Kati Kleber BSN RN - Becoming nursey: from code blues to code browns, how to care for your patients and yourself

Copyright 2014 by Kati L. Kleber

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

BookBaby Publishing

BookBaby.com

ISBN: 9781483542430

Disclaimer

This book is about my personal nursing experiences and does not reflect the views of any past or current employers, coworkers, patients, or their loved ones.

This book is for informational purposes only.

In all circumstances, refer to your facilitys policies and procedures, as that will always be what guides your practice. The information provided in this book is meant to supplementnot replaceyour existing knowledge.

Any discussion about patients is purely for learning purposes and HIPAA compliant, as identifying details have been changed to protect their privacy.

You will note that some of the material in here has come from my blog. I have taken a few old blog posts, dusted them off, and enhanced them greatly. Why not all-new material, you ask? As I was combing through some of my previous material, I realized that some of it is essential foundational information, and to leave it out would be a disservice to those beginning their nursing journey.

This book is meant to be a comprehensive guide to learn how to work and live as a nurse. I dont want people to feel that they have to search through my blog for pieces of information to see the full picture. So if you come across something that seems familiar, it may be that you have read it before its nursey makeover.

About the Author

Hello there! My name is Kati and I am a bedside critical care nurse in Charlotte, North Carolina. I live with my husband, who makes me laugh until I cry every single day and is so handsome it hurts. Hes my best friend. I also live with the two handsomest pups you ever did see. I couldnt ask for anything more.

I love going to farmers markets, watching and quoting the Office, and spooning my dogs after a tough day. My favorite food is one I didnt make or clean up. Im a rock star on the nursing unit, but have no idea how to buy fashionable clothes or decorate my home. I typically outsource these tasks to more skillful individuals.

I love Christ with all that I am. A Proverbs 31 Woman is who I aspire to be.

For Christ.

Acknowledgements

I want to take a moment to thank every single patient and their loved ones, that Ive had the honor of caring for.

I want to thank every coworker and members of nursing leadership that have helped me become a better nurse with each and every shift.

I want to thank my husband for editing every single word I write and constantly encouraging me.

I want to thank my parents for putting me through nursing school, believing in me, and supporting every thing Ive done.

I want to thank all of my non-nursing friends and family for having to listen to my constant nurse-talk over the years. I especially want to thank my non-nursing friends that have not only endured listening to it, but who have given me sound advice and encouragement with every single step.

I want to thank my nursing school professors and classmates for dealing with me during that trying time.

I want to thank each and every one of you that have read my blog, followed me on Twitter, and supported me throughout this crazy journey. I sincerely appreciate your support and encouragement. It means more than you know.

I want to thank God for putting in me a never-ending desire to care for patients and support fellow nurses.

Seriously guys, from the bottom of my nursey heart, thanks.

Alright, lets get nursey!

Introduction

I was clueless when I graduated from nursing school.

One would assume that after thousands of dollars, many sleepless nights, exam after exam over hundreds of pages worth of material, and one big scary board exam, I would be an awesome nurse.

I think we all assume that people who go to nursing school suddenly know how to be a good nurse when they graduate. Prospective nurses assume that; so do employers. And most importantly, so do patients.

However, this could not be farther from the truth. New graduate nurses walk on the unit their first day terrified, ill-prepared, and overwhelmed.

If you had handed me an angiocath (what we use to start IVs) the first day on the job, I would have looked at you like a dog does when you give it a command it doesnt know. Head tilt, eyebrow furrow and all.

The problem is, there is a big gap between being handed a license and actually doing the work of a nurse. It is so large, 50 bariatric hospital beds stretched end-to-end could fit there.

After going to school for four years, one would assume that I would know what I was doing when I started the job for which I specifically went to school. I was terrified that I would hurt a patient out of my ignorance and felt so alone. Somehow, I convinced myself that everyone knew what they were doing except for me. All through nursing school and during my first year as a nurse, I scoured the Internet for help. And I said a few prayers.

Dear Lord, please tell me someone is going through this too? Please tell me someone is going home crying once every few weeks please tell me someone is terrified every time they have to talk to a doctor please tell me someone has no clue how to delegate to these nursing assistants that have been on the unit for 10 years, and I just got here last week

Alas, I couldnt find much online. Yes, there are your textbooks and a few other books with many stories from the bedside, but none that were both entertaining and informative. I couldnt find anyone with whom I could identify to give me real, practical advice and guidance without fluff.

I just wanted someone that was still practicing at the bedside, that hadnt graduated too long ago, to just tell me like it is. I wanted to know what its really like to be a nurse. I wanted to know the little details they dont tell you about in school.

Sadly enough, I could not find a book to adequately suit my needs. I trudged along anyway, hoping Id be able to figure it out as I went.

I graduated with my bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) in 2010 from a small Midwestern nursing school. After graduation, I landed a job on a cardiovascular and thoracic surgical step-down unit and worked there for two years. I then started working in a critical care unit and have worked full time on that unit since. I truly have found my nursing niche: geriatrics, brains, and intensive care. Glory be to God.

It took one graceful preceptoran entire unit of fantastic coworkers, a new graduate residency program, and an entire year of working at the bedside to feel confident and competent in my nursing care.

How crazy is that?

So after I got to a point where I felt like I knew what I was doing, I decided that I wanted to provide that information to those of you going through the same struggle.

In 2013, I started an anonymous nursing blog Nurse Eye Roll. I started tweeting (@NurseEyeRoll) and blogging (nurseeyeroll.com) about just that: things you need to know to do your job effectively and efficiently, all while maintaining your sanity.

Why Nurse Eye Roll, you ask? When I was thinking of a name for my blog, this was the first name that came to mind and I just couldnt get it out of my head. If youve been a nurse for 10 minutes, youve done a nurse eye roll.