Feeling frustrated and inadequate

Nurses General Nursing

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I am working on a frequently busy floor. Which can be exciting and interesting, but trying to keep up can often frustrate me. We are adequately staffed. Staffing is generally not a problem.

I tend to be kind of a slow plodding person anyway. Somewhat disorganized. I realize that unfortunately, these "qualities" work against me in nursing.

One day this past week I missed a med on new admit that I didn't catch until I glanced over my meds at end of shift. I have no excuse to have missed it. It bothered me all night. The med was given when I realized it (future times changed to proper frequency). Unfortunately that is not the only stupid mistake. Seems like there is always something that I miss even if small. So far, nothing such as to endanger a pt. Nothing that can't be overcome, just makes me feel bad.

I am still new to the facility and this is my first hospital experience. But, I feel like I should be doing better than I am. I know I will never be a super-nurse, but I wish I could maintain adequate. :o

I know something more like LTC pace would probably better suit me, but I do not want to work with an exclusively geriatric population.

I welcome any suggestions on what I can do to avoid these types of mistakes and also what area of nursing might suit me. I would like to work in a position that includes paid time off and retirement. I also don't favor working by myself. I often prefer to work with others. I was wondering if OR or PACU might suit me better, even though I don't like stuff on my face! Or OB. (I know OB can be busy, but not usually the level of complex patients)

Lets see. Two nurses, three aides, 65 residents and one new admit. Oh yeah, no break for ten hours. Maybe LTC will be more your pace. :angryfire Come on over to where the grass is greener.

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I know how you feel. While I'm not one who plods along, sometimes I feel like the most disorganized beast there is. People are sitting and finished an hour after they get there and while I've "seen" everyone, I might have assessed and done total care for on a couple of patients by then. By the time I'm done and having dinner and charting, they are surfing the internet, reading magazines, or gathered around the nursing station having fun.

Gotta love floor nursing.

Good luck in whatever you do.

Yep! That's me.

I have no idea how some of these ppl whip through rounds and get back to chart then hang out, clean med carts, surf, etc.

(I also rotate to nights.)

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Lets see. Two nurses, three aides, 65 residents and one new admit. Oh yeah, no break for ten hours. Maybe LTC will be more your pace. :angryfire Come on over to where the grass is greener.

Er, maybe I'll pass on that offer right now. :uhoh3:

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Lets see. Two nurses, three aides, 65 residents and one new admit. Oh yeah, no break for ten hours. Maybe LTC will be more your pace. :angryfire Come on over to where the grass is greener.

You sound very unhappy. I don't think that your response is what she was looking for Todd.

Personally, I admire the poster's honesty and desire to do a good job. Everyone makes a mistake (or omits something) once in a while. We have all done it. Anyone who says they have not is outright lying. When you find the ommission, you fix it and move on.

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I had my med times for my all day pts. What got me on this one was that it was a new admit and I didn't get it on my pocket sheet after the orders were done.

I realize that all tasks need to be done in all areas. But what areas are more straight forward (nearly impossible to miss necessary tasks).

That is what made me think of OR, no missed med times there are there?

because I'm still in nursing school!

But, if you can take a recommendation from someone who studied human communication, and hypnosis, in detail, let me let you in on a little secret:

If I, as a hypnotist, wanted to make someone amnesiac, I would interrupt

what they were doing. Interruptions (to use medicalese) cause a retrograde

amnesia. I could interrupt someone, give them suggestions, and return them to the physical state that they were in when I interrupted them (standing, sitting, shaking hands, etc.)

One possible solution:

So, what I discovered in the business world was--if someone caught my attention, I would say "wait a sec" -- write down the NEXT thing I was going to do before this person interrupted me. Then, when all interrupts were done, I would go back to my piece of paper and pick up where I left off. If I had a number of things on my list, I tried to write as many of those down as I could without being impolite.

Very few things are so important that 5 seconds to write something down is going to make a difference; the response to your name, if you are in the middle of something is -- "just a sec", whip out your pen and notepad, write and then respond.

Hope it helps.

NurseFirst

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

One of the ways I organized my time was to take 10 minutes or so after report, and make a grid for myself (actually I made them on my computer and kept the blanks in my locker).

