Do all nurses feel like this?

[Dasher24]

Hi everyone, I qualified a year ago and have had a whirlwind experience of a year. I started working in a specialist ward and was told before starting I would have good support systems in place and would be appointed a preceptor to guide me. when I started work the reality of the situation hit home. I felt like I was left to sink or swim. I felt the massive change in role from student to staff nurse and my entire personality changed to allow me to be more assertive.I have also had more sleepless nights than I care to think about wondering if I could have done something better today or if I forgot any details to hand over. I have cried(in private) about the outcomes for some of my patients and continue to think about their families. I have also done this with very little support from my line manager and without a preceptor despite asking. I enjoy my work but I have had personal fails where I have forgotten or needed prompting on issues,none life threatening and most of which are paperwork.I find myself staying at least an hour after my shift has finished which is exhausting but I cannot seem to find a routine to encompass all aspects of care and ensure I don't miss anything. I question my capability to do this job all the time as I need prompting and regularly have to phone when I get home as I forgot to hand over something. The staff I work with expect me to be at their level but I don't have the training or the experience to do so and I am considering a career change. I suppose what I am asking in a long winded way is "is this normal or is a career change wiser?"I would greatly appreciate advice.

[fitz the viking]

yup completely normal. Try to think of it like this. Nurse school teaches you to be a student nurse. your real training starts when you put that uniform on. with practice and memorising the paperwork the speed (haste) will come, you will learn to condense documentation to the bits you really need to write but this takes time. The fact you are thinking about the families and the patient says to me your turning out to be a bloody good nurse. dont let the politics of the ward grind you down. look at the good your doing for your patients and families. have you started to have students yet? try and have one for a day, you will look at yourself as being at their level but you will amaze yourself at how much you have progressed in such a short amount of time. book yourself on lots of courses too, 1 its a day off the ward and 2 it will give you knowledge and confidence. chin up. your doing good!!!!!!