October 25, 2013
Okay, I have a confession. I am not perfect! I say that because in my transition to become a nurse educator on a greater level, I have experienced failure on a great level too. Now many of us nurses can put in a foley catheter using aseptic technique in less than 10-15 minutes right? So I ask myself, How hard could it be for a seasoned nurse to explain and demonstrate foley catheter insertion for male and female patient? Well, apparently to present the topic with a rationale, execution of the skills, and discussion of how to document the procedure within the allotted time, not an easy task for this rookie! Time constraints, an error in the skills manual, and the chaos between groups transitioning left me flustered, rushed, and utterly disappointed.
I learned that preparation for all tasks need to be considered; Mistake #1; I had not been made aware of the skill I was to teach nor did I know the equipment that would be available to me until the day of the instruction. Mistake # 2; I wanted each student to perform a return demonstration of the skill. A very time consuming adventure for the 3 skills for my station ( external 'condom' cath application, male and female foley catheter insertion with demonstration and documentation). May I have a "do over?"
Coffee break?
Whatever happened to working smarter and not harder?
