I feel so incompetent

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I had a lousy day. Get in and a 93 yo lol who had stomach pain the day before - I had repositioned her and it alleviated it - was puking and sick. Call the doc and am missing a vital sign he wanted. Felt like an idiot. Get the order to send her out. Another LOL has a really bloodshot eye and the doc asks me for her last INR. I had completely zoned and didn't even put together that she's on Coumadin AND antibiotics at the same time so bleeding was affected. Felt like a bigger freaking idiot. Call the squad to transport the first LOL and completely forgot to print out any paperwork. Of course, the boss is standing at the printer and getting everything that I should have done.

Of course, the passive-aggressive LPNs are ignoring all of this because I am *supposed* to know.

Then my highlighter uncaps in my pocket and completely ruins a white skirt.

Meanwhile, yesterday a LOL is pinching and scratching everyone. I clip her nails and nipped her pinky. It wasn't bleeding. This morning an LPN notices a tiny scab and asks me if I clipped her nails. I said yes and I must have nipped her while she was trying to pinch me while I clipped. Before I can even get the paperwork started on the incident she's told the DON who is at my desk telling me to do one.

Then there's a class at 2:30 and the nurses conveniently don't bother reminding me. They leave while I'm on the phone with a family member and I feel like a flaming orificehole.

I'm a lousy nurse.

Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.

It sucks that you had a bad day and that people are insensitive.

Think of it as a learning experience and don't dismiss your work as not being good enough!

I also have to ask what does LOL stand for in a nursing context??? :uhoh3: I've been racking my brain trying to think what it could mean. Living... Oriented.... Labile

Labor.. Of... Love

Late... Onset... Lackey HELP PLEASE!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
It sucks that you had a bad day and that people are insensitive.

Think of it as a learning experience and don't dismiss your work as not being good enough!

I also have to ask what does LOL stand for in a nursing context??? :uhoh3: I've been racking my brain trying to think what it could mean. Living... Oriented.... Labile

Labor.. Of... Love

Late... Onset... Lackey HELP PLEASE!

Little old lady

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.
Little old lady

Now I can go to sleep, a million thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

i hear ya...some shifts are busy. last night I had 6 patients with watching a 7th from 1-5, in report I apparently forgot to mention that a patient admitted with vertigo was supposed to get orthostatic bps once each shift....they called me at home at noon about it. I let it go to voicemail....and was mad because I did a LOT of work with my patients, got charting done at 4am...did all the extra duties....and they call me to tell me the doc was mad about it? seriously?.....bah. tomorrow is another day. by monday, they probably won't remember.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I took a job where I was the only licensed staff on night shift, I realized that I was it and started to get uneasy. Took several index cards punched a hole in them and put them on a ring. On these cards I wrote out the steps to take for various situations. Just having my little stack of crutch cards made me feel better. Likewise, I got my former supervisor to agree that I could call her in the middle of the night for her help. Sort of like those lifelines they have on TV game shows. I also agree that you have some less than helpful coworkers. I wonder what is wrong with their go to work panties that they can't be helpful.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.

You are not an incompetent or lousy nurse. Even though I can only read your posts on here you are one of the nurses that I look up to on this message board.

I have learned that its completely normal to get stressed especially in nursing and especially in LTC which is no piece of cake.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PACU, CARDIAC ICU, TRAUMA, SICU, LTC.

It really doesn't matter how many years' experience one has. We all have that type of day. We are human, but no matter how many times we tell ourselves, "I am a GOOD nurse," it always helps to be validated by those who know this to be true!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks, everyone. You all made me feel a lot better.

Once more into the breech.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=AlmostABubbieRN;4365269]I had a lousy day.
Yeah, you did.

I'm a lousy nurse.
No, you're not! The weirdness seems to come in clusters, though. You could adopt the "I meant to do that" look for those who seem perplexed by the goings on. :lol2:

On the highlighter on the skirt thing-- I got blue ink all over some white thing a long time ago, and this nurse Maureen came up to me and began to spray it with Aqua-Net or some other godawful hair spray, and damn if it didn't just disappear right there! I began to view her as a nursing oracle after that.:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Bubs, you aren't a lousy nurse!! You had a lousy day! Big, big difference. Like the other poster said if you were a lousy nurse you wouldn't be beating yourself up over your oversights on a couple things.

For what its worth Bubs, I luv ya and look up to you as a nurse. When I "grow" up, I want to be just like you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.

You have a lot of life experience under your belt; your nursing experience has yet to catch up. It takes a while---and I mean years---to feel competent in this field, and you've just gotten your feet wet. I know how hard it is not to run yourself down, you tend to think (like I did when I was new) that because you're x-number of years old, that you should have this thing nailed. It doesn't work that way!

QUOTE]

Isn't that the truth??!!

I've been in this field for 15 years, and it wasn't until the last 5 or so that I've really started to feel comfortable with my knowledge and skill base.

Some other advice I can give is look into seminars, workshops, inservices, etc. that will help you learn. Getting my certification in gerontological nursing really boosted my confidence in myself.

You'll do fine, because you are a nurse that cares, and that's a beautiful thing!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks, all.

Well, it was all over the facility today the M and V were complete brats to me yesterday and they don't realize it but I AM well-regarded and respected among just about everyone else.

State showed up today to investigate a coupld of residents on my unit. I had my sh&t DOWN. The biggie? Something I hard argued with the DON about o which she wouldn't budge. Turns out I was right. Of course, she managed to get an "I told you so" about something that had been explained by me ans answered. I said, quite simply, "Honestly, I wasn;t sure how to document that." Worked =quite well. No nonsense, no defensiveness, just, "I was at a oss."

I feel MUCH better today.

Thanks again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment