So much harder than I expected :(

[sprintin2012]

I need to vent I started my first job a little over a month ago and I am a nervous wreck. I only have 2 more weeks of orienting and I do NOT feel ready to be on my own I knew my first job would be a challenge, but this is just so much more stressful than I was expecting. I'm generally not even a stressed out person, things come easy to me, and I guess I thought this would to. I breezed through nursing school with nearly all A's, breezed through clinicals, and loved my job as a nurse aide and did it well. I did not realize all the responsibility that goes into being an RN and I think it's freaking me out. I work on a telemetry floor and all the patients are pretty much train wrecks with SO many medical problems. I have 5 patients, I'm always behind, I never know when to call the doctor...or even what doctor to call for that matter as the hospital I work at has so many different groups of doctors and I'm just totally confused. I feel like I learn so many new things everyday I'm there from my preceptor, so I'm worried when I'm not with her anymore I'm not going to be able to figure out/catch things on my own. I don't totally hate the job...I'm enjoying some aspects of it but I'm just worried for the patients that I'm not going to know what I'm doing and potentially harm someone. The nurses I work with are generally nice, but I dont want to have to bother them with questions when they're already SO busy. I think my biggest fear is going to be calling doctors that ask me questions that are easy questions, but I won't know the answer and nobody will be there to tell me....nearly every phone call I've had with a doctor I've had to interrupt the call to ask my preceptor the answer to their question. ugh. when will it get easier???????

[Flatlander]

It does sound like you had much the same experience. It would be nice to have another chat with you.. I think there's a way (a "PM"? or something?) I've left several other posts around this issue on others' threads and one of my own. It has been extremely helpful to know that it's not so unusual. At first I thought I must be the worst orientee ever. Now, I think maybe not so much! :)

[Flatlander]

Hey Sprintin2012! How's it going? Can you give us an update? I hope to hear that you are surviving and thriving. Please post. Thanks!

[sandyfeet]

I am new off of orientation and feel exactly the same way! My situation is a little different because I'm in the ER but the feeling of being over your head panicked is the same.

My first day on my own, the charge nurse told the nurses working in the rooms next to mine that I was new and I would be using them as resources. I also ask EVERYONE questions--sometimes a nurse is walking by and I say "Can I ask you a quick question" and I've been steered in the right direction. I have a little alphabetized address-type book I carry around and I write down tips, like under "K" I wrote "Ketamine" and some quick reminders about conscious sedation for children. I also have little worksheets my preceptor made for getting a patient admitted to the hospital, so every time a patient is to be admitted I can just slap one on the chart and start working down the list.

Maybe you have tasks you can make worksheets for too? I was lucky to have a very thorough preceptor that set me up with these tools (although in orientation I thought she was insanely strict!) but with a little time at home you could create something. My point is that we're new, we're not going to remember everything. We need more tools at the beginning to get us on our feet!

Good luck! Let us know how you're doing!

[hha01]

Hi there,

I have the same exact feelings and fears. I was not ready to get off. They said I would be okay and there would be support. After a few weeks on my own, I had an encounter with a doctor who was well-known for intolerance and bad temper toward nurses, esp. new ones. After that, they were ready to fire me and told me the reasons were I was not confident enough, double checking with other nurses too often, and seemed overwhelmed. However, I got mostly good feedback from my patients. I worked like crazy and rarely took breaks or if I did, it was a really quick ones so I could go back to my work in order to catch up with everything. The last day I was late for report bc a patient was hypoglycemic and needed my attention right at shift report. Ah ha, I thought I was doing fine because I always try my best. I did good in nursing school, graduated with honor, and had great feedback on other past jobs. Never feeling like this. I feel like a loser and embarrassed and scared. How am I going to get another job without much experience and worst, how can I explain this at the interview if I get lucky enough?

[sprintin2012]

thanks everyone! I am VERY happy to say I've been on my own for a little over a month now and its going better! I have some good nights, and some bad nights, but it will probably always be that way :) A couple nights ago, I had a very difficult night with two new admissions in a row, two other patients who should have been in the unit, and it was very crazy and stressful with a lot going on. I survived the night though and I felt great about it and it seemed like I accomplished a lot! Also had my first patient code a couple weeks ago, and that was stressful as well. My patient survived, was intubated and sent to the unit, so I was happy I was able to help save him! There's still a lot I don't know, but for now I feel somewhat comfortable. I am learning my floor is a very difficult one to start out on. My co-workers are SO supportive though and I always feel comfortable asking questions. They're always there to help out, so I feel very lucky to have them! I can't believe how much better it's gotten in one month so I can't wait for a few more months from now when I've gained even more experience!

[Annaiya, NP]

Glad to hear it is getting better for you!

[kagmc]

Although I hate for anyone to feel this too, it is very comforting to know that I'm not alone. The orientation I'm in is 18 weeks, and I'm 8 weeks in. My coach gets angry/frustrated with my time management and charting and I end every day feeling like a moron. I wish there was a resource with some ideas about how to improve nursing time management, but have not found any yet. Does anyone know of such resources or has practical ideas?

[Flatlander]

Although I hate for anyone to feel this too, it is very comforting to know that I'm not alone. The orientation I'm in is 18 weeks, and I'm 8 weeks in. My coach gets angry/frustrated with my time management and charting and I end every day feeling like a moron. I wish there was a resource with some ideas about how to improve nursing time management, but have not found any yet. Does anyone know of such resources or has practical ideas?

I have been searching too and there's not much out there. I've been Googling "Time Management for Nurses" and have come up with some resources. I will share helpful ones in a future post.

[Annaiya, NP]

Although I hate for anyone to feel this too, it is very comforting to know that I'm not alone. The orientation I'm in is 18 weeks, and I'm 8 weeks in. My coach gets angry/frustrated with my time management and charting and I end every day feeling like a moron. I wish there was a resource with some ideas about how to improve nursing time management, but have not found any yet. Does anyone know of such resources or has practical ideas?

It isn't something you can learn from a book. And don't be too hard on yourself when you're still so new. If you have 18 week so orientation, I'm guessing you're in critical care, which just means there is that much more to learn than on a floor. A lot of so-called "time management" is about consolidating steps, being able to chart quickly but still accurately, being able to talk to patients and family while you still do your work. All of which are things that come with time and experience. Pay attention to how much time you spend at work asking questions, looking up policy, looking up medications you don't know, running back to the med room because you forgot a flush or you forgot to get water so they can take their pills, etc. Efficiency will come with time and experience. You're slow now, because you have to have help and ask questions about everything you're doing. Focus on learning what you need to know to do your job and the time management will come.