Surviving the Internship

I have been an intern for a grand total of 4 months and 1 week and while that makes me not yet qualified as a nurse , in my books it makes me qualified enough to give you my unsolicited advice on HOW TO SURVIVE being an intern. I remember mildly DREADING the big internship because the world of healthcare can be so daunting. I am here to tell you that it IS in fact daunting - at first. (Oh you thought I was going to tell you a sweet lie to put you at ease?)  LOL. But you know what is true ? All the hours you have been clocking in from first year till now have all added up , you are qualified to be an intern and now is your time to shine ;) Without further ado let's get into the advice.

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1. Don't be on time : be early

As an intern you no longer just stroll onto the ward , collect your ISBAR sheet and seek out your preceptor. YOU are the nurse , you come in early , check the board and see which patients you will be taking care of for the day / night. You may be incharge of checking the crash trolley / MDAs etc . These tasks can be time consuming and require you to come in early so you don't hold up the handover. Even if you are not rostered / required to do these tasks in your place of work , arriving on the ward 10-15 minutes early allows you to have a moment of solitude before the bedlam of the day begins.

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2. Own your room

You are the boss in the room , first you need to see yourself as who you are BECOMING. The RGN. Your preceptor is there to help you and guide you and to do the tasks that are outside your scope of practice. Everything else is your responsibility. you are now a paid member of staff. Take the lead , know the patients , take initiative and do NOT hesistate to ask for help.

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3. Take Initiative

This does not mean do things you are unsure of or doing things outside your scope of practice. In fact it means the opposite , if you KNOW something is to be done then do it . Here is a scenario : It is almost dinner time and you know the patient in bed 3 is diabetic , he is on pre - meals and correctional insulin. When you can see that it's approaching dinner time you do not wait to be asked to take the blood sugar. Grab the glucometer and do what needs to be done. (Always check and sign off on insulin with a registered nurse)

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4. Make a list of tasks

I started doing this late in my internship and I wish i did it sooner! The first thing I recommend doing after handover is making a concise list of your tasks for the day. E.g , Who is for blood sugar checks , wound dressings , procedures etc . I find it so helpful ! Plus it is so satisfying ticking each task on your list as the day goes on. Taking care of six patients can be a LOT , you may not remember everything throughout the day so while its all fresh right after the handover ; make your list and refer to it frequently,

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5. Eat , Drink , Take your Vitamins and Sleep  !

Eat well and stay hydrated !  I have delicious recipes on this blog for you to enjoy at work or at home. Remember : Food is fuel. Since I got my Stanley cup I ALWAYS stay hydrated! I love how cool it keeps my drinks throughout a long shift however , when I buy a new one I will not be buying the one with the open straw as it LEAKS. Did you know that :  A multivitamin a day keeps the deficiency AWAY? My favourite multivitamin is the "Centrum Womens" brand and I get mine from Boots. If you can , get your full 8 hours of SLEEP , the long days can take so much out of you. Stay on top of your OWN health too!

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I hope you found this helpful ! Next week I start my third block of internship , it is a medical ward and I am really looking forward to it.

Reminder : Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1 : 9

Signing out RGN to BE x