Hi everyone, this is my first post on here and I am hoping for some positive and constructive feedback. Thank you for your time.
I am in my early twenties but have been working for almost 2 and a half years all inpatient on tele/medsurg units. I recently transferred to a new hospital but still in the same system due to better patient to nurse ratios and it is a lot closer to my house. I have been at this current hospital for about 5 months and I am hitting a crisis. I skipped normal orientation due to just being a transfer. This new hospital has their nurses do blood draws, start IVs, Be ACLS certified and a few other minors things just for medsurg floors. While I am sure this sounds dumb to a lot of you. I am coming from a large hospital where I had a code team, 24/7 phlebotomy and IV team. As a normal medsurg/tele floor we never worried about this or was trained to do it in school. Now being 5 months in I am expected to become ACLS certified and magically learn everything with no training. There are classes but all at unmanageable times due to me being night shift. In addition, the new nurses that attend this orientation explain how useless and unhelpful it is. I am finding many of the other nurses are very judgemental and expect me to know how to do all of these things. It is to the point I am embarrassed to ask for help. There are many other minor issues I'm sure we all relate to that are piling up that is making me question if I even want to be a nurse or step out of bedside nursing. I am just at an overwhelming spot in my life and it is especially difficult because I have never felt inadequate as a nurse until now. I have been looking at multiple other positions but I am unsure if I am ready for a needed change or if I am just being dramatic and need a reality check. I understand the issues I've talked about are probably the norm to many of you.
I would love some support or feedback to my current situation. Also what are other areas of nursing that you would recommend someone moving into?
So basically you've been spoiled and almost disabled by the awesomeness of the other hospital. I have seen this type of thing before. Not your fault, but it's hard to go backwards isn't it. Sometimes lower nurse to patient ratio doesn't matter if you have to do all of that other stuff.
If it were me, I would have a hard time going from all of that extra support to being on my own like that. I would probably go back to my old job. It's always an option!
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.
Hello,
I would suggest asking if you can go down to the ER to put in IVs, you will get plenty and will be taught by experienced nurses.
I would read Dale Dubins EKG book (it's orange) and read it cover to cover, only if you are having trouble interpreting EKG strips. You will then be much more prepared to take ACLS and understand the rhythms and why they do or don't need to be treated.
Yes you are being dramatic, and you need to take a big deep breath and relax (which I know is difficult when your brain is on night shift, because coping ability plummets). Talk to your manager and let her know what day your class is and that you need the night before and the night after off so that you can focus on learning. You seem to be lacking in motivation to learn new skills, which again may be because you are on nights. Either way, know that nursing involves life long learning, because technology changes, drugs change, the skills we need to do change etc.
I'm in a similar situation so I get it. First, don't fear ACLS. It's good to know this info and have it. The classes are usually supportive learning environments. Second, reach out to your floor educator. They are are great resource for helping you get what you need. Lastly, identify the nurses on your floor that are approachable and wiling to help/teach. Every floor has nurses that are excellent IV starters...approach them and ask if you can watch and learn next time they have a start.
There were some I could get and some I could not get. (Iv's) We used a vein finder on are floor if we needed to. If all else failed we would call the stick team. I never liked doing IV's and still don't. It came with the territory due to being a floor that requires the patient to have several lines (antibiotics, blood and IV fluid). See if your local college offers an IV training course.
It is interesting how each place a nurse works can be so different, in terms of something so simple as IV skills. It really should not be this way. I went from working in a rehab hospital (no IV skills) to a inner city hospital working on an oncology floor (IV mania). Anything is possible if you want it bad enough Op. Honestly since you have tele experience you should be fine on the new unit. You are young and have plenty of time to find your way and build your confidence but don't wait too long to do it. It gets harder to move around and learn new stuff the older you get.
I have worked in hospitals wherein there were phlebotomists 24/7 but never had an IV team. As for ACLs it was expected on any tele unit. You will actually be learning skills you will need almost anywhere you work.
If you cannot change the circumstances all you really can change is your mindset. I do not like causing pain but as a new grad I saw my preceptor toss in IVs so seamlessly I told myself I was going to that good at them and, in time, I did.
But the thinking comes 1st. Just as in college when I convinced myself I loved math and consequently aced it I told myself I loved starting IVs and did come to love the art of being a 'one stick' wonder.
Give yourself time; you do not have to learn it all in a day.
Thank you for saying this. I think I started one IV in nursing school and haven't done one since. Some people act like I'm horrible because I can't start an IV or do phlebotomy. I've never had to do any of those things as part of my job. Not every nurse can do every skill. Doesn't make me a bad nurse.
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DextersDisciple, BSN, RN
330 Posts
In (my) ICU(s) the RN does everything. No phlebotomists on our floors.