 hour shift and is leaving at 1500 (I’m scheduled for a twelve hour shift, my first twelve hour shift which I was looking forward to experiencing so I would know how I do…).  At 1500 she just walks away from any dangling tasks (after she napped through the charting - lol) and gives report to the oncoming NA and tells me to go home.  I go the charge RN on the ortho stepdown unit and ask if they have any work for me.  The charge RN calls the staffing coordinator and has me assigned to orient under an NA on a Med/Surg unit.  Off I go!  It is here, after a year of nursing school and 3 days or NA orientation, that I have my first ‘nasty crap’ case.  Client was on contact precautions and was performing projectile diarrhea excretions, suspected of being infected with c.diff!  Ewww.
Gagged twice but DID NOT throw up!  YAY  However, that smell was in my nose for 4 more days - LOL

Day 4:  My first night shift and I’m back on the ortho stepdown with a male NA.  Was a great night.  He gave some great tips on dealing with clients and organizing my work and time.  I also stayed awake better than expected, not feeling the effects until about 0500.  Slept like the dead the next day though! LOL

Fast forward three days and, even though I don’t quite feel I’m fully “oriented”, I have my first days on my own.  Two twelve hour day shifts, back to back.

Day 1 on my own:  AWESOME!!  Was assigned to the ortho rehab unit with about 9-10 clients.  It was a great experience.  I was able to organize myself to stay on task and time, had a great time with the patients.  Still lots to work out and learn, but not a bad start for being on my own.  Then it got to be near 1430…the charge RN tells me that I’m going to be floated but she’s fighting it.  1500 and she loses her argument and I’m to go to….wait for it….yep, to ICU!!
Exciting and daunting all at once.  I finish up what I’m doing on the rehab unit and do report to the oncoming NA.  Then I have a problem…I have no clue where ICU is!! ROFL  One of the charge RNs has to walk me down to it.  Last four hours of my first day are absolutely wonderful.  Did some minor things, including transferring a patient from the unit to the telemetry unit, and then I spend an hour holding down the leg of a guy who had had a MI.  They had put a temporary pacer in through his femoral artery and my job was to hold his leg until he settled down.  While what I did physically was minimal, it was SO nursing.  I was in that room holding his leg, comforting him and talking to him while his wife and son where there, and others (RNs, DRs, etc) are floating in and out.  Talk about being there during an absolute “worst day in our lives” time.  There is just so much more to nursing than putting on bandages and sticking needles.  This is why I’m here.
So, day 1 of being a real NA and I’m pumped, what a great first day.

Day 2 on my own:  Get to work and find I’m assigned to the surgical/bariatric unit.  Never been there, but no big deal, I can figure it out.  Check in, get my phone, and get report from the outgoing NA.  I have fourteen patients with 3 on contact isolation, one of which is mostly a total care and the other is a complete total care (as in this person can do nothing for themselves including feeding).  The day was a steady stream of calls from the HUC (unit secretary who relays patient calls/requests to the staff) that was one fire upon fire.  Vital signs are done every four hours on all but one of the patients, due at 1000, 1400, and 1800.  It’s about 1130-1145 and I’m in the total-total care patients room with the charge RN helping me clean them up from a BM and I tell her that I am soooo way behind, I’ve only done 4 of the 1000 VSs and haven’t even started to get the AccuChecks (blood sugar testing) for lunch (and the lunch trays are starting to arrive).   She is exasperated (though not at me) and kicks in to help me get AccuChecks done.  Time for the 1400 VSs and again I’m behind but eventually get them done.  I’m made to go to lunch at 1600 (I had decided I just wasn’t going to get lunch but the charge RN insisted).  Get back and am trying to start on the dinner AccuChecks and a head start on 1800 VSs.  Forty-five minutes later and I’ve done zero ACs and 2 VSs when I get a call that the almost total-care client is requesting to go to the bathroom (he’s also contact isolation).  Based on the timing of things and history that pretty much means that they have gone on themself and is a two person job to turn and roll.  I go to the charge RN and tell her I’m again behind and fighting fires.  She steps in again and helps.  1940 and I have finally finished everything on my plate from about 1900 and I haven’t given report to the oncoming NA or done ANY CHARTING.  Call the SU and tell here what’s going on (ie Honey, I’m going to be late…) and proceed to do turnover and charting.  One long day.

So here I am.  Still have some skills check-off’s to get done and a week off before I go back this Saturday.   Still pumped and ready to do the holiday night shifts!  Hoping I get ICU or ED- he he

SU is celebrating a birthday this week and we’re taking off for a couple of days.
I’m getting things ready for the trip and get out two suitcases.  She sees them and says “Hey, you wanta just share one suitcase?”  I respond that I would but usually she takes a whole one and she says “Nah, I can get by with half.”  OK

Half hour later…SU comes up to me and says “Damn-it!  You know me too well.  We’re going to need our own suitcases….And now that’s your new nickname ‘Damn-it!  You know me too well.’”  She’s now just calling me Damn-it for short

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