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What Is Your Intervention

I have been a Registered Nurse for 13 years now, and a piece of advice that was given to me while in nursing school continues to stick with me. I thought I would pass the proverbial torch along to some of you nursing students and those new to the profession.

Nursing 102. This was the class where we actually received more than one patient and actually had the opportunity to function like a real nurse. This is it...my first day. This is what I have been doing all this studying for. It is the moment of truth...take what I have learned and now apply it. I was up to the challenge. I was ready to impress my nursing instructor. I had written my care plans the night before and was coming in to take charge of my assignment. It started with my assessment of my patients. After spending some time with my patients, I then documented my findings into the nurses notes. One of the staff nurses that was at the hospital asked to review my notes. I graciously accepted her offer to review my charting before the instructor, even though this nurses personality was short and she was very direct with everyone. I will call her nurse nancy...but my co-students had a different name for her. In any case, she reviewed my charted assessment and then gave me this pearl of wisdom I will now share with you. "If you chart something wrong with your patient, always perform and chart an intervention that will either improve the patients status, the patient's comfort, or ideally both." That advice was sound. No matter if our patient is on his way to a full recovery or taking a turn for the worse, it is our job to either promote health, wellness or comfort...ideally all of the above. So, coming from a seasoned nurse to me...now a seasoned nurse....remember to always intervene when you assess an adverse condition with your patients.

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