New Grad Woes

Your preceptor is right.

I agree with JoPACURN. I am a new to the ED too. My ED Preceptor is legendary for being a fast Trauma nurse. She is one of the best in the department. She has trained many and has caused many to be good ED nurses or pack up and leave. In fact, others tell me that I must be a "genius" because she is very nice to me, leaves me alone to do my work, jumps in to help me or let me help others (I am a tactile learner so this works for me very well), and tells everyone I am doing a very good job. She also always compliments me and thinks I am catching on quickly. However, like you, I am hard on myself and do not take compliments as seriously as I do criticisms because I am always looking for ways to improve myself.

In any case, I resolved to accept the compliments because frankly, too many people have said it over-and-over again, that I am doing well plus that they are “brutally honest...” and will tell me when I am messing up! If your preceptor and the others are honest, then take the compliments! In fact, if the ED is anything like Med Surg, once off of orientation you will not hear very many compliments just criticisms! The only way you will know that you are doing your job right in the future will be because you saved someone's life.

Do you find yourself having a hard time remembering what the date or time is when you are charting? Do you find yourself asking the attending doc which doc you were taking admission orders on the phone from just NOW? Do you find yourself walking the wrong way to go to the bathroom? Do you get mind boggled trying to find CT because someone convinced you to take "the other elevator"?
Welcome to the ED, or just "new-nurse" growing pains. It will get better, I promise, just hang in there. If you were screwing up MAJOR your preceptor would let you know, they ALL have been there.

Sounds par for the course to me.

We'd be more worried if you thought you knew it all after only 2 months and wanted to go off orentation! Feeling competent sort of sneaks up on you.

Like you I am a recent grad in a 12 week residency program on a medical/telemetry unit at a local hospital. I am two months in and have been working w/a preceptor mostly day shifts until this week where I am working my first night shifts as I was hired to work night shifts.

I have also been told that I am doing a fantastic job and have support from all my preceptors and coworkers. These first two night shifts have been extremely tough on me and I think it's because there is less structure at night than during the day. I feel like I have regressed and am overcome with the fear of failure. I have been overwhelmed with a bevvy of new information over the last 8 weeks and sometimes find it difficult to apply all of this new knowledge, my critical thinking quite often happens after shift when I am thinking about my work day and of course it's a bit too late.

My point is that I know how you feel. We just have to get through this period and persevere. I sometimes doubt myself as to whether I am cut out for this but I am hard on myself as well. I know it will all come with time but I do wish that time was now.

Good luck with your new career and congratulations!

motivatednurse,

First off, let me congratulate you on surviving nursing school and passing your boards! Please believe me when I say - if you can get past THAT, you can truly do ANYTHING you choose! I've always said that "if I had the choice between army boot camp and nursing school, I'd choose boot camp in a heart beat!"

Secondly, I like your username. Motivated Nurse. That's an excellent attitude to have, especially in someone new to a career/field/profession.

Subsequently:
- I'm still a "new nurse" and I hope I'll always be open minded about learning new things on the job. The day you feel like "now I know it all" is the day you should hang up your stethoscope, retire your nursing shoes and QUIT!

- I agree with the others who have chimed in and said "sounds like it's par for the course". Because it is. Not only are you a new nurse, this is your first nursing job. Add to that, you have the unique pressures associated with the chaotic, dynamic work environment that is the ED!

- Being scared to death is normal. Remember the old saying: "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is taking a step forward when you are afraid." However, what I have found is that as the days wear on and one's confidence and proficiency increase, the fear does not decrease ... but ones ability to face it improves.

- Never forget this: "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment". I'm including this quote not to further scare you but to highlight the fact that your peers and mentors have also gone through the same trials and tribulations. We've all had our "days" and "certain cases" - both good and bad - that have left an indelible mark on us.

Now that the "lecture" is over , remember to:
* THINK before you ACT. It's better to spend the extra three seconds to think something through than plunging in willy-nilly.

* When in doubt, run it by another nurse or run it by a Doc. The great advantage of working the ED is that you have nurses, techs, Docs, NPs/PAs all working around you all the time. Make use of 'em. Nobody will think less of you for doing so.

* As an adjunct to the above - believe you me, as a "new nurse" I had a hard time with "delegation". And as a "new nurse" I had an even harder time with "asking for help". This is important! You MUST recognise when you're "in over your head" and ask for help!

Just remember, it's NOT about YOU, it's ABOUT the PATIENT!

Keep THAT in mind, all the time. Don't ever think about "but I'll be looked on as someone who can't hack it" or "I'll be percieved as needy" or other such nonsense. The prudent nurse recognizes when s/he is overwhelmed and asks for help. Simple as that. Remember - it's about patient care, not YOU.

* Try to have fun (Yes, you CAN! ) You work in a stressful environment but there's always time for smiles and a light hearted joke or two.

* Don't forget to take your breaks.


If you've survived reading this manifesto this far, I must also commend you for your patience! Patience is a wonderful virtue to posess - especially in nursing!

SO! Stop 'freaking out'. Take a good, deep breath. Calm thyself. And then jump right in!
Welcome to Emergency Nursing!


cheers,