change to other department or not? please give me advise!!

[nursebear168]

I am a new grad and already on orienation 7 weeks working at "step down" or "DOU". I had a full load of patients for about 6 weeks now and have 4 more weeks left. I am still disorganized, constantly missing breaks,shorten meal times just to catch up. My preceptor is not too supportive, very harsh on me.I constantly feel that I am such a stupid nurse. I floated to ICU and CCU with my preceptor twice, I was freaking out about it. There are 2 to 3 drips which needed to titrate. I was told that I would supposed to get the easiest patients in the unit, and not get any drips from my educator and manager.The reality was not true;even though I would have a resource nurse to help me out,if anything went wrong with the patient, I would be the one blamed (how can I float to those units without critical care training? My educator told me that the hospitial would not offer the critical class to step down nurses, but we would still have to float step down nurses to ICU or CCU, if they are short and I will float after 3 months). I worked too hard for my license, these situations make me fear losing my license. I seriously thought about switching units, when I had my first code blue 2 weeks ago.

I was always weak on my clinical, when I was in the RN program. I thought that working in step down, would help improve my skills and clinical practice, but instead it has brought me alot of fears, and uncertainties. Do you guys think that I should start from med surg first, instead of step down for this situation? Please advise!!!

I do not enjoy to going to work at all, I drag my feet to go to work.

[blueheaven]

I agree with Daytonite whole "heartedly" When I was a new grad nurse working on a cardiac stepdown unit, I really didn't have much orientation or precepting. I was scared to death! Fortunately for me I had very knowledgable experienced LPNs who helped me (especially on days when I wanted to totally SPAZ out) and they got me through the first year and taught me a lot. I also found a couple of ICU nurses who acted as resource persons for me. Have you asked about a different preceptor? It sounds like the one you have may not be a good fit for you. Having someone that you know you can go to and be supportive will make a big difference. As for being organized etc...I still have days where it just will not come together:uhoh3: Just a part of life! Keep on keeping on! Good luck!

[AMARTIN1]

Everyone is right on this post !!! I work on a stepdown unit also and have now been there almost four months and things are making some sense. If you can get down time management and critical labs, somehow things "come together." It's so funny how an extra five minutes wasted, can throw off an entire day. I never thought that I would try "playing beat the clock" and lose. Remember those days when time just never seemed to speed up? LIke in high school, on your last day before summer vacation? Or four hour classes in nursing school? I bet we new nurses will be laughing about all our fears and anxieties, about one year from now. (I hope). :rotfl: Hang in there, you will learn so much from a stepdown unit

[thatoneguy]

i dont agree with hopspitals floating new grads still in orienation. they like to do this alot, i think because new grads are still fearfull and will not refuse. if the icu freaks you out just refuse and tell them at this point you fell unsafe in a icu setting. plus the money used to orienate you is coming from a different source and should not be included in the staffing of other units. they are using money that should be going to orienting you in the unit it is intented, for other uses. floating is part of the normal staffing budget and should not pertain to you and your orientaion to a certain unit. the money given to the unit for operations "staffing included" is seperate from the money used for trainning. most hospitals get state and federal funding for the sole purpose of orientating and trainning. floating would not be covered under the provisions of the funding. my best friend works for the state health board as a auditor. he has told me of many times he took away the funding because of this type of abuse of state funds. not sure about the federal funding but i would think they have similar provisions relating to funding used for trainning. i think this missuse of funds results in a overall decline in care. it would much like your school getting funding for you being in class but you never went there. you were in an art class but the nursing school was taking money as if you were in the nursing class.