feeling down and incompetent

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Ive been in home health care for 6 months as an lvn caring for a vent/trach pt. i feel soooooo stupid for something i said and this isnt the first really DUMB thing i have said to them! i want to explain the whole situation but im new to this site so im not sure if im allowed to do so.

All i know is i dont think nursing is for me because things dont always click in my brain. i feel like im coming off as so dumb. maybe its just the home health thing im not sure but goodness what low confidence can do! my last lvn job i felt really smart. seemed like people would come to me when they needed something but wew after feeling dumb in front of the parents of the client i care for i feel trapped like i cant make up for it! AHHHHHHHH its like replaying in my head. what am i gonna do :( i almost want to tell them sorry for what i said and that i understand now. or maybe i should just forget it and move on with my life.

In school i did great! however, it is soo different out in the work place. soo i have decided not to pursue RN anymore. Im aiming for clinical lab scientist. i am hoping i will be good at that. its a high goal to aim for but fprget RN i dont think im very good at nursing. i almost want to just quit my lvn job and find something i can do in a lab like driving around specimens and take a major pay cut :bored: well im just ranting on and on but i feel a little relieved after typing out my feelings. anyone else have serious doubts about nursing and/or ever feel really dumb in certain situations???????? hope im not the only one

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[COLOR=#003366]itsmerae, don't be so hard on yourself! Everybody has bad days in nursing. I've been a LPN for 23 yrs now, and I have moments where I feel the same way. I too did PDN for a vent/trach client, and it's hard. They had been dealing with it for 11 yrs and had a routine. Trust me, I did/said some pretty stupid stuff! I had a doctor tell me once that it takes about 4 yrs to make a really good nurse. Maybe it's not so much nursing, but maybe the environment. Hang in there and don't give up! :nurse:
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Maybe explain the situation to us a little more.

Nurse or not, everyone makes mistakes or sticks their foot in their mouth. I don't think one mistake makes you a bad nurse...especially if the patient was well cared for and not in danger.

I overthink situations and beat myself up for them but it's not helpful and only attacks your self confidence. Realizing what you could have done differently. Apologizing if necessary & moving on is the most helpful. Home health may not be for you but I don't think you should throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. There are many other avenues of nursing if you don't feel home health clicks well in your brain or with your nursing style.

Hang in there!

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We all say things that make us feel dumb. I also will replay it in my mind and think why on earth did I say that?!?!? Just know you are not alone.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

We all have those "duh" moments, some feel worse than others...I felt that way each time I transitioned; fort as a new LPN, an when I became an RN...whew, MUCH more rockier. I'm at my two year mark and it's getting better-and it will for you...enjoy the rides of the learning curves and you will do just fine. :up:

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Thank you all for your feedback. It really helps. i ended up bringing up the situation to the mother and felt a little better after that. I still feel like this position or just nursing in general isnt for me. I know the family wants the happy go lucky energetic silly nurse type but that just isnt me. Im a hard worker and im very reliable but my personality just doesnt cut it. I constantly feel awkward being in their home. I guess im just a super awkward person who overthinks and worries. ive been an lvn for three years. First year i worked in a busy busy nursing home and was so happy to be out of there because all i would do is stress over my patients and i felt like i couldnt get everything done. Nursing homes can be really stressful which im sure alot of you out there know. My second job was working at a group home for kids with developmental disablities which now looking back i realize how much i really loved it but i left after a year because i moved but i also couldnt really wait to be out of there because i would stress stress stress about the kids and oh im i doing things right, did i forgot something, etc. Now i have this job.....and im stressing about the littliest things such as these dumb things im saying to the parents, when the job itself is actually really pretty easy! So i guess im just a big stress case! Im not sure what to do. Basically im not happy at this job and im looking for a way out. Put it this way ever since ive starting nursing i sleep like crap and i havent felt like ive been able to breath or be myself. its like i get eaten up by all the little stressors that go along with nursing which is a real shame because i know im caring and a hard worker but maybe i care too much??? ahhhh....so having said all this i think it would be a mistake to become an RN when im not happy as an LVN.

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Yes and I think being an LVN now makes me realize how much RN isnt for me. Awesome that its getting better and better for you :) My heart goes out to every nurse that sticks to it

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