Disillusioned, stressed, regretting nursing?

Nurses New Nurse

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I try and be a pretty optimistic about my life and career, but as I go into the last couple weeks of my orientation as a new nurse I am having trouble keeping up my morale.

I know that new nursing can be hard. I have a number of nurses in my family and they all told me that it would be hard my first year, but I guess I never realized how hard until I'm actually living through it. It's a combination of things - I have had a full 5 patients every day since pretty much day two on the floor and a number of complicated patients. I realize that's how life as a nurse is, but every day I am left feeling overwhelmed and like I must have missed a hundred things. Many days most of my patients have medications every hour and though I'm running my butt off and trying to group med passes I still am missing things or ending up late on meds or whatnot. Not severely late, but late.

I have talked a bit about it with my preceptor and she says it will come with time, but I also feel like with running around as fast as I can to get everything done that I am not even having enough time to really interpret things as I want to. I need time to read through a number of notes at times to understand the plan of care and what has been done previously or what labs are really relevant and why they chose this med over that. I barely feel like I get a second here or there to do it. And don't even get me started on trying to get all my charting done - I have learned there are six ways to Sunday to chart each thing. I have always made at least some time for lunch plus bathroom breaks, but every time I sit down I can't get my mind off how far behind I will be if I don't get up on all the charting before my next post-op comes or whatnot.

I guess I'm wondering how you other new grads are dealing with this stress, and if other people are feeling really overwhelmed too? Or if any more experienced nurses have any strategies you could share with me? I am trying really hard not to take my stress home, but it's wearing on me. I dream about the things that I may have missed for days after shifts and I really am dreading going in to work. I often feel like I am stuck in the middle between all the care teams that work with a patient and that they say the plan is one thing without taking into account what is really going on with that patient and expect me to magically implement what they want. I am trying to get better about speaking up about this and advocating, but it's hard and it takes time, that I already feel like I can't seem to get enough of. I mean, since when does an hour actually only last ten minutes?

Sorry, this was a bit of a rant, but any suggestions or words of wisdom would be really helpful, because right now I am just feeling like I was not cut out for this and that this really is kind of a slap in the face from the reality of what nursing is like. Thanks.

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I graduate next month and still feel very incompetent and I feel dumb all the time. I also feel like I am too stupid to even be a nurse. When I get under stress I freeze up and forget everything so this should be fun :(.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I'm sorry you're feeling so stressed - but just wanted to reassure you that all new nurses go through the same thing.

Remember when you first started learning to drive? You had a mental checklist of 'tasks' that had to be done when you got behind the wheel (seatbelt, mirrors, turn key, check rearview mirror, check side mirrors, put on turn signal . . . and so on). But - after a while, everything became automatic. It seems like you just jump in the car and take off - but in actuality, you have completed all of those tasks without even thinking about them... it's automatic behavior.

As time goes on, a lot of the "rhythm" of work will become automatic also. You will be able to do multiple things simultaneously (adminster med, check monitor, make sure all drains are OK, check patient's respiratory pattern, look over the room to make sure everything is OK, check siderails, etc. . . ). At some point, you will actually be automatically "triggered" by anything unusual in the patient's appearance/environment & respond quickly and effectively; like a reflex reaction. Just like an experienced L&D nurse can identify an abnormality in a fetal monitor tracing with just a brief glance. It will all come with the right type of experience.

Do me a favor. Print out a copy of your post & save it. In a couple of years, when you're the veteran nurse that is helping newbies with their own transitions to practice, I want you to pull it out and re-read it and congratulate yourself on how far you have come. You're going to be a great nurse.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

Also keep in mind that there are Nursing Jobs outside of acute care. It takes time to find your niche.

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"It will come with time".... I've heard that a lot and it must be true, bc I'm getting better as I go along. "Disillusioned" describes the way I've felt about the "real world" of nursing too. As someone whose been working for around 6 mos, all I can say is---- Keep on keepin on.....

