new nurse stressed out!!!!!!!!

I am sorry to hear about your troubles at work. Here's a hug! (((hug)))

What exactly is your issue that is inciting all of this stress? Is it related to time management? If so, I have some tips for you to assist with managing your time more effectively while at work. Do you feel that your education, training, and orientation period did not prepare you adequately for your position? If so, you might want to consider transferring or finding another job.

Good luck, and I hope that the bumps in the road smooth out very soon.

Here is my method to madness for time management. I work on a subacute/rehab unit at a large nursing home, and I fully comprehend that it is totally different than hospital nursing. I am typically responsible for 15 patients. My workplace only gives nurses a 3-day orientation before they are cut loose to work on their own. Not surprisingly, the employee turnover rate is rather atrocious at the facility where I work.

Anyway, here is how I organize for the day. I work 16 hour shifts, from 6am to 10pm. At the beginning of the shift, I'll go through the MARs and TARs with a fine tooth comb and, as I go, I will jot down the things that must be done in my notebook. My notebook is how I organize the rest of the day, and I usually won't forget to do anything. Here is how Sunday's notebook page looked (names have been changed due to HIPAA):

8-12-2007
DIABETICS, FINGERSTICKS: Agnes (BID), Agatha (AC & HS), Bill (AC & HS), Wendy (AC & HS), Rex (BID), Jack (BID), Esther (AC & HS), Margie (0600, 1200, 1800, 2400)
NEBULIZERS: Margie, Esther, Bill, Jack, Jane
WOUND TREATMENTS: Jane, Bill, John, Jack, Lillian, Rose, Lucille
IV THERAPY: Wendy (Vancomycin), Laura (Flagyl), Rex (ProcAlamine)
COUMADINS: Agnes, Agatha, John, Lucille
INJECTIONS: Agnes (lovenox), Jane (arixtra), Rex (heparin), Bill (70/30 insulin), Esther (lantus), Mary (vitamin B12 shot)
ANTIBIOTICS: Wendy (wound), Laura (C-diff), Rex (pneumonia), Agatha (MRSA)
1200, 1300, 1400 meds: Margie, June, Rose, John, Jane, Jack
1600, 1700, 1800 meds: Rose, John, Rex, Lucille, Lillian, Laura
REMINDERS: assessments due on Agatha, Jill, and Louise; restock the cart; fill all holes in the MAR; follow up on Jane's recent fall, fax all labs to Dr. Smith before I leave, order a CBC on Rex...

commuter: this sounds like a good plan, I was wondering how do you feel at the end of the day working 16 hour shifts??? I might want to try this///

I'm tired at the end of a 16 hour shift, but it is worth it for me to have more days off per week.