What the heck have I gotten myself into??

swansonplace · Mar 21, 2014

I seemed to be overwhelmed as a new nurse. I am in orientation, and it is not going well at all. What happens to new nurses that quit during orientation.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle it? Should I tell the person that supervises me? Should I quit? Should I look for a new job?

THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN · Mar 22, 2014

I seemed to be overwhelmed as a new nurse. I am in orientation and it is not going well at all. What happens to new nurses that quit during orientation. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle it? Should I tell the person that supervises me? Should I quit? Should I look for a new job?[/quote']
no! It's hard for everyone. Wait at LEAST until you finish your orientation.

luckyzhp · Mar 23, 2014

I too am feeling completely inadequate. I was a stay at home mom, then part time preschool teacher when I decided to go back to school at the age of 36. I began with the LPN program at my community college and returned for the LPN-RN transition program. LPN in Jan 2011, worked either part time in LTC or PRN in corrections (local detention centers). RN in May 2013. Left full time night shift position in an Inpatient Acute care Rehabilitation Hospital to work in a private practice OB/GYN office. Left this practice for a number of reasons, one being the 12-14 hour days (45 min drive to/from in addition to the actual work day). Now I am still a new grad with no experience and only working prn in corrections. I have submitted approximately 30 applications within 3 months and no offers. I am terrified of working in a hospital (lack of self confidence and age), but I know that is the only way I will gain experience and knowledge. I know I have limited myself by past career choices, but are there any facilities willing to hire "new grad" 1 year or longer after they graduate?

swansonplace · Mar 23, 2014

Are there any plans to help a new nurse more over to being more competent? Let step by step skills so I can assess myself.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 24, 2014

Mar 16 by rng2013

"I know pretty much 99.9% of nurses feel the way I do right now when they first graduate...

Overwhelmed, stressed, discouraged, surprised by the sudden change of roles from student to grad nurse. Wondering, did the university made a mistake in passing me. lol Maybe I should give my degree back? I'm asking too many questions while at work - I should know how all this works by now.

Some staff are supportive, some not so much. I did my preceptorship on a cardiac unit (where I've always wanted to be) and have been lucky enough to get a job there. Full time pretty much right off the bat - which I was told could be overwhelming and it certainly is. Nothing I can't handle but some days I just go home very down on myself, wondering if I made the wrong choice to be a nurse.

It does get better right? I hear the first year is the hardest. It's so hard to come home and not worry about "oh crap, I hope I mentioned this in report" or "should I have started that pre-op checklist already?" or "was that strip really such-and-such"

You're right: 99.9% of new nurses feel stressed, overwhelmed, discouraged, incompetent and stupid. At least, 99.9% of nurses I'd care to have as colleagues. The ones who DON'T feel that way are downright scary! But I digress. Yes, it's normal to feel the way you do, and yes, it will pass. It passes more quickly for some than for others -- it took me closer to two years than one, but it does pass.

You're not asking too many questions at work unless you're asking the same ones over and over. If you are, carry a little notebook or use the notes function on your smart phone -- record the answers to the questions so you don't have to ask them over and over. If you don't know the phone number for the ER, the blood bank, the pharmacy or any other number you call frequently, make sure it's in your notes. You don't want to have to ask the charge nurse over and over. (It tends to makes them snappy, if you know what I mean.) When you ask questions the right way, as in "I've looked here and there and over there, but I cannot find the answer -- can you help me find out the correct way to do that?" Not "How do I do that?"

I'm glad some of the staff are supportive. The ones who aren't probably have other stuff going on . . . don't know the answers themselves and are terrified someone will figure it out, their husband's mistress just called the house looking for him, the teenager wrecked the second car this week and is now in jail awaiting a parent to bail him out and take him home. (OK, I'm exaggerating. But we never know what's going on in someone else's life, and sometimes they just don't have the energy to be as supportive as you'd like -- or even as supportive as they would like.)

The first year is the hardest, but even experienced nurses call back to the unit and say "Tell Karen that I forgot to tell her Mr. B is on a 24 hour urine," or "I forgot to do the 7:00 glucose check, so please don't wait until 8 to do yours." I know I'm not the only one because I get these kinds of calls sometimes. It gets easier with time, and one day it will just "click" and you realize you know what you're doing more often than you don't.

You're exactly where you should be right now. So don't worry about that. As far as giving back your degree? I've seen some whose degrees I'd like to see rescinded, but you don't sound like one of those!