Am I a hospital secretary?

[moliuchick, RN]

I am so burned out. I hate to vent but I guess I have no one to complain it to.

I am a new grad and just started my internship in Sept. At first , I loved my internship and I was just fascinated by all the skills that I could expose to and all the responsibilities that I have as a nurse.

Last week was the turning point, I was overworked. I stayed like two hours late just to catch up with all the paper work. I forgot to transcribe dr's order that was on the charge 10 hours ago. Dr's yelled at me for calling him. I feel like a secretary more than a caring bedside nurse.

What is wrong with me????? Am I just too stupid to be a nurse?

I feel stupid when "kings" (doctors) started getting inpatient with me on the phone. The more that I got intimidated by them, the less that I want to call or communicate with them. I know it is very very bad for my patients. But I am really afraid to call doctors since they are sooooo mean.

Another thing is that, English is my second language. I feel embarrassed when I am not even able to pronounce some of the medications.:imbar I am wondering why other foreign nurses can do it and I can't??? Am I the only one out there who is suffering????? Please give me some advice...Thanx.

[Lisbeth]

Is internship like orientation? Who is precepting or mentoring you while you are still new? This person should be helping you to adjust to the reality of your floor. Many new nurses feel intimidated by doctors who yell, the key is to not take it personally. However, sometimes we feel bad because maybe we could have done something better. It always helps to be prepared before calling the doctor; review the chart and med sheets, jot down notes before you call, and be very clear on what you are calling for. This way you won't feel so flustered. Practice saying the med name before you call. This is very important because there are so many sound-alike drugs. Just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you'll get, so try not to avoid calling doctors. There are going to be some rough days, and as you get more experience, the good days will outnumber the bad. As far as being a secretary: all of the tasks involved in patient care become the responsibility of the nurse, sometimes there are other staff we can delegate to, but ultimately we make sure it gets done, and it's all important for the care of the patient. Good luck, hang in there. When we have bad days on our floor, we just say, "It can only get better!":)