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I am also feeling overwhelmed with everything that needs done and the amount of time to do it. I am a new grad in a SNF and only had 4 shifts of orientation and my next shift I will be on my own, taking care of 12-24 patients! I am scared out of my mind, and leave feeling like I have missed a hundred things- heck I barely get med pass done let alone assessments, labs, orders, phone calls, etc. There are so many places to chart and file everything that I can't even keep track. I have never done an admission or discharge which is bound to happen and I have no idea how I would even fit that in since it takes an hour to complete (and that is for the experienced nurses). I do not get to look at things and analyze them like I feel like I should be. Everyone also keeps telling me that it will get better with time, and I sure do hope so...

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Also keep in mind that there are nursing jobs outside of acute care. It takes time to find your niche.

Yeah, for quite a while now I have known that bedside is not my final goal, but I'm trying to put my time in so that I can have the experience to go elsewhere. I'm just trying to keep in mind that I am learning so much valuable information about how things work in the hospital and what my patients need both in and out of the hospital that I will be able to eventually apply to a job that's not bedside care.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

You really are learning a lot right now. I can promise you most if not all of us felt the same way in the beginning. You will get less anxious and more efficient with time and giving yourself that time is crucial.

Make sure you are using a brain sheet every shift. It will help you have an overall view of your day and spot the gaps where charting opportunities will likely come. This in turn helps with stress management. It also gives your brain some support so it isn't constantly scrambling to remember the next thing to be done. This both reduces that frantic thought pattern,reduces potential errors and gives you more brain space, so to speak, to process what is going on with your patients.

Keep going. Make sure you are taking good care of yourself with diet, exercise, sleep and socializing outside of work with your spouse, family, friends. If you have other nurses in your life you are comfortable with make sure you get time to share your experiences and debrief and decompress. It helps more than you might know.

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I'm sorry you're feeling so stressed - but just wanted to reassure you that all new nurses go through the same thing.

Remember when you first started learning to drive? You had a mental checklist of 'tasks' that had to be done when you got behind the wheel (seatbelt, mirrors, turn key, check rearview mirror, check side mirrors, put on turn signal . . . and so on). But - after a while, everything became automatic. It seems like you just jump in the car and take off - but in actuality, you have completed all of those tasks without even thinking about them... it's automatic behavior.

As time goes on, a lot of the "rhythm" of work will become automatic also. You will be able to do multiple things simultaneously (adminster med, check monitor, make sure all drains are OK, check patient's respiratory pattern, look over the room to make sure everything is OK, check siderails, etc. . . ). At some point, you will actually be automatically "triggered" by anything unusual in the patient's appearance/environment & respond quickly and effectively; like a reflex reaction. Just like an experienced L&D nurse can identify an abnormality in a fetal monitor tracing with just a brief glance. It will all come with the right type of experience.

Do me a favor. Print out a copy of your post & save it. In a couple of years, when you're the veteran nurse that is helping newbies with their own transitions to practice, I want you to pull it out and re-read it and congratulate yourself on how far you have come. You're going to be a great nurse.

I want to print a copy of THIS post and read it every day. You really put things into perspective for me. Thank you!

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msygrnbw & kaydensmom I totally feel thEXACT same way. Im a new nurse on a womens m.s. floor-training for 4weeks now & wonder if im where I should b. My preceptorSay im doing good but need to manage my time better. Its so different when u r the nurse (with ur own password & access) vs in school when u was just shadowing. Twice I had to stay 2hrs late to get charting done but didnt feel as bad when I see sometimes the experience nurses have to do the same. I too feel like im not giving my pt 100% like i wanTo bc so much other things u required to do & dont even mention if someone need to leave the floor for testing or surgery, discharge or new pt-so much to juggle which I dont mind staying busy & multitasking but I worry if something unsafe would happen bc so much attention needed at one time & each pt cant get that from one nurse. It seems all the pt want individual attention & u cant give them that most times. Too really do effective nursing-100% pt care, floor nurses need to have two pts & have a desk between the rooms like the ICU nurses..I too keep hearing it would come in time. I hope & pray so bc it took me a long time ro get here & too old to b switching careers again lol

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...but aThEnd of the day, I ♡ what I do :)

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I recommend Nurseeyeroll.com. It is an excellent blog with tips for nursing students and time management strategies/reassurance for new nurses. I am just a student now but read the nursey things to calm my mind.

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