[pieinsky]

Hello Fellow Nurses!

I wanted to say hi and say that I've looked a little bit at this website, curiosity sort of thing and decided to introduce myself.

I live in Colorado. I am a new graduate as of May 2006. I was counting on a new grad program at a hospital very close by me in fall, so took the summer off, traveled (nursing school was tough!). Then at last minute, the program fell through and I ended up taking a job with the hospital where I precepted and also was employed as a medical transcriptionist for 5 years previous. The new grad program sounded so nice, with lots of orientation and following with a mentor for a good amount of time. It's just that they put it off until Jan 07.

In the meantime, I didn't feel I could just sit for another 3 months and not get a nursing job. So I took a position with the hospital I work at already, working 3-11 on an ortho-neuro floor with lots of medical cases as well. I've been orienting but feel so overwhelmed. The shift is crazy with D/Cs and direct admits and postops happening as I hit the floor. I am expected to be "on my own" in less than a week but feel totally overwhelmed. This orientation has been 6 weeks (with 4 on the floor). I'm frustrated w lack of help with aids (many times we don't have one...) There are a lot of other issues as well.

Before I go ad nauseum with this, I'll say that I'm giving it my best to go to end of year (my 3-month break-in period) and if at that time I still am feeling lost, I am considering reapplying for the original new grad program(they assured me they were having it in Jan 07, that they wanted to hold on to my entire application and be considered. I guess I can still consider myself a new grad, less than a year?)

Any feedback would be useful. I just feel overwhelmed that I am expected to know everything in such a short period of time and feel I am a liability to the floor rathern than an asset. I have never felt this way in any other thing I have done in my life.

BTW: I am 48 and went to nursing school (a life-long dream) later in life as I got my kids in college. My grandmother nursed until she was 70, got her BSN at age 60, being an LPN from her early 20s, so I figure I could do this!

I love my patients so it's not that I don't like nursing. It's being slammed with so much so fast!

Any feedback is welcome. Take care Everyone!

PieInSky

[Tweety]

Welcome to Allnurses! I moved your post to the "First Year In Nursing" forum so others can relate.

First of all, your age is irrellevent. More than likely even with the other program you are going to feel overwhelmed when you get off orientation. You're post above could have been written by any new nurse of any age, any where, with any length of orientation.

Four weeks on the floor of orientation does not sound like a lot at all and I feel they are cheating you. Would they give you more if you asked? Or is that the expectation?

You're not going to know everything, and it's going to be tough, frustrating and overwhelming. Know that it's like that for all of and we've all survived and you can to. Good luck.

[FutureNurse35]

Hello and welcome to allnurses.

[RNKay31]

Welcome you would really like it here, we are a bunch of loving people, enjoy.