How do you protect yourself as a nurse?

To protect yourself as a nurse, you must combine rigorous infection control (PPE, hand hygiene, sharps safety), physical safety (proper body mechanics, lifting aids, situational awareness, de-escalation), and robust mental/emotional self-care (work-life balance, stress management, setting boundaries) to prevent injury, illness, burnout, and workplace violence. Staying updated on hospital policies, your Nurse Practice Act, and utilizing team support are also crucial for legal and professional safety.

How do I protect myself as a nurse?

Wear Protective Gear When Appropriate: Wood advises nurses to always wear the appropriate gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection and other protective items to prevent exposure to patients' body fluids. She says, “Take no shortcuts when it comes to protection against bloodborne pathogens.”

How to protect your back as a nurse?

Avoid twisting whenever possible to prevent sudden jarring of the spine. Instead, shift your entire body from left to right, similar to a lunging motion. Also avoid heavy lifting and repositioning when you are physically tired and/or are near the end of a long shift.

What are the 5 P's in nursing?

The 5 Ps in nursing refer to key checks during patient rounding: Pain, Position, Potty (or Personal Needs/Hygiene), Periphery (possessions), and Pump (equipment), ensuring patient comfort, safety, and satisfaction by proactively addressing basic needs and environmental factors every hour. There's also a different set of 5 Ps for neurovascular assessments: Pain, Pallor, Paresthesia, Paralysis, and Pulse, checking circulation. 

Can you defend yourself as a nurse?

Yes, nurses can defend themselves using reasonable, proportional force to prevent harm, but the primary response should be de-escalation, and hospitals often provide training in self-defense and violence prevention to help nurses protect themselves while adhering to safety protocols, which can include calling security or using physical techniques to restrain or escape an attacker. The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports nurses' rights to safe environments, and many facilities now offer training on verbal de-escalation and physical techniques to manage violent patient encounters, recognizing the right to self-protection. 

25 Essential Tips to Keep Your Nursing License Safe in the ER

What is the most common reason nurses get sued?

Drug diversion and/or substance abuse is the most frequent professional conduct allegation, representing 42.3% of professional conduct matters. Failure to maintain minimum standard of nursing practice comprised 58.9% of scope of practice license protection matters.

What are the 5 D's of self-defense?

5 D's of Self Defense

• Decide. The first step is to decide not to be a victim. ...
• Deter. Once you leave an area of safety, it's important to deter and prevent any acts of aggression. ...
• Disrupt. ...
• Disengage. ...
• Debrief. ...
• We're Here to Help.

What is the big five in nursing?

One study found a significant correlation between conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, and the personal responsibility of nurses, emphasizing the crucial role of nurses' personalities in personal responsibility. Considering this during nursing staff selection may have practical implications.

What are the 5 DS in nursing?

The patients have to be able to recite the answers to the “Five Ds of Discharge:” Diagnosis, Drugs, Doctor, Directions and Diet. “The patients need to answer all the questions,” said Tracy Stowe, R.N., B.S.N., manager, discharge lounge, clinical decision unit and float pool.

What are the 6 values of nursing?

These are called the 6 Cs of Nursing: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment.

How to make an extra $1000 a month as a nurse?

Telehealth or Triage Nurse

You can find these roles on job boards like Indeed, FlexJobs, or directly on healthcare company websites. The pay ranges from $25 to $45 per hour depending on the company and your level of experience. Working just 10–15 hours a week can bring in an extra $1000 or more.

How do you lift a patient?

Safe patient lifting involves using proper body mechanics—keeping your back straight, bending your knees, and lifting with your legs—while keeping the patient close to your body, avoiding twisting, and using assistive devices like transfer belts or hoists when needed, always assessing the situation and communicating with the patient to ensure stability and prevent injury for both parties. Key techniques include the pivot transfer, squat pivot for sitting/standing, and using friction-reducing aids like slip sheets. 

What is the most common back injury for nurses?

The lumbar region, also known as the lower back, is the most likely area to sustain an injury. The lower back region and the vertebrae and muscles that comprise it is the strongest area of the back and the most necessary for lifting, lowering, and twisting – all of which are common motions for nurses.

What is the golden rule of nursing?

The Golden Rule, or the ethic of reciprocity, is perhaps the world's most often cited guide to ethical human behavior. Simply stated, the rule asks that we treat others as we wish to be treated.

What are the 7 basic safety rules?

Seven Basic General Industry Safety Rules

• Keep work areas clean. ...
• Use the proper tool for the job. ...
• Always wear the proper PPE for the work task. ...
• Never work on live equipment. ...
• Make sure chemicals are properly labeled and stored. ...
• Communicate hazards to other personnel. ...
• Stop work when needed to address hazards.

How to stand up for yourself as a nurse?

Self-advocacy begins with recognizing your self-worth. This means living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and giving yourself the time and energy to set goals and achieve them. For example, you can care for your physical and mental health, take lunch breaks, and not accept overtime shifts when you feel burnt out.

What are the 5 C's of nursing?

The "5 Cs of Nursing" usually refers to core values for patient care: Compassion, Competence, Confidence, Conscience, and Commitment, a model by Sister Simone Roach; however, the popular NHS "6 Cs" (Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, Commitment) are widely adopted, adding communication and courage to the foundation. These Cs guide nurses to provide high-quality, empathetic, and effective care, focusing on both clinical skill and the human element of healing.
 

Are nurses 9 5?

If you think that nurses work 9 – 5 jobs? Then think again, because when most people clock out at 5, nurses are just getting started. Nurses work 8 vs 12-hour nursing shifts, day shifts, night shifts, and even on weekends and holidays.

How to ensure patient safety as a nurse?

To ensure patient safety as a nurse, focus on clear communication, adhering to protocols (like hand hygiene & checklists), patient/family education, ** vigilant monitoring for deterioration**, ** teamwork**, ** evidence-based practice**, and actively reporting errors/near misses to foster a strong safety culture, preventing falls, infections, and medication errors. 

What are the four A's in nursing?

This module will focus on methods to foster and encourage the 4 A's (attendance, appearance, aesthetics, and accountability) in any healthcare environment and provide activities to reinforce these processes.

What are the 5 personality types?

The most widely accepted "5 personality types" are the Big Five traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, often remembered by the acronym OCEAN, which describe broad dimensions of human personality on a spectrum, not rigid categories. These traits cover curiosity, organization, sociability, kindness, and emotional stability, explaining how people differ in behavior and experience.
 

What are the 4 principles of nursing?

These principles are autonomy, beneficence, justice and nonmaleficence.

• Autonomy. Autonomy in nursing means that patients have the right to make their own decisions based on their beliefs and values. ...
• Beneficence. Beneficence in nursing is not as intimidating as it sounds. ...
• Justice. ...
• Nonmaleficence.

What is the #1 rule of self-defense?

AVOID THE CIRCUMSTANCES‼️ The only self defense scenario you are guaranteed to survive is the one you avoid all together! Recognize places and scenarios that are likely to provide the propensity for issues, and avoid them all together.

Which skill is best for self-defense?

Karate is particularly practical for self-defense because it combines these blocks with immediate counterattacks, allowing you to defend yourself while quickly turning the tables on your attacker. This balance of offence and defence makes karate so practical for self-defense.

What are the 5 rules of defending?

Description. Technical Defensive Skills: The 5 S's of Defending. Shut down, slow down, stand up, sideways, safety. Particularly useful in 1v1 situations.