Anyone almost off orientation?

DawgsMom · Jul 24, 2003

I have a few weeks left; but feel so unprepared. Right now, I feel like I don't know anything. I've only been assigned a few patients but will eventually have to take the full load of six. I don't feel organized; I feel like I take too long doing things, like giving meds. There's a lot of stuff I haven't done, i.e., insert an NG tube, taking care of PICC/Central Lines, and feel very nervous about these things. I got yelled at by a patient's family member the other night because I took too long getting to their room (I was in with another patient). Also, the nursing assistant seemed to have a problem with me not doing my share of work. I'm not sure why because I continuously asked her to let me know if she needed help. Anyways, I feel very frustrated and wondering how long it'll take me to feel like I know what I'm doing. Is it just me or does anyone else feel this way?

nurseChristine · Jul 24, 2003

I feel the same way. I am off orientation on 8-11. My preceptor keeps telling me I am doing a great job but my patient's have been stable. Will I know what to do when they are not? I work 11-7 now but I am starting 7p-7a tonight. That may be totally different and overwhelming. I am just going to try to remember what I learned in school and pray alot. Christine

fourbirds4me · Jul 24, 2003

I start orientation on Tuesday and I am sooooo nervous. I just know I'm gonna be thown to the wolves. I certainly hope not... I took a job on L&D at the hospital I did my Senior leadership clinicals at. I had a really good repoire with the nurses and worked my tail off to impress them. I don't think hard work is gonna cover up my lack of experience/knowledge and I am scared to death.

So are you guys more nervous now going off of orientation or were you more nervous going on?

I know you all know your stuff.... you'll do great!

Rapheal · Jul 25, 2003

Hey guys I have been off orientation for a few months. Find a good resource on your unit and come to them for help and with questions. If a patient suddenly seems to be in great distress there is no shame in yelling out " I need help in here". Better to feel stupid than to have a bad outcome. You will quickly learn that those who point out the faults of the new graduate are usually pretty bad nurses or staff members who try to divert attention away from their faults or laziness. You will learn how to deal with them.

Always trust that little voice that says "don't do that." This little voice is usually right and will protect you from those who want something risky done and do not want the accountability of doing it themself.

Good luck in your new careers. I hope things go really well for all of you. Keep us posted on your progress.

kimmicoobug · Jul 25, 2003

I have been on orientation for four weeks. A full load at this facility is 4-6. After two weeks on ortho-neuro,I was able to take four...it was pretty busy. Now, on med-surg I was given four patients on the first day, seven to be med-nurse to on the second day (total nightmare with 4 students). Now, that I am orienting with different preceptors who don't know me very well, they are only giving me two. I can handle this well, and plan on taking 3 tomorrow. Tomorrow is my last day in med-surg.

Next week I move onto OB, which is my home base...sigh...I hate having to reorient myself.

Jon's sis · Jul 30, 2003

I just started orientation as an RN last Wed. The first day it was watching, the second day it was 3 patients, the 3rd day it was 4. So now, I'm up to 6 patients after a week. Today was the first day I actually charted something every 2 hours.

Dummy me, I moved to another state and I am TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR with everything in this hospital. I tried to remind someone that I'd only had 2 patients with total care at a time in school, but I swear, everybody else is like--I had 6, what kind of crappy school did you go to?

They're trying to show me things like - pulling all your meds for ALL 6 patients at once, but I can't do that. I can handle pulling for 2, then have to go over them again at the med cart for my own assurance. If I had 6 cups hanging around everywhere, who knows what kind of chaos I'd have. I feel like a real goof most of the time. My preceptor asks me if I need help, but heck, I need to do the assessments myself, they're my patients. I guess I figure if I start asking for help, I'll never get up to speed. Orientation is over the last week in August. In my next life, I'm going to ask more questions about orientation!!!

SandraCVRN · Aug 6, 2003

I finished my orientation on 7-27 and have had 3 days on my own.

Here is a rundown of my first day.

It was a 12 hour shift, 0630-1900, my patient limit was 5 for days then picked up one more at 1500 for the last 4 hours. I discharged 1 around lunch picked up another about 1530 (luckily from the admissions unit). She went to CT and the minute she got back to the floor told me "you are just going to have to call my doctor because I can't wait 4 hours for my pain meds" called her MD to get her prn pain meds q 3 hours instead of q 4. At that point I learned I was supposed to tell the unit clerk when the patient arrived in the room, oooooopppps, the pt was automatically d/c when there was no room assignment for over two hours. I only figured out the problem when I tried to access her meds from the pixis and she wasn't listed. Got that all taken care of finally. Bless her heart she turned out to be very nice about it all since she didn't get the pain med until after 4 hours after all.

One of the other pts had an ORIF of the right clavicle the night before and "wouldn't use" his PCA (didn't want to have to push that button every 8 minutes) so he had an order for MS IV Q2h prn and got it every 2 hours, LOL.

Discharged the second patient around 1600.

The one I picked up 1500 had her MS cut off at noon by her MD and was ticked off at the world, didn't want to even try the Ultram PO that had been ordered. I finally got her to understand that I couldn't tell her doctor it wouldn't work if she wouldn't try it. (she said it was like taking candy) She and her husband "looked" drugged all the time. He was having a fit about the MS, called her MD and never received a response by the time I left. The husband was going up to any MD walking by and trying to get them to give her more meds. (I'm not really sure why she was cut off from the MS, but I do know the only time she would be in the room was when it was time for the MS the rest of the time she spent outside smoking. I do know during the last 2 days her MD had been by over 8 times and she was always gone from the room)

All in all I think I handled everything fairly well, only started to have a little breakdown when I was told I was getting another admission (from the ER) at 1830. Still had to finish all my paperwork, tape report etc. That pt arrived at 1850, LOL. The evening charge came to help with that admit (ended up doing all the admission paperwork) and the nurse coming on after me just had me give her an oral report. They were both soooo nice.

BTW the day charge (who is supposed to be the resource person) NEVER came by all day to see how things were going, and yes she knew it was my first day on my own (she is the assistant NM and had no patients of her own) I guess that will teach me to expect from others what I would do myself, LOL.

Oh and one more thing, they spelled my name wrong on the assignment sheet so everyone called me Saundra all day, LOL The nurse that had been my preceptor and a couple other nurses did ask me a few times during the day if I needed any help, of course at the time I didn't need help, LOL So like I said, all in all it went OK, that last hour or so was a killer but my patients and I were alive when I left only 45 minutes late.

:-)

My second and third days were much better. I had 5 patients (until 1500) then 6. They were all stable and no one was discharged so I didn't have to do any admits and I got the same group both days.