I am a new nurse. I graduated in May 2006 took my boards and started working in the ER soon after. I personally do not think working in the ER is rocket science. I don't know it all and I am not afraid to ask questions. I would rather ask questions than kill a patient.
I just got off orientation like two to three weeks ago and I have to say it has been challenging. Not the work...the people. The work is hard and some days I want to cry but I just realized that even experienced nurses feel that way some days ( so they told me). It might not just be as bad as I would feel because I am a newbie. There is so much I don't know but I am so willing to learn. Some nurses are just big gossips....They sit around and want to discuss how that new nurse will never make it cos she is soooo slow and stupid or how this experienced nurse is sooo lazy and should not be an ER nurse. Some of these "gossip clicks" have only been nurses for like 2 years or at the most 5 years. I just act like I don't hear cos I'm sure the day I am not working, I will the new topic.
People tell me that I have to learn to tell the techs and the secretaries to help me cos I cannot do it by myself and I am kind of trying to get used to that. I try so hard to prove myself that I can do stuff. I feel uncomfortable because I don't want them to think I am a lazy person and I'm always asking for help because I do not know how to do it. I have to admit that the times when I do ask the techs to help me do a work up with me for a chest pain or something else or so they are always willing to help. There is this particular secretary that just really ticks me off. While I was on orientation if the Doctor had additional orders my preceptor will tell me to tell the secretary to put the orders in while I go gave the meds. Each time I would ask her she would give me an attitude about how I need to "learn" how to do it and she was busy (reading a magazine or on her cell phone)...by the way I do know hot to put the orders in. I would be so frustrated that I would go put in the orders in and delay giving the meds and my preceptor will be mad at me. Other nurses told me that she does have an attitude regardless but she dare not disrespect them like that.
People must have noticed that I like to do things by myself because my preceptor actually made a week where all I have to learn how to do was delegate to people. Anyway four days ago I had to draw two set of blood cultures and hang Avelox for a patient with pneumonia .My hospital has a narrow window period (couple of hours) where the blood cultures needs to be drawn and the antibiotics need to be hung. I was going to draw the blood and I just stopped by to tell the secretary to please help me put the orders in and she started with her attitude again telling me that I have to learn how to do it and that she was busy (doing nothing). I told her I was going to go draw blood and hang the antibiotic and I was really busy too. She just kept on going on and on and there were like three nurses there including the charge nurse. The secretary said that well she saw me hanging around doing nothing so I should have the time to put the orders in. I asked the charge nurse if she saw me standing around and the charge nurse said no. The secretary then said "Well You need to stop your yapping around and go do some work. Didn't I say I will put the orders in?" there were three nurses standing right there. I was in shock for a second....then I just walked away.
I was trying hard not to cry at work... when I got to my car, I just had to cry. Maybe I'm just to sensitive..maybe I need to be way more assertive. I didn't know nursing would be like this...I didn't know at all.....