I am a nurse and I'm going on having 5 years of experience. Two of those years were in a SNF as a wound care nurse and two were in an LTACH. In LTACH, I worked with vents, trachs, ET tubes, tele and some medicated drips. The nurse to patient ratio was 5 to 1. To make a long story short, in March the LTACH I worked for closed (also, nicely, right when I was in my last semester for my RN to BSN) and luckily I was able to pick up a job in what I wanted to work in since graduation: a neuro/trauma SICU in a teaching hospital. I love it there, but I've found out that because I had experience, they are trying to give me a faster orientation. I was not told how long of an orientation I would have specifically, but after only 5 weeks of pure floor orientation (because I was being scattered between classroom and floor orientation the first 3 weeks), I was told I was not as far as expected and possibly moving me to a step-down or med/surg unit (however they still want me to do the required critical care/trauma education). Honestly, I think this is a bit much. I found a neuro/trauma ICU to be a completely different world than LTACH. I needed to learn a new hospital and charting system, learn a new way of thinking, even a new way of giving hand off report, etc... (honestly, even our vents are completely different than what I have worked with in the past). I've received an action plan of what I've expected to improve in and to improve on that in three weeks. If I do not improve, it will be discussed if I should be moved to a lower level of acuity. I am really improving on things currently, however recently I've been pressured by my preceptor to not stay late to finish up charting like care plans or teaching records, which are required. That I should have all this charting finished in addition to charting the hourly full-assessments on my two trauma patients. I really really love this job and I am willing to learn and improve, but I feel so pressured to get this new floor and hospital system down perfect and do it fast. Is it just me? Or am I really not cut out for this? I've been so depressed and stressed out over this. As I said, I love the floor and I love the hospital I work for and am willing to learn and improve, but I constantly feel like I'm not doing "good enough".
