Acute care orthopedics nursing has its own challenges…

It’s an environment that’s so fast-paced, just 3 minutes after report you’re somehow already hours behind with pain meds, therapy appointments, wound care, and more.

You’re caring for patients undergoing extremely intense surgeries - who then get discharged only 24-48 hours later.

You routinely round with intimidating orthopedic surgeons who have very specific, yet often unspoken, expectations for the nurses on the unit

The warning signs of common postoperative complications are subtle but critical, which is difficult to detect while simultaneously caring for multiple similar patients

And promptly discharging patients with various medical equipment, follow-ups, therapy, and complex medications regimens is no easy feat!

But, what if you could have an ortho nurse playbook that told you how to navigate these challenging scenarios, right at your fingertips?

… and what if that playbook only contained the need-to-know information?

Maybe you’ve landed the job, or maybe you’re getting ready to apply for a staff nurse position on an acute care orthopedics floor. You want to do all you can to prepare for your first day, but when you’re new you don’t know what’s need-to-know information and what’s nice-to-know information.

Let’s be honest, we don’t have time to learn every single thing about orthopedic surgery right now.

While that would be nice, it’s one thing to read it. It’s another to recall that information in the midst of a busy and chaotic shift where you’re learning on the fly.

As an experienced bedside nurse, I know what it’s like to learn incredibly important information on the fly during a shift. There’s a lot of stuff you pick up along the way that would have made a massive difference had you been able to brush up on it earlier, or even know it was a priority.

Nursing school provides so much information over a longer period of time that it’s hard to retain and recall that information when it counts. It’s like it’s only an inch deep and a mile wide of basics.

But, when you get into the real nursing world and step onto a specialty unit, it’s like what you need to know is an inch wide and a mile deep. Even switching specialties can make you feel like a new grad all over again!

Creating education and encouragement to meet nurses where they truly are, and not where they think they should be is my passion. And we have now added an orthopedics course to our FreshRN® family of courses!

Picture this…

You clock in, see your assignment for the shift, take a deep breath.

You’re ready.

You take report from the off-going nurse with ease. You can quickly write down their information and ask important questions

While getting report, you’re planning your time management for the beginning of the shift. You know which patients you need to pay extra attention to, who needs more encouragement and education, and what information on the chart you’ve got to review. You give your patients who you know won’t be discharged today ample attention in the morning, because once you start getting those post-ops in the late morning/early afternoon, you’ll have less time to play with.

Soon, the orthopedic surgeon walks on the unit to round on her patients. You greet her with a smile, prepared for questions and know how to navigate the questions she may have that you’re not so sure about.

You can speak in terms of decreasing her patient’s length of stay, rather than ticky-tacky details that don’t move the needle. She’s impressed. She likes how you work. Her nurse practitioner is equally impressed with you, because you not only can identify situations that require you to notify him, but do so with astute timing, and with concise yet thorough details.

You make their job easier.

They happily do the same for you.

Your patients know you mean business, but also feel safe and comfortable under your care. You know when to push and motivate, but also when to pause and comfort. You know the complex pathophysiology behind common complications so well that you can break them down into easy-to-understand terms so they get why they need to do all of those tedious, uncomfortable, and exhausting things post-op. You educate them with a calm confidence that encourages trust and builds rapport. They willingly do the things they know they need to do because you met them where they are, not where people think they should be.

Now... I know what you’re thinking.

“I won’t get there until I’ve been on the unit for years!”

Wrong.

It doesn’t have to take years. There is a lot you can do right this very moment that can set you up for success on your orthopedic unit.

Our goal is to make it so that while you’re on orientation, your focus is learning how to do the things you can only do at the hospital. Leave the pathophysiology, pharmacology, lab, and common surgery refresher to us.

You can look like a pro on day 1 by asking the right questions at the right time.

And what if I told you that you can peel back the fear of the unknown, and start devouring the playbook now?

Hear what some of our learners have to say about Ortho STRONG!