Being a nurse is a very challenging job and people with faint hearts should not go for this profession. You will be seeing injured and critically ill patients of all ages all the time. You would be caring for people of all backgrounds, communities, ethnic groups, and ages, which means you will have to fulfill the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the vulnerable and sick.
Moreover, unsafe staffing ratios, focus on patient satisfaction, and sicker patients have created a condition where nurses may have to sacrifice proper safeguards and techniques to offer faster service. According to a nursing agency in Yorkshire, as a nurse, you are more prone to getting sick because you would be the one touching the sick patients, feeding them, changing their clothes, giving them medicines, etc. In such a dangerous environment, it is important to follow the safety steps mentioned below.
Safe Patient Handling
A common nursing safety problem is patient transfer and patient handling. When a patient is admitted to the medical facility, they may be severely ill and unable to manage themselves. Due to unsafe staffing ratios, a nurse may have to perform patient handling alone, which can cause back injury if the patient is heavy. If your medical facility does not have transfer devices and lifts, advocate for them to endure nurse and patient safety.
Needle Safety
Accidental needlestick injuries are surprisingly a common threat to nursing safety. Being in a hurry, unpredictable patients, and high-stress situations all contribute to the occurrence of needlestick injuries. You should always use safety features of needles, keep the fingers behind the needle while putting it into patients. You must always put the needle and syringe into the sharps container directly.
Prevention Of Repetitive Motion Injury
You can only take care of the patient optimally if you take care of yourself. Buy yourself a few pairs of good quality shoes. Wear them on different days so that their foam insoles get a chance to recover. This way, you can extend the life of the shoes. You can also consider wearing compression stockings or stocks while working. Your legs, feet, and your entire body will not feel as tired at the end of the day. Also, if your foot, back, hip, or knee are regularly causing pain by the end of your shift, consult a doctor. You must not delay seeing a doctor otherwise your injury may aggravate.
Drug Administration
You should be aware of special handling needs for the drugs you are dispensing to the patients. Some harsh drugs need double protection. So, you should wear a mask and double gloves when administering them. Drugs are excreted in the urine, and you would need advanced precautions to handle it. If you do not know about a particular drug, ask the hospital’s pharmacy about it to make sure you are not compromising your own safety.
Physical Safety
Nurses are vulnerable to getting attacked by the patient or their family members. Some people become violent and have almost zero coping skills in stressful situations. Moreover, you can never know what triggers them or how people would react. So, build a strong situational awareness. You should never let anything or anyone come between the door and you. If you do not feel comfortable working in a situation, let the authorities know.
Prevention Of Infection
The most important safety tip is to ensure you do not get the patient’s infection. If the patient is in the hospital due to theflu, wear the proper personal protective equipment every time you would be meeting the patient. If you do not practice this, you are not only putting your life in danger but also the lives of other patients as well as your family members. As you have been taught in nursing school, treat every object as if it is contagious.
Burnout Prevention
Before you take care of the physical and emotional needs of the patients, you must ensure that your emotional and physical health is great. Your profession as a nurse can be extremely exhausting and this is why instead of working round the clock, take out time to do things that please you. Go for a run, practice meditation and yoga, binge watch your favorite TV series, hang out with friends, get a massage, or do something that de-stresses you and relaxes you. This way, you will be able to give your best in your workplace without feeling physically or mentally exhausted.
Maintain Healthy Diet
You should never compromise eating while treating a patient. Also, make sure you consume 8 glasses of water everyday. Do not starve or dehydrate yourself in any situation. Also, never let your bladder wait.
The Bottom Line
The job of a nurse is demanding and highly risky. However, if you follow the above-mentioned safety tips, you can easily perform your duties without being stressed, overworked, and exhausted.