Down the left of the grid is each pt, rm & dx. Across the top is each hour. In each box for each pt, I noted if I had po, iv, sq, what ever med (not the med itself, just the route so I'd know how much time it would need, more routes, more time). I put in dressings, txs, ambulating, anything on a time schedule, so I could see what I'd need to do that hour. Then I'd plug in stuff that wasn't as tightly timed where there seemed to be more time for it. Put VS on there too, some were q2, others only q8. I'd slash through stuff as I got done (mental imagery for me, showed me I was getting stuff done). If I didn't have time to chart what I did right then, I at least had a note for myself that it was done and when.

I know you said this was an admit, but once you put the Kardex & Medex together, you can plug in another line on your cheat sheet for that pt. It all just comes with time and practice: you'll get there! :coollook: Good luck.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
because I'm still in nursing school!

But, if you can take a recommendation from someone who studied human communication, and hypnosis, in detail, let me let you in on a little secret:

If I, as a hypnotist, wanted to make someone amnesiac, I would interrupt

what they were doing. Interruptions (to use medicalese) cause a retrograde

amnesia. I could interrupt someone, give them suggestions, and return them to the physical state that they were in when I interrupted them (standing, sitting, shaking hands, etc.)

One possible solution:

So, what I discovered in the business world was--if someone caught my attention, I would say "wait a sec" -- write down the NEXT thing I was going to do before this person interrupted me. Then, when all interrupts were done, I would go back to my piece of paper and pick up where I left off. If I had a number of things on my list, I tried to write as many of those down as I could without being impolite.

Very few things are so important that 5 seconds to write something down is going to make a difference; the response to your name, if you are in the middle of something is -- "just a sec", whip out your pen and notepad, write and then respond.

Hope it helps.

NurseFirst

Thanks! I really was beginning to think I had ADD or dementia. The things I've forgotten lately are almost embarrassing, and I keep telling myself that I'm "easily distracted" and "scatterbrained."

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Thanks! I really was beginning to think I had ADD or dementia. The things I've forgotten lately are almost embarrassing, and I keep telling myself that I'm "easily distracted" and "scatterbrained."

I also meant to say that, this is why the OP probably lost the med on the admit--it was an interruption, an interruption that, up until now, she didn't have a "routine" for handling.

I know that sounds weird, eh? Having a routine for interruptions? :)

But that's exactly why the interruptions work in hypnosis -- people don't have a mental program for what to do if they are interrupted, say, in the middle of a handshake. Do it, the person is confused and very open to suggestions as to what to do next (which is usually something like "sit down and find yourself deeply relaxed...")

BTW -- I don't know what your age is, but many women experience increasing forgetfulness in perimenopause. I think that it gets better, but don't know that for a fact. I don't seem to have a problem, and I am "doubly" menopaused -- both by time and surgery :)

NurseFirst

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

BTW -- I don't know what your age is, but many women experience increasing forgetfulness in perimenopause. I think that it gets better, but don't know that for a fact.

NurseFirst

OMG. Is that what it is?! Mom started her menopause in her mid-forties. I hear it's familial. And so well um... :chuckle :confused: :stone :o :angryfire

Love your fascinating post about interruptions! I find myself more and more these days walking out of a room and having to go back in to remember why I walked out in the first place? At home and at work!!!

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I also meant to say that, this is why the OP probably lost the med on the admit--it was an interruption, an interruption that, up until now, she didn't have a "routine" for handling.

I know that sounds weird, eh? Having a routine for interruptions? :)

But that's exactly why the interruptions work in hypnosis -- people don't have a mental program for what to do if they are interrupted, say, in the middle of a handshake. Do it, the person is confused and very open to suggestions as to what to do next (which is usually something like "sit down and find yourself deeply relaxed...")

BTW -- I don't know what your age is, but many women experience increasing forgetfulness in perimenopause. I think that it gets better, but don't know that for a fact. I don't seem to have a problem, and I am "doubly" menopaused -- both by time and surgery :)

NurseFirst

I'm in my 30s.

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OMG. Is that what it is?! Mom started her menopause in her mid-forties. I hear it's familial. And so well um... :chuckle :confused: :stone :o :angryfire

Love your fascinating post about interruptions! I find myself more and more these days walking out of a room and having to go back in to remember why I walked out in the first place? At home and at work!!!

I do that too! Walk to clean utility room and have to back track to figure why I went there. At least mental back track if not actual physical.........who has time for that???

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