Practical Advice & Guidance from the AWHONN Community NURSING TIPS BOOKLET.

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1 Practical Advice & Guidance from the AWHONN Community NURSING TIPS BOOKLET 1

2 I attribute my success to this I never gave or took any excuse. Florence Nightingale

3 TIPS FROM THE AWHONN COMMUNITY: Maintain the joy and passion of providing patient care. As a new nurse, you are learning all the skills necessary to work on your unit. It is easy to be overwhelmed and frustrated. Breathe and take everything in stride. It gets better. Sarah Patel, MSN, RN, C-EFM Keep learning. Support your chosen area of practice by including the patient s wishes along with the best research. If your hospital wants to move toward Baby Friendly Care, support the initiative. Support lowering routine interventions for healthy women by joining in collaborative efforts with physicians, management, and other staff members. Improving patient satisfaction is like getting a bonus paycheck. Helen Callans, RN, MSN, IBCLC, LCCE Learn from your mentors and their best attributes, then round out your new knowledge and skills. Push yourself to read and join AWHONN to keep up on the latest news. Step back and listen to your peers and patients. Be a patient advocate! Carla Cook 3

4 Never forget why you became a nurse. Always put the patient first and do what is best for him/her, not what is convenient for yourself or others. Continue your nursing knowledge and education it will only make you be a better nurse and person. Susan Hale MSN, RN, C-EFM Ask questions! Never stay quiet if you don t understand something. You can always put it into words like I m a little unsure on this process, could you explain...? Most people love to teach. Davia Knowlton, BSN, RNC Listen to the experienced nurse, but don t trust blindly. If a situation seems off to you, investigate you might save a life. Christine Openshaw Don t waste time and energy by stressing and complaining about your assignment. Put your head down and focus on the work at hand by prioritizing. First things first, next thing next. Before you know it, you ll be caught up. Joan Broersma Reinders, RNC 4

5 Keep learning! Nothing is static in nursing. Kathy Nice Don t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. Even experienced nurses sometimes benefit from another opinion, another set of eyes, or another set of ears. Paula Vanlandingham Ross The novice nurse should always remember that their critical thinking skills will develop over time and the tasks needed to be a great NICU nurse like IV starts or PICC line insertion is very important but the compassionate care they give from the first day they step into a NICU is priceless to the families and that is really what nursing is all about. Kim Deynaka, MBA, BS, RNC One of my nursing mentors taught me to be positive with the patient. Express your confidence in her when she is in labor, and when she begins motherhood. Find your reward with your patients and their families. You will always be a memory in the scrapbook of their lives. Make it a good one! Leslie Carley, RNC, MSN 5

6 Never be afraid to ask other nurses for their opinions or advice. If you find yourself in a potential critical situation ALWAYS ASK FOR HELP. It is better to have extra hands and not need them rather than need more help and not have it. Emily Shemroske RNC-OB, C-EFM, CCCE, CLE Wear compression stockings. Mamahen Jenica 6

7 The AWHONN Career Center can help you find the perfect nursing job for you. Our tips and resources will enable you to: Set your priorities. Decide what s most important to you in a job and develop a list of questions for potential employers that corresponds. For example, What s your nurse-to-patient ratio? Be a Go-Getter. Post your résumé and register on careers.awhonn.org and start getting noticed by employers. Be Strategic. Take advantage of our customizable job search, which sends you alerts when potential dream jobs are posted. The AWHONN Career Center also features resources and advice from veteran nurses designed to help you continue to grow and enjoy your nursing career. Stay Sharp. The Career Learning Center encourages an integrative career and professional development process that enhances your skill set. Get Involved. Take every opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills. The more you know the better the care you provide to your patients and the more valuable you are in the work field. Stay Connected. Connect with your colleagues and stay on top of the issues that affect your practice. Visit careers.awhonn.org today! 7

8 Look for the opportunity in each new challenge. Set up a plan to recognize and reward your milestones/accomplishments. Find the value and contribution of each person s role, piggyback on those strengths and practice gratitude. Read positive inspirations at the start of each new day. Audrey Hurley Be open to learning from more experienced nurses, but don t underestimate your own unique knowledge and wisdom. You undoubtedly have a thing or two to teach them as well! Kimberly Greer, RN Find your allies. They are there. Learn from them. Lean on them. Shannon Cheng, BSN, RN, RNC Fetal monitors are a tool to assist your assessment of the patient. Don t forget the patient is your main focus, so learn to key in on what is happening with them, not solely the monitor. Cindy Bollinger Shipman 8

