New short stay position with no medical experience

[tishabenn]

I have been a nurse for four years. During my four years I have had very little medical nursing exposure. I am now in my first week of my new position on a short stay unit. Feeling overwelmed is an understatement. I feel like a new grad and I'm making dumb mistakes. I have forgotten so much from nursing school and feel as though I will drown. Yesterday was only my 4th day on the floor and the last two days I have had a new preceptor....who I graduated nursing

school with... I know she means well but is expecting me to just pick up everything. Well its a busy unit the charting system is difficult to learn and trying to learn how things are done has me overwelmed enough now add patients... im having a hard time prioritizing because im lost with charting and what the procedure for everything is. So like I sat it was my fourth day and I had 3 infusion admissions starting the infusions...do you think I could remember how to do the charting? Nope.. then had to discharge 2 of the infusions plus try and discharge 2 inpatients. Nurses are supposed to carry a phone so my prevepter wanted me to have a phone.which added to my stress...i was trying to keep up with everything and wasnt able to get to one of the inpatient discharges because I was dealing with an infusion pt. Note this patient had been wanting to dc around 1. It was 3pm before she stepped in to dc him as i was done at 3:-( she had to finish the last couple things on my other discharge as well. Shes a great nurse but this unit moves at a very fast pace and I feel like I am drowning in all this stuff I need to know. I am dreading having to go back. :-(

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

I think a lot of your issue is the charting. Ask if you can start off with just one patient for the next couple shifts and then move to two patients the next week. Once you get more familiar with the charting things will start flowing better. How many weeks of orientation are you getting?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

I agree with the pp. You need to start with a patient. Start to finish. Then move to 2. If infusions are done on specific forms, write down how to access the forms. Write down any difficulties you are experiencing, so that you can ask prior to your next infusions.

It is all new, so it can seem overwhelming. As soon as you hit your groove, it will work. Write it all down, even if it is a list of 1.) log into the _____________. 2. Patient screen: last name, first name, DOB........

Best wishes!

[tishabenn]

Thank you both. I am going to talk to my nusrse manager about decreasing my pt load until I get the hang of things. Because right now im losing faith in my nursing abilities and even considering other fields. Im dreading going back on Tuesday :-( but I know I have too.