New to Nursing Homes? Helpful Tips for Nurses When you get your first job in a nursing home, there is a steep learning curve. Though most accredited nursing programs do an excellent job teaching the principles of nursing, some skills simply don't develop fully until you're on the floor working with real patients. Here are some helpful tips to help you soar through this learning curve, and become a seasoned pro in no time. Take Care of Your Own Health The first thing you'll learn is how much caring for others takes a toll on your own body and mind. As much as you enjoy the work, there will be times when the lifting and running and carrying causes you aches and pains, and sometimes the troubles of your patients stresses your spirit. Early in your career, learn how to relax, how to keep in shape for the tasks you need to perform, and how to rejuvenate your spirit during the day and when you're away from work so you can continue to perform at a high level without burning out. Master Your Tools Nursing home administrators are constantly reminding nurses how important it is to keep costs down, but savvy nurses know that some things just can't be skimped on -- such as gloves and IV tape. Change your gloves frequently, even while working on the same patient, to keep down infections. Also, keep well-fitting gloves handy because poorly fitted gloves cause more problems than they prevent. When securing an IV line, be generous with the tape so that you and the patient don't have to go through IV-reinsertion unnecessarily. Also, petition your head nurse and administrators for quality equipment that helps all of you do better jobs. For example, nurse call systems shouldn't be restricted to the simple type that merely allows patients to alert nurses when they need assistance. State-of-the-art systems that notify nurses when patients have fallen or strayed out of their safe zones are invaluable in terms of safety for the patients and peace of mind for the nursing staff. Keep Your Sense of Humor A lighthearted joke is often the best medicine you'll find in your cabinet. Humor helps you bond with your patients and build a rapport. Additionally, patients who laugh often experience less pain, loneliness, anxiety, and other problems often associated with living in a nursing environment. Help Others, and Learn to Accept Help Working at a nursing home requires teamwork. When you have a free moment, use it to help out a co-worker who isn't having such an easy shift. Then, on those days when your turn for a hectic day rolls around and your patients are flipping on one call light after
another, your co-workers will gladly return the favor by helping you. The ability to reach out and help, as well as the ability to accept help when you need it, makes the shift easier for all the workers and assures that the patients get top-notch care even when things are stressful. Stay Up to Date on Industry Studies Well-read nurses perform their jobs better and are often the quickest to achieve promotions. Your reading list should be a mixture of general medical journals and industry-specific literature. This reading assures that you're on top of your game, but it also helps keep you interested and excited about how your industry is growing and progressing, something that truly helps when you get stressed or bummed out during particularly hard shifts. Caring for patients in a nursing home is one of the most rewarding jobs in health care. Approach it right and learn all you can about the field, and you can enjoy a long, rewarding career that benefits your employer, your patients, countless families, your coworkers, and yourself.