The Experience as a Newly Registered Nurse-Second Quarter!

I promised to keep documenting my experiences for you and me, and I will keep my promise. Read and Enjoy!

As I progress, navigating the hospital as a new grad nurse (nurse intern) is a journey filled with change, and I am learning to embrace it despite the initial struggle.

I like to think I can handle it well, but that is a lie. In my first quarter as a nurse intern, I felt welcomed, and in my delusion, I thought that would be the experience in every department I worked in. I was deluded that every department would be as welcoming and supportive as the first one, which closed my eyes to the reality of the diverse and sometimes challenging experiences ahead.

Let me continue my story,

The Psychiatry Department

This department is focused on all things related to mental health. It involved communicating with patients and identifying their progress. It involved me listening a lot and becoming extremely observant.

I won’t lie; this department made me do lots of self-reflection, and it had me giving more than I had mentally.

I liked the whole experience. I get to see cases such as Bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, severe depression, drug abuse and also manic disorders.

The Staff was very welcoming. I had no issues with the nurses, doctors, or anyone. I learned a lot from them, and I am so happy I met them.

I saw some sensitive cases that made me question humanity. Cases of severe neglect, abuse, and the stark realities of mental illness were often complex to witness. These experiences, while emotionally taxing, also reinforced the importance of empathy and understanding in patient care.

Can we please, as a people, try to be kind to people wherever we find ourselves? That will help make the world a better place.

Overall, I tried to create a haven for my patients. It was an excellent and diverse experience compared to where I came from.

Focusing on your mental health will always affect all aspects of your life; never forget.

I then moved on to another ward.

The Special Care Baby Unit(SCBU) department.

This department focuses mainly on neonates from 0 to 28 days of age. The unit focused on caring for out-born and in-born patients in the hospital. It was a distinct experience, and my love for neonatology sprung up. To provide the best care, a healthcare provider must be thorough, detail-oriented, and highly observant. Gaining all these skills was crucial, and I am glad I did.

After an introduction to the ward, I understood how crucial the aseptic technique is for every procedure, including daily assessment, feeding of the babies, administration of oxygen, insertion of NG tube, personal hygiene for babies, fluid regulation, administration of drugs, etc.

Babies are like stars on Earth; keep nurturing that star to keep shining.

Peculiar cases such as caring for conjoined twins at 180 degrees, myelomeningocele, severe birth asphyxia, caring for an underdeveloped child, tetralogy of Fallot, jaundice and so on allowed me to learn a lot about babies and got hands-on experience.

Seeing it was fascinating, and I felt fulfilled, but my happiness was short until I moved to a new ward.

The Male Medical Department

This department primarily focused on all medical cases for the male spectrum. It was a unit that had diverse and also similar cases.

I was not pleased when I got to this unit. I wouldn’t say I liked anything about it. Coming from an organized unit to this made me dislike it even more.

The cases were interesting to see, such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, meningitis, hypertension, etc. I was able to learn extensively on how to administer using a central line.

I can’t say I liked the nursing or medical team. No, there were no personal issues, but there were so many things I didn’t enjoy seeing. The incompetence was appalling, and the public humiliation was given to interns because they were degree holders, as well as the rude remarks to the nurses. It wasn’t very pleasant to see.

Knowing I was leaving this ward relieved me. The working environment was toxic, and I didn’t want to be a part of it.

Nonetheless, I learned extensively and worked on my clinical skills, which are essential to me.

Lessons learned so far.

1. One of the critical lessons I’ve learned is the importance of empathy in nursing: It’s not just about providing care but also about understanding and connecting with the patient on a deeper level. This is a crucial part of our role as nurses, and we should always strive to do it.
2. Learn to document well: This will help you when attending to the patient and handing it over to the next shift. It will also show how well you attended to a patient. It is the only evidence you have to show how healthy tasks are done.
3. Create boundaries at work: Emphasizing this point is always needed. This saved me most of the time. Boundaries and professionalism will help us do our jobs better as healthcare workers.
4. Focus on the five rights: There are more rights, but knowing the five, which include the right patient, drug, time, dosage, and route of administration, will save you. Some medications could be broken, expired, or the dosage changed. Knowing how to administer and knowing your pharmacology will help you and even help you spot mistakes by other caregivers. Remember, nurses deal with lives, not robots.
5. Always prioritize your patients: They are the reason nurses and health care workers go to work every day. Ignoring all other distractions and focusing on your patient will help improve the quality of care you give. I learned this on the job.

In summary, my experience this quarter was not so good, but my clinical skills greatly improved; oh yes!

Moving on to my subsequent experiences in new departments, I hope to enjoy them.

Till then, with all my starlight,

Esther