New nurse already discouraged :(

Nurses New Nurse

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So I started working at a LTC facility 3 1/2 weeks ago. At first, everything was really overwhelming w/ all the paperwork but I was slowly getting the hang of it. We're short staffed so on my wing there are 2 nurses. Me & somebody else. I would do the floor (med pass, tx's) and my coworker would be at the desk. So this week the state surveyers showed up, and they asked to see me administer insulin. Well I withdrew insulin from a flex pen with a syringe which youre not supposed to do. but thats the way I was taught there at work. I was so nervous I didnt think to not do that. Anyway, that got us a deficiency. The DON was pissed. Then under all the pressure my coworker quit now i'm by myself and the DON said she doesnt want me working any of her wings by myself. I feel like everyone thinks i'm stupid. I think im learning way too slow, i should be able to handle the whole wing by myself but I still have so many questions!!!

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Ummm...If you knew better, shame on you. BUT, they taught you that, so shame on them. You are fine! Just learn from the mistake and move on. Don't let some lousy DON treat you badly because you were taught incorrectly. That's on her and that's why she's pissed

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
So I started working at a LTC facility 3 1/2 weeks ago. At first, everything was really overwhelming w/ all the paperwork but I was slowly getting the hang of it. We're short staffed so on my wing there are 2 nurses. Me & somebody else. I would do the floor (med pass, tx's) and my coworker would be at the desk. So this week the state surveyers showed up, and they asked to see me administer insulin. Well I withdrew insulin from a flex pen with a syringe which youre not supposed to do. but thats the way I was taught there at work. I was so nervous I didnt think to not do that. Anyway, that got us a deficiency. The DON was pissed. Then under all the pressure my coworker quit now i'm by myself and the DON said she doesnt want me working any of her wings by myself. I feel like everyone thinks i'm stupid. I think im learning way too slow, i should be able to handle the whole wing by myself but I still have so many questions!!!

Now just why would you think you're ready to handle a whole floor after 3 1/2 weeks of being a new nurse? In a decent world you'd still be on orientation. OK, you did something stupid and the

DON is a screw-up. Ask yourself, do I want to be a competent nurse or a tool? Go forward and don't do stupid stuff like that again.

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All of my coworkers are suprised that i'm barely being left alone on the floor. Everyone else says they got 4 days of orientation and were left by themselves. I think thats just crazy and unsafe. i dont think im providing the time my patients deserve because im always in a rush :(

& to me, my DON says "don't worry i've had nurses do worse. You didnt harm anyone." Then she goes behind my back and says something totally different. I was not the only one that caused a deficiency because of a stupid thing. Our facility ended up with 20 deficiences.

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Your workplace sounds unsafe. Is it worth risking your license?

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I just graduated in May and I took a nursing job in August at a LTC facility. What I learned from that experience is that it's no place for a new grad if they operate in a way that sees RN's in a supervisory role. I left the job after orientation because I did not feel safe in the position, and I was shocked that they would even hire a new grad for that role. I would have been responsible for at least 30 patients at one time and I did not find that to be safe practice. I did med pass a few times and the patients didn't even have identification - I had to go by old pictures taken of them and by asking people who had worked there for a while. Not OK. I was so dismayed that I had so many patients and such a supervisory role that I couldn't even spend 5 minutes getting to know a patient. The bottom line is, if you're feeling unsafe and you don't agree with the practices of that facility, you should reconsider your options. You do not have to continue on there if it's not right for you!

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
I just graduated in May and I took a nursing job in August at a LTC facility. What I learned from that experience is that it's no place for a new grad if they operate in a way that sees RN's in a supervisory role. I left the job after orientation because I did not feel safe in the position, and I was shocked that they would even hire a new grad for that role. I would have been responsible for at least 30 patients at one time and I did not find that to be safe practice. I did med pass a few times and the patients didn't even have identification - I had to go by old pictures taken of them and by asking people who had worked there for a while. Not OK. I was so dismayed that I had so many patients and such a supervisory role that I couldn't even spend 5 minutes getting to know a patient. The bottom line is, if you're feeling unsafe and you don't agree with the practices of that facility, you should reconsider your options. You do not have to continue on there if it's not right for you!

I'm sorry that this happens to any nurse, but you were fortunate enough to be able to speak with your feet. If there weren't a glut of nurses, we would be regarded as something of value. We need to be closing programs, not opening more.

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Hey so where do you work? My first nursing job was at skilled nursing and i quit after two weeks bc i was so overwhelmed only have 7days OR and they put in the floor by myself before OR ended.

You still work at ltc?

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I don't have any words of

wisdom, just that I feel your pain and can empathize. I too am a brand new nurse in LTC. Rumor is that the DON wanted new grad nurses to have 6 weeks of orientation, but they are always understaffed and it never happens. So instead they give 8 days. EIGHT! That's usually for one floor. But I'm going to float, so I still get 8, but just 4 days on each floor. I'm terrified to work by myself. Just 3 more days of training!

Hang in there. It can only get better, right?

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I hope you ate not still drawing or of flex pens. When state is there, pretend like you are in nursing school again. You wouldn't have drawn out of a flex pen then, right? Please, don't be afraid to question someone teaching you if what they are teaching you doesn't seem right. When mistakes happen, the "I was taught to do it this way by this nurse" won't help. If you are passing meds again and have questions, ask your coworkers...but if they aren't sure or the info doesn't seem right, then call pharmacy. Buy an up to date nursing med book. And as others have said, if you don't feel safe then it's worth looking for a new job. If I didn't feel safe, I'd work a non nursing job until I got another nursing job if it meant my license stayed untarnished and I wouldn't hurt anyone. Your DON is mad because she sucks at her job ... 20 deficiencies is A LOT. That is not normal. What grade does this LTC have? We're they given any Gs?

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Lol im a new grad too and on orientation for 3

Days and I feel the same. My license is like a ticking time bomb in the facility. We have a preceptor for now but I think its not helpful, until now I dont know how the floor works. We have 25-30 residents and today I got 9 patients because they increase it everyday and I'm passing medications late. I dont know what to do now, its so unsafe to work in this kind of facility

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