What is the best nursing advice you ever got from another nurse?

I will be graduating soon, and wondered what advice you've received that made you a better nurse?
Make sure you do all your work the right way. Don't make any short cuts. If you do your work correctly then no one can accuse you of anything bad.

1. Watch your back2. Cover your a$$3. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT4. If you’re not comfortable doing it, don’t! 5. If you are unsure, please ask!

"It's always about the patient". Said to me by my preceptor when I was a fledgling, new nurse. Made my days a lot clearer...

- always trust you gut-when in doubt, don't-it is a lot harder to kill a pt than you think (given to me as a new grad when I was so scared to do anything!)

Quote from Flo.- always trust you gut-when in doubt, don't-it is a lot harder to kill a pt than you think (given to me as a new grad when I was so scared to do anything!)

Quote from donsterRN"It's always about the patient". Said to me by my preceptor when I was a fledgling, new nurse. Made my days a lot clearer...

1. If it's not documented it wasn't done.2. Document so that when you are called into court 2 years later you'll be able to say what occurred.3. Generally our patients survive in spite of what we do to them.

Document or it never happened.Say NO if you don't feel comfortable with doing something. So what, you might get glared at by another nurse or doctor, but I would rather that than making a mistake and killing a patient.Everyone is human. Everyone gets scared, feels pain, loves someone and is a loved one to someone, and have good qualities. I try remember that when I have to deal with people who are jerks. Sometimes just talking to your patient will help more than any medicine could.You are at work for your patients. Not to gossip or play office politics or socialize. Put your patient first. You can do the rest when you aren't at work.

"Breathe, It will be ok." (said to me on the basis that all is human and things happen even with the best of intentions)

"If there are no male nurses working there it's probaly not a very good place to work"Said to me by an old RN with over 40 years experience when I was in clinicals during nursing school.

"These are not cattle people" (said to me by a very wise clinical professor). I always hear this in my head when I start getting really busy, and forgetting I am dealing with a person, and not just a job".

1: Don't panic. Never panic.2: Cover your butt. Documentation is all that keeps you out of court and your name on the register.3: The patient comes first. (should have made that no 1)4: Never forget that hospitalized patients have entered an alien environment.5: Patients tend to regress to an earlier developmental phase.6: And especially for PACU: if a patient asks you to marry him, it's only the Diprivan talking....