9 Know where to find resources: your policy and procedures, a senior nurse that can guide you, and know that in the beginning assignments may be scary until you gain that experience, knowledge and trust in your gut! Congratulations RN. Elida Santana, AD, RN Always listen to your patient and go with your gut. Both are usually right. Sylvia Spaeth Brayton On a daily basis, be brave enough to ask! Ask for clarification, ask for a second set of eyes, ask for guidance, ask for feedback! I learned so much more on the OB floor than I ever learned while on OB clinical rounds, simply by continuing to think of myself as a learner and my nursing peers as my teachers. Barbara O Brien, MS, RN The learning does not stop now that nursing school is completed. Nursing is full of opportunities to learn so never stop learning. Get involved with AWHONN so can learn from your peers and keep growing. Linda Merritt MSN RNC-NIC 9

10 As a new L&D nurse, my preceptor gave me a valuable piece of advice that I give to all the nurses who come behind me and it is this: On your way home from work, before you launch into a recollection of everything you did wrong, come up with two things you did right. Even the least experienced nurse on the floor is making a difference and you deserve and need to celebrate that! Kimberly Patamia, BSN, BA, RNC You have to always love what you do! Take time to reflect on all the lives you touch and the gifts that patients and families give back to you. You will learn a great deal from your patients when you take the time to listen to them. Debbie Biffle, RNC, BSN Always pretend the person in the bed could be your loved one. This thinking has never steered me wrong. Marilyn Moore, RN 10

11 Taking Care Of Tiny Lives 11

12 Honesty and integrity go a long way in nursing, not only with your patients, but also with your coworkers and your superiors. Most of all, be honest with yourself! And never lose your ability to laugh! Raina Saiz, RN Don t forget where you come from... The veteran nurses need to remember how it was when it all began. What went well and what needed improving. The new nurse will season over time, then will someday work with a newer nurse. They will need you to have that wisdom and understanding to make it a great experience. You are the future of our profession. Robin R. Harrold, LTC/AN, MSN, RNC-OB Keep your mistakes in perspective. They can seem very devastating, but the truth is we are all human and therefore imperfect. Learn from it, embrace the humanness in yourself and others, and move on. Kimberly Greer, RN 12

13 Always know you have limitations no one person knows everything. The most dangerous nurse is the nurse who thinks he or she knows everything needed to care for a patient. The safer nurse knows there are limits and asks for help to keep expanding limits. Yvonne Dobbenga-Rhodes, MS, RNC-OB, CNS, CNS-BC Don t be afraid to ask for help. You may also learn another way of doing something. Miriam W., RN, MSN, CNL-C Whenever you are uncomfortable caring for a patient, get a second or third opinion. Never ignore a "gut" feeling. Maqry Jean Handrigan, RN, MSN Be enthusiastic, take notes, learn to prioritize, if uncertain ask!, take time to breathe. Kelli Ford Everett 13

14 Nursing has evolved in many ways, but we are still in the business of caring. Every day, you have to wake up and ask yourself if you care. If you come to a day when the answer is no, it s time to move on. Karen Taylor, MSN, RN Don t be afraid to ask for help. Figure out someone you can go to for questions and if you aren t sure of something ask. Ask questions. Ask for clarification if you don t understand something. If something doesn t seem right to you ask for another opinion. Kate Foley Amin With every birth, a new family is launched it is always a big event in their lives. Your nursing care for this new family makes a big difference. Never take for granted what a privilege it is to be a part of this launch. Lorraine M. Garcia, MSN, WHNP-BC, CNM It gets better but you won t feel totally comfortable for about 4 years. Jamie Ford 14

Women s health in nursing is a fulfilling career but not without some sadness at times. Educating women to be healthy, good mothers and productive members in society can be challenging.

