Good nurse vs bad nurse

[PankaD89]

Does anyone else constantly have this battle with themselves? Some days I leave work feeling like I was a good nurse who made a difference but then other days I leave feeling like a complete failure. I've been working PRN in LTC since August & still feel completely lost somedays. I've been tempted to take a couple of FT positions thinking things would get easier that way but that would really mess up my school schedule...just trying my best to make a difference & constantly feeling like I'm falling short.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

We all have good and bad shifts, and LTC is challenging. You're being pulled in different directions all the time. I've learned to reflect on my shift and leave work at work. I also leave knowing that I did the best I could, and it's 24 hour care. There are times when I have experienced distress over situations involving a resident, but those situations were beyond my control.

[NurseDirtyBird]

I'll bet your CNAs work either the same or nearby assignments full time. They are the ones to ask if something is new or out of the ordinary. They'll also let you know how to do things the way the patient likes it to be done. They are a valuable resource.

[tewdles, RN]

You've been working PRN since August?

The old rule of thumb is that it takes 6 months in a new nursing job to feel like you are not dangerous...that is typically in a FT position.

It sounds like you are doing okay. You just need more time to develop your skills and comfort levels.

Be nice to yourself...we can't count on others to be nice to us.

[Vishwamitr]

there are definitely NOT enough hours in the day and there never will be. all you can do is your best. I never feel like a "complete failure" because I always do my best. Sure some days I don't feel like I even get to every resident, (I am responsible for 20, 1/2 my unit). But usually I feel pretty good.You are in school too, so you can't possibly give 100% to both. You can't. As you get older you won't look outside yourself for kudos, and in nursing you hardly ever get a pat on the back. Just do your best and hold your head up. Best of luck...

Namaste

Dear Namaste nurse,

Your advice to PankaD89 was as colorful and idyllic as your rangoli (inset design). The best part of your post was, "As you get older you won't look outside yourself for kudos". That is so true. You do not need validation or the inane employee-of-the-month reward (because the very next month, they are capable of letting you go) or a pat on the back because you know your own worth and the difference that you make.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

My threshold for feeling like a good nurse is pretty low.

I don't make any errors and everybody's alive.

It's healthy for my self esteem.

[cienurse]

@amoLucia-I couldn't have said it better myself! Why do we nurses do this to ourselves? Please remember that you DO make a difference every single day that you work in LTC. You might not realize it, but what about the resident who smiles every time they see you? Or the resident who will take meds for you but not for another nurse? These are all ways that you make a difference-think about the smiles you elicit when you're there. If you can finish your day with having made just one elderly person smile and feel loved, then you have made a difference in someone's life! Don't be so hard on yourself-the fact that you dedicate yourself to the lives of the elderly is making difference enough!

[Blackcat99]

When I leave my LTC at the end of my shift I always tell myself "I give up. Just let me go home now and let someone else have a try."

[sun78910]

I feel like that @blackcat99! Only so many hours in the day/it's a 24 hour job/after 12 hours sometimes enough is enough lol

[PankaD89]

I feel like that @blackcat99! Only so many hours in the day/it's a 24 hour job/after 12 hours sometimes enough is enough lol

Sounds very familiar! Usually after 12 hours I just want to collapse...hopefully we r blessed with good oncoming nurses who will keep the cycle going rather than saying “you do your own (fill in the blank)”...hate coworkers that aren't team players!!