15 Women s health in nursing is a fulfilling career but not without some sadness at times. Educating women to be healthy, good mothers and productive members in society can be challenging. Women s Health from infancy until golden years is fulfilling but also encourages the nurse to always stay educated. Tasha Poslaniec, RN-C, Obstetrics It is OK to ask for help. Never believe that you must do it all by yourself. Nursing is a team sport. Martha Jenner, MSN, RNC-OB 15

16 MEMBERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS How has AWHONN helped you professionally? The empowerment I ve received from being a member of AWHONN has definitely given me the extra push I needed to advance my career and pursue a position of leadership. Laurie Collins, BSN, RNC-MNN What is your favorite part about being an AWHONN member? My favorite part of being an AWHONN member is attending the annual convention, where learning and networking are at the forefront; and being a member enables me to attend at a discounted rate! Courtney Weekley, MSN, APRN, RNC-OB Why is it important to become an AWHONN member? Being a member of AWHONN gives you the professional tools needed to advocate for your patients and ensure that you and your colleagues are following best practice. It also offers fun and interactive opportunities to network and learn with other nurses throughout the country. I believe as a women s health nurse, becoming an AWHONN member is the single most important career decision that you can make. Jessica McNeil, BSN, RNC 16 Join today for just $19 a month!

17 MEMBER BENEFITS AWARD-WINNING NURSING JOURNALS Members receive COMPLIMENTARY subscriptions to both of AWHONN s award-winning journals, Nursing for Women s Health and Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing (JOGNN). This includes online access to all articles in both publications. NON-MEMBER SUBSCRIPTIONS PRICED AT $284. AWHONN WEBSITE Easily access all of your FREE or DISCOUNTED exclusive member-only content, including practice briefs, journals, research, webinars, continuing education via our Online Learning Center, and the member center. Access your discount codes to exclusive savings on a variety of products and services through our affinity program. including antepartum, labor and delivery, postpartum and nursery. FREE FOR MEMBERS; $49.95 FOR NON-MEMBERS. PRACTICE BRIEFS AWHONN s FREE practice briefs can be used as a quick-reference guide that can and should be incorporated into your clinical practice. Each brief provides a summary of the pertinent details of each technique and rationale for why it should be used in practice. LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NETWORKING Whether you enjoy large crowds or small groups, in-person or online, AWHONN has the right opportunities for you to establish life-long connections through our Section and Chapter events, Annual Convention, and volunteer groups. GUIDELINES FOR PROFES- SIONAL REGISTERED NURSE STAFFING FOR PERINATAL UNITS This AWHONN member-favorite gives you the framework you need to implement registered nurse staffing that results in quality care and more time at the bedside. Use this resource to plan nurse staffing on perinatal units, NEW MEMBER RECRUITMENT AWARDS By recruiting your friends and co-workers to join AWHONN you can earn great prizes while doing your part to strengthen your profession at the same time. And So Much More! 17

DISCOUNTS ON LOCAL & NATIONAL EVENTS OVER $1,7 00.00 UP TO $200 AT CONVENTION ALONE! TOTAL SAVINGS JUNE 23-27 FREE EDUCATION FREE JOURNALS $32.95 $24.99 $33.00 $49.

95 OVER $1,000 $135 $149 Women s Health Education Guide Basic, High-Risk & Critical Care Education Guide Ultrasound Education Guide Staffing Guidelines Achieving

18 DISCOUNTS ON LOCAL & NATIONAL EVENTS OVER $1, UP TO $200 AT CONVENTION ALONE! TOTAL SAVINGS JUNE FREE EDUCATION FREE JOURNALS $32.95 $24.99 $33.00 $49.95 $24.95 $49.95 OVER $1,000 $135 $149 Women s Health Education Guide Basic, High-Risk & Critical Care Education Guide Ultrasound Education Guide Staffing Guidelines Achieving Consistent, Quality Care, 2 nd Ed. Standards for Professional Nursing Practice in the Care of Women and Newborns, 7 th Ed. 30+ webinars with CNE Subscription to Nursing for Women s Health with FREE CNE Subscription to Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing with FREE CNE THE VALUE OF AWHONN MEMBERSHIP

19 HELP GROW AWHONN! For more information and to download a recruitment toolkit visit:

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20 1800 M St. NW, Suite 740S Washington, DC (U.S.) (CAN) 20

Providing Nursing Care Women and Babies Deserve

Commentary Photo CREATISTA / thinkstockphotos.com Providing Nursing Care Women and Babies Deserve Catherine Ruhl TThe young woman holds the tiny, hours-old newborn s hand and begins to sing You Are My